The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
[Mechwarrior Online] The FWL doesn't pay enough to stay here (THREAD OVER!)
Nips
He/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered User regular
He/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered User regular
Our next thread: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/196900/mwo-we-return-home-to-our-lands-burned-bare-frr
Reactor...online. Sensors...online. Weapons...online. All systems nominal.
Greetings potential pilot, and welcome to the Mark 4.1 Mechwarrior Online OP, now with 200% more WubWub and 5000% more hyphens and commas!
It has been reorganized, and in some spots rewritten, to provide more relevant and concise information for our growing roster of pilots.
If you have anything you would like to see added to the OP, or notice any errors, please contact @Nips and I'll do my best to update the post.
Remember pilots, this is Battletech. Around these parts, common sense is Lostech.
http://youtu.be/ea3spOtjLmI
UPCOMING EVENTS
Details and scheduling of the next Oosik Bash are pending. Expect something Q1 2015.
Want to help form a practice squad for future official tournaments? Fill out your availability on this sheet, and @Nips will try to coordinate some scrimmages!
Interested in coordinating you drop lance with the other Oosiks for when Community Warfare is launched? Fill out your prospective drop decks on this sheet!
UP TO THE MOMENT NEWS
Last Patch: February 17, 2015
PGI has announced the Clan Wave Three pack, featuring the Arctic Cheetah, Shadow Cat, Cauldron-Born, and Executioner. Feb-20
A Hot Fix for torso-centering and arm-lock behavior dropped out of the sky. Feb-19
Feb-17 Quirk Pass v2 Details
The post-Valentine's patch has dropped, bringing with it the Panther, Enforcer, and (not detailed) Quirk Pass v2. Feb-17
PGI has announced the Primary Objective 2 event, with a chance for the community to win discounts on Weapon Modules. Feb-05
PGI is celebrating its 15 year anniversary with bonus giveaways to top-tier package buyers! Feb-03
A hotfix following the Feb-03 patch tries to address some critical issues; the Mining Collective maps has been removed temporarily
PGI pushed the first February patch, adding Counter Attack to CW, the new Hellebore CW map, and a bunch of fixes. Feb-03
Russ released the February roadmap, featuring info on the CW Counter-Attack mode, the new Canyon-style CW map, VOIP, and more. Feb-02
NEWS ARCHIVE
What is Mechwarrior Online?
Mechwarrior Online is a free-to-play, PC-based, online shooter produced by Piranha Games Interactive. MWO places you in the command seat of a heavily armed and armored walking battle machine that you pilot in team-based matches against other Mechwarriors. Your mech is very customizable and able to field a huge assortment of energy, ballistic, and missile weapons along with an array of modules and other utility items. At the end of each match you earn C-Bills, the in-game currency used to buy more items and mechs, and experience that is used to enhance the piloting abilities of your war machines. Between matches, you can customize your mech with a variety of engines, weapons, subsystem modules, and chassis enhancements until you have your chosen chassis tailored to your liking.
There are currently three game modes: Skirmish, Assault, and Conquest.
Sounds good, where do I start?
1.) Download the client at http://www.mwomercs.com and install it.
2.) Before launching the game, Visit the Training Grounds online. Watch those videos to get at least an initial grasp of what to expect. This game has a bit of a learning curve to it and while it's not super-steep, it's definitely not just a jump-in-and-click-things-until-you-win sort of game. Be sure to watch the Weapon Grouping video as it'll do the most to help keep you alive. Chain fire is your friend, learn to use it.
2a.) Penny Arcade also did some Pilot Safety Posters and while they're humorous, they do have some good information in them.
3.) When you start the game you will have access to a number of trial mechs that rotate out for new mechs every month or so. These are non-customizable mechs, designed by PGI and the community for ease-of-entry into learning the game (except for the Stalker; that thing's a newbie death trap). Select a mech, and use the in-game Tutorial and Training Grounds to get a feel for how the game controls. Move around. Shoot your guns. Try overheating, then remember that overheating is bad.
4.) Jump into real matches! After each match you will earn some C-Bills, Mech XP, and General XP. C-Bills are the in-game currency used to buy everything except cosmetic items. At the end of each of your first twenty-five matches, you'll earn a Cadet C-bill bonus that you can save up to purchase your first mech. You'll also earn Mech XP, which is specific to the mech you earned it on and is used to buy piloting enhancements like faster torso rotation or better heat mitigation. You'll also also earn General XP that can be used on any mech, and can also be used to unlock modules and module improvements.
