Topic: Basic PVP guide to getting started
FORWARD
Hi.
My name is Ville, I am the founder and CEO of the Pretty Hate Machine Corp. I am a dedicated Mesmer MK2 pilot and Vagabond MK2 pilot. I want some of the new guys to understand a few pointers when it comes to entering and interacting in PVP enabled environments.
So you've found yourself on the wonderful planet of NIA and you've found out your a little behind in a time progression MMO. Your first thoughts are "Oh my, will I ever catch up?" The answer is simply yes. The first step in every adventure is secure your industry/money making. There are various other guides to teach you how to make money. I will be reaching out to the audience that's a few weeks into the game.
**Updated** New accounts start with 300K EP. This allows you to be in a Heavy Mech. DO NOT SPEND IT ALL IN ONE GO!
DLC updates(Upgrade kit Zero and upgrade Kit One buy them both!):
https://secure.perpetuum-online.com/purchase/store/
BASICS
Hunting:
Unlike WOT or other FPS shooting games, Perpetuum's persistent world does not actively throw you into pvp action. So you will be forced to find your targets. The key to successful Hunting is proper scouting. You must first find your targets on pvp islands then engage them.
Scouting
The key to scouting is simple you have to see them before they see you. The two bots with the greatest detection in game is a light bot and a mech. That's why it is typical to see light bot scouts. But the two most overpowered modules are SIGNAL DETECTORS and SIGNAL MASKERS. One makes you see farther and the other makes you harder to see. Once you found what you want to kill you will then need to worry about being able to engage it.
Shields
Unless you have energy neuts, a skilled Castel MK2 and Troiar MK2 are unkillable solo if they have a shield on. Tyrannos are also unkillable with shields on. If you are solo do not engage the bots mentioned above if you do not have energy neuts.
Light Bots/Assault Bots/Light Ewar
Light bots: Good for scouting, even with T1 detectors.
Significance in pvp: None
Assault bots: DPS class small bot.
Significance in pvp: Great bot when paired with masker for kills, sufficient DPS to kill upto a mech classed bot.
Suggestions: Fit Short range demobilization, Frames are good on these bots to keep the fast just in case you are being chased by a mech class. Great for kiting.
Light Ewar: Starting pvpers should be here.
Significance in pvp: provide great support to DPS class for different levels of Ewar.
Suggestions: Masker and shield can add guns. Great Tackle bot.
Beta PvP
This is where new players will excel! Every 8 to 16 hours a Beta SAP will come live. A SAP is part of a mechanic designed to control ownership of an outpost. The SAPs last for 1 hour. If the sap is not done it will be considered a defense by the owner of the outpost and a can will drop. If the sap is done by any player it will complete and a can will drop. If you take a sap the outpost will lose stability and your corp will take credit for successful completion of the SAP. If you wish to take an outpost on Beta you must successful complete saps back to back to drop the outpost from 100% to 0% then at 0% if you take the sap it will become the corp who took the saps outpost. The SAPs are:
Passive: You stand next to the passive sap for a period of time and it completes.
Active Hack: You have to buy an active hack module from a beta terminal and equip it to your bot. You will then target the active hack and then begin cycling the modules for a period of time.
Destruction: Target the destruction SAP and you shoot it.
Specimen: Don't even try it. Unless you are serious about taking the outpost. you have to bring the SAP items it asks for its random and theres a ton of items it could be.
SAPs drop cans upon completion. These cans are quite valueable and can range in loot from 7 to 25 million in value. Where do I get pvp in this? Usually there are people guarding these saps, or sometimes there is people coming out to grab the can after the SAPs complete.
In the top left in News button there is a tab called intrusion events. This log will show you every sap that has completed within the past few days. You need to check this before heading to an island in search of sap loot. The likely hood that a sap is not up can be gauged by looking at this.
Also in the top right, in terrain windows there is a tab called Intrusions, it will show you the progression on the SAP and time remaining.
Simple Stuff.
Ok so you don't want to fool with SAPs what else can I do?
Roam Beta islands. One of the most precious minerals in the game is on Beta only. You will find that people will take risks by placing a miner fully unprotected on an epriton(mineral spawn) and mine that. You will be able to come in and kill the miner and then collect his loot!
Gamma PVP
PVP done on these islands is usually done with a lot of logistics, proper planning, and coordination among veteran groups. You will occasionally find artifacters running around the island. One good indication of an artifacter is the presence of orange mobs randomly placed on the island. No small scale pvp here.
