Jump to content

How Can Pgi Make Stock Mechs Profitable?


73 replies to this topic

#1 Alistair Winter

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Storm
  • Storm
  • 10,823 posts
  • LocationBergen, Norway, FRR

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:13 PM

Right now, there's no incentive for PGI to reward people playing stock mechs. Playing stock mechs means you're not paying C-bills for expensive XL engines and DHS + endo upgrades. And they want us to pay a lot of C-bills, because that makes it tempting to buy Premium time.

Here's how I would make stock mechs profitable.
  • Create a stock mech queue, only available for people on Premium time, or make it cost 50 MC for every match. (So if you don't have Premium time, you can still try a Stock Mech match for 50 MC per match. But in the long run, it would be cheaper to just have Premium time)
  • Give everyone 4 trial stock mechs.
  • There are several ways to make sure everyone in the queue has a stock mech. The easiest way is to just let people enter with any mech, any build, and let the game revert it to a stock mech when they enter the match. So whatever you've equipped on your AWS-8Q, it's going to carry 3 PPCs and 1 small laser when you enter a stock match.
  • Enable a stock mech queue with 4 vs 4 mechs. If there's enough interest, make it 8 vs 8. The idea is to reduce wait time, because there will be a lot less people playing.
There's no way in hell I'm ever buying Premium time again. But I would definitely do it if Premium time gave me access to a Stock mech queue. I'm willing to pay for new content, not to reduce the grind.


Any other suggestions?

Edited by Alistair Winter, 02 September 2014 - 02:43 PM.


#2 BarHaid

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Urban Commando
  • Urban Commando
  • 1,069 posts
  • LocationMid-Cascadia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:19 PM

I would be all over this, even if it meant paying a fee. As a deaf-mute (read: no voice coms) I find it difficult to try and group up with people since I'm not on teamspeak, and I can only play one or two games at a time before real life intrudes. What's a Pugger to do? Pay money to hang with the Stock Crowd.

#3 Wolfways

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Mercenary
  • 6,499 posts
  • LocationIn a shutdown overheated mech near you.

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:19 PM

View PostAlistair Winter, on 02 September 2014 - 02:13 PM, said:

Create a stock mech queue, only available for people on Premium time, or make it cost 50 MC for every match.

No.
MWO is free to play. Why should people who actually want a BattleTech game have to pay?

#4 Xarian

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Wrath
  • 997 posts

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:20 PM

- Stock-only queue has been asked for for a long time. I don't think it should be linked to Premium time unless they want to start letting us turn it on/off at will. If it cost MC per match, I wouldn't play at all.

- Giving us trial stocks is unnecessary; your next point is a good idea.

- Auto-setting any mech to a stock variant when they join the match is the best option hands down. Champions and Heroes would have to be reset to non-Champion, non-Hero variants because most of them come heavily optimized (Endosteel, DHS, etc).

- 12v12 would be fine as long as there was enough interest. Just make it into a rolling queue similar to Smite's queues (Hi-Rez game).

#5 Hobo Dan

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Elite Founder
  • Elite Founder
  • 597 posts
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationWest Virginia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:21 PM

I would probably buy Premium time to join stock matches. If they wanted to work it into the current format, just make Stock a private match option that only those with active Premium time can set up, but anyone can join. Then give us a server list...

I would absolutely buy Premium time to join stock matches in a CN9-AH...

Edited by Hobo Dan, 02 September 2014 - 02:22 PM.


#6 Alistair Winter

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Storm
  • Storm
  • 10,823 posts
  • LocationBergen, Norway, FRR

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:36 PM

View PostWolfways, on 02 September 2014 - 02:19 PM, said:

No.
MWO is free to play. Why should people who actually want a BattleTech game have to pay?

Because stock mech mode, as the game works right now, would be bad for PGI. If it was fun, as I suspect it would be, a lot of players would just switch to Stock Mech mode. And they wouldn't be interested in buying Premium time to afford XL engines, DHS, Endo or Artemis. Certainly not Hero mechs, because Hero mechs wouldn't be allowed in Stock Mech mode.

