Firefall Catch-All

How do you get to this tier 2? Fill out your tech tree?

bigred wrote:

How do you get to this tier 2? Fill out your tech tree?

You don't have to fill it out completely. You just have to reach the end in at least one branch.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

And Dimmer, I accidentally deleted you from my friends list. I sent another one, so hopefully you see that when you log in.

Didn't get an invite, though I'm sure we'll get that sorted the next time we're both on.

master0 wrote:

Thoughts on the game.

Water has actually been nerfed quite a bit. And you'll probably be happy to know that the next Milestone patch is focused on PVE - there's already been a lot of small changes and points of interest added in the gameworld, and elements from the Chosen warfront and a couple of new monsters got in early in the Firefallfest patch, too.

bigred wrote:

How do you get to this tier 2? Fill out your tech tree?

Something else the interface does a terrible job of making clear to new folks. Each battleframe tier has three branches. In order to unlock the next tier, you have to get to the end of the middle tier, and either the top or bottom, depending on which of the Tier 2 frames you want. Once you unlock the Tier 2 frame, you'll still need to pay for it (in the garage), at which point you'll be able to change into it at any frame station.

It's a little complicated, but this approach does mean that classes effectively go away (no need to roll an alt to try out Assault - just buy the Tier 1 frame and start playing).

[Edit to add: each of the Tier 2 frames has a slightly different focus, as well. For example, the Recluse is more of a damage-focused option for the BioTech, while the Dragonfly is much more oriented towards healing.]

Thanks for all the info. Going to wreck more stuff and see if I can hit the next tier. Might try a new class too.

I don't post hardly at all, but I'm having enough fun in Firefall that I felt it necessary to say something. The Chosen War updates and climbing bugs really added to the strategic gameplay. Where I could just spray the field with bullets, now I have to actually pay attention to the spawns.

Being heavily group-based, the game really picks up steam when you're in organized groups, primarily with voice comms. Are there any GWJ-friendly groups around?

echoback wrote:

Being heavily group-based, the game really picks up steam when you're in organized groups, primarily with voice comms. Are there any GWJ-friendly groups around?

Glad you found the best way to play. Sent you a Steam friend and Firefall group invite. I suggest adding people in this thread to your steam friends, then launching Firefall Through Steam as a non-steam game so people can see you are playing.

Accepted and done, thanks for the tips. Hopefully with the current PvE push will come Armies, soon.

Played with my first squad today. It was awesome. Killed one of those melding tornadoes, did some advanced thumping, etc. The squad leader set waypoints and we chatted and had a nice strategy for each situation. I made around 30K xp because one of our squad mates had a 15% multiplier which apparently is shared with all squad members. I was sad when people signed off but so ecstatic at the experience that I tried finding other squads. They were terrible, unorganized, and ran around doing whatever...typically nowhere near their squad.

I added a number of you on steam and learned how to launch the app from steam so you can see when I'm playing. Would it make sense to make a GWJ Firefall group on Steam? I don't know how to do that.

mrtomaytohead wrote:
echoback wrote:

Being heavily group-based, the game really picks up steam when you're in organized groups, primarily with voice comms. Are there any GWJ-friendly groups around?

Glad you found the best way to play. Sent you a Steam friend and Firefall group invite. I suggest adding people in this thread to your steam friends, then launching Firefall Through Steam as a non-steam game so people can see you are playing.

But don't add Dimmer. He's a jerk.

bigred wrote:

I added a number of you on steam and learned how to launch the app from steam so you can see when I'm playing. Would it make sense to make a GWJ Firefall group on Steam? I don't know how to do that.

I sent you an invite to the existing GWJ Firefall group. Also, don't forget to get Ventrillo (aka Vent) on your computer to be able to do voice chat. There's a thread stickied in the games and platforms forum here.

I saw your invite, and then hit the send invite button myself, something went wrong since you're showing not in the friends list, but 'invite sent' list on Steam.

Psych wrote:
mrtomaytohead wrote:
echoback wrote:

Being heavily group-based, the game really picks up steam when you're in organized groups, primarily with voice comms. Are there any GWJ-friendly groups around?

Glad you found the best way to play. Sent you a Steam friend and Firefall group invite. I suggest adding people in this thread to your steam friends, then launching Firefall Through Steam as a non-steam game so people can see you are playing.

But don't add Dimmer. He's a jerk.

Or Psych either. He's a double jerk.

bigred wrote:

Played with my first squad today. It was awesome. Killed one of those melding tornadoes, did some advanced thumping, etc. The squad leader set waypoints and we chatted and had a nice strategy for each situation. I made around 30K xp because one of our squad mates had a 15% multiplier which apparently is shared with all squad members. I was sad when people signed off but so ecstatic at the experience that I tried finding other squads. They were terrible, unorganized, and ran around doing whatever...typically nowhere near their squad.