5.) Mech Credits (MC) are the in-game currency that you purchase with real money in order to shortcut your way to a new mechs and equipment. MC is also used to purchase premium account status and cosmetic items for your mech like new paint jobs, and items to put in your cockpit like bobblehead dolls.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheOosiks
Our anthem.
We play on the Penny Arcade Ventrilo server; it's dangerous to go alone, so be sure to take this!
http://www.ventrilo.com/download.php
Host: vent15.gameservers.com
Port: 4384
Password: Ask one of the thread regulars!
The Origins of the Oosik Irregulars
Who are the Oosik Irregulars?
We are a very loosely organized (and by loosely I mean not at all) mercenary corp that is open to anyone who wants to join. The Penny Arcade community frequently makes loose groups for new games just to make it easier to find people to play with, and while this started out as just another one of those it has grown into so much more. We formed under the banner of The Oosik Irregulars as a way to honor the great forumer @A Flock Of Walrus who brought us closed beta footage at the expense of his access to the game, and have since become a tightly-knit group of very active players.
We don't care about player skill levels or general MWO experience. Our primary goal is to have fun and help each other out, including brand new players. If this is your first time launching the game we'll happily drop alongside you. We have a lot of experienced community members more than willing to help you out and I can't think of a single person that would refuse to let you roll in a lance with them. If you're an experienced pilot already then you'll also find players looking to push themselves as hard as possible in this game, and who are constantly working to improve their game. There is something for everyone in the Oosiks Irregulars!
How do I join the Oosik Irregulars?
The good news is you already have! There is no application, no interview, no skill level check, or anything else involved. Just show up, start playing, and don't be shy in the thread. We mostly don't bite.
Do you guys stream matches at all?
We do at http://www.twitch.tv/theoosiks and while there is no set schedule for streaming, we will announce when we're going live via Twitter or in the thread.
Where can I get a sig from!?
PM @TOGSolid, @Kashaar, or @Nips
What's this I hear about Oosik swag? I'm an Oosik now, and I'm woefully swag-free.
Check out @Nips sig! He likes giving away freebies to underserved, swag-less Oosiks. Be sure to send him a PM, or he might not see your request!
The OBN Homepage: http://www.outreachnews.net
The OBN Mechlab: http://outreachnews.net/mechlab
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Outreach_News
Outreach Broadcast News is an offshoot of the Oosik Irregulars. Run by a dedicated group of Oosiks, it is pushing to become one of the premier fansites for Mechwarrior Online. Complete with its own Mechlab with features no other website has, articles about the game, and much more! We also have some very big things in store for when Community Warfare goes live that will be sure to excite everyone. One of the best parts about OBN is that it's open to the community to work on! If you have an idea for an article or wish to contribute you are absolutely welcome to! Just contact @Mvrck or @Kusmeroglu
The OBN Mechlab has several unique, powerful tools available to evaluate your potential mech builds. If you'd like to know how the heat scaling works, we have graphs for that! Want to see how your build will perform heat-wise with constant firing? We have a simulator for that! Want to know the cooldown rate for a Large Pulse Laser? We have charts and stats for that! Want to know the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? Then you're a smartass! (though we're sure Petra will end up graphing that as well)
The OBN staff is very open to new ideas for the site and constructive criticism. This is a site for the fans, by the fans, and we want it to be the best it can be so don't be shy to speak up.
1.) Flanking is god.
If there is a primary battle line and you're not in a mech that needs to be holding that line then circle around and pounce the stragglers/high value targets like LRM boats. Jumping the LRM boats is an especially game-changing thing to do because once those LRMs stop flying PUG players get really emboldened and ballsy. Even if you die you will still be the big god-damn hero. Learning the maps is a huge part of this; use the terrain to your advantage to successfully jump and annihilate packs of targets.
2.) Learn your range bands and proper positioning.
If you are a brawler then that doesn't necessarily mean you need to get in ASAP. Allow the fight to evolve a bit and wait for targets of opportunity. Go off to the sides and see if you have open lines to approach on to catch your enemies unaware. Conversely, if you are sniper and can still freely shoot things then why move in if you don't have to? Obviously, if you need to reposition to take advantage of the changing battle lines then do so but moving in just to move in? Nah, don't do this. This also kinda applies to brawlers since this is how you end up with a giant clusterfuck of people all at 10 meters trying to get hits in.
3.) Learn your mech.
