26 replies to this topic

[Loxx]

Learn them, live them and you'll be on your way to being a veteran instead of worm food.

Pro-tip#1: Never put an XL in a mech you plan to brawl in. Especially if it has large side torsos.
Pro-tip#2: Use your imagination, you don't have to fill up all the weapon hard points in a mech for it to be a certified nightmare on the battlefield. Look for mechs hardpoints that can group high damage weapons that you can alpha 2 or 4 times without shutting down.
Pro-tip#3: Speed = life! Mechs are rarely sold with the biggest engine that can be equipped in them.
Pro-tip#4: Never sell any engine to make c-bills. There are exceptions...
Pro-tip#5: Keep on eye on the load out variants that seem to kill you quickly.
Pro-tip#6: Don't build a splat-cat, it's a situational build with more drawbacks then bonuses until you understand the flow of the battlefield. Otherwise you are going to find yourself priority targeted / dead very quickly.
Pro-tip#7: More armor (read: heavier mechs) doesn't always mean you will live longer... It means you'll be priority targeted faster.
Pro-tip#8: Keep your ammo away from your head and your engine with the exception to gauss ammo.
Pro-tip#9: LRM's are not the answer if you truly want your PUG team to win.
Pro-tip#10: ECM equipped mech means nothing to a good enemy pilot.

Edited by Loxx, 06 February 2013 - 07:18 AM.

[Soda Popinsky]

Loxx, on 06 February 2013 - 07:15 AM, said:

Pro-tip#8: Keep your ammo away from your head and your engine with the exception to gauss ammo.

I've only been playing a couple of weeks, so I am still a rookie. I'd like some clarification on this point. Do you mean, keep them out of the side torsos? I would think putting ammo in the cockpit isn't so bad, since you hardly ever get hit in the cockpit. And when you do, you'll be dead anyway. I would think the crit hit likelihood with an armor stripped cockpit strike would more likely kill me by hitting cockpit/sensors/life support.

This has been useful to think about, as I was placing ammo in my CT sometimes, figuring I would be cored anyway. I've been doing this since before getting a better handle on critical hits. Now thinking about it, I could have my armor stripped keep taking engine hits until it's destroyed, but if that ammo takes a crit hit, I'm dead.

[Pan Damonium]

pro-tip#11 - don't take advice from everyone claiming to be a vet player!

[Stormwolf]

Loxx, on 06 February 2013 - 07:15 AM, said:

Pro-tip#3: Speed = life! Mechs are rarely sold with the biggest engine that can be equipped in them.

Thanks Deadeye

[xxx WreckinBallRaj xxx]

Here's my Pro Tip: Know the game before trying to give pro tips. Most of what you said is bad or pointless. Other things you should have mentioned, like how useful an AMS is to slow Mechs, or how you should always try fight with your team, you didn't list and probably never thought of doing. Cooling in any way, shape or form didn't make the list either. I would have expected to see something like "Build for proper cooling, not just max burst damage. Shutting down in a fight=death", but what do I know?

"Pro-tip#10: ECM equipped mech means nothing to a good enemy pilot."
*facepalm*

[Koniving]

Defying pro-tip#3 like a bowse (boss)!
3 kills, 2 deaths, highest score on my team.


Speed isn't always life. Sometimes just some common sense can replace speed. Or a good, low-heat build with plenty of ammo and good firing rate.

Pro-tip#12: Camouflage really can matter if you're staging an ambush. (Thank you WaybadMojo for taking this snapshot of me.)



(Actually Bluten, pro-tip #10 is probably the only pro-tip the 'pro' listed that I agree with. Enemy ECM means crap to me. Can still hit them with LRMs without lock. Can still fry them with SRMs or well placed cannon shots. LPL made ECM lights worthless before the heat reduction -- now it's a slaughter. (Bam, whap-whap-whap [LPL sound]. Leg goes. Release the piranhas.) Those guys are mince meat. I still only have two ECM 'Mechs, and every time I use them I feel like I put myself in a sardine can made out of foam in front of a crap-load of cats with steak knives.)

Edited by Koniving, 06 February 2013 - 10:20 AM.

[zraven7]

Bluten, on 06 February 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

Here's my Pro Tip: Know the game before trying to give pro tips. Most of what you said is bad or pointless. Other things you should have mentioned, like how useful an AMS is to slow Mechs, or how you should always try fight with your team, you didn't list and probably never thought of doing. Cooling in any way, shape or form didn't make the list either. I would have expected to see something like "Build for proper cooling, not just max burst damage. Shutting down in a fight=death", but what do I know?

"Pro-tip#10: ECM equipped mech means nothing to a good enemy pilot."
*facepalm*

Pro-Tip # Omega Alpha 33:

Don't "like" your own comments. Makes you look self-absorbed.

Seriously, these are all good tips. Tip #1 could be argued with, but it's a good blanket policy til you learn things a bit better. Still, great list. ESPECIALLY the ECM part. It's not nearly as OP as everyone like to think it is.

[zraven7]

Koniving, on 06 February 2013 - 10:10 AM, said:

Pro-tip#12: Camouflage really can matter if you're staging an ambush. (Thank you WaybadMojo for taking this snapshot of me.)

"Dude, seriously, the mountain just shot SRMs at me! What do you mean, "am I high?"

[Loxx]

Bluten, on 06 February 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

Here's my Pro Tip: Know the game before trying to give pro tips. Most of what you said is bad or pointless. Other things you should have mentioned, like how useful an AMS is to slow Mechs, or how you should always try fight with your team, you didn't list and probably never thought of doing. Cooling in any way, shape or form didn't make the list either. I would have expected to see something like "Build for proper cooling, not just max burst damage. Shutting down in a fight=death", but what do I know?

