Getting Started - Revision history

Alsadius: /* Graduation */ I misunderstood the periphery, correcting my error.

2017-05-13T22:16:21Z

Graduation: I misunderstood the periphery, correcting my error.

Alsadius: Updated with some extra links

2017-05-12T14:14:40Z

Updated with some extra links

Alsadius: /* Graduation */

2017-05-11T18:39:17Z

Graduation

Alsadius: Fixed red links

2017-05-11T16:42:34Z

Fixed red links

Alsadius: /* Your First Real Fight */

2017-05-11T10:56:15Z

Your First Real Fight

Alsadius: /* Your First Real Fight */

2017-05-11T10:45:38Z

Your First Real Fight

Alsadius: Corrected links

2017-05-11T10:41:46Z

Corrected links

Alsadius: Re-wrote article

2017-05-11T10:41:20Z

Re-wrote article

Daunt at 16:04, 16 February 2017

2017-02-16T16:04:21Z

Daunt at 16:03, 16 February 2017

2017-02-16T16:03:15Z

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 To see what units a faction produces, go to Help > Build Table Viewer. You don't buy individual units, you can usually only buy a unit class(e.g., a heavy Mek), so the build table shows you what the various types of units you're likely to get when you build are. The "Frequency" is the percentage chance of a given unit. Ignore the "Common" and Solaris build tables, you generally won't be buying off those. If one faction makes mechs more to your liking than another, you may want to go with them. And if all else fails, ask in Main chat who wants a newbie, and go with the faction that sounds most helpful.
-Also, for new players, it's usually best to avoid the [[Factions|Periphery]]. They play very differently from the other factions, and it's best to get used to the game with one of the normal factions instead.
+If players are not interested in the campaign and fighting for control of planets, they may wish to consider the [[Factions|Periphery]] - it has much less land transfer than other factions, and instead focuses on combat for its own sake.
 == Your First Real Fight ==

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 The following guide looks to help new players as a place to start, walking through a few important concepts, getting into a battle and other important aspects to start with.
+== The Basics ==
-__TOC__
+* You will need to install the software to play. See the [[installation procedure]] if you haven't already done this.
 == Solaris Training Company ==
-After logging in and registering following the [[Installation procedure]], new players are assigned into the Solaris Training Company and given a hangar of random training units. The Solaris Training Company exists as a separate faction for new players to learn the ropes with no risk.
+After logging in and registering, new players are assigned into the [[Solaris Training Company]] and given a hangar of random training units. The Solaris Training Company exists as a separate faction for new players to learn the ropes with no risk.
 The hangar full of units are temporary training units that cannot be destroyed permanently in battle. These units only exist while the player remains in Solaris - once they leave, these training units will disappear, and be replaced with a new(and generally better) selection of units from their new faction. The new player also starts with a limited number of [[Resources|C-Bills]], which will remain with the new player after they leave the training faction, unlike the units within the player's hangar.
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 == Preparing for Battle ==
 [[File:Hangar.JPG|right|300px|thumb|This hangar consists of a number of training units, including plenty of Meks, tanks, infantry, and aero. One army exists as well, which is legal for a tutorial-ground operation.]]
-Before a new player can head to war, at least one legal army must exist in his/her hangar to initiate a battle. By pressing the "Create Army" button in the Hangar tab, a new empty army is created. Various [[Units]] can be dragged into and out of the army. [[Army Construction]] has strict yet easy-to-follow rules for each and every battle. Further, each [[Operations|Operation]] has specific army and unit restrictions, whether by weight, MP, or BV. Check the operation carefully to see what is needed to be eligible for a given operation. A player can also right click an army and select "Check Access" to be given a list of operations that that army is legal for. In general, a unit of 4 Mechs in the same BV range(try to keep the gap between highest and lowest to 500 BV or so) will almost always be legal for most forms of combat you'll care about. If you're having trouble, ask in the main chat channel - someone will usually be happy to help.
+Before a new player can head to war, at least one legal army must exist in his/her hangar to initiate a battle. By pressing the "Create Army" button in the Hangar tab, a new empty army is created. Various [[Units]] can be dragged into and out of the army. [[Army Construction]] has specific yet easy-to-follow rules for each and every battle. Further, each [[Operations|Operation]] has specific army and unit restrictions, whether by weight, MP, or BV. Check the operation carefully to see what is needed to be eligible for a given operation. A player can also right click an army and select "Check Access" to be given a list of operations that that army is legal for. In general, a unit of 4 Mechs in the same BV range(try to keep the gap between highest and lowest to 500 BV or so) will almost always be legal for most forms of combat you'll care about. If you're having trouble, ask in the main chat channel - someone will usually be happy to help.
 == Battle ==
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 == Post-Battle ==
 After a battle concludes, both players will withdraw from the front lines and lick their wounds. A battle log will be posted for you in the main chat channel, where you can see what happened to your units, and what rewards you got for fighting. As a Solaris player, your units will all be repaired if they were damaged, or replaced if they were destroyed, which makes post-battle cleanup much easier. While you're still in Solaris, the relevant rewards are:
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 == Your First Real Fight ==
 Once you're out of Solaris, you can begin to have fights that will affect the campaign as a whole. At the time you defect, you'll get a shiny new hangar full of units, and you'll have access to a faction chat channel. The faction channel will have a static "Message of the Day"(MOTD) at the top, giving a brief outline of your faction's current targets for battles and general strategy. Read it, though if there's anything you don't understand just ignore it for now. Also, introduce yourself to your new teammates.

