MechWarrior: Online - Catch all

I have enjoyed it immensely and bought in early on. The game is a lot of fun both pick up and premade. Early coordination in chat can help - basically stay together, choose a direction to advance and calling targets is pretty much all you need. That being said if you get in a Pug that can't follow basic directions then it is a pain at times. Solution - play with more goodjers. Even just a small group can have great success. MM has issues, but the gameplay is just FUN and a bad match is over in a few minutes and you roll to the next one.

LtWarhound wrote:

They were just fast farming wins for exp, not fighting (had a guy on our pug that claimed to be in Mumble with them, and he confirmed my suspicions), so not much in the way of beta testing there.

Disagree here too. The idea that this is bad is prevalent in WoT too. This is a part of games of this type and the dislike for this tactic is {ableist slur}. It also needs to be part of the beta test.

LtWarhound wrote:

And the matchmaking is worse than I thought. Here is their current MM process:

MatchMaking 0.5
· Teams will always be even in numbers.
· Groups will always be on the same team.
· Groups will now be matched with equivalent weight class opponents in a 1:1 relationship.
. For every Assault Mech on 1 team, there’s an Assault Mech on the other.
. This is weight class driven, that is, an Atlas on one team can be matched with an Atlas or an Awesome on another team.

You should also have posted the part where they said this is the first pass on their way to a more robust system.

After playing this for a few rounds last night, I happily admit that I am completely clueless about this genre.

A thing that really bothers me are the visuals. The monochrome palettes for every level just get to me after a while. I much prefer the clean semi-realistic look of WoT than the haze induced grainy monochromatic mess you find in MW:O.

ranalin wrote:
LtWarhound wrote:

MatchMaking 0.5

You should also have posted the part where they said this is the first pass on their way to a more robust system.

I'm sorry, what part of 'MM 0.5' and 'closed beta' didn't make that clear? And more robust means? Everything they have posted refers to tonnage and skill based matchmaking, and doesn't mention pugs vs premades at all. I'm far from the only person that posted about this on the beta forums. On their beta forums I've asked for links showing where the devs made mention of intent to address this particular problem, and no one has stepped up and provided such a link. Citation needed. If you have something concrete, specific and publically available (such as it can be, in a closed beta) that addresses this, please PM such a link, so I can correct my misunderstanding, thanks!

LtWarhound wrote:
ranalin wrote:
LtWarhound wrote:

MatchMaking 0.5

You should also have posted the part where they said this is the first pass on their way to a more robust system.

I'm sorry, what part of 'MM 0.5' and 'closed beta' didn't make that clear? And more robust means? Everything they have posted refers to tonnage and skill based matchmaking, and doesn't mention pugs vs premades at all. I'm far from the only person that posted about this on the beta forums. On their beta forums I've asked for links showing where the devs made mention of intent to address this particular problem, and no one has stepped up and provided such a link. Citation needed. If you have something concrete, specific and publically available (such as it can be, in a closed beta) that addresses this, please PM such a link, so I can correct my misunderstanding, thanks!

You're the one that was posting from the patch notes. Figured you should have at least included the entire section instead of just the part that you want to snipe at. I think with their finished changes in place especially involving skill levels that pug vs premade wont be that much of an issue as it is now. There's no way of knowing until they're finished with the changes. Besides, personally i dont see pug vs premade as an actual issue either.

It's like other games that are already out there. You have to adapt to win and if you dont you wont. It sucks ending up on a bad team, but that's the nature of this type of competition.

LtWarhound, have you heard of this site called Gamers With Jobs, where there's this forum and community where you can talk about games and coordinate times to play with other people? Maybe we could use the site to get some nights going.

Seriously, you're overblowing the issue. This issue exists in just about every multiplayer game... Ever. Most of the time, skill level systems solve the problem when players that only play in premade groups rise above the majority of solo players.

Add the fact that there aren't any real community features in-game past friends lists at this point(so you cannot just create a group in chat and move to a private vent), and it's something that they really aren't equipped to test with matchmaking right now.

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

MannishBoy wrote:

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

Use the arrow keys to select a particular weapon. Then use Right-Ctrl to assign it to a weapon group number. Then press that number key to fire that number group. The right mouse button fires the currently assigned group.

I generally keep an "alpha-strike" group, a group for ballistic/SRMs, a group for energy weapons (which I sometimes break up for heat purposes).

I'm playing right now if anyone wants to join me. I'm in vent. I'll probably be here for another hour.

Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

Use the arrow keys to select a particular weapon. Then use Right-Ctrl to assign it to a weapon group number. Then press that number key to fire that number group. The right mouse button fires the currently assigned group.

I generally keep an "alpha-strike" group, a group for ballistic/SRMs, a group for energy weapons (which I sometimes break up for heat purposes).

So you set up multiple weapons in a group to fire simultaneously? And all this stuff probably gets set up after the countdown as the match starts?

MannishBoy wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

Use the arrow keys to select a particular weapon. Then use Right-Ctrl to assign it to a weapon group number. Then press that number key to fire that number group. The right mouse button fires the currently assigned group.

I generally keep an "alpha-strike" group, a group for ballistic/SRMs, a group for energy weapons (which I sometimes break up for heat purposes).

So you set up multiple weapons in a group to fire simultaneously? And all this stuff probably gets set up after the countdown as the match starts?

Exactly. And once you set it on a mech, it stays for all subsequent matches.

Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

So you set up multiple weapons in a group to fire simultaneously? And all this stuff probably gets set up after the countdown as the match starts?

Exactly. And once you set it on a mech, it stays for all subsequent matches.

