Two Games.

       During a recent online discussion, a remark, intended to be insulting, was thrown my way.  Being discussed was the viability of brawling vs. sniping.  The remark was that sniping has been nerfed, and brawling buffed, to the point that sniping is only viable in (expletive) PUG matches.

       While this was clearly intended to insult me, by implying I was not an elite competitive player, it did not.  Firstly, because being an adult with a life, who lives in a home I pay for myself, I don't have the time to devote to competitive play.  Secondly, it's true.  Sniping is mostly for PUGs.

       This caused me to reflect on the dual nature of this game.  In competitive play, you have a team that communicates via voice comm., (via third party software AHEM) and has a team created to support each other in the various combat roles.  To see one in action is amazing, and shows a simple fact, since even the bad teams are good compared to a PUG team.  Communication and coordination trump individual play, no matter how skilled the player, and always will.

       The competitive community is what you will mostly see in the forums.  They are into this game far more than the casuals, like myself, and it shows in many ways.  Mostly in their assumption that everyone in the forums plays competitively.  The numbers do not reflect this, but the online community is mostly competitive players, so they tend to forget that most people only play pick up games.

       The PUG community, (if it can even be called that) is a mixture of beginners, casuals, and those of us who actually used to go to the local battletech center to play.  ($20 for 10 minutes. {that's about $33.00 in today's dollars} Bear that in mind when complaining about the cost of this game).  The game play in PUGs is markedly different.  The lack of coordination, or the ability to count on your teammates to act for the good of the team, or even in a sensible way, results in a very different successful play style.

       There are very few pushes, almost no planning, and many unintended friendly fire accidents.  And while you would think that this environment would lend itself to up close and personal combat, it doesn't.  It happens, but it is not the productive brawling that occurs in competitive play.  It is simply a way for LRM boats on each team to get locks on a Mech that someone else is targeting.

       So the game is really two completely different experiences, depending on how you play.  Most of the disagreements we have about balance stem from this fact.  While there is no ready fix for this, native voice support would go a long way.  Good Hunting.

How to meduim

I want to start by saying that my posts are all about making yourself more valuable to your team in a PUG.  Following my advice is likely to earn you less cash and XP than most other play methods.  My goal is to play for the team.  I ride for the brand, even if it is in 15 minute increments.  (I guess Lone Wolf suits me).

Also, before I begin, I want to qualify that I am giving advice on mediums as an observer.  I have tried to pilot them very few times, and, well... let me put it like this.  I do best with min/maxed, novelty, or purpose built mechs.  I can't get that to work for mediums.  (I do not consider a metric butt-ton of lasers to be a gimmicky build)  So I am basing my post on my observations of the medium pilots who have blasted my face off, or if I was lucky and they were on my team, racked up numbers that would make an Atlas pilot cry.

It seems that the best way for a medium to be built is fast, and general purpose.  While I would suggest lights and heavies to begin with a plan; mediums should play fast and loose.  You are the utility infielder, the pinch-hitter.  You need to chase down lights, cap points, bum rush a heavier mech, and pack enough punch to be a true menace, all in the same game, and at a moments notice.  No one expects the Atlas to cap points, and no one expects the Spider to duke it out in a firefight.  As a medium pilot you will be called on to do both.

While there are many ways to go about this, the builds that seem to do best are the laser boats.  Since (although I still hate them) lasers are the best general purpose weapons in the game, this is what I see working for people.  Many balance this out with LRMs.  One medium pilot told me the best way to play was to use up all of your LRMs, then rush what was left of the enemy line.  But then, that was before the great LRM nerfing of '13.

In a perfect world, mediums would do the capping, and lights the scouting.  I say this because a light, capping a point, usually has to run off when confronted.  A medium will be able to hold, or at least hold long enough for reinforcements.  In a skirmish, mediums can shine.  There is only one job to be done, wreak havoc.  Really, for an overburdened medium pilot, having only one job is like a vacation.