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[Flying Dice]

Oh hey, I hadn't realized MWO was free to play. Just finished my download, time to hop back into the cockpit.

[nenjin]

The game play is good. But you'd better know what your preferred play style is (fast light mech, medium mech, missile boat, assault mech, etc....) because that first mech you pick is what you're going to be stuck trying to earn cash and xp with for a while. Sure, you can just play the free mechs but you only earn cash on them, not XP and you can't modify them. If you want to pick up and play different mechs and actually be making progress, you have to invest a pretty significant amount of time.

MWO is one of those F2P games that if I only played it, I wouldn't have many issues. But with divided play time, it felt like I was getting nowhere.

I guess the only question is will it ever get better down the line?

For how long it's been out, if it's not palatable to you now I doubt it ever will be. When I compare MWO and what it asks for cash for, how aggressively it puts microtransactions in front of you, to a F2P game like WF, MWO definitely seems like the worse deal. It's more of a struggle to earn stuff in MWO than other F2P games I've played. But some of that at least comes down to the structure of gameplay among other things. I'd be hard pressed to find a F2P game more grindy than WF but I think MWO qualifies.

[Flying Dice]

Nah, I watched some gameplay on youtube and figured out pretty quickly that the dual ER LL sniper/ECM build on the Raven 3L would be my go-to. It's been a blast to play and I rarely get below 400 damage.

The problem I have with MWO thus far is exactly what you've outlined: they're too aggressive about the microtransactions, even to the point of mimicking Wargaming's bullshit about "lol we have ten bajillion vehicles but you're only allowed to own four unless you gib shekels". At least it's "only" $7 for 12 more slots.

I'm honestly not sure if I totally agree about the grind, though. I've only been playing for ~3 hours and I've already got my RVN-3L maxed as far as I can; I've got all the basic skills, the best XL engine, all the hull/heatsink upgrades bought, and my ideal loadout in all other respects. I've got enough C-bills to buy the next variant, and I ought to be able to start unlocking elite skills in 7-8 more hours max. The only part that's blatantly grindy is the pilot skills because they think they can fleece people of more cash to convert exp or whatever.

It's not a great game, but it's recognizably a modernized MW game. I've got my real hopes for excellence pinned on the tactical/strategic one that succeeded massively on KS just recently, but that's a year or two out and MWO is an acceptable stopgap.

[Neonivek]

What is interesting is that MechWarrior Online is a shell of what it once wanted to be.

It was actually going to be a lot deeper of a game.

[LoSboccacc]

do you mean factions? they seems to come closer.

but anyway, a new mech is about 100 matches, hardly grindy. sure some are pricier, and the worst cost about 200 matches to unlock and deck, that's what, a week of play to unlock an assault?

coming from another really grindy game, where I've been playing one month to unlock the tier 4 first aircraft, and I need to go trough five in order to get a tier 5, this is a breeze.

edit:
by all means I know grindy is subjective, so to each their own. I'm not disputing that or challenging your feeling. I'm saying there are very worse game around that still get played.

[Flying Dice]

I'll be honest, it's probably subjectively less annoying to grind because you're in a fucking 'Mech instead of some shitty WWII tank.

Got my Raven-4X half-skilled and kitted except for the drive. I really, really like the 2x ER LPL build for it, that firing time is absurd. Probably going to keep it around after, for that and for the trolly AC20 build. Maybe moonlighting as a Gauss poptart too.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

downloaded and tried it out. Didn't get past anything other than the basic tutorial. Barring some kind of lighter mech, I gotta say the controls are a bit above my coordination/skill/interest level. Overall, it appeared to be "alright" by gameplay standards.

[Flying Dice]

Man, got all of my Raven variant basic skills done, and in the end I think I might keep them all. Might sell off the 2X once I pick up a Firestarter or Arctic Cheetah, but it's a pretty good medium-range laserboat in its own right. Since I'm a cheesy sort, gunning for the Stormcrow next; I tested the trial SRC-Prime and even with the sub-par wubwub build it was a blast to play.

