by darksabrz » Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:40 pm
I'll try to help, though I confess things likely have changed since I went through and first started playing Heavy metal War. That said:
1) Yes, it resets the alternate form, so be sure to choose your new altmode first -- otherwise, the game will think you're a filthy Nucleon-guzzling Action Master who was dropped on their transformation cog upon stepping off the assembly line.
2) Also yes, IMO. Mostly because once you have your first 6 characters, you should be getting a decent enough supply of energon to stockpile for when you do start boosting Firepower and Skill for weapon selection. Ideally, I'd say go straight to a full 12-man team as quickly as you can, because then you can run one six-mech group in missions or arena (missions is where the XP is at, though), and while they're in CR, you can run the other six-mech group. That should keep your energon gains in good shape throughout from level 0-2, I'd say. Weapons might be a thing, but I wouldn't invest past Firepower 2 or Skill 2 (Skill would be better, especially if you're going with boosting Strength).
3) CR costs... I don't think are much of an issue at level 0 or 1 (my mind is fuzzy here, because it's been nearly a decade since I first started playing, and I played for about two years before taking several years off, popping back in a couple of years ago and tinkering a wee bit... and now I'm back again), so I wouldn't worry too much about that. By the time you hit level 2 or so, you should have enough energon stockpiled that you can still make energon gains in spite of the CR chamber costs.