Bryan Ekman

Ask the Devs #40

3PV
Viper69 : If we are going to be able to choose to play against people using 3PV or not to, how are you going to address the then fractured and smaller groups that then have to wait in queue for a match that meets their perimeters?
A: There will be two modes Normal and Hardcore (FPV) only. We anticipate most players will play the first mode leaving the hardcore mode for the those wanting a challenge. 3PV will be going onto test servers in the next 60 days and we’ll see how it goes from there.

Ghost Badger: How does PGI plan to reconcile Community Warfare matches with 3PV and 1PV? How will they reconcile matches between teams with different preferences? Or do they plan to split the CW mechanic by viewpoint?
A: The plan is to have scheduled matches will be FPV only, since these will be performed between Merc. Units. Regular matches will follow the above rules (Normal/Hardcore).

aniviron: You've stated in the past that you don't want to give players using third person view a competitive advantage by being able to see around corners, behind them, or in their far periphery. Do you have any concrete plans for how to do this? It seems like this will be an unavoidable side effect of having the camera located behind the mech, and it is the main reason that almost the entire forum is against having it in the game. You could assuage a lot of upset on the forums if you detailed how you are going to do this.
A: Once players get their hands on 3PV, I think most people will be pleasantly surprised how little the camera impacts gameplay. Early tests are showing that there is not much of an advantage. That being said, until we get this viewmode in the hands of 1000s of players, we’re not going to see how it fully gets used.

Khanahar: Why exactly is 3rd person not implemented as a module?
A: It’s not end game content.

Warge: Are any plans to encourage future 3PV players to use 1PV? Maybe slight XP or/and CB boost, that sort of things...
A: Probably not, however we’re going to emphasize that both view modes are essential to a well-rounded experience, with FPV being something that you use if you are a true sim-head.


UI 2.0
MeatForBrains: With the recent (as of today) UI 2.0 improvements showing pending and ready status for players in the dropship. Will there be a team BV (battlevalue) that the team (or individual) must stay under? Or are you going to continue with the current ELO system?
A: The current Elo system works in concert with any drop weight limitations we put in place.

Azshal: The Atlas D-DC has 3 missile hardpoints in the LT, but each hardpoint seems to have a different number of tubes. In UI2.0, will there be the ability to choose exactly which hardpoint an LRM/SRM goes into, and the abilty to see how many tubes are in each hardpoint?
A: Right now there a no plans to allow players to pick which hardpoint items are equipped to.

Prosperity Park: Will UI 2.0 provide a little more information about the Modules in the "description/about" field than the current Mechlab provides? For instance, instead of the Adv Target Decay Module being described as "increases the time a target remains locked to 3.5 seconds," I think it should say something more like "Increases the time a target remains locked from 2.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds" so that people will have a better idea as to what they are getting. Perhaps the seismic sensor could be accompanied with a graph showing its detection thresholds so we can know what to expect in terms of quantifiable values... Etc.
A: The compare functionality of UI 2.0 will allow us to accomplish most of what you are describing, along with better written descriptions.


Community Warfare/Clans
irony1999: Currently it seems that CW Phase 1 is primarily delivering features for the "clan" (Merc corp) experience, from the current reveals. Will there be any enhancements for Faction members, or will that be delivered in Phase 2? Can you discuss these faction member enhancements?
A: Phase 1 will be the meta game (levels, ranks, loyalty points etc). Phase 2 will encompass association (being a part of a faction, whether a merc unit or house).

Blade Pride: Will lone wolf players have access to similar rewards as Units and Houses in the CW?
A: Each type of player will have a set of rewards to achieve. There will be a detailed write up on how we plan to do this.

Trufast: I was wondering how merc corp sizes would matter in community warfare. I understand that you guys can't reveal too much about that stuff yet, but I was wondering if a merc corp of say 20 members would be at a disadvantage compared to the 2-300 member corps. Is there a minimum requirement to be able to function as a merc corp? (more than twelve active members that is)
A: The minimum requirement will be 12. We don’t want size to play a major role in the CW meta game. Zerging the universe with masses is not really what we are trying to achieve. More details will follow when we outline CW to the public.

