Anime Rookies.

Korgmeister · Post by **Korgmeister** » Sat Nov 17, 2001 2:47 pm

Maybe I'm just crap at these sorts of games, and maybe the computer is playing favourites, I dunno.

But it seems that the rookies on my team are absolutely hopeless. They can't hit the broad side of a barn, and fall on their arse at every piloting check.

Meanwhile the random AI team I'm fighting against show frightening levels of accuracy, and almost never fail piloting checks. It would be a freak of probaility of grotesque levels of magnitude for it to be plain and simple bad luck.

So I'm getting my butt kicked by the AI, and I want to know how to even up the odds, any tips for a newbie?

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Sat Nov 17, 2001 8:04 pm

Are you talking about a random team of rookies or a team you built? If the latter, what kind of numbers did you give your jocks for skills? When I'm building a new team, I pick the titans I want each jock to use first, then tailor the jock's skills to fit the titan. I also give each jock a titan that depends on only one sort of weapon (energy, cannon, unguided missiles, guided missiles) and close combat, so they aren't spread too thin for points. I try to make sure each jock has at least 50 in piloting (recon and light, obviously), one weapon type, close combat, scanner, and one other skill. If your jocks have that, they should at least be able to make half their checks. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Also, probably a silly question, but when you pick the skill level of the AI team, are you picking the lowest?

[ November 17, 2001: Message edited by: tarendelcymir ]</p>

Lyhrrus · Post by **Lyhrrus** » Sun Nov 18, 2001 2:25 am

For team jocks, I reccomend getting base piloting skills to 60, as well as 1 weapon (preferably non-CC) to 60 as well to start. Although this will limit other skills, (you may have another weapon skill, CC or something else, but that will probably be only 40 or so) it will give you a chance to hit with SOMETHING.

Fire when not moving. Moving jacks your to hit % to hell. When starting with rookie pilots, you're generally going to have to get in close to get kills. Don't expect 70+% to hit for a while unless it's with certain weapons. I'm quite happy firing with 40% or so at this level. A few good starting weapons to have, because of their bonus to hit or range modifiers, GMs, GCs, PGs, axes and flamers all make good starting weapons.

rosary · Post by **rosary** » Sun Nov 18, 2001 4:09 am

On good tip on starting out: make sure you give your pilot the same skills they will use on whatever titan they will use.

Using the wrong skills will kill you worse than any single other mistake. I did this the other night by giving a new pilot with energy weapon skills a titan with both medium lasers and Guided missiles. I was getting really good chances to hit with the lasers but found I never got higher than 002% chance to hit with the GM's.

You may also want to avoid unecessary dodging, jumping and walking into water. Avoid swamps, lava and acid like the plague. When your skills are higher you can take a walk into water just to boost your experience but its risky if done in the presense of the enemy.

Korgmeister · Post by **Korgmeister** » Sun Nov 18, 2001 11:18 am

Hmm, I'm already doing pretty much all of this stuff, and yes I am selecting 'Rookie' level for the random AI team.

Some of your tips are nice though, like staying still when firing and buying the titans first. Apart from that, I'm already doing pretty much everything you say.

Most of my experience in squad games comes from X-Com games and Squaresoft's Front Mission series (which I absolutely kick arse at). I think this game obviously requires different tactics, so do you know any sites with good basic combat tactics for ToS?

Lyhrrus · Post by **Lyhrrus** » Sun Nov 18, 2001 5:02 pm

Prince Corrin will be releasing a strategy guide soon, as soon as the HTML conversion is finished. Then best method however is to get into a few online battles, and see the tactics used by other people.

Korgmeister · Post by **Korgmeister** » Sun Nov 18, 2001 7:48 pm

Online battles? Quoth the raven "Oro?" (Ok, it was really Kenshin).

I'll admit I'm being a cheapass bastard and playing the origional ToS 1.4, which AFAIK has no online game feature.

Or am I wrong? Besides, I've played enough online games (OK, I've only ever played UT online) to know that I'd probably just suffer a more severe pasting than from the AI.

Lyhrrus · Post by **Lyhrrus** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 1:03 am

v1.4 supports online battles. When you start up the battle module, there are two options, one for hotseat and one for network. Network is the online game choice. As for a pasting, yeah you'll probably get it, but you can ask your opponent for specific tips. Each player has a different style so you'll have to develop your own tactics, and you'll also be using different titans from the standard database, which should help you in designing your own titan.

rosary · Post by **rosary** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 3:16 am

IF you have the version 1.4 it does support online battles. There is more information in the manual and guide but here is a quick rundown to get started.

1) get icq try (www.icq.com)
2) post your icq# here saying you want to play online battles.
3) when others add you to their list request a game of tos via ICQ.
3) get their IP number. Start the battle module and choose network games. Put their IP number into the IP section.
4) Join Game,
5) Most players will share their TOS player list so getting 7-8 opponents is not that very difficult.

If I missed something on this list maybe someone can correct it for me.

firestorm · Post by **firestorm** » Mon Nov 19, 2001 8:08 am

for early jocks i find haveing an adequate Energy skill is good, as it means you can find a hill and take pot shots for as long as you want, even if most of them miss. also when i play offline, i start a team with only 1 jock and wait until he's on a medium titan at least before i make another titan. this way i only have to deal with one enemy per battle until i'm big enough to handle larger numbers. it seems to work... oce i have a medium/heavy i can use it to protect my new chars.
i have an HTML version of the Prince's FAQ on my site (www.geocities.com/armadon3) if you want to try looking in there. also i used to have a jock development strategy guide on PC's site, dunno if he still has it or not, last i checked his site had gone offline.
but also if you're gonna play online it's suggested you have ICQ... when you get it i'd be happy to help you out (assuming you can find me at a good time, which is very hard lately because i now actually have a life, unlike last year). my ICQ # is 113334898.