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 > Free Worlds League (-569/29831), Periphery (-99/9701), Andurien-Canopus Alliance (+187/6311), Capellan Confederation (+481/9657).
-All values are in "CP", or Conquest Points, where 1 CP = 1% ownership of a typical planet. So at this point, the FWL is down 5.69 planets from their starting position on net, while the CC is up 4.81 planets on net. Generally speaking, the factions that do best tend to be the ones with the most veterans, and they'll be able to provide you with the most support.
+All values are in [[CP]], or Conquest Points, where 1 CP = 1% ownership of a typical planet. So at this point, the FWL is down 5.69 planets from their starting position on net, while the CC is up 4.81 planets on net. Generally speaking, the factions that do best tend to be the ones with the most veterans, and they'll be able to provide you with the most support.
 To see what units a faction produces, go to Help > Build Table Viewer. You don't buy individual units, you can usually only buy a unit class(e.g., a heavy Mek), so the build table shows you what the various types of units you're likely to get when you build are. The "Frequency" is the percentage chance of a given unit. Ignore the "Common" and Solaris build tables, you generally won't be buying off those. If one faction makes mechs more to your liking than another, you may want to go with them. And if all else fails, ask in Main chat who wants a newbie, and go with the faction that sounds most helpful.
 Also, for new players, it's usually best to avoid the [[Factions|Periphery]]. They play very differently from the other factions, and it's best to get used to the game with one of the normal factions instead.
 == Your First Real Fight ==

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 After logging in and registering following the [[Installation procedure]], new players are assigned into the Solaris Training Company and given a hangar of random training units. The Solaris Training Company exists as a separate faction for new players to learn the ropes with no risk.
-The hangar full of units are temporary training units that cannot be destroyed permanently in battle. These units only exist while the player remains in Solaris - once they leave, these training units will disappear, and be replaced with a new(and generally better) selection of units from their new faction. The new player also starts with a limited number of [[C-Bills]], which will remain with the new player after they leave the training faction, unlike the units within the player's hangar.
+The hangar full of units are temporary training units that cannot be destroyed permanently in battle. These units only exist while the player remains in Solaris - once they leave, these training units will disappear, and be replaced with a new(and generally better) selection of units from their new faction. The new player also starts with a limited number of [[Resources|C-Bills]], which will remain with the new player after they leave the training faction, unlike the units within the player's hangar.
 To leave the Solaris Training Company, a player must earn 100 experience. After this point he/she will be able to declare for a faction. This process is described more below.
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 To see what units a faction produces, go to Help > Build Table Viewer. You don't buy individual units, you can usually only buy a unit class(e.g., a heavy Mek), so the build table shows you what the various types of units you're likely to get when you build are. The "Frequency" is the percentage chance of a given unit. Ignore the "Common" and Solaris build tables, you generally won't be buying off those. If one faction makes mechs more to your liking than another, you may want to go with them. And if all else fails, ask in Main chat who wants a newbie, and go with the faction that sounds most helpful.
-Also, for new players, it's usually best to avoid the [[Periphery]]. They play very differently from the other factions, and it's best to get used to the game with one of the normal factions instead.
+Also, for new players, it's usually best to avoid the [[Factions|Periphery]]. They play very differently from the other factions, and it's best to get used to the game with one of the normal factions instead.
 == Your First Real Fight ==

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 * You will need to go [[active]] in order to fight. You can still arrange fights via chat, but you'll need to visit the front lines. Players will generally respect arranged games, but there's always the risk of an unexpected attack.
 * You will begin to care about new resources.
-** Pilot XP will allow you to buy [[pilot skills]] to upgrade your units. You get it from having your pilots survive fights.
+** Pilot XP will allow you to buy [[Pilot Skills|pilot skills]] to upgrade your units. You get it from having your pilots survive fights.
 ** [[Resources|Influence]] is a resource gained through actively defending your faction, and it's required for buying units and launching attacks. You get it for being [[active]] and for defending in battles.
 * When you do fight, the results will have an impact on the campaign. Newer players are limited to lower-impact operations at first, but even still a fight can easily take 10% of a planet if you win, or lose 10% of a planet if you lose. A few such fights can have a fair bit of impact on the campaign.

