503 replies to this topic

[Scout Derek]

Again, I will say this:

I will be in the TS waiting to help anyone that needs help.

Tonight at 9:00 P.M. at Pacific time.

-Scout Derek

[PlayGun]

Scout Derek, on 08 May 2015 - 10:40 AM, said:

Again, I will say this:

I will be in the TS waiting to help anyone that needs help.

Tonight at 9:00 P.M. at Pacific time.

-Scout Derek

By TS do you mean Team Speak? And hi i'm new.

[IraqiWalker]

PlayGun, on 09 May 2015 - 04:29 PM, said:

By TS do you mean Team Speak? And hi i'm new.

Yes. Teamspeak.

[Gumon Choji]

looking for fun

[Gumon Choji]

Old player finds need for new group.

[IraqiWalker]

There are lots of Teamspeak servers, and if you PM any of us here, I'm pretty sure plenty of us would be happy to drop with you. I know I would be.

[TheArisen]

Any newbie that wants some help can pm or send me a friend request, here or in game. I'll also introduce you to my friends. We're all willing to help get you going.

[TitaniumBurn]

New to MWO but not Mechs. I've played almost every other mech game and I have finally decided to try my luck here after seeing community warfare implemented. I figure getting up to to speed with team speak and general game play is where I will need the most help. I have played in the training grounds and think I'm just about ready to drop onto the real field of battle. Hopefully I will see you all on the field of battle some day.

[IraqiWalker]

Looking forward to it.

[dirty bubble]

I've downloaded everything from the site yet I can't get to a place to actually select a mech or play the game. What am I doing wrong?

[IraqiWalker]

There's only one file to download: the Installer. After that, you run it, and it starts the installation, and then the patching process.

Do you see ANYTHING like this:

Spoiler

[Luscious Dan]

Yeah you launch the installer, it checks for updates, then you click play to actually launch the game.

The learning curve for this game is indeed steep, so maybe watch a few (recent) youtube videos for the mechs you want to try yourself, to see how people can run them effectively. My quick 5 minute learner guide is below:

Do some research on what mechs are good, and some advice on how to run them. Don't expect to be amazing at them from the start, it takes a while to level up every new mech and get the hang of it.

My other suggestion is to start using a mech when you can afford the chassis, most of the weapons you want to run for your ideal setup, and at least the Double Heat Sinks upgrade. You'll die quickly if you shut down in combat due to heat. Also check to make sure your armor levels are high/max, as some mechs come with very little armor by default and that just won't do.

As you play and gain XP for each mech, buy Cool Run and Heat Containment first. Depending on your preferences you might want to mix things up a bit, but the general formula is unlocking the basic skills in this order:
Cool Run – Heat Containment – Hard Brake – Kinetic Burst – Twist Speed – Twist X – Anchor Turn – Arm Reflex

Hard Brake/Kinetic Burst help you stop and start, since all mechs carry some inertia, especially the big ones. Walking forward 50 extra feet after you hit stop can and will get you killed sometimes.

Also experiment with your mouse sensitivity until you find something that works for you. A gaming mouse that can change sensitivity up/down on the fly is helpful if you switch mechs a lot.

The final advice is don't waste resources if you can help it. Engines are very expensive, so if you're doing an upgrade do some research and make sure it'll fit well with your build. Only sell things if you know you won't need them any time soon. I sold some Standard engines to buy XL when I first started, then later on I found nice builds that use those exact same Standard engines and I had to spend millions of C-bills to buy them back!

If you are willing to spend real $$ on MC credits, try to buy stuff when it's on sale. Sales are very frequent, and often of the 30% off or more variety. It's usually worth waiting.

Edited by Luscious Dan, 26 May 2015 - 09:36 AM.

[Xannatharr]

Wonderful thread, thanks for setting it up!

For background, I am a longtime Battletech fan, having played tabletop for many years. I am familiar with the lore, the basic structure of the game and mechanics. I have been playing for about a week and am looking for tips on how to become more effective.

Can anyone please share some ideas on the right playstyle for the 'mech I am running?

