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Enable Mech Variant Selection After Map Selection


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#1 Nagelfar

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 05:17 AM

I'm sure many of you have experienced this: You selected a mech and the map that is selected for the game turns out to be a nightmare for the build you created. One example would be a brawler-Atlas (AC20/SRMs/MLs) on Alpine Peaks. I am certain there are many others.

I'm not saying that is impossible to do well in such a situation, but in my opinion it's a lot harder and not entirely in your own hands either. In a scenario as described in the example, the player will have a very hard time if the enemy team is geared towards long range engagements. It get's even worse if the majority of the own team is similarly fitted and in consequence has no desire to close the distance. If there is no way to close the distance while staying in cover you aren't left with a lot of options. You could stay in cover and hope that the game isn't already lost when someone does decide it's time to close in. You could also try and close the distance leeroy jenkins style, dying hilariously but at least providing something to chew through for the enemy and buying the own team some time to inflict damage.

In the end, having mechs that arent geared towards the maps requirements provides a significant disadvantage to a team. One that is further amplified by the fact that organised teams can mix and match their setups for a certain playstyle and bring enough voting power to the map selection to choose a map that fits their setup.

My suggestion is to allow players to select the variant of the mech-chassis they selected after the map selection is done. This way the player could fit different variants for different requirements and upon mech selection pick the one that is best suited.
This way the current ton-limit design/mechanic could also stay in place, since just the variant but not the chassis changes, meaning tonnage would stay the same for each player.

This would also provide a further reason to keep all the variants of a mech in the hangar once it is mastered.

As i am not familiar with the matchmaking process in factional warfare, the scope of this suggestion is limited to the quick-play matchmaking for groups and individual players.

Edited by Nagelfar, 07 February 2016 - 05:59 AM.


#2 Hawk_eye

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 08:17 AM

Nope. I´m strictly opposed to this!

This would lead to everyone riding the same build on the same map.

As it is, you have a choice.
Build a specialized mech and run the risk of getting on a map it isn´t suited for (like a laser-vomit build on Terra Therma or a LRM-boat on, say, Mining Collective) or build a more balanced mech, that, while not being able to beat a specialist in it´s preferred environment, can do ok on all of them and definitely beat a specialist _outside_ his environment.

You know, choices and consequences Posted Image

#3 Nagelfar

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 08:35 AM

Thank you for your opinion. Your arguments are sound. But I think my point concerning pre-arranged teams stands. They can build specialised setups and bring enough voting power to the table to enforce a map that suits them.

#4 Dee Eight

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 09:04 AM

Right now my mech quiver has a dozen options, and while certain builds may favour certain maps... the AC20 ECM cataphract favours the forest colony as an ambust mech to hide on canyon walls for example, it can also do well elsewhere thanks to the ECM and enough speed to even flank on the polar highlands. Building highly specialized mechs are a recipe for disappointment though if you do quick play. If you like brawlers...great... but you don't have to be the first to the brawl... you can wait till the enemy is focused on someone else to flank them to blow their arms off. Tactics can overcome mech limitations.

#5 Hawk_eye

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 10:28 AM

View PostNagelfar, on 07 February 2016 - 08:35 AM, said:

Thank you for your opinion. Your arguments are sound. But I think my point concerning pre-arranged teams stands. They can build specialised setups and bring enough voting power to the table to enforce a map that suits them.


I don´t play groups, so I have no first-hand knowledge of that, but I seem to remember something about a group only counting as one single vote, in order to prevent exactly that. Could be wrong, of course.

#6 puppyoverlord

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 06:14 PM

just by reading the title i knew i was going to disagree. you are suppose to go with the mech of your choosing and choose the map. as a pilot YOU are suppose to adapt in the enviroment AND YOU are responsible with the type of build you are comforable with if you got a map that isnt compatible with certain maps then thats your bad luck. theres a reason why theres a mechlab its to prepare your mech before going to battle.

#7 Ashvins

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Posted 07 February 2016 - 11:36 PM

TBH I really could care less about which Map I drop on. Take the option away as far as I'm concerned. But I would like to be able to choose which mech I drop with on a given map. Even if it is restricted to a weight class. That is better IMO than dropping in a Splatlas (AC20/SRM/ML) and getting stuck on Alpine or Polar. I'll Alt-F4 before I do that.

I can change my Drop Deck in CW for the given map but in Quick Play I just have to bend over and suck it up. This has been asked for in the past, as was the option of choosing map. The map option was implemented and days if not weeks were put into building the map selection mini-game we have now. IMO wasted time and effort. They have the mechanic to allow for mech selection for map but chose to give us map selection instead. I wish it had gone the other way but I doubt you'll get enough support for this, I'll give mine but I don't think it will matter.

#8 Zephonarch II

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Posted 08 February 2016 - 12:02 PM

I posted the same thing a while ago:
http://mwomercs.com/...09#entry4963909

I think it would be great to specialize your builds if we voted for maps first, then got a Faction-Play/CW mech select screen.

Cause, right now public games are only glorified deathmatches. That's it. And MechWarrior is the type of franchise that thrived on giving us tactical options. Like coordinating what mech the player needed for whichever map was given in a briefing.
Sadly PGI wouldn't do something like this though cause it would be a huge matchmaking reformatting. But if they really wanted to make the game more team-oriented and cater to the smart vets who want the game to be complicated, then they'd do it.

Like in MW4: Mercs for example, you could choose a beefy Assault with a CQC-type build because of ALL the skyscrapers in one escort-mission you had. Because Gauss sniping, might be quite limiting that way........
as I said, mwo is a random deathmatch game right now, with little depth. I just come back cause the cockpits in this game have far improved compared to the predecessors. And if they did just what you were saying, it may just bring back old players who've left in the past 3 years.

Edited by Zephonarch II, 08 February 2016 - 12:21 PM.


#9 TheMisled

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Posted 09 February 2016 - 12:17 PM

No, This'll turn PUG matches into an absolute mess. When bringing a specialized mech to the battlefield, The player has to understand the consequences of what happens when they don't get the map they want. This will lead to a lot less diversity in wjhat mechs are seen on the battlefield; E.G. If Polar Highlands gets selected, people will go straight to their LRM boats leaving very few close quarter mechs on the map. Having more of the same type of mech in a game will just lead to more stale and stagnant gameplay.

To have people select their mechs before the map voting allows means that players will have to think a lot more carefully about their builds and how the mech will play. A specialized mech could turn the tide of a match on one map but on the flipside, it'll be at a disadvantage on another map which is the sort of thing people have to consider. It prevents the mindset of "Oh, I'll just load this mech up with lasers becuase I'll only ever play with it on Frozen City." and instead has players thinking something more along the lines of: "If I load this mech up with lots of lasers, It'll be amazing on Frozen City but if I end up on Terra Therma, I'll essentially be driving a 70-tonne oven."

This means that people have to put more thought into what they build and should their current build not suit the map they've landed on, then it's up to the player to use his/her own skills and adapt.

Edited by e1itegamerpro, 09 February 2016 - 12:18 PM.






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