115 replies to this topic

[Gyrok]

I am not sure anything in MWO makes me happy anymore. Sadly, I may be taking a break from this game for the first time in roughly 3 years...

I loved seeing the mechs, and playing the game...but I have hit a point where this game is starting to slide so far from what I envision a MW game to be, and into a generic arena shooter with BattleTech IP for the avatars...

I have been struggling with a lack of passion for MWO for about ~2-3 weeks now...and it really bothers me that I have to try to find something to like in a BT franchise game. I should not have to try so hard to find something I like from the universe I have enjoyed for so long.



This is not a threat post, or an I quit post, or a rage post...this is a thread to open discussion about what we were all looking for in a MW title.



What were my expectations?



1.) The mechs we have are gorgeous...may be the single saving grace for me in this game.



2.) The fundamental game play is good in terms of the feel of the weapons and chassis.



3.) Balance - honestly, balance was the best it has been to this point right around the Tukayyid event up until the most recent adjustments.



4.) Progression - aside from way outdated pilot trees that superfluously require 3 mechs to advance and the pilot tree/module system...there really is no progression. Sadly, what is considered progression here is not really progression at all in my mind.



5.) Depth of gameplay - Same few modes, mostly the same maps (though that has improved somewhat lately, and maps are supposed to be revisited).



What are the thoughts of this community here? What do you see as positive/negative here?

[Juodas Varnas]

Eh, it's ok.

[nehebkau]

I feel exactly the same way -- the past 2~3 weeks have been joyless with this game -- I really don't want to log in.

4 & 5 are very true -- the progression is not engaging and game-play depth is kiddie pool deep. I would add:

6.) Perception of cheating and apparent lack of progress reducing it. Always having to ask myself if that head-shot or the 7 ac5 shots to my RT were skill or aimbot -- isn't fun. Having to run FRAPs for every game -- just in case -- makes it worse.

7.) Poor communication from PGI -- having to check twitter, reddit, facebook because the PGI website is the last place information gets posted.

8.) Lack of reasonable roles for Merc vs. Loyalist units.


There is great potential -- but I think that PGI lacks someone of vision to push the game forward -- creatively (Meaning a great creative mind who can take this to the next level). I love BT lore, but it has become this holy grail of what MWO should be -- even when TT game-play or lore is incompatible with an online RT game.

Think how Casey Hudson and drew Karpyshyn and the rest of the bioware team created new star wars lore for KOTR and led the creation of the mass effect lore. PGI needs a dreamer(s) to push this out of the boxed-set.

Edited by nehebkau, 19 May 2015 - 10:48 AM.

[Joseph Mallan]

I was looking to fight in the Clan invasion, trying to repel the Clans from the Inner Sphere. With all the OP trimming that the Clans could bring against me!

What I have so far is, Weekend at My house BattleTech.

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 19 May 2015 - 10:51 AM.

[Ghillie Dhu]

I'm a very casual player . . . pop in blast away for 3-6 games ... go out . . . go to work .... suites me fine .... I can see how it could become very repetitive if this is your main form of entertainment .... Just get a girl friend / boy friend and some kids ... game fixed ... life fixed !

[Gas Guzzler]

1-2, I like

3) Balance is constantly changing, I tend not to let it spoil the game for me. Highlanders were my favorite mech in BT and got nerfed to hell. I am just now starting to find my grove in them again, partly due to the latest quirk pass and then 732B.

I understand you are likely very put out by the latest Timber Wolf and Stormcrow adjustments, and I understand that. The duration and cooldown quirks were very heavy handed, and I think they should have been significantly less. I am still going to work with it though, I am actually looking forward to trying out the Timber and seeing what it can still do tonight.

4) I would like to see more progression as well, but I don't know how to accomplish this. The loyalty point thing is cool.. wish there was more of that in the game.

5) Yeah, could always use more maps and game modes.

