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#1
harmless_kittens

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OK, so as you guys know I'm a new player trying out this game.  I love the maps, the robots, the weapons (most of them), etc.  Most of my fellow players are kind in game chat also, despite how bad I am, so thanks for that.

 

But the variety in skill level in these matches is just extreme, and its just not fun dying over and over again, often at the hands of elite players who seem to target me specifically.  In my matches if I break 100 "points" and have a kill/death rate over .8 or so I'm having a good game.  But I've been in matches where the top player on the other team had over 700 points, and once over 800!  They get 20 or more kills and never die.  Also had a match recently where the LOWEST person on the enemy team had more points than the best player on our team.  That just seems like a Matchmaker mistake to me.

 

But, matchmaking aside, there's something else that is bothering me.  I thought at first I was playing a game that was fairly balanced, because robots and weapons could not be "upgraded", only swapped out for other robots/weapons.  That sounded cool to me, because it SHOULD just make it a game about skill, in theory.  But then there are ITEMS and CONSUMABLES, and, in my opinion, the game does not do a good job showing new players how to equip/use these.  Furthermore, these seem to cost in "game credits" (not purchased with cash, thankfully).  So I'm not saying its "Pay to Win", but it definitely is favoring "Play to Win", which is just fine with Veteran players who are rolling in game credits.  But for new players trying to save up for new robots or that next weapon on an existing robot, I feel I have to take a step backward in my progress if I want to go the "Item/Consumable" route.

 

Last night I just got hit with so many EMPs, Turrets, Missiles, and other things (that I have no idea what they're called) that it really seemed unfair, as I have NONE of those things.  I just wanted to fight robots with my robots, but then at the start of the fight I get an EMP dropped on me.  Game over.  (It seemed like a rather cowardly act, frankly, although I'm sure some would call it "strategic".)  Other times I seem to be doing well, and a wall or shield goes up, negating all my effort.  It also seems that the higher your level the better stuff you can get (at least in quantity).

 

I guess what I'm asking is this:  Can someone please tell me, in very easy to understand terms, how to acquire/use Items and Consumables, or refer me to a good link about them?  Sorry for the long post.  Thanks for your help.


Edited by harmless_kittens, 01 February 2016 - 08:10 AM.

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#2
Silverfire

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You have 6 item slots, which can be filled with MK I, II, III items. Each Mk has 1 item, 2 item 3 item, respectively. MK I is 2 slots, MK II is 3 slots, MK III is 4 slots to fill your 6 item slot space.   They can be bought and equipped in the equipment tab of your mech, then under "items" where you can select and choose your items. For example, you can take 2 MK II items for a total of 6 used slots (2 items x 3 item slot requirement) for a total of 4 items usable per life.  3 MK I items will result in 3 usable items x 2 item slot requirement = 6 slots used. Mix and match from there.

 

They are used in game with the 1, 2, 3 number keys if you have say, 3 MK I items equipped (thus taking up all 6 slots in your 6 slot item space, because 3 items x 2 slot requirement = 6).  If you have only 2 items equipped, say 1 MK III and 1 MK I item, then it would only be the number keys 1 and 2.  You can also use the item with the default R key, as you can switch between item usage with your mouse scroll wheel, you will see a the item lined up to be used as highlighted on your bottom right-ish area in your cockpit in game.

 

I agree Hawken does a terrible job at communicating the proper information to its players. 

 

 

Consumables on the other hand, are only usable in Co Op Bot Destruction.  Used for upgrades and boosts within the game mode. I don't remember exactly how those are used.

 

For any additional guides you might need, check out the link in my signature about guides.  


Edited by Silverfire, 01 February 2016 - 07:21 AM.

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#3
Hyginos

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Last night I just got hit with so many EMPs, Turrets, Missiles, and other things (that I have no idea what they're called) that it really seemed unfair, as I have NONE of those things.

 

The mech you start with should come with enough items and internals to fill it up a few different ways, but brand new mechs come with only one default item.

 

I recommend you play around with the various parts that come free with the default mech so you can decide what you would like to buy for any new mechs you buy.