So why would PGI implement a separate queue that potentially increases wait time for the normal queue (by taking away a significant chunk of the player population) and makes people less willing to buy premium time and hero mechs?

Asking why we have to pay is kind of like saying "Why should I have to pay for hot fudge on my ice cream sundae, when I already bought the ice cream?" Because if there's no incentive to give the customer fudge, the ice cream vendor won't give you any fudge.

#7 Bishop Steiner

    ForumWarrior

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The Hammer
  • The Hammer
  • 47,187 posts
  • Locationclimbing Mt Tryhard, one smoldering Meta-Mech corpse at a time

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:39 PM

View PostWolfways, on 02 September 2014 - 02:19 PM, said:

No.
MWO is free to play. Why should people who actually want a BattleTech game have to pay?

They don't. The game is free 2 play. But PGI has no incentive to actually make a Stock Mech queue. Just accept it. We don't live in some ideological paradise. We live in capitalist reality.

#8 Sandpit

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Veteran Founder
  • Veteran Founder
  • 17,419 posts
  • Facebook: Link
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationArkansas

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM

View PostAlistair Winter, on 02 September 2014 - 02:36 PM, said:

Because stock mech mode, as the game works right now, would be bad for PGI. If it was fun, as I suspect it would be, a lot of players would just switch to Stock Mech mode. And they wouldn't be interested in buying Premium time to afford XL engines, DHS, Endo or Artemis. Certainly not Hero mechs, because Hero mechs wouldn't be allowed in Stock Mech mode.

So why would PGI implement a separate queue that potentially increases wait time for the normal queue (by taking away a significant chunk of the player population) and makes people less willing to buy premium time and hero mechs?

Asking why we have to pay is kind of like saying "Why should I have to pay for hot fudge on my ice cream sundae, when I already bought the ice cream?" Because if there's no incentive to give the customer fudge, the ice cream vendor won't give you any fudge.

You're completely discounting the number of people in the min/max, easy mode, etc. crowds. There's no way in hell they'd play stock on a regular basis. It would be a novelty to them and they definitely wouldn't pay for it.

I'd like it but separating the queues isn't the answer. Personally I've always felt that CW should be the "stock" queue with hero mechs being the only deviations from that.

But

I'd also include a "make your own hero mech" feature which would allow players to create (for a fee) their very own "hero" mech. One mech out of their hangar can be designated as their "signature" mech. Only one, not transferable, etc.

I just don't see it happening with a separate queue. The player population barely seems large enough to support the separate queues we have now.

#9 Bilbo

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The Nimble
  • The Nimble
  • 7,864 posts
  • LocationSaline, Michigan

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM

I thought there were stock mech nights already happening on a regular basis utilizing private matches.

#10 Alistair Winter

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Storm
  • Storm
  • 10,823 posts
  • LocationBergen, Norway, FRR

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:45 PM

View PostXarian, on 02 September 2014 - 02:20 PM, said:

- Stock-only queue has been asked for for a long time. I don't think it should be linked to Premium time unless they want to start letting us turn it on/off at will. If it cost MC per match, I wouldn't play at all.

I wasn't suggesting that you would have to pay MC per match as the only option. But it would be an alternative for the people who don't want to commit to 1 month premium time before they'd at least tried a few Stock Mech matches. If you could try it out for 50 MC per match, then you could play 4-5 matches before making your mind up about the Premium time.

A lot of players who haven't followed the Mechwarrior games since the 1990's would probably not be interested in a Stock Mech mode untill they'd tried it themselves. They're not getting any nostalgia from running around in terrible mechs that overheat 10 times as often as their normal builds.

#11 Sandpit

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Veteran Founder
  • Veteran Founder
  • 17,419 posts
  • Facebook: Link
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationArkansas

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:51 PM

View PostAlistair Winter, on 02 September 2014 - 02:45 PM, said:

I wasn't suggesting that you would have to pay MC per match as the only option. But it would be an alternative for the people who don't want to commit to 1 month premium time before they'd at least tried a few Stock Mech matches. If you could try it out for 50 MC per match, then you could play 4-5 matches before making your mind up about the Premium time.

