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For the reactor draw system:
I like the idea of this in general. It needs work, but it will most likely improve the game experience, adding a bit more depth to combat. However, I decided now would be a good time to voice my opinions on SIMPLE changes that could have a much larger impact on the playerbase size and happiness.
Ways PGI could make the game more amiable to new players without spending tons of time (that probably won't be implemented):
1. Giving the player 15-20 mechbays to start.
4 mechbays as a beginner is a **** move, and doesn't give the player time to emotionally attach themselves to the game. Plus, it makes the moneygrab even more obvious than usual. Almost every person with a brain can tell that the mechbays in CW (that take forever to get) are nowhere near enough to build a stable, and no new prospective player is going to wait half a year for an event where they can earn 3 mechbays, or play every other weekend to get 100 mc at a time to save up for them.
2. Making an in-game tutorial on mech building, so players aren't completely confused.
Players have made tutorials for the community, but a prospective player new to battletech won't invest the time to research. Also would have averted most of the ghost heat confusion if the game explained it to the new players.
3. Giving players a bit more money.
Premium time puts the average new player at a reasonable farm-rate. 200-300k a match means a 25mil mech can be made in 100 matches, at about 7.5 mins a match that's 12.5 hours - for one good mech assuming they play around with builds and possibly touch on modules. Now at 100k-200k a match, a new player can have a 25 mil mech in about 167 matches, at 7.5 mins you get around 21 hours - for one mech. Now this doesn't factor in events, or CW but this is just from a new prospective player's point of view. Putting the normal rate at premium rate and increasing the premium rate equally would be amazing for the playerbase, saving 8.5 hours on average across most mechs, and allowing people to fill up their mechbays faster to buy more (hint hint).
4. For the love of god change domination.
Make the circle a bit larger, the timer a bit longer, and make the counter based on the percentage of the team in the circle so pug matches aren't always 1 light mech with their toe in the objective while the rest of each team sits outside. If a team has a higher percentage of players in the circle, the timer starts. With the circle reasonably larger, ranged mechs would be able to still jerk off in the back, but they'd need at least to be in the circle. With a longer timer, there would be opportunity to jump out of the circle for a moment to flank or use wolfpacks on ranged mechs.
5. PvE would be great, but would take longer to code.
Giving cbills for PvE would bring a lot more fun casual players, rather than the stark, passive-aggressive desert this game has become. This would be a massive undertaking though, since AI takes forever to code. This would be more of a long-term suggestion.
I don't want to try to explain a game to its own developers, and I'm not much of a writer (If you can tell by my number of posts). However, I've put 600+ hours into this game and am still passionate about it as a steam player. I came into this game last year, and there were and still are many things wrong with it and it's marketing policy.
Edit: Added a poll to make it easier for people to give feedback
Edit II: Dropped some of my ramblings about CW and heat draw since they weren't as relevant.
Edit III: 50 mil for a mech was ludicrous. Dropping calculations to 25 mil.
Edited by Commander Lemming, 22 August 2016 - 03:13 PM.
