Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Open Beta Survival Guide: Starting Fresh

This post is meant to be a follow up post to Open Beta Survival Guide: Preparation which was originally written three weeks before Open Beta started (although at the time I thought it was just a handful of days). Now finally Open Beta is upon us and this guide will serve as your guide introducing you into the world of MW:O.

Step 1: Prepare for the Beta

Like most things first you must register, download and prep your computer for the game before you play it. However, while you are doing this I recommend taking the time to prepare yourself for the game. If you have never played a MechWarrior game before (MechAssault doesn't count), this game may seem foreign  confusing, and a bit unresponsive. These are part of the game experience. Mechs are lumbering machines and do not turn on a dime like you may have seen in some other games. Getting a feel for how your mech handles is a key part of the game.

To prepare yourself, you should watch the tutorial video and read the starting guide on the MW:O website. However this does not give you all of the information you will need to be a master MW:O pilot. In particular you will want to know how to set up your weapons groups, target enemies, and manage your heat. You will likely spend a fair amount of time in trial mechs that are notoriously heat inefficient. 

Furthermore, I recommend setting up TeamSpeak 3 at this time. While you may not always choose to be in groups, likely there will come a time where you will want to, and you will want it ready when that occurs.

Step 2: Learn to Love the Trial Mechs

Like it or not, without spending money you will be resigned to trial mechs for the first several hours of gameplay. Trial mechs are exactly the same as the mech variant it is based off of, and these varients come directly out of the table top game BattleTech, which MechWarrior is largely based off of (you will likely see people discuss the table top rules, referring to it as 'TT'). 

The following are the differences between "trial mechs" and "bought mechs"
  • Trial mechs receive a reduced CBill reward
  • Trial mechs receive no experience
  • Trial mechs have no customization (load-out, skin, in cockpit items)
  • Trial mechs have no rearm or repair bills
  • Some bought mechs have CBill/Experience boosts (hero mech, founders mechs)
Because of all this the trial mechs are an excellent time to learn the game, and take point for your team (you do not have to pay repairs, where others might).

It is worth noting that you may skip the trial mech phase by purchasing MC with real money. Doing so allows you to purchase a mech outright, however any customization you wish will need to be purchased with CBills. Some players are opting to purchase the hero mech Yen-Lo-Wang so that they can use his 30% CBill boost to quickly obtain enough for their fleet of mechs. The choice is up to you.

One thing to keep in mind is that you are not playing a cheapened version of the game at this time. You are playing with real mechs, in real matches. Trial mechs can provide a lot of good to even experienced players. I would recommend starting to play with others as soon as possible, as teamwork is huge in MW:O. Pugging (playing in random public groups as opposed to pre-built ones) can be quite frustrating if you don't understand what you are doing and how to properly fall into a team. If nothing else, spend some time with on the MW:O public TeamSpeak servers to learn the ropes. I have found that almost all of the people you will meet there are helpful, and willing to train new players.

The two most popular TS servers are:
  • Comstar Relay North America (Comstar NA) Available Slots: 512 Man TS3 server Address: na1.mech-connect.net Password: WordofBlake
  • Comstar Relay Europe (Comstar EU) Available Slots: 512 Man TS3 server Address: eu1.mech-connect.net Password: hG5!4Dg*
Admittedly most people current stay on the EU server. During closed beta that was THE unofficial TS server, so many people still stay there, in spite of their timezone.

Step 3: Choose Your Niche

MW:O has a strong focus on class warfare. Light mechs are not weaker then assault mechs, however they often fill different roles. The moral of the story is that if you pilot a light mech like an assault, you will be chewed up, and vise versa. One of the good things about trial mechs is they provide you with one of each mech size category (light, medium, heavy, and assault). Diversify during your trial time to discover which works best for what you need. Mechs can be expensive with MC, and so knowing what mech you want in order to prevent buyers remorse is very important. Do some research, and ask other players for help in order to ensure you are happy with your choice. DO NOT JUST BUY A COMMANDO BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPEST, and do not save up for the Atlas because more expensive = more power. Try to find the mech that will suit you. 

Step 4: Buy Your Mech, Find Your Home

Unless you're a founder, or are willing to purchase a lot of MC, you will likely be spending quite a bit of time in your first purchased mech. Now that you have a mech of your very own you have to pay attention to things like rearming, and repairing. Missiles and rounds must be reloaded after all, and some mechs will have a lower cost per drop then others (generally laser focused mechs will be cheaper). However, I would say that you don't need to make too much of a choice based on that. After all if you are in a mech that you find fun, then the money will come in time (you are having fun after all). It is better to do what you enjoy, then try to grind the "most efficient" path towards riches (especially if those riches are simply to be able to get the mech you enjoy).

Early on you shouldn't worry about the advanced upgrades like Ferro-Fibrus armor, double heat-sinks, and Endo-Steel internals. Most of the time these are designed as minor upgrades that cost more then they provide in the long run. As you run your first few missions attempt to upgrade your layout without relying on upgrades, and update your mechs experience often. The choice of where to put the xp is yours, eventually you will need to get all of the basic xp efficiencies.

Step 5: Set Your Path

About the time you upgrade your mechs basic efficiency you will stand at a crossroads that will define where you are heading as a MechWarrior. If you choose to be more versatile, you should buy a different mech that fills a different role, and begin the same process with this new mech. If you instead choose to specialize, begin to upgrade parts of the mech to get the most out of your chosen role. At some point you will want to buy two other variants of the same mech type, and build up enough experience in them to complete all of your basic upgrades. This will unlock the very nice advanced upgrades for your chosen mech. Slowly but surely build up your weapon of war until it is tuned exactly how you like it.

Word of warning: Not all upgrades are good in all situations. For example, double heat-sinks cost over a million CBills to switch over, and can even be a downgrade for heavier mechs, where critical slots are vital. Also, Ferro-Fibrus armor is in every way worse then Endo-Steel, and should be avoided except under extremism circumstances. In this game, research trumps money; strategy trumps bruit force.

MW:O is a game with a lot of potential, but for that potential to be realized it will take a lot of work both from PGI, and its players. Teamwork, cooperation, planning, and strategy will win the day. This is still beta, and things are prone to change. I look forward to seeing you on the battle field. Stay informed MechWarrior!

4 comments:

  1. A quick note, I notice you warn players against buying a Centurion due to its price. Isn't the Commando the cheapest 'Mech for sale right now?

    ReplyDelete
  2. That was a typo, I meant the Commando. YLW has had the Cent on my brain. Corrected, and thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Found your guide from the MWO forums, thanks for the info!

    ReplyDelete
  4. how you can make a remarkable tumblr web log http://casinogamesonlinee@blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete