(02-18-2015, 06:39 AM)Caffeine link Wrote: [ -> ]Finally got some matches in last night, had the most success with a storm crow prime. Its not bad, but I think we need to be a fuck ton better as a group if we want to do larger match-making. When I played solo I was able to snag a few kills and a bunch of assists. When we did matchmaking with a larger group we just got our shit wrecked for the most part.
Two words: Support Mechs.
TAG(Laser painting)/NARC(Homing beacon)/BAP(Aerial surveillance)/ECM(Both for target jamming or counter-jamming). All the shit you'll only find on a handful of pug rigs, but will always find in organized lances. It's not to say you cripple someone's mech to run support, but everything has a place in the lance, in different weight classes.
(02-18-2015, 10:55 AM)Eightball link Wrote: [ -> ]I suck major ass at this; I think I've been through 20 games and haven't landed a kill yet. A few removed limbs and probably ~150dmg average per game.
Kills come later, when you've dialed in the mouse sensitivity. Most people advise reducing the sens down to 25% of the sensitivity bar, then jigger from there. This game rewards people focusing on certain parts of the mech repeatedly, with different weapons. For example: I play my Nova with a 12x ER Small Lasers, 4 Machine Guns. This boat only has one goal: Components. I almost never core someone by focusing on center mass(unless its the backplate)
but when I'm focusing on limbs, the carve like an Xmas turkey. The lower armour available to the limbs, means the Sm lasers are enough after 1.5-2 cycles of pew pew to strip the armour, leaving the MG do the real work on the very crit vulnerable components.
Alternatively, if you want to work center mass more effectively, you need to look to ballistics. IIRC AC's are hitscan, so you line it up and pull triggers. Missles are best used for the splash, but I've read that adding in the Artemis IV to the missiles really does tighten things up on the spread. All in all though, you need to take a closer look at your damage potential, and target accordingly.
(02-18-2015, 10:55 AM)Eightball link Wrote: [ -> ]I guess I don't really get the flow; when to aggress, when to flank, when to sit around and shoot at shit a hundred million miles away (this seems like the most popular option). I'm often first to die because I'm too eager to shoot shit. At least the controls are gradually dewonkifying. Maybe it'll improve when I build and spec my own mech? All I know is that I prefer laser & ballistics to missiles.
As for the rest, the pug tactics demonstrate the feeble nature of the mediocrities. Most people in this game are literally cowards. Risk-averse with tendencies to herd, some opt of outfit their rigs with 700-800m loadouts: LRMs, ER Larges, Gauss's. Others opt to play Assaults/Heavies with the intent of not using the extra armour to front line, but to outlast what little combat they see. Get used to seeing a lot of useless King Crab pilots.
Vitriol aside, You need to play to your weight class/weapon range when agressing/flanking. Golden rule is to always let the missiles fly before anything else; unless you have ECM, its a suckers role to be running out to scout. As for weights, let your heavy/assaults feel out the front line after scouting has been done. You'll almost always see a couple 150kph firestarters/kitfoxes running solo, they tend to give you a couple blips to work with. As a medium player, I feel I need to see at least a couple assaults/heavies before I know what flank to work, and then look for those other heavy/mediums that think they can potshot.
Get used to seeing deathballs of 8 mechs falling over each other. Generally they can be dispersed with some good LRM support, but pug matchups don't always have missile boats.
Finally, the handling of the mech does improve after time. I have about 300 games logged on my Nova and I'm comfortable with its movement and hitboxes. I will say this about getting the best feel out of your mech: You have to immediately start spending your EXP on the 'talents' of your chassis. There's huge bonuses there: acceleration/top speed increases, torso twist speed/range, turning/braking, heat dissipation/max heat. You need them all to have your mech at optimal, so you can better learn how to pilot. I'd recommend taking acceleration increase first and foremost; you'll have to teach yourself how to brawl when you're in a little to deep, and you can't do that  without being able to change direction that much faster.