Trying to get into a hill humping contest with a Stalker while you're in an Atlas? Bad idea. Your guns are low slung and you have to expose yourself a lot to use them. Doing it in a Jager? Brilliant. That mech's hardpoints are tailor-made for this sort of thing. This also means using these hardpoints to your advantage and putting appropriate weaponry in them. For instance, don't put your big guns in the lowest slung points on your mech. Keep em high and you'll be able to take advantage of any hills. Of course, this depends on your mech but this goes back to playing your chosen variant correctly. Don't use the Cataphract CTF-4X as a hill-humper because all the big guns are super low slung. DO use it to keep people suppressed when you can and as a heavy fire support mech. Similarly, don't try to use a Victor as a frontline mech. You hit hard but don't have Atlas grade armor to absorb hits with. DO use an Atlas for that because it's a purpose-built party crasher.
4.) Play medium mechs a lot, even though the meta would make you think they're bad.
Yes, really. The better armor and firepower of a heavy or assault Mech is no replacement for good situational awareness and positioning. Pick a mech with a specific role to flesh out your skills in that area, i.e. if you want to be a better brawler then run a HBK-4G. You will die a lot, you will get your ass kicked, and it will make you a better pilot.
5.) Patience can help a lot.
There are just as many times when hanging back and waiting for the right moment is just as advantageous as crashing the gates and going nuts. This is especially true in the current meta where a lot of stuff out there that can vaporize you if you get too ballsy.
That said, there is a time and a place for coordinated, balls-out gate crashing. Going in with your buddies all at once can do amazing things to break the enemy's lines but it has to be done carefully and at the right time, which goes back to that whole fickle patience thing.
6.) Let the pubbies go first.
They tend to follow anyone that looks even remotely competent. Seeing as how we tend to love flanking maneuvers and speed we end up with a tendency to have the pubbies follow us when we're counting on them to blob to their usual locations. Wait a little bit at the start of the match before you strike out to do horrible things to the enemy's butts.
7.) Want some great fundamentals training? Don't be shy about taking your mech onto the training grounds and just cruising around checking out the maps to learn it.
While you're doing that keep moving at high speeds as you shoot up the dummy mechs to learn to move and shoot fluidly. Circle around them while keeping your crosshair on the target via torso twisting until you don't have to think about it. Practice popping up behind a hill, acquiring your target, firing, and hiding as fast as possible until it becomes second nature. The more skills you commit to muscle memory, the better a pilot you'll be. Remember, you fight like you train so train like you fight.
8.) Want some great aim training?
Pick up a copy of Unreal Tournament 2004 and setup a bot deathmatch with lightning guns only and the game speed mutator set to 150% speed. From here, practice getting headshots on the move in the training grounds. It's a hard target to hit in most mechs and it will help you fine tune your aim with MWO's weapons.
9.) Call your targets to aid in focus firing and for Kerensky's sake, press R to lock on to your targets!
With 12 vs 12 and the recent UI upgrades, we have more phonetic alphabet letters to learn to aid in target calling! For your reference here's the full list:
1.) A lot of times when emailing support they will have you run the official MWO repair tool. The repair tool is built into the launcher, select the gear icon in the upper right corner of the window, then select "Start the MWO repair tool". Try this before going any more in depth with trying to fix things!
2.) A reinstall can do wonders if you're having problems with the bootstrap launcher (the patcher thing that pops up before you get the login window). Sometimes the uninstall goes wrong (because of course), so go here if it won't reinstall.
3.) Try manually deleting the shader cache (MWO should do this automatically, but sometimes fails and it gets corrupted). The post in the link also gives steps to set up a batch script to force the deletion each time MWO loads.
4.) This is a weird fix, but some people found that moving the install directory to another physical drive solves crashes. Literally cut/paste the directory and update shortcuts manually. Not sure if moving to another partition on the same drive helps.
5.) Force your video card to stop power-save throttling and disable ambient occlusion.
6.) Force multi-threading, in case the game isn't using all available cores.
Tips from @Cabezone!
7.) I recommend people run the repair tool even with a new installation. I've had crashing after a fresh install fixed by the tool.
8.) Setting my PC to high performance also fixed an issue I was having where Mechwarrior was set to some low powered mode and the video card wasn't able to run full out.
GOOD HUNTING, MECHWARRIORS.
A big thanks to @TOGSolid for the last OP, upon which this one is heavily based. Thanks Tog!
Reactor...online. Sensors...online. Weapons...online. All systems nominal.
Greetings potential pilot, and welcome to the Mark 4.1 Mechwarrior Online OP, now with 200% more WubWub and 5000% more hyphens and commas!
It has been reorganized, and in some spots rewritten, to provide more relevant and concise information for our growing roster of pilots.
