75 replies to this topic

[Peiper]

Forgive me if this is the incorrect forum topic, but as NGNG is has a broad audience and outlet for information, I would consider this, and what Bryan has to say as 'MWO in the News.'

Disclaimer: these are the notes I've taken from the Bryan Eckman trilogy part 1. These are just the things that I wrote down, and may not be perfectly accurate, but hopefully you'll be able to get the information you're looking for. If not, listen! Please don't condemn me if I mess up a little. I'm not a professional note-taker! Don't ask me about details. LISTEN to the interview if something is unclear.

https://soundcloud.c...the-bryan-ekman

Bryan Eckman Trilogy (interview pt. 1) notes
No Guts No Galaxy Podcast

UI 2.0's primary feature is a really fancy store.
ETA to test servers is early october.
release end of october, early november

Lobbies:
What is the lobby?

A place to go to AFTER matchmaking but before you drop.
You will be able to vote on what map to use and chat with opponents.
Also includes what they used to call dropship game mode.
You bring in 4 mechs into the matchmaker. When you find out the map, you can pick 1 of those four to drop with.
This eliminates the '****, I brought my brawler to alpine peaks' scenario.

With UI 2.0 there will be a big chat system built into it (somewhere down the road).
Eventually you'll be able to look at other player's stats through UI 2.0.

Talking about API, some sort of system like what EVE has. Something to do with statistics and viewing them.
Something to do with customizing mechs on the phone (Eve Fit Tool/EFT)
This is for mech-lab addicts, so you can build mechs on your phone and stuff.

Community warfare note: you start with two dropship bay slots and earn up to two more for your dropship to choose from.
Nothing will come for CW for launch. Describes it as a pyramid.
UI 2.0 is a STEP toward community warfare, so he can't talk about CW until it is done.
He throws out a bunch of undefined terms for the steps in CW.
Economic/ecoscape. (what?)
Players will have 'levels'
Work they're doing will be augmented by the community.
First step is the ability to create a merc corps, and join it. Including rank creation.
Being able to join a house (nothing about creating ranks, just associating WITH a house).

Dx11 is full of bugs and crashes right now.
Public tests should return in September. 2-3 big tests in Sept.

They are not going to give out number of players, or what mech types are being used. Business secrets/misinterpretation.
currently 10's upon 10's of thousands of players each day. 100's of thousands a month.
Their numbers have been 'cranking' all summer, and all numbers consistantly increasing all summer.
More than 50% of founding members still play at least monthly. And the majority are still investing in the game.
Catapult most popular mech sold overall.
Cataphract most popular inventory, Ilya one of the most popular heroes sold.

Metallic paints: they are skins, rather than colors, so they'd be a pattern. Golden Boy has that type of skin as an example.
You'd have to by the skin, then use whatever colors you want.

Free cam spectator mode: It exists for devs currently.
They want to make it available for teams making videos, and change fidelity of stuff.
Also, possibly allow for spectators to WATCH other players play. Like watching a RHOD match while it's happening.
Twitch intigration is complete, awaiting UI 2.0.

Single Heat Sink problems: working as intended. Next heat pass will come with Clan Tech.
Says double heat sinks were a mistake (according to Jordan Weisman), so they will try to fix that mistake.
Going to create clan tech by the INTENTIONS of what clan tech was about, rather than a mirror of the CBT builds.

Going up hills based on weight/size/scale issues?
Class-weight scale for movement. Not based on LOOK of the mech, based on weight/class.

Mech scaling issues? In lore, some medium mechs are taller than some assault mechs as described.
They will address issues that go away from the intent, but they go to the lore for sizes, rather than using a scale mode: (like 40 tons are so tall, and 80 tons are so wide)

AWESOME vs. ghost heat/PPC's? No specific plans. Planning on doing a complete mech pass soon (looking at each mech to see if they are balanced.)

All old mechs will eventually have variable weapon visuals. (a gauss looks different from an AC20 in a hunchback)

Will they ever change the physical shape of a mech? Only in extreme circumstances. They can use telemitry to see if a mech dies too much, and how/where in a game. Compare with community feedback to see if there is a major problem with a mech.

Will crouching be allowed? Yes, in their backlog.

Achievements? Lance or individual achievements? In progress, will come online with UI 2.0 right around it's launch.
It's a big system, required for community warfare because it tracks stuff. Also includes level system.
So, might need to be level 5 to join a faction, 10 to join a merc corp, at level 50 unlock another mechbay for dropship mode.
Some achievements might include stuff like 5 kills in 5 minutes. Some may be comic in nature like 'kill a dev.'

Part II and III preview, gonna be broadcast tomorrow and Saturday:

Info on the clans.
collisions
3rd person
maps/game modes
weapon systems
community events.

Part II notes and links can be found here: http://mwomercs.com/...y-part-2-notes/

Part III notes and links can be found here: http://mwomercs.com/...y-part-3-notes/

Edited by Peiper, 07 September 2013 - 03:18 AM.

[Mister Blastman]

ty sir

[Strayed]

Nah think this is worth staying here, better written than that Reddit post.

[Zyllos]

I need to get on more...

Good summary of the information.

Thanks, Piper.

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

Much appreciated.

