Re-Building the Champion Mechs!

All they'd have to do is randomly point at any build here and change it every patch to keep things interesting!

Seriously though, the proposed builds would each have to take into consideration one major thing: New Player Experience. They shouldn't be the go-to uber builds we currently see, but builds that best teach new players how to use each weapon type, learn how to trade, learn what weapons are best ad different ranges, learn heat management, etc.

 

Yes, but the way this runs, we are going to have a bunch of (current) meta-champs. The question is, do they replace the old champion mechs or do they create a second champion mech for each chassis? Those mechs as trial are in my opinion too powerfull...

 

well, the argument to that is you already see those mechs in-game frequently. Something else to consider is that new players would still lack the pretty large advantages of no mech skills unlocks. The lack of double-basics is a huge hit to most builds. On the other hand, players who have already mastered those mechs could see trial mechs as an additional mech to use or a reason to sell their version to get the Cbills and mechbay. For example, I have all the banshees and they are fully mastered. If the new BNC-3M(c) build is a min/max that I already run, I could simply sell my BNC-3M and use that mechbay for something else since I can just take the trial out. Unless they treat trial mechs completely different than owned mechs and they could NEVER have skills unlocked.

 

The problem is that almost everyone is suggesting min/max type builds, which work great for experienced players, but could still be frustrating for new players. I don't care if they're too powerful, since as Solahama mentioned, they won't be great without having being elited, let alone basiced. I just would like to see something useable in the hands of a novice so that they don't give up in frustration.

For example, people are seriously suggesting XL-based Banshees. Yeah, if you know what you're doing those shield arms really help mitigate damage to the XL-torsos, but in the hands of a new player, these things are basically glass cannons. I can barely handle the heat of a 3xLPL+5xMPL Banshee, so I seriously doubt a new player would be able to play without overheating constantly, especially without Cool Run and Heat Containment unlocked.

 

But isn't that something we SHOULD be teaching new players about? They will need to learn to shield with those huge arms and the advantages/disadvantages of a Glass Cannon. Honestly, an XL Banshee seems like a great platform to teach those skills. You WANT it to be frustrating for a new player, but there needs to be a really good risk/reward that is easily noticeable. Again, XL Banshees have a very good risk/reward factor.

 

XL Banshees are good risk/reward for an experienced player. For a novice losing an XL side torso just results in a death without any real explanation. Unless they come from a Battletech background, they won't be able to look at the kill-screen paper doll and figure out why they died so fast. With a STD engine, you lose a torso and immediately see that half your firepower is gone, but at least you can still keep going.

That said, if I were buying a mech for MC, I would like it to come with an XL just so that I feel I'm getting my money's worth.

 

They need Zombies... lots and lots of Zombies...

 

They won't learn what the detriments of an XL are if they are never put into one. It's better they learn it well on a free mech than spending lots of precious CBills on it later for their own mech then try to learn why they keep dying so often. A better tutorial would go over something as super basic as the difference between STD and XL engines. Players SHOULD be exposed to them on various mech weights IMO. STD engines promote bad technique. New players will simply stare at opponents and lose a torso when they should be learning to spread that damage and protect weak sides. If they see they were destroyed by losing a side torso, they will actively pay more attention to the damage they are taking and start developing those defensive instincts.

 

It simply comes down to this. PGI wants and needs new players who stick around and to do that new players need to have fun. Most players in their first games are not looking to figure out the structure of the game and the mechs. They're looking to see if they have fun and dying in one minute without doing anything is not fun.

Games like CoD and Battlefield get around this by letting players respawn and getting them into matches on maps they like fast. You die fast as a noob, but you can get right back in and try again right away. Dying fast isn't a problem because you can try again instantly. It may be a matter of pride that in MWO once you die in a match you're done, but it doesn't attract new players who just want to get back in and try again. Yes, they can leave and start a new match but it breaks the mood and if they die instantly again it just leaves them frustrated.

Making better champion/trial mechs could help this a little, but I don't see it bringing in a lot more new players. Better trial mechs will help new players survive a little longer and do a little more damage, but they'll still die fast and be done for the match. I know a lot of people wouldn't like this idea on principle but having a type of respawn, such as with a dropship, even with crappy mechs would help bring in a lot more players than better trial mechs.

Sorry if I seemed like I was trying to derail this thread. I don't think it'll help much to make trial mechs better, but it'll help some so I'm all for it. I say make them near the best they can be to give new players as much time in a match as possible.

 

I'd say they can learn XLs on a medium

On those assaults I'd prefer a STD build, and as for weapon loadouts, take out one or 2 lasers from meta builds, for more DHS (Considering they are basic and in the hands of a newbie)

@Solahma it's already like this, if you take out the trial it will be basic even if you have the chassis mastered.

To me, the builds proposed are kind of ok, but I don't like the "most votes wins", they should have made a contest, where you explain why the mech is good for a novice and what it can teach, now that would have been interesting.

 

AH okay, well that works then.

 

But at least you do win experience so if you like a mech and play a trial a lot then you can get the skills fast.

The good thing about the voting part is most likely there won't be LRM mechs. The bad thing is that, at least from the proposals, builds are optimized around a mastered mech, I'd try to build them considering the basic status.

 

I suggest mech that are easy to use and have bigger room of error. We don't need meta-champs, wy buy it if you can meta for free?
We don't need super good 5 star builds here either, some of them are not for n00bs.

We need, simple builds that functions ok, and is easy to learn/use/survive.

You want them newbies to stay longer in the battle for more flight time, not to explode within the first minute of a game.

As for XL, sure. For lights and medium champs, and select heavy. But for the most part, thick armor, good heat management, and reasonable amount of ammo.

 

Rather disappointed that they're giving this to the community rather than consulting with one to three people who actually understand the game well enough to release a mech that won't give the anti-PGI trolls boners.

I just want trial mechs to have basic proficiencies. You're at such a huge disadvantage without those it hardly matters what your loadout is. I've only had a couple other-game friends bother to try MWO, and they all hated it because they were so slow and just got wrecked.

 

Trial mechs don't grant double basic efficiencies, even if you own the same variant and have it mastered.

 

If they follow JayZ's post on Reddit accumulating the serious suggestions we should be fine.

http://www.reddit.com/r/OutreachHPG/comments/356umd/light_and_medium_champion_compilation/

Really good suggestions so far imo.

 

I'll put a few suggestions in when I have time. And I can claim they listened to my thread a few months back asking for just this

 

A lot of them already had good suggestions, but I put this one in there for the RVN-3L:



Nothing else is really a prime choice for utilizing the NARC, but the 3L has great quirks for it, and it would be a great mech to learn that mechanic with for a newbie.

 

Looks nice, I'd do -1/2 ton of ammo -> XL295, since no speed tweak, so I'd also teach to put max XL engine in any light as a basic rule