If you have anything you would like to see added to the OP, or notice any errors, please contact @Nips and I'll do my best to update the post.
Remember pilots, this is Battletech. Around these parts, common sense is Lostech.
http://youtu.be/ea3spOtjLmIUPCOMING EVENTS
Details and scheduling of the next Oosik Bash are pending. Expect something Q1 2015.
Want to help form a practice squad for future official tournaments? Fill out your availability on this sheet, and @Nips will try to coordinate some scrimmages!
Interested in coordinating you drop lance with the other Oosiks for when Community Warfare is launched? Fill out your prospective drop decks on this sheet!
UP TO THE MOMENT NEWS
Last Patch: February 17, 2015
PGI has announced the Clan Wave Three pack, featuring the Arctic Cheetah, Shadow Cat, Cauldron-Born, and Executioner. Feb-20
A Hot Fix for torso-centering and arm-lock behavior dropped out of the sky. Feb-19
Feb-17 Quirk Pass v2 Details
The post-Valentine's patch has dropped, bringing with it the Panther, Enforcer, and (not detailed) Quirk Pass v2. Feb-17
PGI has announced the Primary Objective 2 event, with a chance for the community to win discounts on Weapon Modules. Feb-05
PGI is celebrating its 15 year anniversary with bonus giveaways to top-tier package buyers! Feb-03
A hotfix following the Feb-03 patch tries to address some critical issues; the Mining Collective maps has been removed temporarily
PGI pushed the first February patch, adding Counter Attack to CW, the new Hellebore CW map, and a bunch of fixes. Feb-03
Russ released the February roadmap, featuring info on the CW Counter-Attack mode, the new Canyon-style CW map, VOIP, and more. Feb-02
NEWS ARCHIVE
PGI is hosting the Mercenary Event, giving you a chance to win COLD HARD MC for qualifying matches! Jan-27
You clamored, you finally got it: The Urbanmech is now up for Pre-order. Jan-20
The New Year's Resolution Sale: Mech Bays and a year of Premium half off, double GXP conversion!
The Stocking Stuffer event goes live! Play matches, score well, get stuff! Dec-19
PGI released an updated, 64-bit compatible version of the client with the December 18th patch
Paul dropped some more details in the run-up to the launch of CW. Dec-04
The first December patch came early, with Hellbringers in tow! Nov-28
PGI's dropping all the hits with an MC Sale, a Hero/Champion Mech sale, and a Double XP Weekend for the Giving of Thanks! Nov-27
The Viridian Bog launches with the second November patch, along with the Mist Lynx Clan light, the Hero Locust/Shadow Hawk pair, and bufixes. Nov-18
You clamored, you finally got it: The Urbanmech is now up for Pre-order. Jan-20
The New Year's Resolution Sale: Mech Bays and a year of Premium half off, double GXP conversion!
The Stocking Stuffer event goes live! Play matches, score well, get stuff! Dec-19
PGI released an updated, 64-bit compatible version of the client with the December 18th patch
Paul dropped some more details in the run-up to the launch of CW. Dec-04
The first December patch came early, with Hellbringers in tow! Nov-28
PGI's dropping all the hits with an MC Sale, a Hero/Champion Mech sale, and a Double XP Weekend for the Giving of Thanks! Nov-27
The Viridian Bog launches with the second November patch, along with the Mist Lynx Clan light, the Hero Locust/Shadow Hawk pair, and bufixes. Nov-18
What is Mechwarrior Online?
Mechwarrior Online is a free-to-play, PC-based, online shooter produced by Piranha Games Interactive. MWO places you in the command seat of a heavily armed and armored walking battle machine that you pilot in team-based matches against other Mechwarriors. Your mech is very customizable and able to field a huge assortment of energy, ballistic, and missile weapons along with an array of modules and other utility items. At the end of each match you earn C-Bills, the in-game currency used to buy more items and mechs, and experience that is used to enhance the piloting abilities of your war machines. Between matches, you can customize your mech with a variety of engines, weapons, subsystem modules, and chassis enhancements until you have your chosen chassis tailored to your liking.
There are currently three game modes: Skirmish, Assault, and Conquest.
- In Skirmish, your team is pitted directly against the enemy team in a battle to the death! The team with the last mech standing wins.
- In Assault, you and your team attempt to capture the enemy team's base without losing your own, or eliminate the enemy team. But watch out for turrets that guard the bases on some maps!
- Conquest is a traditional domination mode where you and your team are attempting to control resource nodes that generate victory points. The first team to reach 750 victory points, or that eliminates the opposing force, wins.
