21 replies to this topic

[ShooteyMcShooterson]

After barely playing this game for a year and a half, I've been interested in playing again, what with the balance changes and new/updated maps, but since coming back in December after straight up not playing at all for about 7 months, I've had a hard time finding a time of day and/or day of the week that's actually fun to play.

Evenings are out, QP gets dominated by tryhards doing group drops to farm pugs and basically make a mockery of the game with various troll builds which manipulate both overdone mech quirks and the game's quirks. And daytime is overrun with noobs and morons who seem to think this is some sort of solo game. They wander off on their own, go yolo, hide, snipe and just generally do anything other than try to play a team game as a team. Nobody uses comms or calls and if someone tries to, people wholesale ignore it.

Maybe it's just me, but neither of these scenarios motivates me to even bother trying to play well. Since coming back, it feels like I'm playing a different game, and it's not a fun game at that.

Non-tryhard MWO veterans, in your experience, when's the best time of the day/week to play for the best game experience? Also, what play style are you playing with? Please don't tell me turretwarrior sniping is the meta, because I can't f*cking stand that sh*t, it's so excruciatingly boring.

[ScrapIron Prime]

Well the trend is always to play to the meta, and since sniper weapons are solid right now, you see a lot of those, yes. Specialist builds are always stronger than generalist builds if you can position yourself to use that specialty. If not, you get farmed.

That said, I don't play those. The solo players do what the solo players do, and there's really no telling the quality of the teamwork from match to match. I typically pick a battle buddy whether they communicate or not, and use my mech's strengths to do what they do, then switch buddies in the battle as it becomes expedient. Under an environment where communication is lacking, it does pretty well.

That said, you might consider hitting LFG and team up with some random folks. If they're bad, you can drop group after a game or two, and if they're not bad then its better than solo dropping.

[ShooteyMcShooterson]

Man, I haven't used the LFG feature in years. Like FP, that used to pretty much exclusively dump you into a group match against tryhard premades.With the soup queue and 4 man group limit, maybe it's viable now for casuals.

[Gagis]

Why would anyone not want to try to do well? The entire concept of tryhard as a derogatory term is absolutely absurd.

Do people actually try to do badly instead?

[Roodkapje]

ShooteyMcShooterson, on 18 February 2022 - 01:47 PM, said:

After barely playing this game for a year and a half, I've been interested in playing again, what with the balance changes and new/updated maps, but since coming back in December after straight up not playing at all for about 7 months, I've had a hard time finding a time of day and/or day of the week that's actually fun to play.

Evenings are out, QP gets dominated by tryhards doing group drops to farm pugs and basically make a mockery of the game with various troll builds which manipulate both overdone mech quirks and the game's quirks. And daytime is overrun with noobs and morons who seem to think this is some sort of solo game. They wander off on their own, go yolo, hide, snipe and just generally do anything other than try to play a team game as a team. Nobody uses comms or calls and if someone tries to, people wholesale ignore it.

Maybe it's just me, but neither of these scenarios motivates me to even bother trying to play well. Since coming back, it feels like I'm playing a different game, and it's not a fun game at that.

Non-tryhard MWO veterans, in your experience, when's the best time of the day/week to play for the best game experience? Also, what play style are you playing with? Please don't tell me turretwarrior sniping is the meta, because I can't f*cking stand that sh*t, it's so excruciatingly boring.

If you could please apply this :

Gagis, on 19 February 2022 - 03:03 AM, said:

Why would anyone not want to try to do well? The entire concept of tryhard as a derogatory term is absolutely absurd.

Do people actually try to do badly instead?

To your post then I pretty much can tell you that I totally agree with you and that the things you have experienced is basically what MWO has become over the last year or a bit longer!

My solution was always to try to play more inbetween the Events but now there is basically ZERO time between Events so all the n00bs that have seen some kind of notification in their Steam Client (Why play via Steam anyway ?!) start up the game and just DERP around all the time with their crappy builds... YAY! FUN! NOT! LOL!

[ShooteyMcShooterson]

Gagis, on 19 February 2022 - 03:03 AM, said:

Why would anyone not want to try to do well? The entire concept of tryhard as a derogatory term is absolutely absurd.

If it becomes clear early in the match that for whatever reason, the team I'm on really doesn't care about winning, it's a bunch of solo players going for stats or whatever, I don't see much point in playing that match. Would rather get on to a match that will actually be fun to play because there's a good shot of winning. I'm still rusty, there will be no carrying by me again any time soon.

[TheCaptainJZ]

The population has declined a bit in that time and the meta has panned out since the first introduction of balance changes in forever last year. Maybe that is the difference?

[AmbidXtrousGNOME]

I agree with you and understand the frustration you feel. I would say evenings (particularly on weekends) only because there seems to be more people online hence better chance to get a reasonable team. My mid-day experiences are horrible and because of that I kind of only play during the evenings because the day crowd really ruins the game for me. I think the gameplay of do-the-most-damage causes the game to be very cyclical in re-enforcing the meta of poke-and-hide sniper game play.