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 * You'll fight using different [[operations]] than you did in Solaris - instead of Ground Tutorial, you'll fight with [[Operation/Ground Incursion|Ground Incursion]] if you're fighting on a planet where your faction has a significant foothold(20%+), or [[Operation/Drop Incursion|Drop Incursion]] if your faction doesn't. (Other operations exist, but those are the ones you'll be using 99% of the time when you start)
 * You will need to go [[active]] in order to fight. You can still arrange fights via chat, but you'll need to visit the front lines. Players will generally respect arranged games, but there's always the risk of an unexpected attack.
 * When you do fight, the results will have an impact on the campaign. Newer players are limited to lower-impact operations at first, but even still a fight can easily take 10% of a planet if you win, or lose 10% of a planet if you lose. A few such fights can have a fair bit of impact on the campaign.
 * In a fight, your units can now be damaged, destroyed, and/or salvaged. Generally, a unit can be salvaged when the damage that took it out of the fight is more superficial - knocking off the head, for example. If the damage is more substantial, such as the engine's fusion bottle letting go, then the unit is generally destroyed outright and cannot be salvaged. Both sides have a chance to salvage destroyed units, though the winner has a higher chance. In practice, all your units that come back from a fight will also require at least a bit of [[repair]].

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 After a battle concludes, both players will withdraw from the front lines and lick their wounds. A battle log will be posted for you in the main chat channel, where you can see what happened to your units, and what rewards you got for fighting. As a Solaris player, your units will all be repaired if they were damaged, or replaced if they were destroyed, which makes post-battle cleanup much easier. While you're still in Solaris, the relevant rewards are:
-* [[XP]]. A player's XP is a simple measurement of how much fighting they've done. A Solaris player gets 50 XP for winning and 30 XP for losing, and you need 100 XP in order to graduate from Solaris. Once you graduate it's a bit more complicated, but it's also a lot less important. (Your mech pilots also gain XP over time, but since you'll get a whole new hangar of mechs when you leave Solaris, don't worry about that.)
+* [[Resources|XP]]. A player's XP is a simple measurement of how much fighting they've done. A Solaris player gets 50 XP for winning and 30 XP for losing, and you need 100 XP in order to graduate from Solaris. Once you graduate it's a bit more complicated, but it's also a lot less important. (Your mech pilots also gain XP over time, but since you'll get a whole new hangar of mechs when you leave Solaris, don't worry about that.)
-* [[C-Bills]]. C-Bills are the primary currency in MekWars. You use them for buying new Mechs, repairing damaged Mechs, expanding your hangar, and so on. As a Solaris player, you will get a very reduced C-Bill payout after a battle, but you don't need to pay for repairing or replacing your units, so your money will accumulate. Don't spend any until you leave Solaris.
+* [[Resources|C-Bills]]. C-Bills are the primary currency in MekWars. You use them for buying new Mechs, repairing damaged Mechs, expanding your hangar, and so on. As a Solaris player, you will get a very reduced C-Bill payout after a battle, but you don't need to pay for repairing or replacing your units, so your money will accumulate. Don't spend any until you leave Solaris.
-* [[RP]]. Reward Points are a special currency, usually used for buying harder-to-get types of units. Like C-Bills, you'll want to save these up until you leave Solaris.
+* [[Resources|RP]]. Reward Points are a special currency, usually used for buying harder-to-get types of units. Like C-Bills, you'll want to save these up until you leave Solaris.
 When you're in Solaris, that's it. You can jump straight into another fight if you like. Once you graduate, it gets a bit more complex, as you'll see below.
 == Graduation ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:03, 16 February 2017
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	== Post-Battle ==		== Post-Battle ==

−	In the aftermath of an intense firefight, players ~~have~~ plenty of work to do (and more than likely their techs, as well). The good news is that a payout for the operation is received, giving the player a number of [[Resources]] like C-Bills, Reward Points and more. But ~~there's work to be done~~ before going charging into the next battle: repairs need to be made, unit ammunition needs to be purchased and reloaded, individual commanders might be eligible for skills, and unit replacements might need to be bought.	+	In the aftermath of an intense firefight, both players are deactivated (if they were active) and they will find there's plenty of work to do (and more than likely their techs, as well). The good news is that a payout for the operation is received, giving the player a number of [[Resources]] like C-Bills, Reward Points and more. But before going charging into the next battle repairs need to be made, unit ammunition needs to be purchased and reloaded, individual commanders might be eligible for skills, and unit replacements might need to be bought.
		+
		+	A new player will not have any techs to do any repair work, so hiring techs is one of the first things to do post-battle. Techs can have various skill levels that affect pricing and chance of repairs, so for more information consult the rulebook. Reloading ammunition is as simple as clicking the reload button in the hangar page.
		+
		+	At some point the butcher's bill may need to be addressed. A player might need to replace several units lost. The [[Production]] section of the wiki can better explain the process behind buying units.