Sounds good, where do I start?
1.) Download the client at http://www.mwomercs.com and install it.
2.) Before launching the game, Visit the Training Grounds online. Watch those videos to get at least an initial grasp of what to expect. This game has a bit of a learning curve to it and while it's not super-steep, it's definitely not just a jump-in-and-click-things-until-you-win sort of game. Be sure to watch the Weapon Grouping video as it'll do the most to help keep you alive. Chain fire is your friend, learn to use it.
2a.) Penny Arcade also did some Pilot Safety Posters and while they're humorous, they do have some good information in them.
3.) When you start the game you will have access to a number of trial mechs that rotate out for new mechs every month or so. These are non-customizable mechs, designed by PGI and the community for ease-of-entry into learning the game (except for the Stalker; that thing's a newbie death trap). Select a mech, and use the in-game Tutorial and Training Grounds to get a feel for how the game controls. Move around. Shoot your guns. Try overheating, then remember that overheating is bad.
4.) Jump into real matches! After each match you will earn some C-Bills, Mech XP, and General XP. C-Bills are the in-game currency used to buy everything except cosmetic items. At the end of each of your first twenty-five matches, you'll earn a Cadet C-bill bonus that you can save up to purchase your first mech. You'll also earn Mech XP, which is specific to the mech you earned it on and is used to buy piloting enhancements like faster torso rotation or better heat mitigation. You'll also also earn General XP that can be used on any mech, and can also be used to unlock modules and module improvements.
5.) Mech Credits (MC) are the in-game currency that you purchase with real money in order to shortcut your way to a new mechs and equipment. MC is also used to purchase premium account status and cosmetic items for your mech like new paint jobs, and items to put in your cockpit like bobblehead dolls.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheOosiks
Our anthem.
We play on the Penny Arcade Ventrilo server; it's dangerous to go alone, so be sure to take this!
http://www.ventrilo.com/download.php
Host: vent15.gameservers.com
Port: 4384
Password: Ask one of the thread regulars!
The Origins of the Oosik Irregulars
CycloneRanger wrote:The Oosik Irregulars formed when the 2nd Oosik Regulars, while deploying to protect a critical steelworks on Twycross, "mis-calculated" a set of jump coordinates and arrived instead in orbit of Talisker IV. Apparently not realizing the mistake, the Oosiks took up defensive positions--which would later prove fortunate, as the planet was subject to a surprise attack by a combined-arms force of 'mechs and infantry in an attempt to take control of its HPG uplink. In the ensuing battle, the HPG uplink was swiftly destroyed (allegedly due to friendly fire), but the Oosiks--now out of contact with their command structure--elected to remain on Talisker IV. They dug in around the capital city--incidentally home of the sector's only Class 3 brewery--and prepared to fight an extended siege. In the following weeks, the Oosiks earned a reputation as one of the most obdurate and immovable companies in the Inner Sphere. According to contemporary accounts, they could be dislodged neither by any quantity of enemy fire nor by the direct, angrily-shouted orders of their superiors.
In the aftermath of the conflict, the Oosik Irregulars became a mercenary unit, claiming Talisker IV as their base of operations henceforth.
Who are the Oosik Irregulars?
We are a very loosely organized (and by loosely I mean not at all) mercenary corp that is open to anyone who wants to join. The Penny Arcade community frequently makes loose groups for new games just to make it easier to find people to play with, and while this started out as just another one of those it has grown into so much more. We formed under the banner of The Oosik Irregulars as a way to honor the great forumer @A Flock Of Walrus who brought us closed beta footage at the expense of his access to the game, and have since become a tightly-knit group of very active players.
We don't care about player skill levels or general MWO experience. Our primary goal is to have fun and help each other out, including brand new players. If this is your first time launching the game we'll happily drop alongside you. We have a lot of experienced community members more than willing to help you out and I can't think of a single person that would refuse to let you roll in a lance with them. If you're an experienced pilot already then you'll also find players looking to push themselves as hard as possible in this game, and who are constantly working to improve their game. There is something for everyone in the Oosiks Irregulars!
How do I join the Oosik Irregulars?
The good news is you already have! There is no application, no interview, no skill level check, or anything else involved. Just show up, start playing, and don't be shy in the thread. We mostly don't bite.
Do you guys stream matches at all?
We do at http://www.twitch.tv/theoosiks and while there is no set schedule for streaming, we will announce when we're going live via Twitter or in the thread.
Where can I get a sig from!?