For me personally sometimes I just have to say screw-meta, screw-pilot rating and just try and run the build I want and hope that over the course of an evening I have a few great games that are a ton of fun. I'm sure that isn't the case for all users but when I run a Flea-19 and stick with my Assaults and kill 3 lights trying to backstab, I instantly want to queue up again for more. And sometimes MWO get's me so angry I just have to walk away.

Additionally, I know this is easier said than done, just keep playing and if you find some other players that play the way you like, shoot them a friend request and try to build a lance. I have a love/hate relationship with MWO where there are evenings that I absolutely have a blast and 9/10 games are just a ton of fun (win or lose) and there are other nights where I'm ready to uninstall the game.

Sadly, unless PGI really makes some big changes to maps or scoring systems, I don't think the nascar sniper-tickle-fight will end. I wouldn't blame you for walking away, games are to be fun for the player. If your not having fun, why play?

[Sawk]

HI shootey, i have play with you a few matchs in the past, -- but i also after working 1st shift and 2 shift, and knowing that it is world wide game and the time ZONES.
YOUR tier 1 you will find, it will be harder holding tier 1. i was tier 2 when the PSR change happened within 15 days, i had dropped to tier 4, then slow degrade for 1 year, i am about the top of tier 5, but i am trapped in a 2 hour time slot 7 pm to about 11 pm eastern time. the time 2 time zones i found killers in : )
BEST one was thursday and friday at 1 am in the morning eastern time, the germans were playing and commy guys, ok the flip side is 11 am to 2 pm eastern time, you see some folks even list there you tube channels around 12 noon to 1 pm.

BEST of LUCK SAWK clanner

[JPeiper]

Hi Shooty, I have the same problem .I play in tier 3 (not in a team)and find weekends the best time (in UK so after 1pm so the US can wake up !) It's always annoying to see blue squares going in all directions or nascaring (again) but I suspect that's happening to the other side too.
Over the last 4 months I have stopped enjoying MWO, not due to players but the OP lights who can take me appart in seconds, so the game has lost the tactical element of flanking/angles and even lrm backup has almost gone leading to us bunching up into the good old deatball and thats it. You can't even get a line set up to envelop a push as the mechs on the end have thier backs ripped out in seconds. Sounds daft but I had a blood asp with 15/20/15 rear armour destroyed in 1 or 2 bursts by 2 lights just after game on- I 'd not fired a shot ! (end game stats showed I'd taken 250 dam ,still can't work it out)
Shame as the player attitude is generally great, I've noticed only a few toxic types who don't stay long but as gamers we will always look for exploits and players have worked some lights into death machines that can move and jump so fast it's luck if you hit 'em.
The new maps do not help tactical play ,as like helbore springs , it's like controling a tank co on everest- useless, at least most players don't chose it now thank f.
So I hope things get better with a load of light nerfing but I'm off to try something else (prob elite dangerous) as I can't see it happening for a while. I'll keep an eye on the patch notes via youtube and I'll be back if we can have fun again in large mechs.

All the best ,J

[martian]

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

Hi Shooty, I have the same problem .I play in tier 3 (not in a team)and find weekends the best time (in UK so after 1pm so the US can wake up !) It's always annoying to see blue squares going in all directions or nascaring (again) but I suspect that's happening to the other side too.

There is nothing you can do with it. Sorry.

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

Over the last 4 months I have stopped enjoying MWO, not due to players but the OP lights who can take me appart in seconds, so the game has lost the tactical element of flanking/angles and even lrm backup has almost gone leading to us bunching up into the good old deatball and thats it. You can't even get a line set up to envelop a push as the mechs on the end have thier backs ripped out in seconds. Sounds daft but I had a blood asp with 15/20/15 rear armour destroyed in 1 or 2 bursts by 2 lights just after game on- I 'd not fired a shot ! (end game stats showed I'd taken 250 dam ,still can't work it out)

If you have been consistently taken apart by light 'Mechs for months, perhaps it could be a good idea to change your 'Mech, your loadout or your tactics.

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

Shame as the player attitude is generally great, I've noticed only a few toxic types who don't stay long but as gamers we will always look for exploits and players have worked some lights into death machines that can move and jump so fast it's luck if you hit 'em.

Since when is piloting a light 'Mech an "exploit"? You really should try to pilot light 'Mechs to find out their strong suits and their weaknesses.

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

The new maps do not help tactical play ,as like helbore springs , it's like controling a tank co on everest- useless, at least most players don't chose it now thank f.

Do not worry, I always vote for this map to ensure that other players - such as you - can enjoy it too.

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

So I hope things get better with a load of light nerfing but I'm off to try something else (prob elite dangerous) as I can't see it happening for a while. I'll keep an eye on the patch notes via youtube and I'll be back if we can have fun again in large mechs.

All the best ,J

Why should be the weakest class of 'Mechs in MWO nerfed?

