304 replies to this topic

[Lon3Wo1f]

NamesAreStupid, on 05 September 2013 - 03:20 AM, said:

No UI 2.0? No CW? No DX11? What exactly are they launching.

As a long time supporter of the game in various stages to date and having taken a break for various reasons for around 6 months seeing these questions I'm left with an even bigger one. What exactly have they been doing in all this time? As far as I can see from my reading of brief updates here and there the biggest additions to the game are more MC Hero Mechs and a few maps.

When I last played I had an idea that CW would be probably late summer but definitely something to do with CW around before launch and now I'm seeing nothing at all of it will be here at launch. What about UI 2.0? That seemed much further along and that is nowhere to be seen either. I read about the Phoenix project and briefly considered it before discovering things like this which make me think it'd be a huge waste of money. Nothing of any real value has changed in the game. Oh wait I missed the big thing that everyone really, really wanted - 3rd-person view! Nothing says immersion like a 3rd-person PoV.

Yes I know none of this happens in a day and there are bugs to be squashed etc but if you're going for launch you better have something pretty big to offer beyond what is already available or be prepared for a collective "is that it?" from anyone that hasn't already bought into the game. Ignoring (somehow) all of these negatives the biggest "really?" moment for me comes from the fact that this was *not* posted on the game's website but on REDDIT! Reddit may well be one of the most visited sites going but to only post there and not there as well as your own game's website? I'm saddened by all of this because what had such great promise, and still has promise, seems to now be a bungled mess heading off a cliff / to the bottom of the sea / other analogy about an awful situation that has yet to hit the worst point.

[StandingCow]

I would assume that their priority development time is spent on things they can sell, anything else is secondary and takes forever.

[Zanathan]

StandingCow, on 05 September 2013 - 05:42 PM, said:

I would assume that their priority development time is spent on things they can sell, anything else is secondary and takes forever.

But it's a fine line between developing content to gain new players and maintain existing customers which fundamentally drive sales of said items. They obviously make up 2 sides of a coin.

In essence, you can't maintain vapourware for too long before it dissipates.

[Lon3Wo1f]

StandingCow, on 05 September 2013 - 05:42 PM, said:

I would assume that their priority development time is spent on things they can sell, anything else is secondary and takes forever.

Which is all stick and no carrot. If you want people to pay for premium content it has to appeal to them but premium Mechs and custom paint jobs can only keep you going for a while before the players want more of what is the actual game and not just a paint job or different hunk of metal. Ultimately what speaks volumes to me is that the biggest addition at launch will be a "give us more money" store as opposed to even a hint of any CW or UI 2.0 etc.

I went to read the attempts to once again apologise over the laughable mess that is 3rd-person PoV and it astounds me that after so many communication failures they are still making the same basic mistake of not telling the players what they're doing until it's already done. Whatever reason they offer is not important but the fact that they keep making the same mistakes over and over is very alarming and with such a key issue as communication no less. In addition to this I noticed that both "click here to discuss this further" forum topics are now closed with one only being opened for discussion on 22nd August! Speak fast or not at all?

The last thing I have to add regarding 3rd-person PoV is what others have said already. If you want to put it in the game then put it in but when you repeatedly see polls that overwhelmingly say "NO!" to the idea and then put it in anyway you may as well just put a login message saying "SURPRISE! Here's 3rd-person!" If you ask for the thoughts of your players and then go against it AND fail to communicate it at all (if my understanding is correct that's exactly what happened) before pushing it in the game you can't ignore the consequences and outrage. I don't agree with stupid threats and insults but I can understand the astonishment and anger at the total disregard given to the players repeatedly over key issues.

Edited by Lon3Wo1f, 05 September 2013 - 06:12 PM.

[Spruso]

Repost from the other thread:

Quote

Quote

I don't understand the point of this launch. I mean, MWO will be eaten alive by reviewers if they don't launch with AT LEAST UI 2.0. They can do without Direct X11 or CW (they need to give details though) but they can't launch without UI 2.0... come on guys, use your freaking brains.