PM @TOGSolid, @Kashaar, or @Nips
What's this I hear about Oosik swag? I'm an Oosik now, and I'm woefully swag-free.
Check out @Nips sig! He likes giving away freebies to underserved, swag-less Oosiks. Be sure to send him a PM, or he might not see your request!
The OBN Homepage: http://www.outreachnews.net
The OBN Mechlab: http://outreachnews.net/mechlab
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Outreach_News
Outreach Broadcast News is an offshoot of the Oosik Irregulars. Run by a dedicated group of Oosiks, it is pushing to become one of the premier fansites for Mechwarrior Online. Complete with its own Mechlab with features no other website has, articles about the game, and much more! We also have some very big things in store for when Community Warfare goes live that will be sure to excite everyone. One of the best parts about OBN is that it's open to the community to work on! If you have an idea for an article or wish to contribute you are absolutely welcome to! Just contact @Mvrck or @Kusmeroglu
The OBN Mechlab has several unique, powerful tools available to evaluate your potential mech builds. If you'd like to know how the heat scaling works, we have graphs for that! Want to see how your build will perform heat-wise with constant firing? We have a simulator for that! Want to know the cooldown rate for a Large Pulse Laser? We have charts and stats for that! Want to know the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? Then you're a smartass! (though we're sure Petra will end up graphing that as well)
The OBN staff is very open to new ideas for the site and constructive criticism. This is a site for the fans, by the fans, and we want it to be the best it can be so don't be shy to speak up.
1.) Flanking is god.
If there is a primary battle line and you're not in a mech that needs to be holding that line then circle around and pounce the stragglers/high value targets like LRM boats. Jumping the LRM boats is an especially game-changing thing to do because once those LRMs stop flying PUG players get really emboldened and ballsy. Even if you die you will still be the big god-damn hero. Learning the maps is a huge part of this; use the terrain to your advantage to successfully jump and annihilate packs of targets.
2.) Learn your range bands and proper positioning.
If you are a brawler then that doesn't necessarily mean you need to get in ASAP. Allow the fight to evolve a bit and wait for targets of opportunity. Go off to the sides and see if you have open lines to approach on to catch your enemies unaware. Conversely, if you are sniper and can still freely shoot things then why move in if you don't have to? Obviously, if you need to reposition to take advantage of the changing battle lines then do so but moving in just to move in? Nah, don't do this. This also kinda applies to brawlers since this is how you end up with a giant clusterfuck of people all at 10 meters trying to get hits in.
3.) Learn your mech.
Trying to get into a hill humping contest with a Stalker while you're in an Atlas? Bad idea. Your guns are low slung and you have to expose yourself a lot to use them. Doing it in a Jager? Brilliant. That mech's hardpoints are tailor-made for this sort of thing. This also means using these hardpoints to your advantage and putting appropriate weaponry in them. For instance, don't put your big guns in the lowest slung points on your mech. Keep em high and you'll be able to take advantage of any hills. Of course, this depends on your mech but this goes back to playing your chosen variant correctly. Don't use the Cataphract CTF-4X as a hill-humper because all the big guns are super low slung. DO use it to keep people suppressed when you can and as a heavy fire support mech. Similarly, don't try to use a Victor as a frontline mech. You hit hard but don't have Atlas grade armor to absorb hits with. DO use an Atlas for that because it's a purpose-built party crasher.
4.) Play medium mechs a lot, even though the meta would make you think they're bad.
Yes, really. The better armor and firepower of a heavy or assault Mech is no replacement for good situational awareness and positioning. Pick a mech with a specific role to flesh out your skills in that area, i.e. if you want to be a better brawler then run a HBK-4G. You will die a lot, you will get your ass kicked, and it will make you a better pilot.
5.) Patience can help a lot.
There are just as many times when hanging back and waiting for the right moment is just as advantageous as crashing the gates and going nuts. This is especially true in the current meta where a lot of stuff out there that can vaporize you if you get too ballsy.
That said, there is a time and a place for coordinated, balls-out gate crashing. Going in with your buddies all at once can do amazing things to break the enemy's lines but it has to be done carefully and at the right time, which goes back to that whole fickle patience thing.
6.) Let the pubbies go first.
They tend to follow anyone that looks even remotely competent. Seeing as how we tend to love flanking maneuvers and speed we end up with a tendency to have the pubbies follow us when we're counting on them to blob to their usual locations. Wait a little bit at the start of the match before you strike out to do horrible things to the enemy's butts.
7.) Want some great fundamentals training? Don't be shy about taking your mech onto the training grounds and just cruising around checking out the maps to learn it.