I am using a Hunchback with 5 x Medium Pulse in RT and 2 x Medium Lasers (one per arm); Double Heat Sink and an AMS with 1 ton ammo. I up-engined to 250 to get roughly 5/8 speed (84 kph?)

What I am doing currently is solo-queue matches; I try to link up with the assault lance and stay close to them, providing additional AMS coverage while I wait for a heavy slugging match to start. Once the real fight is joined, I move in to either provide direct fire support or attempt short flanking or backstabbing on whoever the assault mechs are focusing down. At times I use my speed to help discourage or deal with lights that try to make trouble for the big boys.

My results are mixed; it seems like most of the time I end up getting ripped up by two or more assaults/heavies and either sent running from the fight or knocked out. At best I am getting 200-250 damage with 4-5 assists and the occasional kill. I frequently end up with 50 damage or less with just 1 assist, no kills.

Am I dumb to try to link up with the Assault lance, rather than sticking with the Lance I am usually placed in (typically the Medium lance)?

Should I stay away from the slugfests and try to nibble at the edges more?

Or do I need to persevere with my strategy and just try to get better at judging when to expose myself to land some shots and keep working on my gunnery?

Does the current meta work for a short-range energy boat using IS pulse mediums?

Thanks for any insights you can share!

Xann

Edited by Xannatharr, 03 June 2015 - 08:38 AM.

[IraqiWalker]

TL;DR: You're doing great. Keep it up. You need experience. A player isn't considered "not new" until around their 300th match, maybe even 500th.

Long answer:

Let me break down your post into bits:

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Wonderful thread, thanks for setting it up!

For background, I am a longtime Battletech fan, having played tabletop for many years. I am familiar with the lore, the basic structure of the game and mechanics. I have been playing for about a week and am looking for tips on how to become more effective.

Can anyone please share some ideas on the right playstyle for the 'mech I am running?

I am using a Hunchback with 5 x Medium Pulse in RT and 2 x Medium Lasers (one per arm); Double Heat Sink and an AMS with 1 ton ammo. I up-engined to 250 to get roughly 5/8 speed (84 kph?)

I'm assuming that's the 4P. It's usually the second mech I recommend for new players, after the BK-4SP (The SP has no hunches, making it much easier, and safer, to pilot).

use mwo.smurfy-net.de for sharing, and experimenting with builds. (PM me if you want more details on how to get the best out of that awesome tool). Don't worry, it's supported by PGI, all data on it is completely accurate, and it saves you millions of C-Bills.

I also don't know the condition of your armor. How much do you have, and how is it distributed (your rear armor should be no more than 12 on the CT (Center Torso), and LT (Left Torso), your RT(Right Torso) should have about 2 points on the rear, and the rest on the front).

A major part of piloting a hunchback is learning to shield by torso twisting (either called torso twisting, or damage rolling). Basically, the tactic is very simple. Your left side is expendable, your hunch is what matters, 90% of your firepower is there, and you want to keep it alive for as long as possible. So you fire at an enemy, and the second you are done, you twist your mech to the right, exposing your left side to the enemy's return fire. Your weapons reload, you turn to face them, fire, and twist again. That way you lose your left arm, and left torso, while keeping your hunch alive.

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

What I am doing currently is solo-queue matches; I try to link up with the assault lance and stay close to them, providing additional AMS coverage while I wait for a heavy slugging match to start. Once the real fight is joined, I move in to either provide direct fire support or attempt short flanking or backstabbing on whoever the assault mechs are focusing down. At times I use my speed to help discourage or deal with lights that try to make trouble for the big boys.

My results are mixed; it seems like most of the time I end up getting ripped up by two or more assaults/heavies and either sent running from the fight or knocked out. At best I am getting 200-250 damage with 4-5 assists and the occasional kill. I frequently end up with 50 damage or less with just 1 assist, no kills.

Your numbers are VERY good for a new player. By comparison, my first week I rarely broke 50 damage.