[Joseph Mallan]

Ghillie Dhu, on 19 May 2015 - 10:53 AM, said:

I'm a very casual player . . . pop in blast away for 3-6 games ... go out . . . go to work .... suites me fine .... I can see how it could become very repetitive if this is your main form of entertainment .... Just get a girl friend / boy friend and some kids ... game fixed ... life fixed !

Really depends on the wife and kids.

My first wife

My second Wife and two kids

[Ghillie Dhu]

Lol @ Joseph ....
Sorry I was being flippant . . .
I just think people expect to much out of what is in essence a game ... "something to pass some spare time"

[CDLord HHGD]

For #3, if you are referring to the quirk adjustments coming today, I'd say let's play them in the community before you pass judgement. It's the quirk cycle though, over quirk/nerf, test, adjusts, test, etc... I don't think we'll ever see an end to it.

I'd LOVE to see more modes and more development of the open queue, but I also understand the emphasis on the CW queue. Are there things I would have done differently? Sure. There isn't anyone around that can't say that, and maybe even a few devs too, had they to do it all over again.

All maps should be ubiquitous in purpose between CW and PUG queues.
King of the Hill and a more in-depth resource capture mode would be nice too.
The algorithm should be able to handle tonnage and numbers based matching (10v12 for CvIS).
I too think the mechs look great, the best of any game IMO (including the TROs).
I think more emphasis could be placed on the pilot "character" with some in-world open lobbies to wander around (outside of a mech)
I think a HUGE opportunity was missed with the Transverse debacle in regards to the Battletech aero/space theme.

None of these though will keep me from playing. More than just the game, I have found enjoyment in my interaction with my unit. Taking on RP responsibilities there as well as the new friends I have made across the globe.

EDIT: MERCHANDISING!!!! I WOULD PAY FOR MWO MINIS!

Edited by cdlord, 19 May 2015 - 11:02 AM.

[Gyrok]

cdlord, on 19 May 2015 - 11:01 AM, said:

For #3, if you are referring to the quirk adjustments coming today, I'd say let's play them in the community before you pass judgement. It's the quirk cycle though, over quirk/nerf, test, adjusts, test, etc... I don't think we'll ever see an end to it.

I'd LOVE to see more modes and more development of the open queue, but I also understand the emphasis on the CW queue. Are there things I would have done differently? Sure. There isn't anyone around that can't say that, and maybe even a few devs too, had they to do it all over again.

All maps should be ubiquitous in purpose between CW and PUG queues.
King of the Hill and a more in-depth resource capture mode would be nice too.
The algorithm should be able to handle tonnage and numbers based matching (10v12 for CvIS).
I too think the mechs look great, the best of any game IMO (including the TROs).
I think more emphasis could be placed on the pilot "character" with some in-world open lobbies to wander around (outside of a mech)
I think a HUGE opportunity was missed with the Transverse debacle in regards to the Battletech aero/space theme.

None of these though will keep me from playing. More than just the game, I have found enjoyment in my interaction with my unit. Taking on RP responsibilities there as well as the new friends I have made across the globe.

EDIT: MERCHANDISING!!!! I WOULD PAY FOR MWO MINIS!

While the quirks coming bother me, especially considering they are unproductive and heavy handed...this has been going on since before those were even announced...I just have trouble finding enjoyment anymore.

Never thought I would say that about a MW title...honestly.

[DaZur]

My son bought me a StarCitizen starter pack for my birthday last Friday.

I thought it would be a sweet diversion and break from MW:O (Not that I felt I needed one mind you)... and after a weekend+ getting to learn the game, I find myself right back in the BT universe.

Admittedly SC is pretty cool...

[AlphaToaster]

Robot Battle Arena Wars, is what we have now. It'll be MW/BattleTech when they add in the rest of the game.

Some immersion like AI, more active bases (AI around the base doing stuff), single player and small group missions, logistics,the ability to interact more with the faction map using Unit coffers, or rather using unit coffers at all, and other misc things people have suggested over the years. What I would consider the rest of the game.