Dying
It happens to the best of us. The key here is not use what you can't afford to lose. Never take your ONLY bot to PvP island. Keep backups of equipment and robots. Remember this is a game don't be so engulfed in rage. You can kill people with T1 stuff. Don't feel the need to only use T4.
Bait
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Perpetuum PVP is very dynamic. But most who cannot rely on Tactics use numbers. I.E. Zerg or Blob.
A zerg is a group of bots that stream endlessly into the enemy typically small and cheap. Its what we typically see new guys do.
A Blob is when your forces are outnumbered 2 to 1, which is quite frequent in perpetuum.
How do I fight a Zerg or Blob? Tactics. By using bait or small scale stuff you can gauge your enemys forces to see if the fight is worth escalating.
How do you escalate? Text the Ictus pilot, just kidding it usually means getting into the same or bigger sized bots then what the field has.
Locking Range and Ewar Range
Be VERY familiar with these two. You need to know what you can lock at (maximum) and you need to know your ewar range as well. You typically in engagements do not want to lock people up till they have seen you, unless your in a Zen MK2 with Long range Demob fit. Why? Simple, you do not want the enemy to see you locking him and he just merely backs out of your range also there is typically a 1.5 second flinch time, or he could be afk mining epi, try to engage in the 60% range of your lock range. This is for small scale pvp.
Ammo types and amounts
Faction Ammo is the Best.
Chemo is Second.
Highest Racial bonus Ammo is Third.
Only bring enough ammo for 2 reloads in all your guns.
Fittings
Head slots: Sensor Amp, Demob, Masker are your typicals
Leg slots: Frame, Repair OR Shield, others are optional evasive or your racial plate hardener, recharger/Aux. accum(low energy skills)
Guns: 5 guns. Your Misc slot could be an energy neut.
Basic PVP Extensions:
Please note, spending your EP should happen in SLOW steps. Meaning just because you have 300K doesn't mean you need to blow your load day 1. Take these skills in small steps, moving extensions to 3 then 5 then 7. Move them all up uniformly.
Electronics:
Accelerated target locking
Data Processing
Demobilization
Jamming electronics
Long distance electronic warfare
Long range targeting
Sensor connection
Sensor suppressing
Signal masking
Targeting (this skill never needs to go over 5)
Engineering:
Accelerated armor repair
Accelerated Reloading
Accumulator expansion
Complex mechanics
Energy Management
Improved armor repair
Improved Shield technology
Mechanics
Reactor expansion
Weapon Usage:
** Please note, factional weapon usage applies to specific races, numiquol pilots focus on Basic and Advanced magnestostatics, theolidical pilots focus on Basic and advanced optics and pelistal pilots focus on basic and advanced ballistics. Numiquol and theodical pilots can also spec into kinematics.
Critical hit
General firing
Improved falloff
Precision firing
Rapid firing
sharpshooting
Target analysis
Robot Control:
Advance Robotics (biggest noticeable skill increase to your mech class and higher % of DPS gain or robot specific roles)
Basic Robotics (biggest noticeable skill increase to your assault class and lower % of DPS gain or robot specific roles)
**do not take over 8, until ALL YOUR SUPPORT SKILLS ARE ATLEAST 5!!!
Combat robot specialist( Low priority)
Electronic warfare ( Low priority)
Hi Tech robot specialist
Factional specific robot control( Numiquol, Thelodica, and Pelistal)
To combat fitting requirements of CPU AND REACTORs, use skills that have Optimized in front of them for CPU and Economical to lower reactor.
So now you got your extensions what should you fit on your robot to actually be able to go out and get kills?
Light Bots:
Castel:
Leg Slots:
1 Lightweight frame
1 small armor repair
Head Slots:
1 Sensor Amplifier
1 Short range demobilizer
1 missile tuning
Weapon Slots:
4 small missile launchers
Prometheus:
Leg Slots:
1 Lightweight frame
1 small armor repair
1 universal armor
Head Slot:
1 Sensor Amplifier
1 Short range demobilizer
Weapon Slots:
4 small light HCL Laser
Yagel
Leg Slots:
1 Lightweight frame
1 small armor repair
1 universal armor
Head Slot:
1 Sensor Amplifier
1 Short range demobilizer
Weapon Slots:
4 small light EM-gun
http://www.perp-kill.net/kill/239407
Dev Zoom: I think its time to confess, Ville is my alt
Dev Zoom: Ville can be sometimes so sane it's scary.