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) behaviour from the people in game, so I though to add my observations regarding pug games and how a new player can improve his experience when pugging. Ofcourse is is not a complete guide and can be improved, and for anyone who has anything valuable to add - please do so.I will try to do a cronological list - ordered by the actions a players should do from the second he joined the game. Before we start you need to know some basic things :
- know your mech and loadout
- know the map you are playing (when the game starts you will see it and can think at a strategy)
- know at least basics : other chassis mechs in the game - basics means you should know that a cat has most of the weaposn in its ears and you should stripp them fast, how ecm works and what it does, how to aqcuire a lock with your lrm and that you should KEEP your lock until the missles hit..otherwise you will miss, how srm work, how streaks work...what is ecm bubble...
- COMMUNICATE with your team even if is the first time you see them !
1. Say hi
2. State your build and purpose. short and accurate - like this : fast brawler, slow sniper.
- there are a few builds you need to remember. anything else would be a variation. my personal opinion :
- fast sniper : anything that goes over 80kph and is sniper build. can be a ppc spider / cicada, or a gauss dragon/cataphract...you get the idea
- slow sniper : ppc stalker, gausss/ppc atlass..anything that is sniper and it is not fast
Snipers will have other weapons also..but they have long range precision weapons installed, which make them snipers.
- lrm boat : pretty straight forward
- fast brawler : anything that goes over 80kph with close range weapons
- slow brawler : anything that goes slower than 80kph with close rnage weapons
Brawler : anything made for ripping mechs at close range. even if they can mount some long range weapons, the main one are for close range combat : mlas, srm, streak, ac10/20/lb10x/
Scout : any light mech with speed and preferrably ecm.
3.
if in the first 10 seconds of the game no one lay down any general plans...you do it. by now you should know what mechs your team has and the map you are playing.
There are a few recomandations :
- if your team has no ecm - avoid open areas...so if you see you dont have ecm - take the path that offers most cover in case of enemy lrm boats. for ex on forest you will pick canyon and avoid water, on river city you will go lower or upper city and avoid the water aswell.
- stay togheter - thise doesnt mean to stay packed one on each other as wrongly some assume..means you should stay close to your other members so if any is in trouble you can reach to him in matters of seconds, or if you are in trouble you can get fast help. Offer a line of fire to everyone else or your team efficiency will suffer. I often see ppl wandering around alone, or sticking togheter until the first light appears and they go chasing breaking the formation, leaving slower mechs alone to be ripped apart by enemy mainforce. wrong.
- focus fire - everyone should have a lien of fire to the location where enemy is or you suppose will be. Do not stay in front of your team mates or behind them. Offer them space and ask from them to give you space. it is a countinous adjustment and should become natural after some games. focus fire on slower mechs, they are better armored but under focus fire will go down easy under focused fire. after they are gone, hunting down lights mediusm will be easier. DO NOT chase a fast light as I often see - stalkers or atlasses go chasing a raven, comm, spider that was just scouting and teasing them, breaking the formation and ending the game too soon.
- do not charge alone ! never charge alone. If you want to charge tell everyone in team to do the same.
- do not run like a chicken. Your mech is made to take punishment and it will take a lot if you know how to pilot it, things that come in time. But if you run at first hits you take, you leave your team that stands ground to die outnumbered. Any mech..ANY MECH can make an impact in a game. (one game i killed an stalker with my scout spider, practically he didnt had the chance to fight anyone else in the game but me...so all that firepower of the stalker was useless...and I am not lagging..ping is around 120.)
- take turns in taking damage - that measn do not let only your atlass be hit - he is heavy, he has armour..but will go down like a fly if he is under focus fire. do not be afraid to take some damage, a good game is when you have damage on your mech, when i remain without arms and side torso at the end of a game i can say i did well. go in front, take some hits, do not let only other team members be hit. spread the damage between all team members and your enemies will have a harder time killing you.
- manage your hits well...it is better to wait 3 more seconds and have a hit than to rush it and miss. you will heat, you will waste time and ammo and you are inefficient.
- manage your heat - better wait those 5 sec to cool off and be able to fire again that to rush it and shut down. a shut down mech is a dead mech most of the times. IF you really need to fire again use Override but dont abuse it...you willdie from internal damage.
4.
KNOW your role in the team.
If you are :
Light - scout at start. protect your heavy mechs from enemy lights when main forces clash. Harrass enemy heavy mechs if there are no enemy lights left to harass your team.
medium - too versatile to explain here. depends of your load. can be from a light role to a sniper support mech
heavy - bodyguard for your assault, protect them, watch their back. you are faster, more maneuvrable, and you have a decent punch. move around, flank, hit and run. ANd do not wander off alone.
assault - you are the steamroller. you are slow but armored and carrying a lot of weapons. But dont overestimate your mech - alone will go down like a fly under focused fire. You need to stay in pack, group with other assaults and heavy. Ask from your lights to support your back and dont be ashamed of it. Ask from your heavy to guard your flank.
DO NOT STAY STILL ! If there is a list of worst things a mech pilot can do this is one of them. Move...even if you move just a little back, a little forward...just MOVE. Countless times i saw mechs standing still..bang bang...two salvos and somehting is down...an arm, a torso, a cockipt with its entire mech. Show your side and not your entire torso..when one side takes too much damage - switch..when both sides are damaged you can turn the torso. And move ppl..MOVE all the time.
Ok - you missed to do any of the good advices and you are dead prematurely. it is not over you noob
Spectate - help others who are still playing -you may see an enemy before the pilot can...tell him, you can know that your ex target is badly damaged..tell him, you cansee the situation on map and maybe the pilot doesnt have time to look...tell him where to go, whre other team is.
and meanwhile think why you died so prematurely..because for sure you did something wrong
Hopefully it is a good guide and hopefully others will add more good advices that i may have missed. There is a motto i like and try to remember in all situations...
everyone you will ever met knows something you don't
have a nice hunt.
smoke.
Edited by smokefield, 11 February 2013 - 12:55 AM.
