Career early game questions

[Zeraphil]

Hello fellow Mechwarriors and Merc Commanders

I recently started a new career with the sole purpose to get the highest score possible before
I play more RPish focused careers, without optimised traveling routes etc.

So after finishing my last contract with some damage and getting an ear full from Yang, asking what I have done to his beauties (can't shake the feeling the guy likes Mechs a bit too much), I now have to decide how to continue.

I posted some screenshot with the state of my company and my position on the Map.

1. How do you decide if you want to stick around or pack up and leave? With all the repair time, the logic decision would be to fly on. But there are some juicy contracts left and i could need another chassis or two.

2. If you continues, how do you decide to stick around or not? I read the guide on career scoring and the thread with the travel routes one guy came up with, but i didn't quite understand how you decide to skip a system and continue flying. There are several 2, 2.5 Skull Planets on my route to Marik (i want to grab the flashpoint). I thought about stopping at the next planet that offers Pirate Contracts to get that Rep up for the Black Market. But that would mean that i probably stuck in unaffiliated space even longer.

3. Regarding routes: Would you hit Canopian Space for Faction Rep / Completion or fly directly to Marik Space for the Flashpoint?

4. I thought about sticking to Marik Space until i'm loathed by Steiner for the Reputation Completion but is that worth the time regarding scoring?

Thanks in advance for the answers

 

[Technophobe]

I would move on. Choose a route along the bottom of the map and loop your way through Canopian space to make your way to the flashpoint. Select a rout that ends farther than you want to go. Then once your mechs are ready check every planet you pass for good contracts until you find one you like or you need to stop and make money. When your near the end of your rout choose a new destination and re rout so you don't have to waist time traveling to and from a planet you didn't want to go.

Every day spent not traveling and just repairing hurts your abbility to get a good score. Also try to upgrade your drive as soon as possible as every day spent in going to and from a planet hurts your score too.

 

[koz-ivan]

a. Disclaimer I don't place much value on the traveling to every planet part of career mode, if that is your thing, I'd recommend checking out posts on how quickly you need to jump through those hoops. If you are really wanting a very high end top score you will most definitely need to put more emphasis on your planetary visits.

b. I'm not sure how confident you are in your ability to complete those contracts, nor how important the Liao rep is to you.

c. not sure how close you are to completing any mechs or if they are equipped / unequipped.

--
If you think you could bang out most of those contacts I'd be mighty tempted to rest for 3 days then start grinding through them. - that being said your mechbay is awkward right now, any new mechs are going to push another mech into scrap or storage (or you just store the new mech)

@ $1.5 million you have decent cash but that will evaporate fast with the various upgrades, ultimately you need paying jobs soon. I could see punting on this planet and putting yourself in a better position to really hit the next planet or two hard.

 

[Corraidhin]

@ $1.5 million you have decent cash but that will evaporate fast with the various upgrades, ultimately you need paying jobs soon. I could see punting on this planet and putting yourself in a better position to really hit the next planet or two hard.

I'd be tempted by this route too. Repair for 3 days, hit the 2 skull mission with care, if you get through with minimal problems then start on the 2.5s. Make the most of the planet you are on if possible, then use travel times to repair once contracts are more depleted.

Also remember that the internal damage hashing isn't necessarily a no-go for using that mech without repair. If it's just been nibbled by 5-10 damage (depending on total available), you can still use it. Just pay more attention to protecting the squishier side.

 

[KDubya]

The key to getting a high score is to pick the right difficulty settings. There is a world of difference between two 1.00 (max) difficulty runs where one has three mech parts and one has eight.