Now on to the tactic you are using:
That is THE correct way to pilot mediums. Your problem is in target priority, and decision making. I'm assuming here, but I think you're engaging too early, or over-committing. Not knowing when to retreat, and trying to go for the kill is natural for all of us. It takes a lot of forethought, and will power to disengage from a fight when your brain keeps yelling "One more shot and it's dead. I just need to chase it for another 100 meters". Then you round the corner, and there's a Direwolf sitting there just waiting for you to run into it's jaws.

Your job as a medium mech is to stay close to the big guys, protect them, and when they are slugging it out, you pop from behind them, and pour more firepower on their target. When you can, it's best to run behind their target, and core them from the rear (if they are a fresh enemy mech). The other part of your problem is you're still getting used to the battlefield, and I bet you're not paying as much attention to the position of all enemy mechs.

Tell me if this has happened to you: Assaults and heavies start their slug fest, you start focusing on a target mech, move in to cripple it, or kill it, and you get hit from the side and drop dead.

If that has happened to you. It's because there was a corner of the battlefield you didn't notice, and an enemy mech popped up from there, and saw your over exposed medium mech as it's first target. Or you waded too far forward, and became the center of attention.

All of these are things you will naturally fix just by playing the game. Eventually you'll develop your piloting skill to the point where you can tell where the enemy is going to push from, and which vantage points offer you the best firing lanes, just by seeing where they moved in the first 10 seconds of the match.

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Am I dumb to try to link up with the Assault lance, rather than sticking with the Lance I am usually placed in (typically the Medium lance)?

Nope, you're doing it right.

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Should I stay away from the slugfests and try to nibble at the edges more?

That's another style of piloting. You can do both, and they are both solid choices. I recommend running regular MLs if you're doing that, since they have much longer reach.

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Or do I need to persevere with my strategy and just try to get better at judging when to expose myself to land some shots and keep working on my gunnery?

Keep working on your gunnery, and by all that is holy, Always use the "R" key. Your 5 MPLs (Medium Pulse Lasers) deal stupid amounts of damage very quickly. The faster you see the condition of the enemy mech, the faster you can pour that firepower where it does the most good. (Trying to kill a Cataphract loaded with Dakka by destroying it's relatively undamaged CT might end in your death. However, if it's Side torso is damaged or in critical condition, it can take all of one shot to remove that ST, and possibly kill the mech if it's got an XL engine).

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Does the current meta work for a short-range energy boat using IS pulse mediums?

Yes. MPLs are a solid choice. They deliver damage very quickly, and allow you to pull some really good guerrilla tactics with them. (pop out, shoot, and disappear in under 2 seconds).

I would personally ask you to consider running regular MLs as well. Try the build I'll link below, and tell me if it works for you.

HBK-4P

(For the record, Endo-steel is a life saver on almost all mechs. Gives you a lot of extra tonnage to use)

Another thing to pay attention to. Keep the arm mounted MLs in their own weapon group (WG2), and the RT ones in WG1, and the MPL in group 3. When you fire more than 6 MLs within 0.5 seconds they generate extra heat. So you fire the ones in your RT on their own, and the arms on their own, and save the MPL for special occasions. Such as losing both Side torsos.

Xannatharr, on 03 June 2015 - 08:14 AM, said:

Thanks for any insights you can share!

Xann

We're all happy to help, that's what these forums, and this thread are all about.

[Xannatharr]

IraqiWalker, on 03 June 2015 - 09:37 PM, said:

TL;DR: You're doing great. Keep it up. You need experience. A player isn't considered "not new" until around their 300th match, maybe even 500th.


We're all happy to help, that's what these forums, and this thread are all about.

Thanks so much for the excellent, detailed reply!

I have been working on a host of different skills that all seem to be required, including some that you pointed out and I will tell you, they are hard to get all at once!

• Torso-rolling/shielding to protect my right torso
  
• Unlocked arms to leverage greater field of fire for arm weapons (especially shooting at elevated targets)
  
• Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery... still can't consistently put damage where I want it, but I am trying!
  
• Situational awareness and PATIENCE.. I don't have enough and it's getting me killed
  
• Understanding of the maps and how travel lanes change based on the game mode
  
• Staying close to the big boys but not crowding too much or blocking their retreat lanes

The game design is both genius and evil for requiring all of these skills (and plenty of others not listed!)