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MFW Howken

 

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#4
JeffMagnum

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If you want to skip figuring out what will probably work best so you don't waste HC and you aren't concerned with whether your builds are cheesy, just run one of the following on all your light and medium mechs: 

 

Items: Repair Charge MK-3/EMP or Shield MK-1

Internals: Air Compressor/Repair Kit/Basic Extractor

 

Items: Repair Charge MK-3/EMP or Shield MK-1

Internals: Advanced Repair Kit/Extractor/Composite Armor

 

 

For heavy mechs, use one of these:

 

Items: Repair Charge MK-3/EMP or Shield MK-1

Internals: Advanced Armor Fusor/Repair Kit/Basic Extractor

 

Items: Repair Charge MK-2/EMP or Shield MK-2

Internals: Advanced Armor Fusor/Repair Kit/Basic Extractor

 

 

I don't encourage you to run any of those once you get better because builds based on Repair Kit/Extractor combos are pretty unambiguously superior to everything else in most cases, but in all honesty, they're fine for you to use at your current skill level. 


Edited by Brumbpo Tungus, 01 February 2016 - 07:32 AM.

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#5
DallasCreeper

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Silver beat me.


Edited by DallasCreeper, 01 February 2016 - 08:04 AM.

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#6
Amidatelion

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For those posting below this post, please note that OP is asking for help on items, and has specifically asked that MMR and matchmaking be left aside. Let's help him and not rehash the same tired arguments, hmm?


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#7
Call_Me_Ishmael

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I spent some time in heavies this weekend. Shield and repair orb items were really useful.

Deflectors (I don't turret) and fusor, extractor for a newer player. I didn't orblord. The fusor was faster than self heal while moving.

Deflectors require you to be boosting/dodging to work.

I have to say I'm reevaluating my dislike of brawler :)

Did I say Call Me Ishmael?

 

You should call me Luna.


#8
kaiserschmarrn_

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If you ever have any other questions, hop on the teamspeak @ ts5.gameservers.com:9152

 

Tons of people on there are always willing to help new players, and its public, so bring your friends!


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#9
harmless_kittens

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More item questions:  1)  Once I buy them, are they permanent, or do I have to buy more to "restock"?  2) Similarly, are they only for that particular robot, or can I move those same items to other robots in my garage?

 

Thanks again.



#10
coldform

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Item purchases are unique to each mech, with the exception of global unlocks from leveling up your mechs.

You can equip and unequip items while you have access to your garage, and the number of items you have will reset upon death.

The purchase made in the garage for the item is permanent.
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I like going against the best of any game I play. Helps you in the long run n motivates u to do more. Always room for improvement not failure

z6aJAX7.png?1

 

czerofive-Today at 2:22 AM > got banned from playing lazertag - I used a knife to conserve ammo

FIRST OFF WHAT THE FUZZ IS A "SHILL"


#11
PsychedelicGrass

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More item questions: 1) Once I buy them, are they permanent, or do I have to buy more to "restock"? 2) Similarly, are they only for that particular robot, or can I move those same items to other robots in my garage?

Thanks again.



They're permanent, but you can only use them a certain amount of times per spawn. Ex if you have mk II repair charges and use them both you have to wait till you die and respawn to get them back.


And yes they're only for the mech you bought them for. If you want mkII repair charges on every mech then you'll need to buy them for every mech individually.
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#12
ticklemyiguana

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More item questions:  1)  Once I buy them, are they permanent, or do I have to buy more to "restock"?  2) Similarly, are they only for that particular robot, or can I move those same items to other robots in my garage?

 

Thanks again.

1. They're permanent. You can buy them in MK 1, MK 2, and MK 3 variants, each with 1, 2, and 3 instances of the item per life, respectively. I think you have 6 slots to play with, Mk1 takes up 2 slots, Mk2 takes 3, and Mk3 takes 4, meaning you can use 3 MK 1 items per mech, but you'll only have 3 items per life, meaning it's typically better to go with 2 MK 2 or 1 MK 1 and 1 MK 3.

 

They regenerate every 7 seconds until you are out of items.

 

2. They are only for a single mech.


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#13
Hyginos

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More item questions:  1)  Once I buy them, are they permanent, or do I have to buy more to "restock"?  2) Similarly, are they only for that particular robot, or can I move those same items to other robots in my garage?

 

Thanks again.

 

Buying an item allows unlimited use on (and only on) the mech you purchase it for. The number of uses allowed per life are denoted by the items mark: eg mark 2 hologram can be deployed 2 times per life.


MFW Howken

 

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#14
Badtings

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hang in there kittens.

 

The climb is steep, however it's fun and the community is awesome. 


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#15
crockrocket

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 global unlocks from leveling up your mechs.

AFAIK there are no locks on items anymore


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Player Retention & Howken

 

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#16
Bergwein

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hang in there kittens.

 

The climb is steep, however it's fun and the community is awesome. 