A lot of players who haven't followed the Mechwarrior games since the 1990's would probably not be interested in a Stock Mech mode untill they'd tried it themselves. They're not getting any nostalgia from running around in terrible mechs that overheat 10 times as often as their normal builds.

here's the thing though, and the reason many like stock mechs.

They aren't "crappy" builds when they aren't facing off against nothing but optimized and min/max builds. The overheating issue actually increases TTK and makes matches more tactical BECAUSE you have to deal with heat on a more regular basis. It also increases TTK because you don't have 6 mechs runnign around on the other team that are slinging around 50 FLD PPD alphas.

#12 Alistair Winter

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Storm
  • Storm
  • 10,823 posts
  • LocationBergen, Norway, FRR

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:53 PM

View PostBilbo, on 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

I thought there were stock mech nights already happening on a regular basis utilizing private matches.

Yes. For a tiny portion of the players. Mostly people who are active on this forum, and it's also restricted by the fact that it happens at a certain period, which makes it difficult to join if you're on the opposite side of the world and currently at work / sleeping.

View PostSandpit, on 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

You're completely discounting the number of people in the min/max, easy mode, etc. crowds. There's no way in hell they'd play stock on a regular basis. It would be a novelty to them and they definitely wouldn't pay for it.

I'm not sure what you mean by saying that I'm discounting them. Are you saying stock mech mode would be far less popular than the normal game? If so, I agree. Hence the 4 vs 4 suggestion.

View PostSandpit, on 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

I'd like it but separating the queues isn't the answer. Personally I've always felt that CW should be the "stock" queue with hero mechs being the only deviations from that.

Yep, I agree. And if I could get things my way, stock mechs would go in CW and the current customized mechs would go in some sort of Solaris mode.

But I think it's extremely unlikely that PGI will limit CW to stock mechs. And this thread is more about realistic ways of accomplishing public stock mech matches.

View PostSandpit, on 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

I just don't see it happening with a separate queue. The player population barely seems large enough to support the separate queues we have now.

It's a Catch 22 kind of situation. You need a big player population to have separate queues. But if you force everyone into the same queue, you will never have a big player population.

In other words, this would bring new content that would keep the game fresh and interesting to a number of players who are bored with the current meta. People who are bored of the game would stick around a bit longer, potentially. Especially the old TT fanatics who don't really identify with what this game has currently become. Granted, a stock mech mode would still suffer from bad game modes (assault, skirmish and conquest), but one problem at a time.

#13 A banana in the tailpipe

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The 1 Percent
  • 2,696 posts
  • Locationbehind your mech

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:57 PM

Playing a stock mech and grinding up xp means you're dead weight to the team, bringing everyone else down in the process. It's absolutely deplorable PGI hasn't come up with a solution for players needing to grind up fresh mechs but because the queue population is so low, I'm not very surprised.

#14 TLBFestus

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The 1 Percent
  • The 1 Percent
  • 3,519 posts

Posted 02 September 2014 - 02:58 PM

I've said this before, but here we go again;

Why not provide a STOCK loadout for a player IF they have purchased and mastered/elited any 3 or more variants of a mech chasis?

They still have the c-bill sink to contend with, so it doesn't hurt PGIs bottom line, and it saves us the hassle of retooling mechs to stock.

Naturally something like this would be an incentive to have premium time as well.

#15 Sandpit

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Veteran Founder
  • Veteran Founder
  • 17,419 posts
  • Facebook: Link
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationArkansas

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:06 PM

View PostAlistair Winter, on 02 September 2014 - 02:53 PM, said:

Yes. For a tiny portion of the players. Mostly people who are active on this forum, and it's also restricted by the fact that it happens at a certain period, which makes it difficult to join if you're on the opposite side of the world and currently at work / sleeping.


I'm not sure what you mean by saying that I'm discounting them. Are you saying stock mech mode would be far less popular than the normal game? If so, I agree. Hence the 4 vs 4 suggestion.