Peter Yearsley · Post by **Peter Yearsley** » Tue Nov 20, 2001 1:16 am

Korgmeister; if you do set up an ICQ account, I'll be happy to play against you. Beginner level .. and I have another friend at the same level. We've played perhaps six battles using random light titans with average abilities. My ICQ number is 126242132.
(I've not put them in battle reports as my opponent's not used the forum yet.)

rosary · Post by **rosary** » Wed Nov 21, 2001 1:27 pm

When starting a team I recommend:

1) 1st jock Leadership as high as you can get it
2) Now purchase a second jock and set his business to a high level.
3) Purchase a 3rd jock and set their damage control skill to a high level.

4) Now you can buy a cheaper titan, fix it cheaper and do better in battle.

5) Don't buy all of your jocks titans and send them all into battle. just use one with good movement and weapons skills and a titan that matches these skills. Once you have a jock at about level 3 you can give one of your other jocks a support titan. I usually give my main jock some type of heavy weapons damage capability such as tesla bolt. My second jock will specialize in unguided missiles and will be used as support. The 3rd jock eventually joins in with sniping or other long range specific damage. Gauss cannon is usually my choice but Mesons are good too.

early jocks do a bit better with energy weapons as they don't have to worry about ammo or ammo explosions but later on cannon skills tend to do better though they lack special effects with the exception of the meson.

I will admit that I don't always do this but this works o.k. The AI is pretty hard early on.

Grah31 · Post by **Grah31** » Wed Nov 21, 2001 2:56 pm

Build a Light Titan with Comp6, Scan6, Life1, Heat4, two AC4s and four MGs, ( I only have the design at home or I would past it here). This will allow you plenty of weight for armour. This thing will stand up well to punishment. After maxing out your 1st Jock for his Leadership, recruit another Jock – Replicant D – and build up his Cannon skills. Now put him into this Titan and go one-on-one against lowest level enemy. Find a good position on the battlefield and make the enemy come to you. Your AC4s have a surprisingly long range and with a good cannon skill, battle comp and green scans from the top scanner you should be having 50%+ shots at 6-8 hexes away. Chip away at him until he gets into MG range then lay mg fire onto him and rush into his hex, charging if you want. *Now* the four MGs deal 4 points of damage each and you will hopefully have worn him down with the sniping so you should be able to finish him off. If he’s got GMs or LRMs then work your way close to him using cover. Only thing that has caused this Titan trouble was an Inferno with it’s 4 NM7s and the flamers. All the AC4 and MG ammo popped off but I managed to punch the Inferno to death after than.

Grah

Korgmeister · Post by **Korgmeister** » Fri Nov 23, 2001 7:24 pm

OK, thanks very much for the tips guys, especially Firestorm.

Right now I'm winning most of my battles. My first jock I decided to focus on Unguided Missles and Energy Weapons, and put him in a Guillotine.

Apart from a lack of heat regs (easily solved by playing in polar environment <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> ) this is a pretty good Titan for beginners. You can find a high place, scan for hostiles and slowly but surely blow the cack out of him as he rushes towards you. Provided the titans' not a close combat specialist (chainsaws = the stuff of nightmares) by the time he's within laser range I've got several components red already.

Needless to say, combine the reduced movement rate and increased heat dissipation of the polar environment and the enemy suffers a severe 0wnzing. I'm training up my next jock, and she's showing even more promise than the first. I put her in a (thinks...can't remember) thing that's got bigarse energy weapons. She makes for great support fire and between the two of us (1st jock Novice, 2nd jock Rookie) I can take out AI teams quite easily now.

Hopefully once I've got more experience I'll consider an online game but for now I wouldn't really want to. I'm a very sore loser...indeed Mum gets disturbed at the way I scream and yell at the computer when I'm doing badly.

rosary · Post by **rosary** » Sat Nov 24, 2001 2:42 am

Losing online battles is not important. Just check out how many I've lost. The important thing is to make your enemies win feel like a loss.

Thorgrim · Post by **Thorgrim** » Sat Nov 24, 2001 7:10 am

Originally posted by Korgmeister:

Right now I'm winning most of my battles. My first jock I decided to focus on Unguided Missles and Energy Weapons, and put him in a Guillotine.

Apart from a lack of heat regs (easily solved by playing in polar environment <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> ) this is a pretty good Titan for beginners.

That's funny. I just tried it with a rookie jock with 55% UGM and 17% defensive and defeated a champion AI jock in a Leopard. Max heat buildup per turn was 0.7C, average was ~0.4C. I even got -0.8C once. Never even scanned the guy, fired constantly, and never even got to heat green. Downed him with my last or before last round left.

Thorgrim · Post by **Thorgrim** » Sat Nov 24, 2001 7:11 am

...in a standard arena, forgot to mention.

Thorgrim · Post by **Thorgrim** » Sat Nov 24, 2001 4:07 pm

A serious statement I made last night, I realised it just now. Tribaal will surely call me a liar. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> I have the saves to back it up though. I didn't even raise any attributes, I merely raised light and ugm skills to the max allowed in the unmodified jock.