 

Indeed. (click on the image)

 

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#17
ARCH3TYP3

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If you like, friend me: ARCH3TYP3 

I'm happy to show you anything I can in-game. 


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#18
Amidatelion

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hang in there kittens.

 

The climb is steep, however it's fun and the community is awesome. 

 

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#19
ticklemyiguana

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Goddammit. This thread was going so ok too.


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#20
SS396

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But the variety in skill level in these matches is just extreme, and its just not fun dying over and over again, often at the hands of elite players who seem to target me specifically.  In my matches if I break 100 "points" and have a kill/death rate over .8 or so I'm having a good game.  But I've been in matches where the top player on the other team had over 700 points, and once over 800!  They get 20 or more kills and never die.  Also had a match recently where the LOWEST person on the enemy team had more points than the best player on our team.  That just seems like a Matchmaker mistake to me.


Welcome to Hawken, where the overqualified rule the game. Now you understand why the average new player experience only lasts 3 days.

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#21
gArphEus

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Hey kittens. U might also want 2 google 4 "hawken mech stats", "hawken ability stats", "hawken item stats", "hawken internal stats" and "hawken weapon stats", and download these .jpg files. They show some useful information about the effects and duration of all the things u can buy in the garage or use ingame. Some of the values shown there might not be valid anymoa, because the devs changed them, but overall it's a good comparison list, especially the mech stat list.

Regards, gArphEus

#22
Meraple

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snip

Or go to the Salty Stats.


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#23
HHJFTRU

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OK, so as you guys know I'm a new player trying out this game.  I love the maps, the robots, the weapons (most of them), etc.  Most of my fellow players are kind in game chat also, despite how bad I am, so thanks for that.

 

But the variety in skill level in these matches is just extreme, and its just not fun dying over and over again, often at the hands of elite players who seem to target me specifically.  In my matches if I break 100 "points" and have a kill/death rate over .8 or so I'm having a good game.  But I've been in matches where the top player on the other team had over 700 points, and once over 800!  They get 20 or more kills and never die.  Also had a match recently where the LOWEST person on the enemy team had more points than the best player on our team.  That just seems like a Matchmaker mistake to me.

 

But, matchmaking aside, there's something else that is bothering me.  I thought at first I was playing a game that was fairly balanced, because robots and weapons could not be "upgraded", only swapped out for other robots/weapons.  That sounded cool to me, because it SHOULD just make it a game about skill, in theory.  But then there are ITEMS and CONSUMABLES, and, in my opinion, the game does not do a good job showing new players how to equip/use these.  Furthermore, these seem to cost in "game credits" (not purchased with cash, thankfully).  So I'm not saying its "Pay to Win", but it definitely is favoring "Play to Win", which is just fine with Veteran players who are rolling in game credits.  But for new players trying to save up for new robots or that next weapon on an existing robot, I feel I have to take a step backward in my progress if I want to go the "Item/Consumable" route.

 

Last night I just got hit with so many EMPs, Turrets, Missiles, and other things (that I have no idea what they're called) that it really seemed unfair, as I have NONE of those things.  I just wanted to fight robots with my robots, but then at the start of the fight I get an EMP dropped on me.  Game over.  (It seemed like a rather cowardly act, frankly, although I'm sure some would call it "strategic".)  Other times I seem to be doing well, and a wall or shield goes up, negating all my effort.  It also seems that the higher your level the better stuff you can get (at least in quantity).

 

I guess what I'm asking is this:  Can someone please tell me, in very easy to understand terms, how to acquire/use Items and Consumables, or refer me to a good link about them?  Sorry for the long post.  Thanks for your help.

 

0.8 K/D is not bad if you started only a couple of weeks ago. Mine used to be 0.3 for quite some weeks.


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#24
dorobo

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Last night it felt like beating a dead horse.. disgusting.



#25
6ixxer

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As much as repair orbs help a bit, I think new players survive longer with shields.

I use them to purposely attract emps. I even have a 2shield+2emp build so I can trap enemies and breacher-Pred special = 3shield+1emp. Just don't repair in them, repair at least a couple of mech widths behind them so an emp hitting the front/top/side won't affect you.

 

Sometimes MG turrets can help but they need to be well placed. If you can get them elevated it stops them being walked on but then you need to try to limit where an enemy needs to be to shoot it down. It can distract an enemy to give you more time or it can boost your DPS. They also can warn then you're being flanked. Your mileage will vary.