All the founders' packs have an XP boost, and the lieutenant and commander versions have a squad bonus, as well. As you've already discovered, pick-up groups are a real mixed bag. Inattentive pubbies are the reason I just spent a good chunk of yesterday (and a lot of resources) having to re-build my advanced thumper stockpile.

Definitely happy to squad up, any time. As MrTomaytoHead points out, using Vent to coordinate makes things much much easier. I had a great run with Eldon, BlackLotus, and MrTomaytoHead for a while last night, in fact - re-captured a watch tower, took down a warbringer, found some high-quality ferrite to thump, as well.

Psych wrote:

But don't add Dimmer. He's a jerk.

That's it - I don't care how good you are at sand racing. You're out of Hero Squad, mister.

Dimmerswitch wrote:
Psych wrote:

But don't add Dimmer. He's a jerk.

That's it - I don't care how good you are at sand racing. You're out of Hero Squad, mister.

Fine! I'll start my own squad, with blackjack, and hookers!

mrtomaytohead wrote:
bigred wrote:

I added a number of you on steam and learned how to launch the app from steam so you can see when I'm playing. Would it make sense to make a GWJ Firefall group on Steam? I don't know how to do that.

I sent you an invite to the existing GWJ Firefall group. Also, don't forget to get Ventrillo (aka Vent) on your computer to be able to do voice chat. There's a thread stickied in the games and platforms forum here.

I saw your invite, and then hit the send invite button myself, something went wrong since you're showing not in the friends list, but 'invite sent' list on Steam.

I see you in Steam. I actually sent you a message around 8:30 CST asking if you would be on later to play. Would it make sense to remove and then re-add you?

Psych wrote:
Dimmerswitch wrote:
Psych wrote:

But don't add Dimmer. He's a jerk.

That's it - I don't care how good you are at sand racing. You're out of Hero Squad, mister.

Fine! I'll start my own squad, with blackjack, and hookers!

Forget the blackjack.

bigred wrote:

I see you in Steam. I actually sent you a message around 8:30 CST asking if you would be on later to play. Would it make sense to remove and then re-add you?

I don't think I got the message. My web profile is showing you as a friend and online playing CS:GO right now. It may have just not pushed through on my end while I was still logged in to Steam. I'll check next time I'm on.

mrtomaytohead wrote:
bigred wrote:

I see you in Steam. I actually sent you a message around 8:30 CST asking if you would be on later to play. Would it make sense to remove and then re-add you?

I don't think I got the message. My web profile is showing you as a friend and online playing CS:GO right now. It may have just not pushed through on my end while I was still logged in to Steam. I'll check next time I'm on.

Yep. That was me!

Is there a way to quick travel to other watch towers controlled by the accord?

bigred wrote:

Is there a way to quick travel to other watch towers controlled by the accord?

Not at the moment. The towers have glider pads, which can shorten your run if the landscape favors it.

bigred wrote:

Is there a way to quick travel to other watch towers controlled by the accord?

Gliders or (if you have the commander's pack) motorcycles are as fast as things get for now.

Though I have noticed that at least some watch towers have docking pads for drop ships (which are expected to be the fast-travel default). Of course, right now all flights are indefinitely delayed.

IMAGE(http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/902104416172152727/4E7CF04442B5C89BC7E71BFB1635B6ABF6FD502D/)

Another noob question, where are the locations for the manufacturing terminals where you can make thumpers, resource blending, etc? They don't seem to exist at the watch towers. Is there a list of these sites?

bigred wrote:

Another noob question, where are the locations for the manufacturing terminals where you can make thumpers, resource blending, etc? They don't seem to exist at the watch towers. Is there a list of these sites?

In the current build, Nanoprinters / manufacturing terminals are in Copacabana, Kearny Transit Hub, and Sunken Harbor.

Dimmerswitch wrote:
bigred wrote:

Another noob question, where are the locations for the manufacturing terminals where you can make thumpers, resource blending, etc? They don't seem to exist at the watch towers. Is there a list of these sites?

In the current build, Nanoprinters / manufacturing terminals are in Copacabana, Kearny Transit Hub, and Sunken Harbor.

There REALLY needs to be one in Thump Dump. Maybe one day we (the player base in general) will get the ability to alter whether or not a manufacturing station shows up in a location. Either that, or they need to place them in more places. I think it'd be sweet if in reclaiming lands we got to install new stations to be used. How that could ever be worked out properly between world builders and those wanting to place things, I don't know.