[Flying Dice]

Hm. Had enough fun that I decided to drop a little real money, picked up the Stalker mastery pack and the Ilya plus a few (fucking expensive, $1.30 each, good gods) bay slots, once I had enough C-bills to outfit them with something playable. Even if I derped my first match with the Misery because of the muscle memory telling to always peek my upper right corner, they're a blast to play. Felt obliged to use ER PPCs in place of normal ones on the 40 build though, because it's too much fun unloading all that damage onto a light that thinks they're safe circle-strafing you.

[Dostoevsky]

Ever since Chromehounds got put to bed I've been looking for a new good Mech game with crazy customization. MWO is really nice, but the price and the unfortunate reputation surrounding the dev team makes it a no-questions-asked no-buy. I guess the only question is will it ever get better down the line?

Ah, Chromehounds. Always brings a metaphorical tear to my eye when I think back on that game. Even if the customization was kind of easily broken (e.g. the terrible reign of the 'double double' chicken walkers) designing mechs in that game was superb and game mechanics like the radio towers were quite neat.

As to MWO, they increased the C-bill payouts a month or two back, and also had a somewhat substantial balance pass in the past few weeks. Both helped alleviate some of the issues with the game. They also nerfed pilot skills, making the performance gap between new & mastered mechs less drastic. It's been pretty slow progress, but I think post-IGP PGI has made some improvements.

Around major US holidays they sometimes do 'grab bag' events that give out free MC as well as possible garage slots/etc., so if you keep an eye out for those and the other events you can get access to some of the less expensive pay-fors.

[Flying Dice]

The current event gives 250 MC, among other things.

You can also get one easy mech bay for each faction by playing Faction Play aligned with each up to 1600(?) LP, which is like two matches. Just don't sign long contracts if you want to do that. Means something like, what, 10 free bays? I can't remember how many clans are represented in MWO.

That said, don't fucking play that mode unless you've got a full lance of completely upgraded mechs. Modules are optional, but if you don't at least have your full build and basic pilot skills you're dragging everyone else down. If you play with trial or stock mechs in FP you are figuratively cancer.

I'm just a slightly bit salty right now because of a very narrow loss in a PuG vs PuG match that we lost... because fucking morons are apparently deaf enough to not hear anyone telling the team that there's a light sitting on top of a building shooting the cannon and too blind to see the same thing in chat or notice the lasers and blinking objective health bar. What makes it worse is that I managed to get an angle on the fucker in my last mech, blew off both his arms, and then got taken from behind when all he had left were his SLs in his head/torso. Seven fucking people standing around the gun like they didn't know what was happening. >.>

[Wiles]

I just started playing last night and am looking to buy my first mech, but I really can't decide! I'm assuming I should stick to buying either clan or inner sphere if I want to play the faction mode? How do you tell if a mech is clan or inner sphere when you are buying them? I've played mechwarrior before so I know some of them, but there are a lot that I am not familiar with.

[Graknorke]

So I've been having a look at this. How's the grind? Compared to, say, WoT?

[LoSboccacc]

I'm playing it and can get a million bucks a session playing as a light mech (say, ten rounds a session)

the bigger stuff goes for less than 20million, so the hardware isn't pricey.

there are levels to unlock mech bonuses and to grind all bonus for a mech type you have to buy all variants, that's grindy on paper if you are a completist, but it is not as critical to have them all as, say, crew bonuses.


mostly depends on your goals. if it's about getting to the heaviest mech as fast as you can, it's not bad. if you want to unlock a full lineup, it may take loads of time. ditto if you want to play competitively, but on random servers isn't as critical to unlock all the stuff.

[lastverb]

So I've been having a look at this. How's the grind? Compared to, say, WoT?

There is no tiers = no grind. You can get any mech in a day of playing. Maxing the skills (modules) on it gives 5-10% upgrade over basic ones and takes 3-5x that long. On the other hand there is a shitload of mechs to choose and max. You are also free to choose what to equip it with. Even basic (free) mechs are around how good best mechs in game can be. However, due to modularized hp pools and no impenetrable armor anywhere it is MUCH harder for new/bad players than WoT and other games like that.
Basically, think WoT with no exp requirements and a grind of credits on t5-7/8prem (fastest depending on skill) with a T1 being as usefull in t10 game as t8 light.