"Pro-tip#10: ECM equipped mech means nothing to a good enemy pilot."
*facepalm*

The irony...

[dal10]

best advice if you are playing anything besides a light FOLLOW THE BLOODY ATLAS. it is a walking wall of target practice and firepower. unless you are running a splat cat or something of the like, people will almost always (almost) shoot the atlas first, leaving you free to fire to your heart's content.

[zraven7]

dal10, on 06 February 2013 - 11:13 AM, said:

best advice if you are playing anything besides a light FOLLOW THE BLOODY ATLAS. it is a walking wall of target practice and firepower. unless you are running a splat cat or something of the like, people will almost always (almost) shoot the atlas first, leaving you free to fire to your heart's content.

This is actually pretty good advice. Atlas pilots I've teamed with have never minded having an extra mech or two along to help drop whatever was focusing them, or to shoot at lights and mediums in their blind spots.

[dal10]

zraven7, on 06 February 2013 - 11:16 AM, said:

This is actually pretty good advice. Atlas pilots I've teamed with have never minded having an extra mech or two along to help drop whatever was focusing them, or to shoot at lights and mediums in their blind spots.

yeah this is basically mwo newbie 101. and as an added bonus it keeps your team from scattering too excessively.

[Velba]

Bluten, on 06 February 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

Here's my Pro Tip: Know the game before trying to give pro tips. Most of what you said is bad or pointless. Other things you should have mentioned, like how useful an AMS is to slow Mechs, or how you should always try fight with your team, you didn't list and probably never thought of doing. Cooling in any way, shape or form didn't make the list either. I would have expected to see something like "Build for proper cooling, not just max burst damage. Shutting down in a fight=death", but what do I know?

"Pro-tip#10: ECM equipped mech means nothing to a good enemy pilot."
*facepalm*

I don't know why, but you liking your own post here was really annoying. Maybe because ECM doesn't bother me.
Or maybe because liking your own post is obnoxious as all hell.

[HlynkaCG]

dal10, on 06 February 2013 - 11:13 AM, said:

best advice if you are playing anything besides a light FOLLOW THE BLOODY ATLAS. it is a walking wall of target practice and firepower. unless you are running a splat cat or something of the like, people will almost always (almost) shoot the atlas first, leaving you free to fire to your heart's content.

Heck even when you're playing a light this is good advice. When in doubt find a friendly who's bigger target than you and stick to him like glue.

ETA:
The main advantage of ECM is the limits it places on enemy situational awareness. The ability to close with a target or reach a good vantage point for spotting without showing up on radar is a powerful one that should not be underestimated.

That said, a veteran enemy will understand this and step up his/her visual scan to compensate. If you are using your ECM purely as a missile shield you are 1) not utilizing it's full potential. and 2) begging to get zapped by anyone who's a halfway decent shot.

...and yes "liking" your own comment is kind of a **** move.

Edited by HlynkaCG, 06 February 2013 - 12:23 PM.

[Koniving]

Velba, on 06 February 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

Not to pick, but most of his posts has him liking it himself. >.>; And he's over 2,000 likes, with 3,000+ posts. Makes you wonder.

[armyof1]

I'm surprised the forum even allows you to like your own posts, it shouldn't be that hard to only let others like your posts.

[Velba]

Koniving, on 06 February 2013 - 02:54 PM, said:

[/size]

Not to pick, but most of his posts has him liking it himself. >.>; And he's over 2,000 likes, with 3,000+ posts. Makes you wonder.

Ugh, THEM PEOPLE

[Shatterpoint]

If you think you saw something out the corner of your eye, don't turn your back because you probably did.

So many times I've ignored the peripheral glimpse of a shadow or dust trail vanishing into cover about 30sec before a raven sneaks around and started missile humping my leg. It's too easy to get sloppy.

[ToxinTractor]

Always remember that PPCs and LRMs have a min range.
PPCs that are NOT ERPPCs have a 90m min range
LRMs have a 180 or so min range.

Another little tip is when you are playing in pubs pick a buddy to follow. Follow that guy around and help him. Of course be reasonable with it, if you are in a atlas for example dont pick a jenner to follow.

And heres a final one. Try to focus on a area to shoot. Certain mechs can really be hurt if you take out a certain spot. A example would be a catapults "ears" if they are the big boxes. If it has cannons where its "ears" would normally be then that means it has PPCs or ACs in its side torsos. Only way to know for sure if pay attention to when he shoots, if its blue lasers then you should be okay to shoot off his cannons.
Another mech that has this issue is the hunchback, if it has a giant cannon in the side torso when you look at it, shoot that cannon out. It will save your team in the long run and can even save your self provided you live long enough. All of the hunchbacks will often have most of there firepower in that right torso (Left if you are looking straight him)

[Koniving]

Don't forget the Gauss Rifle. 60 meter min range.

Coming soon will be controlled test footage of the Gauss Rifle, fired once at 300 meters versus being fired 12 times at 30 meters, and the amount of damage it deals to two identical targets of the same armor stats. The point of the footage will be demonstrating that one shot of Gauss Rifle done at medium range will do more damage than firing 12 times up-close-and-personal (AC-20's territory) and that the intended minimum range of the Gauss Rifle ~Has~ been fixed and re-implemented.

If you see me in a match, let me know you have a gauss rifle. I'll dare ya to come in to less than 60 meters with your gauss rifle. I'll laugh at you and if I have one equipped, I'll do a standing brawl with you (both 'Mechs stand still and exchange fire until one dies) with just the small laser against your gauss rifle. When I'm the one still standing, I'll be sure to do a little dance on your ruined 'Mech.

Edited by Koniving, 06 February 2013 - 09:22 PM.