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Here are some ideas on potential ways PGI could go about adding it not only as a Public option (raises awareness of its existence and potentially boost the game) and a private option.
Stock 'Mode as stated by myself and others was very popular in the original MW games. The developers for those games included a server difficulty option simply titled "Stock Mode" - meaning custom 'Mechs were not possible, only base unmodified BT configurations. MW games haven't always been about customizing.
Some ways for them to do this would simply be to provide check box options tied to launching a public game, and upon selecting it and launching in, it could be programmed to auto-convert whatever 'Mech you selected back to Stock config. This type of functionality could be used for private matches as well.
This would be the equivalent of "Historical" like WoT or "Realism" like War Thunder.
In addition to selecting Assault, Conquest, Skirmish, or Any - Stock Mode itself could be an additional "check"
Examples:
[ ] Assault
[ ] Conquest
[ ] Skirmish
[ X ] Any
[ X ] Stock 3025 ? (only early tech 'Mechs covering Early -> 3025 -> 3035, any stock without Tech 2 DHS, CASE, XL's, Gauss, ER's, SSRM, UAC, Endo, and Ferro)
[ X ] Stock 3050 ? (this is the "any" of Stock Mode, meaning "all" Stocks)
Less clutter that way. (This selection meaning "Any Game Mode, but only Stock 3025 or Stock 3050")
Good to go
I.E., Random Game Mode -> Randomly Stock 3025 or Stock 3050
Example of Fail Case
Select Any - > Select Stock 3025, but you happen to have a Stock Mech selected that does not fit this Tech ("Error - Can not launch, this 'Mech is "Tech 2 3049"). Something to that affect, displays Tech/Year.
This may require more backend in the code, unless PGI already has the "year" for a variant in there and would need to readily displayed in the Mech Details of a given variant. The code (I imagine) should already have the base config, seeing as that a normal 'Mech bought is a stock config. Conversion would simply need to point to that.
Or the more cluttered way (Not Advised)
[ ] Assault
[ ] Conquest
[ ] Skirmish
[ X ] Any
[ ] Assault Stock 3025
[ ] Conquest Stock 3025
[ ] Skirmish Stock 3025
[ X ] Any Stock 3025
[ ] Assault Stock 3050
[ ] Conquest Stock 3050
[ ] Skirmish Stock 3050
[ X ] Any Stock 3050
Champion Mechs?
If it were made possible for the above modes to auto-convert a 'Mech back to Stock, upon selecting one of these, the code would simply check the base Variant, check against that configs Tech/Year, and Convert it back to Stock if attempting to use them in a Stock Mode.
That means any of the Free 'Mechs can still be used by new players, no matter what mode they are selecting
Hero Mechs?
"Hero" Mechs would be a more complex issue. Either they are allowed or not, but some of them in the early days of MWO, had more stock-centric inspired builds. Some also have enough hard-points to build actual custom variants from BT.
As some have pointed out before, they could simply add additional "premium" mechs that are exactly based on custom variants for use in Stock Mode. If PGI realizes that stock mode suddenly becomes burgeoning in numbers, they could get more sale potential by doing so.
"Hero" Mechs in their "stock configs" that fit for 3025 Tech 1
Yen-Low-Wang (3027) - actual yen-lo has a hatchet but they weren't able to add it, it also has the same amount of ammo and SHS as the original YLW
"Hero" Mechs in their "stock configs" that fit for 3050 Tech 2
Fang (?) - Close to a stock-like built (same engine as a regular Dragon)
Flame (?) - Close to a stock-like build (same engine as regular Dragon)
Misery (?) - Close to a stock-like build (same engine as regular Stalker)
Ilya-Muromets (?) - Close to stock-like (same engine type as regular Cataphract)
The other ones not so much, which usually have different engines or builds that make them into something entirely different or add DHS where it isn't needed, etc.
Either PGI would need to create templates for them that change them into something more stock-like or disallow most of them, which would be a shame.
Examples of turning Hero Mechs into something from canon:
Boar's Head turned into Danielle's Mech
Examples of automatically turning Hero Mechs into "Stock-Centric" with templates:
Pretty Baby (3025) (based on 8V)
Pretty Baby (3050) (based on 9M)
Missing Custom Variants from BT
If they wanted to monetize stock mode, here are missing custom variants, that could be made 'buyable as uncustomizable 'Mechs specifically for a stock mode, with unit markings or lore-ish paintschemes of these pilots
JR7-K Jenner Grace
HBK-4G Hunchback Shakir
DRG-2Y Dragon Yorioshi
DRG-1G Grand Dragon Douglas
Catapult CPLT-C1 Jenny "Butterbee"
STK-3F Stalker Jagawen
AS7-WGS Atlas Samsonov
AS7-D Atlas Danielle
There are also a host of missing regular variants.
Edited by General Taskeen, 12 June 2014 - 06:56 PM.
, after maxing and upgrades it is mostly twitch (which is not bad, but variety ftw)