I have to agree. If they don't introduce UI2.0 or any other significant update from the Beta, it doesn't make any sense to celebrate a "launch".
It that case, the "launch" will consist of removing the "Beta" from the launcher and that's it. As soon as they do that, they will face the full force of customer- and, more importantly, gaming press reviews. No one has to be an oracle or fortune teller to predict the outcome.

I really hope for them and for us players that they have some aces in their sleeves to introduce them as surprise at the "launch".
I'll still play, but bad press is almost a death sentence for a game with nowadays volatile customer loyalty and short attention spans, plus some F2P alternatives around that already scored high in both customer and professional press previews and reviews.

Let's cross fingers.

[Jin Ma]

Wolfways, on 05 September 2013 - 06:49 AM, said:

So...launch is a shop.

Heat sinks are working as intended, and clans will be nerfed senseless. But that's okay. At least i'll have the shop to not spend any money in...

Why is it every time i hear anything from PGI i think "Is it April 1st?"

single heat sinks could use a buff since NOBODY uses them

[BookWyrm]

I defend this game as often as possible and try not to involve myself in much of the forum outcry and anger about missed deadlines and missing features. For instance, 3PV? Not a big issue with me. The one and only thing that I have been hoping they would work on for nearly a year is community warfare. To hear that it will not be included at launch and that we will be playing the same exact thing that I have been for over a year, with a few balance tweaks, added mechs, and maps is rather disappointing. I am one of the whales, I have contributed three digits to this project because I love Battletech. Convince me that I should continue to support your vision and that you share my vision of what this could and should be. For now I can't even defend you any more. September 17 marks the release of open gamma, reviewers will **** on you, pardon my bluntness. Please reconsider, and formulate a new plan, what you currently have to deliver will not fare well in that initial wave.

[Zanathan]

I just listened to the entire podcast just to make sure the information posted here is correct and the OP is spot on.

So at the moment I am at a lost. Like many, I am sure we'll be all slated for our hunger for updates if they only provide some teasers. Anything is better then nothing, I mean just tid bits of information on what is being developed for CW, concept art, etc. It doesn't have to be actual screenshots!

The lack of information does not make much sense from a marketing perspective. I mean it's not like there will be competitors who will be stealing the idea. Confused? Yes I am.

[Kal Mango]

I left to play other games, 2 months ago to come back to No features on the Launch! I feel like I wasted money on hero mechs to get ready for the launch. Oh, there is no real launch! just a party with paper hats and no game elements. more pointless death matches, well back to more interesting Finished! games!

[Slyfox Elite]

I don't post here often, but I'm tired of the lack of communication, the delays and the lies. I'll be playing until launch, then I'll adopt a wait and see approach. All of the enticing "planned" features have been abandoned, and yet for some odd reason, we are still expected to fork out our cash. I could go on about my various issues with the with the devs/publisher, but we've all heard it already...

At this point I've lost count of the knives sticking out of my back, and I bet PGI/IGP have countless more to use on us... Good luck with the game guys, and stay vocal about this. Hopefully I'll have a good reason to come back after launch, but I sincerely doubt there will be one.

[KovarD]

Sidekick, on 05 September 2013 - 07:48 AM, said:

So yeah... my phoenix pack will be ordered for refund this week. My founder´s premium time will self-activate at launch and dribble away. The "bonus" of the PP will not be used as well as the days from the PP itself.

If I cumulate ALL these months of premium time, it will be gone before any worthwile feature is added to the game.

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Non-activated Premium Time will be self activate at launch??????????

Edited by KovarD, 05 September 2013 - 09:10 PM.

[Vyrago]

HeavyRain, on 05 September 2013 - 03:48 PM, said:

[size=4]

Well, why not?
They have proven to themselves that all they have to do is show a drawing from a famous mech and people **** their pants and go "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!"
I am willing to bet 2 ERPPCs and a Jenner-K that they could leave the game in the state that it's in and introduce 4 Clan Mechs for the low, low price of $120 (omg, with FREE mechbays and a Clan Medallion!) and people would throw money at them...again.

This guy /\ has it.