It mostly stays set. There is a rare bug that resets the assigned groups back to the default, so make a habit of checking your groupings when you get in the match. Fortunately, its only happened a few times to me, but it can be a rude surprise when you try to snipe with one weapon, and alpha with everything instead. Thankfully no friendly has been standing in front of me when that happened, talk about embarassing.

Also, I've seen a few people run into a bug where trying to set the weapons groups up bugs out, and they couldn't control what fired. I haven't had that bug myself, but my understanding is that it went away after that match, and it worked okay from that point.

Finally, while weapons group 2 is always fired by your right mouse button, your left mouse button is not hardwired to weapons group 1. Instead, left mouse fires whatever group you currently have selected by the right/left arrow keys. At the start of a match, by default weapons group 1 is selected, left mouse fires that group. Tap the right key twice, you have selected weapons group 3, and left mouse now fires group 3. For me, trying to remember which group I have selected on the fly is just one more problem I don't need while running&gunning in the heat of battle, so I just leave it set to group 1 and use the 3/4/5/6 keys to fire any weapons I don't have grouped in 1 or 2. 5 is always set up as my alpha strike, for example.

It is a fairly straightforward system, and once you've used it a few times, you should be comfortable with it. You'll fiddle with it every time you change mechs, or change out your weapons on your mech, so it won't take long.

cube wrote:

LtWarhound, have you heard of this site called Gamers With Jobs, where there's this forum and community where you can talk about games and coordinate times to play with other people? Maybe we could use the site to get some nights going.

Feel free, take charge, make it happen. Been there, done that, Drop Pod Tuesdays for example. I'll decline to join you right now, because curbstomping pugs with a premade is no challenge, not my idea of fun. When MWO will allow you to match a premade against a premade, then I'll be all for it, organized team vs team is my idea of fun.

Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

Use the arrow keys to select a particular weapon. Then use Right-Ctrl to assign it to a weapon group number. Then press that number key to fire that number group. The right mouse button fires the currently assigned group.

I generally keep an "alpha-strike" group, a group for ballistic/SRMs, a group for energy weapons (which I sometimes break up for heat purposes).

So you set up multiple weapons in a group to fire simultaneously? And all this stuff probably gets set up after the countdown as the match starts?

Exactly. And once you set it on a mech, it stays for all subsequent matches.

Another question: What are the two groups of weapons on the HUD? One's in a "+" crosshair group, and one's in a "O" crosshair group. Does that have to do with where they're mounted or something? (Assumption based on the momentum based crosshair that moves away from the center)

So how's the joystick and HOTAS support for this one? Do you feel at a disadvantage or advantage when playing against mousers?

MannishBoy wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

I'm totally lost with weapon use in the game. I think I need help with just selection of what I'm trying to fire.

Use the arrow keys to select a particular weapon. Then use Right-Ctrl to assign it to a weapon group number. Then press that number key to fire that number group. The right mouse button fires the currently assigned group.

I generally keep an "alpha-strike" group, a group for ballistic/SRMs, a group for energy weapons (which I sometimes break up for heat purposes).

So you set up multiple weapons in a group to fire simultaneously? And all this stuff probably gets set up after the countdown as the match starts?

Exactly. And once you set it on a mech, it stays for all subsequent matches.

Another question: What are the two groups of weapons on the HUD? One's in a "+" crosshair group, and one's in a "O" crosshair group. Does that have to do with where they're mounted or something? (Assumption based on the momentum based crosshair that moves away from the center)

I think the + is your torso mounted weapons, and the O is your arm mounts.

Yeah cube got it right. The + is torso and O is arm weapons.

I do wish they made the weapon group setup more obvious. My rule of thumb is to never have more than 2 lasers in one group or you are asking to get overheated.

I also wish they would tell you what weapons are where on your mech. I'd use the arms more if I knew that those weapons weren't grouped with torso weapons. As of right now, I have no idea.

I also miss being able to cycle through firing weapons individually within a group.

My question on the weapons reticules answered right here in this vid:

MannishBoy wrote:

My question on the weapons reticules answered right here in this vid:...

Oooohhhh!! [insert the obligatory The More you Know graphic here....]

Wait... what? Everybody doesn't alpha strike all the time?

Noob again: I assume "alpha strike" means firing all guns at once?

MannishBoy wrote:

Noob again: I assume "alpha strike" means firing all guns at once?

Correct.

Noob: Do I not get XP when using free trial Mechs?

If so, I guess I need to decide what is a good learner mech to spend some of the MC on that you get by default.

And DFA = death from above = a mech with jump jets leaps into the air with the intent of landing on top of an enemy mech guns blazing. There is usually not much left of either mech after.

MannishBoy wrote:

Noob: Do I not get XP when using free trial Mechs?

If so, I guess I need to decide what is a good learner mech to spend some of the MC on that you get by default.

No xp from the trial mechs.

I assume later down the road as they add more mechs that they'll set up a rotation like LoL does for it's champs.

ranalin wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

Noob: Do I not get XP when using free trial Mechs?

If so, I guess I need to decide what is a good learner mech to spend some of the MC on that you get by default.

No xp from the trial mechs.

I assume later down the road as they add more mechs that they'll set up a rotation like LoL does for it's champs.

So what's a good "trainer" mech that's not made from paper or too slow to move or critical to the battle that needs it to be played by an experienced person? Something medium weight maybe? Hunchback, Centurion, Dragon? And maybe a variant recommendation, or can I just swap stuff out reasonably cheaply? I've got about 1.3m in credits plus the 13000 MC that they give you during beta.

I spent my first couple days with the Catapult and found it decent, but I think maybe something a little faster would be easier to ease into.

The last time I played I found myself wishing I'd skipped one of the two Atlas models I bought and instead picked up a Dragon.