What we have so far is the multi-player sandbox that is proof of concept for the game engine/design, similar to what you would get with a beta version of a game, before the meat and potatoes is added. It's still waiting for the actual game to be laid down on top of the framework we have to bring purpose and context to the battles.

[Sir Wulfrick]

AlphaToaster, on 19 May 2015 - 12:55 PM, said:

Robot Battle Arena Wars, is what we have now. It'll be MW/BattleTech when they add in the rest of the game.

Some immersion like AI, more active bases (AI around the base doing stuff), single player and small group missions, logistics,the ability to interact more with the faction map using Unit coffers, or rather using unit coffers at all, and other misc things people have suggested over the years. What I would consider the rest of the game.

What we have so far is the multi-player sandbox that is proof of concept for the game engine/design, similar to what you would get with a beta version of a game, before the meat and potatoes is added. It's still waiting for the actual game to be laid down on top of the framework we have to bring purpose and context to the battles.

This is pretty much precisely what I was going to post. I want the WAR put back in to Mechwarrior. I want to take part in huge, sweeping strategic campaigns with lengthy missions that have multiple objectives; strategy from the macro scale down to battlefield tactics. I want maps that are so huge that scouting and reconnaissance become necessary and useful. I want actual mercenary companies that can purchase stuff with their unit credits, I want (wanted) an actual vast battle of Tukayyid played out on the diverse terrain of an entire planet.

I want to feel that I'm a very small part in a very large strategic war machine.

What we have feels like constant Solaris matches. Nothing at all wrong with that, but the Solaris matches should be a diversion (an interesting and enjoyable one nevertheless) from the main thrust of the game.

I also find it inexcusable that the official game forum is constantly the last place at which news releases and important announcements are made. I've heard the counter-argument that making forum posts consumes too much resources and frankly that is a piss-poor excuse. Complete ********.

I wanted, and to a degree still hope, to see a Battletech war simulator in which I pilot mechs, rather than COD-with-robots.

[Alex Morgaine]

When in doubt, take a break, the game will be here 6 months from now, barring something stupid that would probably kill most of the population of the game anyway...

I had a year break then came back and had fun again, though lack of free time is eating me again...

[MechaBattler]

Man. I've taken a break from the game more times than I can remember. Through it's various states. It's just the nature of the game's development.

[Madcap72]

I'm glad I took a break when it was hard to play, limited, everything sucked and the publisher handcuffed development. (But it was pretty so people think it was the good old days).


Now that the game is better, has more mechs and more to do, more people per match to fight, and has gotten a lot of growing pains sorted out it's a great time to be playing.

[Gyrok]

Madcap72, on 19 May 2015 - 06:28 PM, said:

I'm glad I took a break when it was hard to play, limited, everything sucked and the publisher handcuffed development. (But it was pretty so people think it was the good old days).


Now that the game is better, has more mechs and more to do, more people per match to fight, and has gotten a lot of growing pains sorted out it's a great time to be playing.

It was honestly a great time about 3 months ago

[Xetelian]

When you play for 3 years and then realize its only an arena shooter I can't feel bad for you.

[Nick86]

Joseph Mallan, on 19 May 2015 - 10:49 AM, said:

I was looking to fight in the Clan invasion, trying to repel the Clans from the Inner Sphere. With all the OP trimming that the Clans could bring against me!

What I have so far is, Weekend at My house BattleTech.

This is a fantastic point. Regardless of the clan/IS balance drama and rage, I feel like the fun in MWO has been lost in all the BS, incompetence and confusion.

I the only time CW has felt anything like I had originally hoped MWO would, was Tukkayid.
I can honestly say I'm only still playing because I have 254 days of premium time still active. Once that is over I may be taking a break for literally years.

[Gyrok]

Xetelian, on 20 May 2015 - 10:03 AM, said:

When you play for 3 years and then realize its only an arena shooter I can't feel bad for you.

I have known it was an arena shooter for 3 years.

Problem is...I honestly believed/hoped that it would actually be a BT game at some point

3 years later, we still have an arena shooter.