Mao of DC: Can you give us some insight of what you mean by "asymmetrical game modes". Is it simply 12 vs. 10 like you would find in a standard Inner Sphere vs. Clan encounter. Or will there be a number of types? Like assaulting a fortified position, or an ambush? For C.W. will there be a logical type, used for establishing a planethead? Around the barracks we call an operation like that as "making a hot drop". Will you be using new dedicated maps, or use any you have available?
A: Asymmetrical means each team has a different objective. Attack/Defend and Rush style modes best describe an asymmetrical mode.


`Mech's and Mechbay
MrTarget: Why ditch the Orion from June's update?
A: We wanted to offer a mech with a slightly different meta game.

Fox News Channel: Do you plan to give the Yen Lo Wang the same amount of horizontal arm movement as the Highlander 733C in the future?
A: Each mech has their own feel/quirks, we regularly look at them to see if they need tuning.

Gaureth: Regarding Mech upgrades (DHS, ENDO, FF, Artemis): Have you guys considered perhaps turning these into "unlocks" per mech instead of charging C-bills every time a player wants to revert to one or the other?This would be heaps better in trying different mech configurations without fear of spending again. You could charge a slightly larger fee to get the "upgrade", but after that the player would be free to switch back and forth between the two should the requirements allow.
A: It costs an engineer a lot of time and money to change a mech’s core configuration.

Strum Wealh: Which specific variants are planned for the respective releases of the Flea, Orion, and Victor?
A: We keep them secret until 2 weeks before launch.

mania3c: Will you consider to add "Try before buy" system for Hero Mechs? That we will be able to play let's say Up to 5 games with any hero mech without CB/XP bonuses and we wont be able to change loadout.
A: It’s a system we are considering as a whole for all Mechs.


Weapons & Loadouts
Maxx Blue: What is going on with weapon convergence? It is my understanding that, currently, convergance changes instantly, and the convergence-related mech skill doesn't have any effect. If convergence is not gone for good, can we get an update on what is being done to it and where on the roadmap we should expect it to come back? If it is gone for good, any plans on changing the mech skill related to it?
A: We’re going to be looking at this in the near future. I don’t have any current notes to discuss yet.

Colonel Pada Vinson: Are jumpjets going to undergo tuning for DFA, collisions & better gameplay to bring them inline with battletech values and make them viable for jumping instead of wall-climbing? Jetfire: Right now a Trebuchet with max jumpjets can just barely clear an atlas head - how does PGI invision DFA working with such mediocre jump heights? I am thinking something that could fill a sizeable radius, 200+ meters with smoke for 10-30 seconds.
A: When collisions come back into the game we’ll take a look at each mech and the JJ system to make sure we get the desired results. TT is just a guideline and not really applicable to a realtime simulation.

Biruke: Will the different manufacturers laser beams differ in color? Say now we have blue LL beam. Lutien manufacturers could make the LL beams violet, no?
A: It’s one idea we have, yes.

Kmieciu: PGI did a great job balancing LRMs in the recent patches. Gradual increase in damage (0.7->0.9->1.1) is the right way to balance things. How about applying the same rule to balancing SRMs, LBX and Machine guns? Maybe a 20% boost in DPS in the next patch?
A: Paul has outlined a series of incoming changes to SRMs. Check out the Command Chair for the latest weapon tuning information.

Papar: Are you going to add modules that counter other modules? For example one that limits the usefullness of Seismic sensor or one that makes you undetectable by UAVs?
A: Right now these are counters for existing functionality (ECM). Overtime we do plan to offer more modules and more counter measures.


Maps/Environment:
Nick Drezary: When Comstar will stop playing ecology and finally approve destruction of trees in the battle zones?
A: When collisions come back into the game.

Will9761: Do you have plans to modify base objects into something more worthwhile of capturing like hangars, prisons, factories, cargo containers, power generators, etc?
A: With a different mode, yes.

RF Greywolf: Is there plans for making more realistic bases, like ones with defenses that must be dealt with before capping?
A: Yes.