While you're doing that keep moving at high speeds as you shoot up the dummy mechs to learn to move and shoot fluidly. Circle around them while keeping your crosshair on the target via torso twisting until you don't have to think about it. Practice popping up behind a hill, acquiring your target, firing, and hiding as fast as possible until it becomes second nature. The more skills you commit to muscle memory, the better a pilot you'll be. Remember, you fight like you train so train like you fight.
8.) Want some great aim training?
Pick up a copy of Unreal Tournament 2004 and setup a bot deathmatch with lightning guns only and the game speed mutator set to 150% speed. From here, practice getting headshots on the move in the training grounds. It's a hard target to hit in most mechs and it will help you fine tune your aim with MWO's weapons.
9.) Call your targets to aid in focus firing and for Kerensky's sake, press R to lock on to your targets!
With 12 vs 12 and the recent UI upgrades, we have more phonetic alphabet letters to learn to aid in target calling! For your reference here's the full list:
1.) A lot of times when emailing support they will have you run the official MWO repair tool. The repair tool is built into the launcher, select the gear icon in the upper right corner of the window, then select "Start the MWO repair tool". Try this before going any more in depth with trying to fix things!
2.) A reinstall can do wonders if you're having problems with the bootstrap launcher (the patcher thing that pops up before you get the login window). Sometimes the uninstall goes wrong (because of course), so go here if it won't reinstall.
3.) Try manually deleting the shader cache (MWO should do this automatically, but sometimes fails and it gets corrupted). The post in the link also gives steps to set up a batch script to force the deletion each time MWO loads.
4.) This is a weird fix, but some people found that moving the install directory to another physical drive solves crashes. Literally cut/paste the directory and update shortcuts manually. Not sure if moving to another partition on the same drive helps.
5.) Force your video card to stop power-save throttling and disable ambient occlusion.
6.) Force multi-threading, in case the game isn't using all available cores.
Tips from @Cabezone!
7.) I recommend people run the repair tool even with a new installation. I've had crashing after a fresh install fixed by the tool.
8.) Setting my PC to high performance also fixed an issue I was having where Mechwarrior was set to some low powered mode and the video card wasn't able to run full out.
GOOD HUNTING, MECHWARRIORS.
Nips on
+1
Posts
With the close of 2014, the Community Warfare game mode launched in MWO. CW has a unique set of rules from the pub games you are accustomed to, and you should be aware of the following things before getting in.
1. Community Warfare is a faction-on-faction battle for control of planetary territories.
Once logged into the game, click on the Faction tab. You will see the ongoing struggle of the player-supported factions in MWO, represented by a map of the Inner Sphere.
(Image taken prior to the Inner Sphere getting its dangly bits pushed in by the Clans)
If you are associated with a unit (see below), you will be able to participate in Community Warfare matches.
2. You must be associated with a Unit to participate in Community Warfare matches.
Play a lot of MWO, but don't have a unit? Reading this post? Congratulations, you're an Oosik! This entitles you to admittance to our entirely-undiscriminating Units in MWO! We have two Units for your Stompy Robot convenience:
The Oosik Irregulars (Inner Sphere side - Free Rasalhague Republic aligned)
The original bastion of stompy bot goodness, you'll want to join this Unit if you enjoy carousing, alcoholism, Space Vikings, and old-school Inner Sphere Mechs. Simply ask any current member for a Unit invite, and you'll be in on the ground floor of our one-story operation.
Note that you will need to have a proper complement of Inner Sphere Mechs to participate in CW with the Irregulars; see more below!
The Iron Oosiks (Clan side - Clan Ghost Bear aligned)
The newest hotness in the Inner Sphere, you'll want to join this unit if you enjoy whales, alcoholism, tribal ceremonies, and the newest and sleekest Clan Mech rides.
Note that you will need to have a proper complement of Clan Mechs to participate in CW with the Iron Oosiks; see more below!
3. You must have a proper drop deck of Mechs ready to participate in Community Warfare matches.
A drop deck is a set of four valid mechs (no more, no less), weighing between 160 and 240 total tons. Each mech in your drop deck must be faction appropriate; at this time, this means IS mechs for an IS faction, and Clan mechs for a Clan faction.
To reiterate: There is NO cross-faction availability of chassis for the initial launch of CW. If you are in an IS unit, you may only use IS mechs. If you are in a Clan unit, you may only use Clan mechs. This is why the Oosiks are offering two different units to join, to fit your desired playstyle.