Silly user interfaces and community battles don't pay the bills.

[Sidekick]

With all the past uproars finished, with all the flamewars fought.....I doubt that MWO will see another loud debate.

I think that the launch will be the final nail in MWO´s coffin. There will be no flamewar, no debate, no press/blogging about it.
There might be a few guys on the forums, voicing their frustration and getting shunned by people like Dawnstealer.

Maybe someone skilled picks up the wreck in a year or so, when the flow of income has dried up. Maybe.

[Sidekick]

KovarD, on 05 September 2013 - 09:09 PM, said:

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Non-activated Premium Time will be self activate at launch??????????

As far as I know, the fouders premium time was for beta to launch only. I think it was stated at the last reset, when the open beta hits. To me, this was common knowledge, a fact that I belived in and accepted.

If I´m wrong... well. GREAT!

This means I can keep my premium time, stacking it with my PP (not cancelling it in this case) and let it sit until the game has gotten some core elements I´d like to spend my time on.

[Monsoon]

It seems not many people here actually listened to the podcast before complaining. Allot of really good info and explanations given. Oh, and part 2 is now available.

[Sug]

Dawnstealer, on 05 September 2013 - 12:27 PM, said:

What I'm saying is that the rather vocal few that have been harping on this game as long as I've been active on these forums are...


STILL HERE.

If you threaten to leave and threaten to leave and threaten to leave, and then just keep posting and playing, you're just blowing steam. If you're going to leave, pack your bags and go. I'm tired of reading the constant, petulant whining.

Give it a rest? Or go away?

There's no need to leave. Just stop giving PGI money.

[Sean von Steinike]

Sug, on 05 September 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

[size=4]

There's no need to leave. Just stop giving PGI money.

Yep. I've become a non-paying leech. 3rdpv kinda sucked out my desire to play so I've only played maybe 8-10 matches in the past month.

[Lon3Wo1f]

Monsoon, on 05 September 2013 - 09:16 PM, said:

It seems not many people here actually listened to the podcast before complaining. Allot of really good info and explanations given. Oh, and part 2 is now available.

With all the compelling arguments in your message I'm completely satsified now and all my worries are gone... Instead of glossing over what's been said how about if you think that then share the 'good info and explanations'? I don't need to listen to a podcast to see that almost nothing has changed from before the soft launch when Founders Mechs were released. In all that time the biggest changes that I can see are Hero Mechs, more Hero Mechs and some more Hero Mechs with a few maps and now 12 vs 12. 3rd-person PoV is a big change but a negative one as clearly shown in this thread (posting only a link to the relevant post) 3rd person view

[Funkadelic Mayhem]

As I have said in many posts before and got founder rage.

There is going to be no difference from "open beta" and live. They are the same thing. We have been live for months and months now. The game is F2P now and it will be F2P when they give us the gift of removing "open beta" from the launcher.

CW P1 was suppose to be out by now.
UI2.0 was promised for launch.
CW P2 was promised shortly after launch.
More maps were promised for launch and shortly after.



I have to say I have been peed off about "biggest premade wins" and the MG nurf (sold my fav mech cicada 3C yesterday). Now this. Now im just complacent.

[Boldar]

I still like this game. I love Battletech and here I can play Battletech.
Am I disappointed because of the lack of progress? Of course I am.
But I am patient, I will wait for the things they promised.
I still have fun playing (although I do not have that much time to actually do it).
But PGI has to speed things up.
If there is no progress then the game gets boring/annoying for more and more people. That is the real problem. We have the same game here as in open beta. It is a lot more stable/reliable, although some nice features are gone (collisions/R&R), but is still the same game with some more mechs and maps. That is too little.

PGI should take a heart and tell us the truth about their timeline. And a pessimistic timeline would be best. Then they can ride out the storm the community would raise, but at least they would give us a realistic and honest estimate about MWO. Maybe even surprise us with elements they release faster than expexted (would be a first^^). But they have to earn back the trust of the community, otherwise even the die-hards will die rather sooner than later.

I still have (some) faith that they are able to release a decent Battletech game. I hope I am not dissapointed