[Cycleboy]

"Says double heat sinks were a mistake (according to Jordan Weisman), so they will try to fix that mistake.
Going to create clan tech by the INTENTIONS of what clan tech was about, rather than a mirror of the CBT builds."

This... concerns me. If they kill DHS, I suppose that would make matches last longer. But you'd be running around each other for minutes at a time waiting for heat to drop to get off a 3xML salvo.

Also, exactly WHO are you getting the true intentions of Clan tech from????

Edited by Cycleboy, 05 September 2013 - 02:18 PM.

[Kensaisama]

Problem is most of that stuff should be in the game now. After a year of open beta this game should be a lot farther along feature wise than it currently is. I don't think I will be staying if this kind of scrap continues, it doesn't speak highly of the product or the company behind it.

[Cerebelli]

If every important feature is being released in late 2013/ early 2014, then what exactly is the point of Launch?

[Deux]

Yes launch sept 17, no ui2.0....no CW till 2.0....no achievement system till after 2.0....so ummm what are they launching on the 17th?

[Roadbeer]

Deux, on 05 September 2013 - 02:26 PM, said:

Yes launch sept 17, no ui2.0....no CW till 2.0....no achievement system till after 2.0....so ummm what are they launching on the 17th?

A new graphic that doesn't have the word BETA in it.

HOORAY!

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

Deux, on 05 September 2013 - 02:26 PM, said:

Yes launch sept 17, no ui2.0....no CW till 2.0....no achievement system till after 2.0....so ummm what are they launching on the 17th?

My thoughts exactly.

[Deux]

I think it will suck for all those invited to the launch party, that are paying for travel and accommodations, only to go to a launch party where there is no launch, and just pgi telling them hey look what's coming down the pipe in x-many months. Might be cheaper to stay home and read it.

[S3dition]

100% looking forward to any API release

[Zolaz]

They are launching the removal of the Beta sticker from their game.

[C E Dwyer]

Thanks for setting up this thread

so nothing until end of oct, start of nov, so either we're getting alittle or what should allready be here, after the cut off point for phoenix cancelations or, we're being blind sided again so that more people don't ask for refunds, and there is in fact nothing.

As sirino jones said in 'The Trouble with Tribbles' "Twice nothing is still nothing"

[Bashars]

"More than 50% of founding members still play at least monthly"

Guess that's me? I drop 4-5 times after the patches and then remember why I don't play anymore

[Corvus Antaka]

exciting stuff. Thanks for posting this.

[That Guy]

its good info, but i am worried about two things:

first, the prelaunch lobby. they way Bryan explained it sounds TERRIBLE. for pug games only? being able to choose mechs AFTER a map has been chosen?

Unless i majorly misunderstood him, all it will do is remove mech veriety from matchs and add in a few extra minuets into every match where you do nothing but sit around waiting for people to vote on a map, ***** about it, waiting for people to choose a mech, ***** about it and then wait around in the "planning phase" which in most pub games will just be idle chatting and "GOGOGOGOGOGOGO" speak.
see this sounds like exactly what the 12v12 competitive guys wanted, but it adds nothing to pub matches, and it will only serve to slow down and dumbify the game-play. depending on how this plays out, i may just quit MWO over this "feature".

and the part that I believe i have misinterpreted or misheard, where bryan says this lobby is ONLY FOR PUB MATCHS

secondly: HEATSINKS
my worst fears have been confirmed. PGI knowingly and willing are screwing newplayers and game balance. I have been railing since DHS were implemented to properly balance them so that SHS still had a role in the game, beyond being throw away newbie trap tech. in a competitive, skill based multiplayer game, it is not acceptable to intentionally handycap someone like that. this is not some stat based MMO like (most MMOs) or world of tanks

but no. its intentional.

to all of you SAVEMWO# types, THIS is the stuff you should be getting upset about. not 3pv (that does nothing), not QQ about heat penalties, not QQ about features that you want right now that PQI is already going to deliever anyway, no.
you should be complaining about a fundamentally, broken, unfair and mind numbingly dumb design design to intentionally **** new players in an already difficult and complex game

i mean, am I out of my mind? is it WRONG to want the equipment and upgrades to be balacned? for actual choices?





but regardless of my level of rage at these 2 things, it was a good interview with lots of good honest info, and i am really looking forward to next installments

Edited by That Guy, 05 September 2013 - 03:08 PM.

[Takony]

Peiper, on 05 September 2013 - 01:50 PM, said:

Mech scaling issues? In lore, some medium mechs are taller than some assault mechs as described.
They will address issues that go away from the intent, but they go to the lore for sizes, rather than using a scale mode: (like 40 tons are so tall, and 80 tons are so wide)

Because LORE protects your assault mech sized Trebuchet from ... ?
Because LORE makes a Catapult sized Stalker easier to hit by ... ?

Instead off looking at "data", look at the mechs ... and sometimes play the game or if you can't stand that, PGI, at least pay _some_ attention to the people who do.

Lore my arse for ingame balance ...

[Roadbeer]

Roadbeer, on 05 September 2013 - 11:38 AM, said:

For those of us who remember when this was a thing...



That's seems to be what we can expect.

For those of you who aren't old enough... here is some pop culture education for ya...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_coke
IGP/PGI, y'all might want to give that a read as well.... just sayin.