 

I recommend posting your timezone and looking for a clan match where you can be given a fairer match on private servers. It keeps out the riffraff and you can be paired with experienced/mentoring players. I've played on similar where we typically had a mentor watching his back.

 

Cheers,

6ixxer


Edited by 6ixxer, 02 February 2016 - 01:54 AM.

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#26
angryhampster

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the skill ladder in this game is for real.  it takes years to get good... and i mean years....



#27
6ixxer

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Sometimes MG turrets can help but they need to be well placed. If you can get them elevated it stops them being walked on but then you need to try to limit where an enemy needs to be to shoot it down. It can distract an enemy to give you more time or it can boost your DPS. They also can warn then you're being flanked. Your mileage will vary.


I played asia last night with high ping.
I had to use tech or rocketeer to make any impact.

I found that turrets meant that I could rocketeer much better. Average players still get caught by turrets.
I knew who was good not just by their performance in general, but by the way they handled turrets.

#28
phed

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everyone always talks about the skill ladder... 

 

i still remember my first match back in closed beta 2,  i spawned into a DM with hestoned.  

 

some people are just better at robo-splosions.

 

it's not a ladder to be climbed, but sometimes you can knock it over.


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#29
crockrocket

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everyone always talks about the skill ladder... 

 

i still remember my first match back in closed beta 2,  i spawned into a DM with hestoned.  

 

some people are just better at robo-splosions.

 

it's not a ladder to be climbed, but sometimes you can knock it over.

 

Nothing to back this up, but I heard once that Hestoned had to work hella hard to get to where he is today


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Salvage: An Idea to Stop Leavers

Player Retention & Howken

 

[14:31] <Crafty> I know that in my balls
[14:32] <Crafty> hawken is unlike anything Ive played

 

 


#30
coldform

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everyone always talks about the skill ladder...

i still remember my first match back in closed beta 2, i spawned into a DM with hestoned.

some people are just better at robo-splosions.

it's not a ladder to be climbed, but sometimes you can knock it over.

I gong to take a stab in the dark and say that hestoned has a metric crap ton of gaming experience, and has honed his chops with gaming in general since he could hold a controller, prolly came to hawken with massive amounts of coordination skillz refined in the SBM comp scene.

We were all doomed the day he installed hawken.

Raw talent plays a factor, but even that requires practice practice practice in order to git gud. Hestoned is good because he has put years into his skill, not just hours.

Edited by (TDM)coldform, 04 February 2016 - 09:04 AM.

I like going against the best of any game I play. Helps you in the long run n motivates u to do more. Always room for improvement not failure

z6aJAX7.png?1

 

czerofive-Today at 2:22 AM > got banned from playing lazertag - I used a knife to conserve ammo

FIRST OFF WHAT THE FUZZ IS A "SHILL"


#31
JeffMagnum

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I'm not knocking hestoned's play, but Hawken is a sufficiently unique FPS (the turn cap, relatively fast pace, extremely powerful radar, and dual asymmetric weapons system mostly) that many fundamental FPS skills like twitching and movement don't translate well. New players have always started on much more even ground than they do in CS or UT or whatever, which is partially while I decided to dedicate the amount of time I have. The actual aiming with your mouse portion of the game can be mastered quickly compared to games with no turn cap and movement becomes almost instinctual after a couple hundred hours, so the majority of high-tier fighting comes down to a mental game.

A lot can be learned through just analyzing moves the best players make and coming up with counters so you don't necessarily have to even play much beyond enough to maintain your aim to stay relevant. Imo many people stuck below maybe 2.1-2.3k (historically where numerous high-mmr players still pubbed, anyway) with good hardware and aim only work on the physical aspect when the mental one that can't be taught through hours with no targeted thought alone is what's preventing them from improving. And anecdotally this is the first game I've ever been more than casual at on any system

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#32
Nightfirebolt

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tl;dr

 

New players can benefit from using the promo code "LOADEDASSAULT" to get a good fully loaded mech (with items and internals) for free.



#33
Amidatelion

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tl;dr

 

New players can benefit from using the promo code "LOADEDASSAULT" to get a good fully loaded mech (with items and internals) for free.

 

New players already have that mech. They get it as standard. The LoadedAssault was to get that mech to older accounts.



#34
Nightfirebolt

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New players already have that mech. They get it as standard. The LoadedAssault was to get that mech to older accounts.

 

Oh. Well, I got confused then. The original poster said they don't have any items or consumables, which should not be true if that's the case.


Edited by Nightfirebolt, 04 February 2016 - 04:24 PM.





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