[xxREVxx]

ShooteyMcShooterson, on 18 February 2022 - 01:47 PM, said:

Maybe it's just me, but neither of these scenarios motivates me to even bother trying to play well. Since coming back, it feels like I'm playing a different game, and it's not a fun game at that.

It is you, dude. I know that is probably sounds a bit dickish and it's not meant to be.
However, the game player base changes over time. As the base changes so do the strategies (or seemingly lack of strategies). As far as try-hards go, you can only drop four man groups and sync-dropping doesn't work worth a squirt anymore.
Tactics, build, communication, and pay attention to radar.
Just take a smart, solid build and don't push unless the team is pushing.
Make smart trades. If you're losing in a trade,...stop what you're doing and reposition.

Good hunting to you.

Regards,
Rev

Edited by xxREVxx, 14 March 2022 - 11:21 AM.

[KaptinOrk]

ShooteyMcShooterson, on 18 February 2022 - 01:47 PM, said:

After barely playing this game for a year and a half, I've been interested in playing again, what with the balance changes and new/updated maps, but since coming back in December after straight up not playing at all for about 7 months, I've had a hard time finding a time of day and/or day of the week that's actually fun to play.

Evenings are out, QP gets dominated by tryhards doing group drops to farm pugs and basically make a mockery of the game with various troll builds which manipulate both overdone mech quirks and the game's quirks. And daytime is overrun with noobs and morons who seem to think this is some sort of solo game. They wander off on their own, go yolo, hide, snipe and just generally do anything other than try to play a team game as a team. Nobody uses comms or calls and if someone tries to, people wholesale ignore it.

Maybe it's just me, but neither of these scenarios motivates me to even bother trying to play well. Since coming back, it feels like I'm playing a different game, and it's not a fun game at that.

Non-tryhard MWO veterans, in your experience, when's the best time of the day/week to play for the best game experience? Also, what play style are you playing with? Please don't tell me turretwarrior sniping is the meta, because I can't f*cking stand that sh*t, it's so excruciatingly boring.

I'm sorry to say this, but turretwarrior sniping is the meta right now, in all it's static, boring gameplay.

My best advice is to just play what you want and try to do your best. Unless you're at the highest levels of play, your specific build probably won't matter that much as long as you bring in 250+ match score. Also remember that it's just a game, if you're not having fun, then take a break or play something else; your mental health isn't worth a nearly 10 year old F2P video game.

[ScrapIron Prime]

KaptinOrk, on 14 March 2022 - 03:22 PM, said:

I'm sorry to say this, but turretwarrior sniping is the meta right now, in all it's static, boring gameplay.

I rather like it. My KDR is rising by dropping in 100 kph mediums and going turret hunting.

[KaptinOrk]

ScrapIron Prime, on 15 March 2022 - 11:07 AM, said:

I rather like it. My KDR is rising by dropping in 100 kph mediums and going turret hunting.

Now that I've finished my MW5 campaign, I was considering coming back to MWO and doing something similar. I was thinking of bringing back a couple classic brawling Urbie builds and hunting snipers and LRM boats every match, not a 100+KPH medium, but close enough with the right skill tree.

My old, stand-by Urbie builds are 5xMPLas UM-K9 and 2xSRM6 + 3xSPLas UM-R68, but I'll have to reevaluate them since the quirk passes, especially since I have the UM-R80(L).

Edited by KaptinOrk, 16 March 2022 - 09:52 AM.

[ScrapIron Prime]

Yeah, check those quirk passes. Some mechs got really amazing lately. The biggest improvements to light mechs are the ammo quirks... sometimes double the ammo per ton, which frees up some much needed weight!

[Spare Parts Bin]

Gagis, on 19 February 2022 - 03:03 AM, said:

Why would anyone not want to try to do well? The entire concept of tryhard as a derogatory term is absolutely absurd.

Do people actually try to do badly instead?

No one can say this game is boring. Some groups I can not figure,what they hoped to accomplish. My desire is for the whole group to do well. Usually I end up fighting 2-4 enemy by myself because people pursue random goals. All I want is to work with others and get 1-3 Kills or at minimum 1-3 Kill Most Damage Done and 3-9 Kill Assists per game.

[KaptinOrk]

ScrapIron Prime, on 17 March 2022 - 07:56 AM, said:

Yeah, check those quirk passes. Some mechs got really amazing lately. The biggest improvements to light mechs are the ammo quirks... sometimes double the ammo per ton, which frees up some much needed weight!

The ammo quirks are a welcome change, I was able to add Artemis to my SRM Urbie with the weight formerly taken by ammo.

[martian]

The upcoming Kit Fox is going to get +40% ballistic ammo quirk. However, I am not sure if this quirk will encompass MGs.

[Mercules]

JPeiper, on 13 March 2022 - 02:51 PM, said:

So I hope things get better with a load of light nerfing but I'm off to try something else (prob elite dangerous) as I can't see it happening for a while. I'll keep an eye on the patch notes via youtube and I'll be back if we can have fun again in large mechs.

Play exclusively Light mechs for a month then please come back and tell me they need to be nerfed.