Finally, I tried Regular MLs initially in the design and I was running up to 8 of them, but I felt like my gunnery skills were too weak and that I was exposing myself for too long. I may have given up on them too quickly
Here's my current configuration:

HBK-4P

It's 5 MPLs and 3 MLs (one in the head for zombie action) with 11 Double sinks (all in the engine but 1). I keep hearing that I should be using endo-steel internal structure, so I am thinking about making that upgrade and either getting more cooling or maybe get one longer-ranged weapon into the setup (ERLL, LPL or just a LL - what do you think?).

My Weapons are grouped with the Pulse Lasers all together, the Medium Lasers in their own group and I have a third group set up to fire them all at once when times get desperate. I haven't set up chain-firing yet, but I may do that with the MPLs.

I'm sitting around 50 matches now, so I will keep chipping away at it and keep trying to get better. Also, I have a couple buddies who play and I finally linked up with them and got them on my friends list last night, so that should be helpful too.

Warm regards,

Xann

Edited by Xannatharr, 04 June 2015 - 09:57 AM.

[IraqiWalker]

This is awesome.

Xannatharr, on 04 June 2015 - 09:54 AM, said:

Thanks so much for the excellent, detailed reply!

I have been working on a host of different skills that all seem to be required, including some that you pointed out and I will tell you, they are hard to get all at once!

• Torso-rolling/shielding to protect my right torso
  
• Unlocked arms to leverage greater field of fire for arm weapons (especially shooting at elevated targets)
  
• Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery... still can't consistently put damage where I want it, but I am trying!
  
• Situational awareness and PATIENCE.. I don't have enough and it's getting me killed
  
• Understanding of the maps and how travel lanes change based on the game mode
  
• Staying close to the big boys but not crowding too much or blocking their retreat lanes

The game design is both genius and evil for requiring all of these skills (and plenty of others not listed!)

It's why we recommend the 4SP as the first mech, due to lack of hunch. Takes at least Torso Twisting off the table until you use a second hunchback.

Xannatharr, on 04 June 2015 - 09:54 AM, said:

Finally, I tried Regular MLs initially in the design and I was running up to 8 of them, but I felt like my gunnery skills were too weak and that I was exposing myself for too long. I may have given up on them too quickly
Here's my current configuration:

HBK-4P

It's 5 MPLs and 3 MLs (one in the head for zombie action) with 11 Double sinks (all in the engine but 1). I keep hearing that I should be using endo-steel internal structure, so I am thinking about making that upgrade and either getting more cooling or maybe get one longer-ranged weapon into the setup (ERLL, LPL or just a LL - what do you think?).

Don't slap a long ranged weapon in there. It will cost too much in tonnage, slots, and heat, to be worth it. Instead get more cooling. Also, shift your Right torso armor more. You really don't need more than 2-4 points on the rear Right Torso. Front load all of it. With the armor and structure quirks that hunch gets, it's almost as tanky as your Center Torso, if not more.

This is my guide on mech construction, I understand you are a veteran of the tabletop version, but some things have changed, and this guide should help you with understanding what is what. I aimed it at new players, so any feedback would be appreciated. Especially on making it more new-player friendly.

For starters, getting Endosteel will give you 2.5 free tons, and leave you with 19 free slots. If you drop the case for your AMS ammo, you can add three double heat sinks in there.

Xannatharr, on 04 June 2015 - 09:54 AM, said:

My Weapons are grouped with the Pulse Lasers all together, the Medium Lasers in their own group and I have a third group set up to fire them all at once when times get desperate. I haven't set up chain-firing yet, but I may do that with the MPLs.

Your arm lasers should be separate from your head laser, simply because if you are firing to the side, while twisting. Your head laser will be shooting into the ether, dealing 0 damage, or worse, hitting a friendly, and generating extra heat. Heat that you need to keep your mech running.

Instead, have the head laser be in group three, and go to the Settings screen, and map the Alpha Strike button to be something accessible (I have it set up as "E", so it's right next to my fingers) that frees up a weapon group for you.