[size=4]
Yep, I agree. And if I could get things my way, stock mechs would go in CW and the current customized mechs would go in some sort of Solaris mode.

But I think it's extremely unlikely that PGI will limit CW to stock mechs. And this thread is more about realistic ways of accomplishing public stock mech matches.

[size=4]
It's a Catch 22 kind of situation. You need a big player population to have separate queues. But if you force everyone into the same queue, you will never have a big player population.

In other words, this would bring new content that would keep the game fresh and interesting to a number of players who are bored with the current meta. People who are bored of the game would stick around a bit longer, potentially. Especially the old TT fanatics who don't really identify with what this game has currently become. Granted, a stock mech mode would still suffer from bad game modes (assault, skirmish and conquest), but one problem at a time.

I agree but the problem is everyone is "soiled" with mech customization being so easy and relatively "cheap" after you've been playing for a while. Most players that have been playing for 3+ months have enough equipment stockpiled that customizing mechs after that becomes very easy. That was the biggest problem many of us cited for not having any kind of R&R. Other than buying new stuff, there's absolutely nowhere for money to go. That means once a player hits their personal "plateau" they no longer have anything to spend money on.

#16 CycKath

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Legendary Founder
  • Legendary Founder
  • 2,574 posts
  • Google+: Link
  • LocationSE QLD, Australia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:07 PM

View PostBilbo, on 02 September 2014 - 02:40 PM, said:

I thought there were stock mech nights already happening on a regular basis utilizing private matches.


Yes, which works if you are available in the timeslots, but having a codified option increases the ability to have this at any time and also people are asking for options like the OP suggests to have system enforced stock rather than gentleman's agreement.

#17 Sandpit

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Veteran Founder
  • Veteran Founder
  • 17,419 posts
  • Facebook: Link
  • Twitter: Link
  • LocationArkansas

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:25 PM

Private matches are still the best and most viable option. Private matches won't earn rewards though.

#18 LauLiao

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,591 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:30 PM

View PostAlistair Winter, on 02 September 2014 - 02:13 PM, said:

  • Create a stock mech queue, only available for people on Premium time, or make it cost 50 MC for every match. (So if you don't have Premium time, you can still try a Stock Mech match for 50 MC per match. But in the long run, it would be cheaper to just have Premium time)


Why in the world would I want to pay to play with a gimped mech?

#19 Alistair Winter

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Storm
  • Storm
  • 10,823 posts
  • LocationBergen, Norway, FRR

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:43 PM

View PostSandpit, on 02 September 2014 - 03:25 PM, said:

Private matches are still the best and most viable option. Private matches won't earn rewards though.

I'm more optimistic than that :) I really think stock mech matches could be both profitable for PGI and enjoyable even for today's generation of gamers :)

View PostLauLiao, on 02 September 2014 - 03:30 PM, said:

Why in the world would I want to pay to play with a gimped mech?

Notsureifserious.gif

But the answer is: because stock mechs are harder to play. They do less damage, they carry less ammo, they overheat, they have less armor and they are slower. Right now, stock mechs are not fun to play. But if all your opponents have stock mechs, then the game changes completely. You can't just hug enemy mechs and alphastrike until they fall down. Fighting becomes a lot more tactical, drawn out, slow and methodical. It's the same reason why CounterStrike is fun, even though you can't get shot nearly as many times as in Quake Arena, and you can't jump as high :)

#20 HammerMaster

    Member

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • The Benefactor
  • The Benefactor
  • 2,516 posts
  • LocationNew Hampshire, USA

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:51 PM

PGI's current system of Customization is overdone. Costs nowhere near what it would by ALL accounts of rule books. Causes META. Stock Mechs' should have been what was used from the start. Should BE community warfare. Us TT heads would play it. Not on a lark but because THAT is BattletechTM. You want customization. YOU PAY. Stock mode should NOT be the PAY line. Meta SHOULD be.

Edited by HammerMaster, 02 September 2014 - 03:55 PM.






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users