To assist in coordinating drop decks for groups of Oosiks, you are encouraged to enter your deck(s) into this drop deck tool. The tool allows group commanders to see who’s bringing which mechs to the party, and whether there are any glaring oversights in drop order.
4. The Queueing system for CW matches is, bluntly put, hard to grok.
To help players understand how the matchmaker works in CW, and to detail recent (Jan-2015) changes to the system, PGI has posted an infographic-studded explanation on their forums. Read through it, and group up for great justice!
Scheduled CW Events and Times
Coming Soon(TM)!
Want to see a super-cool time-lapse image of the state of CW holdings in the Inner Sphere? Click Here!
Helpful Tips from your Oosik Buddies
Thanks to @Kaboodles_The_Assassin, @Gnome-Interruptus, and @Konphujun for some of these helpful tips!
MWO: Adamski
I mean, yeah I know that's where the cockpit is but that's a SUUUUPER small target.
MWO: Adamski
Which makes putting 2 gauss slugs through it even more exciting!
Ahhh the glory days when the AS7-D had a red light up eye, like a giant "shoot me here" for easy cockpit kills
http://mwomercs.com/news/2014/11/1003-special-offer-when-you-buy-karma-koin-on-paypalgiftscom
Bonus MC from the sale plus at the very least a free mech bay.
Pretty much any one I buy would be just a headache and a chore of grinding cbills to equip it and basic it, then grinding more cbills to buy two more variants for elite/master.
Also I have like 11 empty mechbays from the insane mechbay/buy MC and get a AH sale.
Wang
Also, as someone with just about every single mech, having a million mechs sucks. It seems great until you realize you only use just a few over and over because you like them the best. But ironically, you need to buy everything to figure out what you like. I could get rid of all but a dozen mechs and be just fine.
Id be happy with just the Jenner F, Jenner D, Ember, Wang, Stormcrow Prime, Timber Wolf Prime, Muromets, Catapult C1, Raven 3L, Kit Fox Prime, Dragon 1N and Firebrand.
Premium time. I cant stress the usefulness enough. Couple that with a hero and you can pull in good cash even on losses. Im sereiously considering buying 3 more Wangs for my dropdeck.
Yeah buuuut that'd be spending cash monies on an AH with energy points instead of missile points. Something I just cant bring myself to do because blegh
Paying the ES/DHS/XL tax gets really tedious just to find a chassis isn't really your style. That's my biggest holdup from enjoying the hordes of mechs sitting unloved in my mechbay. But really, that's a solid list of all my favorites too.
Does the fancy pants AH give a cbill bonus? Still havent used my fancy angel mechs.
Yea. The DHS tax blows. Since they made the changes to the rewards, ive been making money hand ovver fist. Its really incredible. Gave me enough money to drop on a 2nd banshee and blow 17mil on kitting out my Dragon 1N (mech, xl,dhs, modules).
Its been a huge change. Conquest is a money maker.
30% cbill bonus, yep
Not that it means much considering how shit I play, especially since the payout changes.
Stay behind the pugs. I had to completely change the way i played to survive. Just hang back, watch where the flow of the battle is going, run in, fire off some shots, fade away.
Maybe ive been playing too long. Most of the maps play the same, so you always have a general idea of where the action happens.
That could be..interesting.
Hrm. But can we combine three $10s together?
Games: Ad Astra Per Phalla | Choose Your Own Phalla
only 2
http://karmakoin.com/cards/combine_cards
Edit: So I went and tried to read PGI's forums on this topic. Nobody has said anything about this other than the official post saying, "Buy a $10 and $25 to get the Jenner". Mostly complaining that this deal sucks for non-Americans.
Steam: betsuni7
Looks like from their FAQ it's two at a time, but you can chain pairs of cards to lump up their values. Card 1 + Card 2, then Card 2(+1) + Card 3 to get all the balance on a single card.
If that works, I'm so in for the $30 level.
Steam: betsuni7
yea. that just dawned on me as i reread my post. derp.
Games: Ad Astra Per Phalla | Choose Your Own Phalla
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Games: Ad Astra Per Phalla | Choose Your Own Phalla
Seems like it'd be the official team sport of the Oosiks, when we're not getting drunk at least.
(For people on small screens, the sticker reads "Let the Abomination Begin! Alaska Oosik Rugby")
Contributing writer at Marooner's Rock
Twitch broadcasting! Currently playing through Wing Commander: Privateer
Pinny Lanyard
edit
ohshit I'm logged in I completely forgot about that.
Screw those guys. To your PC!
and of course the servers go down 2 minutes into a game.