My Battlemaster artillery mech has 4 LRM launchers, and 4 MLs. An Alpha strike button there is not useful, so instead I employ 2 weapon groups for the missiles, and 2 for the MLs. The first is chainfire, the second is group fire.

Setting up weapon groups properly can make a huge difference in performance.

Xannatharr, on 04 June 2015 - 09:54 AM, said:

I'm sitting around 50 matches now, so I will keep chipping away at it and keep trying to get better. Also, I have a couple buddies who play and I finally linked up with them and got them on my friends list last night, so that should be helpful too.

Warm regards,

Xann

One more heads up: Group queue is drastically different. I would honestly consider it a new game myself. There is a lot more coordination, and you are always matched against grouped enemies. So when you run into an enemy 10 man, don't be frustrated if you guys get annihilated. Groups, and units drill together often, and know how to work right. Don't get me wrong, we don't go into the group queue with a grand strategy, but I know my lancemates like to bring certain mechs, so I bring something that synergizes with that. We'll also do some stupid fun drops where we run in builds that can only be described as "mentally deranged", like a lance of 4 12 flamer Novas XD. However, make no mistake, we've been playing for a long time, as a team, and we definitely have voice comms active. So we're gonna be more coordinated.

Look at those matches as a challenge. Measure how well you do in the group queue, and trust me, even if you think you did poorly, you're improving rapidly. I still have matches where I die with 0 damage, because I decided that running my Locust through corner A is a good choice. Only I didn't see that there were 8 enemy mechs there, and they proceed to swiss cheese me.

Group queue is harsh, but it's also a higher skill floor queue. So don't get frustrated there, and keep on Pew Pew-ing.

[KnightTyr]

Okay. basically I'm super new. like still downloading the client new. I just made the transition into MWO since I've been playing HAWKEN lately and i find it to be so excessively easy that it gets boring. I've played the AC series extensively so i have a clue with some of the necessities of correct builds and such. My biggest issue is finding people to play with since i know absolutely no one who plays this game. I am also absolutely horrible at dredging through forums. I understand team tactics very well from my days upon days in team based shooters. Kinda hoping for a welcoming hand here lol,

[IraqiWalker]

KnightTyr, on 05 June 2015 - 09:46 PM, said:

Okay. basically I'm super new. like still downloading the client new. I just made the transition into MWO since I've been playing HAWKEN lately and i find it to be so excessively easy that it gets boring. I've played the AC series extensively so i have a clue with some of the necessities of correct builds and such. My biggest issue is finding people to play with since i know absolutely no one who plays this game. I am also absolutely horrible at dredging through forums. I understand team tactics very well from my days upon days in team based shooters. Kinda hoping for a welcoming hand here lol,

I can help you right now. However, just a heads up: Neither Hawken, not Armored Core offer much to help you here. Mech construction is different almost completely, and Hawken is like playing Counter Strike, while this is extremely more complex.

EDIT: Can you get on a teamspeak server within the next half hour? I would be able to give you a lot more information, more accurately, and faster, through voice comms.

Edited by IraqiWalker, 05 June 2015 - 10:07 PM.

[Yonkers]

I need someone to teach me how to not be so terrible. I'm running CTF-2X because of a build I saw online. I thought having a gauss cannon coming from my nipple would be funny. Anyway could really use a mentor, my IGN is Yonkers I prefer to use third-party voice stuff. I've got TS, Curse and Skype.

Edited by Yonkers, 06 June 2015 - 09:34 PM.

[IraqiWalker]

Yonkers, on 06 June 2015 - 07:22 PM, said:

I need someone to teach me how to not be so terrible. I'm running http://mwo.smurfy-ne...echlab#modified because of a build I saw online. I thought having a gauss cannon coming from my nipple would be funny. Anyway could really use a mentor, my IGN is Yonkers I prefer to use third-party voice stuff. I've got TS, Curse and Skype.

Can you get on TS within the next hour? I can help you immediately.

Also, that link doesn't give out a build. You need to click the "Save & share" button after making a build for it to link properly.