What's the best way to farm crystite? I have enough XP for a Tier 2 frame but didn't realize I needed 7,500 crystite as well. About 1,200 short.

Dimmerswitch wrote:
BNice wrote:

What's the best way to farm crystite? I have enough XP for a Tier 2 frame but didn't realize I needed 7,500 crystite as well. About 1,200 short.

If you've been thumping, you probably have a lot of extra resources right now. You can dump some of that into the 'refine crystite' recipe at the manufacturing terminal and get a goodly amount of crystite, even from lower-quality resources.

Also, if you haven't been refining your thumper-sifted earth, you should do that as well - it's basically a low-payout slot machine.

As always, refine in the biggest batch you can - those recipes are more efficient in terms of both resources and your time.

I've been wondering what all these resources were for

Thanks.

Dimmerswitch wrote:
BNice wrote:

What's the best way to farm crystite? I have enough XP for a Tier 2 frame but didn't realize I needed 7,500 crystite as well. About 1,200 short.

If you've been thumping, you probably have a lot of extra resources right now. You can dump some of that into the 'refine crystite' recipe at the manufacturing terminal and get a goodly amount of crystite, even from lower-quality resources.

Also, if you haven't been refining your thumper-sifted earth, you should do that as well - it's basically a low-payout slot machine.

As always, refine in the biggest batch you can - those recipes are more efficient in terms of both resources and your time.

And remember, the refining process continues even when you sign off, so make sure to set it before you leave.

BNice wrote:

What's the best way to farm crystite? I have enough XP for a Tier 2 frame but didn't realize I needed 7,500 crystite as well. About 1,200 short.

If you've been thumping, you probably have a lot of extra resources right now. You can dump some of that into the 'refine crystite' recipe at the manufacturing terminal and get a goodly amount of crystite, even from lower-quality resources.

Also, if you haven't been refining your thumper-sifted earth, you should do that as well - it's basically a low-payout slot machine.

As always, refine in the biggest batch you can - those recipes are more efficient in terms of both resources and your time.

Edit to add

mrtomaytohead wrote:

There REALLY needs to be one in Thump Dump. Maybe one day we (the player base in general) will get the ability to alter whether or not a manufacturing station shows up in a location. Either that, or they need to place them in more places. I think it'd be sweet if in reclaiming lands we got to install new stations to be used. How that could ever be worked out properly between world builders and those wanting to place things, I don't know.

I expect that amenities will, to some extent, be the result of players running daily quests - in the same way I expect the base defenses that used to pop into existence around Copa during an invasion will be the result of players running daily quests. This would give Red 5 control over where things are placed (or even available), while still giving players agency over the gameworld.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

Maybe one day we (the player base in general) will get the ability to alter whether or not a manufacturing station shows up in a location.

With what we can already call down, Armies will certainly be able to call down some kind of "manufacturing uplink".

BNice wrote:

I've been wondering what all these resources were for :lol:

Don't spend them all, though, as they're also for manufacturing better tier 2 (non-Accord branded) gear.

BNice wrote:

I've been wondering what all these resources were for :lol:

It's another thing the interface does extremely poorly. To minimize the amount of complexity for new players, crafting is entirely excluded from Tier 1. However, that gives absolutely no context for new players when resources drop, why they might want them, or why to thump somewhere at all.

In Tier 2, all non-Accord gear you unlock will give you the ability to craft higher-quality versions of that pattern. Based on what resources you use, you may optimize a grenade launcher (for example) to have a higher rate-of-fire, DPS, magazine size, or splash-damage radius. You'll almost always have to make tradeoffs - having that higher DPS may mean you have to have much smaller splash-damage radius.

You'll also (finally) have some context for the CPU / Power / Mass meter that appears next to your frame in the garage (see below). Any given frame will have a maximum CPU / Power / Mass it can handle. Some resources will be more efficient, getting you moderate stats boosts without "costing" a low of CPU / Power / Mass, while others may give better stats at the expense of some combination of CPU / Power / Mass. At the time this screenshot was taken, my Mammoth frame was pretty close to maximum weight, though I still have headroom in CPU / Power.

IMAGE(http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/902101368949792926/1D30E76CA91E0DA15B67FF6A71CB7231262D9BEC/)

I expect the UI around crafting to get greatly improved before launch, though I don't have a great read yet on whether Red 5 will be streamlining the crafting process as a whole, or leave it complex and let the player economy handle things. (Like, once trading's in place, maybe a player decides to focus on crafting, and posts their wares on an auction house for those of us who are willing to pay a premium to avoid having to fiddle with resources).