Graphics:
FRYBOTH: The physical damage on Mechs looks really great. Are there any plans to expand upon this further? Maybe an additional layer of exposed internals underneath the brown/black pock marks? Also, is there ever going to be a visual representation of a destroyed side torso? When I Survive a round with only my center and another torso left, or just as a zombie (only CT), I wanna look like I just went through hell.
A: We actually dialed it back a bunch. We’re fighting a regular balance between high spec and min spec. Right now the game still needs improvement to run on lower end machines, which still dominate the market.

Banditman: In the current build, when you set your advanced options to low, you gain a significant tactical advantage over those who set them to maximum, outside of the FPS increase at lower settings. To wit: with lower settings, you can see opposing mechs at much greater distances due to the way your CryEngine implementation chooses to cull distant assets.
This seems completely contrary to common sense. It seems to me that greater image fidelity should yield a tactical advantage if anything does. As it stands now, you are encouraging your most competitive players to lower their image fidelity in order to maintain equal footing with their opponents.
What does PGI intend to do to address this issue?
A: I’ll have to ask Matt to do a write up.


Gameplay/Game modes/Meta
Loc Nar: When will the controls be updated to allow the use of chat/scoreboard/battlegrid while using analog throttle?
A: It’s a technical limitation of the engine currently. We’re looking into a way to fix it.

Hammerfinn: Have you thought about individualizing the "Pilot efficiencies" for each mech? IE: having a different bonus for mechs without arm-mounted weapons? If so, what were your ideas, with no pressure on actualization?
A: The core mech

Made From Scratch: Since there are times in a battle when nothing is left but a weaponless, limping heap of scrap metal - Will there ever be a self destruct option that contributes to a degree of close proximity damage along with some splash damage?
A: No plans currently, but you never know.

StalaggtIKE: Light and Medium mechs were the most prevalent within Battletech lore, with Heavy and Assault being a rarity. This is not the case within our current meta game, which consists of opposing teams of mostly Heavy and Assault class. Basically the plan is to bring your largest, heaviest hitting mech. Is this intended,and if not, are there any plans to curb this trend?
A: We have some plans in the works to limit the amount of tonnage on the battlefield and encourage balance through rewarding will structured teams.

Weaselball: Is the current large energy weapon alpha build meta something the Dev's are ok with? If not, when can we expect to see some tweaks to help tune the game away from said meta?
A: It’s being worked on.

Noktoo: Currently it is possible to drop with 8 Atlas into an 8man to maximize the firepower, but the firepower of the enemy team is not taken into consideration, though it may happen that 800 tons drop against an more balanced team with ~500. Are there Plans to bring in weight-limitation on 8vs8 or later in 12vs12?
A: Yes.

DocBach: Now that firing while jumping incurs a randomized accuracy penalty, is there any idea to incur penalties for accuracy while moving at a full run to simulate a running 'Mech being an unstable firing platform?
A: It’s not on the table right now.

littlelifter: Please could you make a special “headshot” notification and reward like “component destroyed” notification and reward?
A: It’s coming.

James Montana: Can you add a simple eject animation and effect? Even if it is only a modified missile that shoots out of the head and disappears off map?
A: Maybe once we get all of the critical features out of the way.

Vegalas: Will there ever be a game mode featuring repair bays?
A: Maybe. We’re looking at several ways to do respawns.

Jman5: A while back you had expressed concern that mechs were dying too fast. With 12v12 coming the amount of firepower directed toward a single mech will increase substantially. Do you still feel this is a problem? If so, how are you planning on addressing it?
A: Yes. Ongoing weapon and game balancing is improving the rate of damage dealt.


Cockpit, HUD & Customizations
Hanz Blitzer: Will we eventually be able to scan friendly mechs to see what weapons they are carrying?
A: Yes.

Svidro: Are there any plans to be able to move certain aspects of the interface, such as the minimap, or perhaps have the targeting reticule appear OVER the minimap graphic so we can see how far down we are actually aiming?
A: No, and yes. But we’ll have to see how the HUD revamp take shape.

slash b slash: When will we be able to assign different camos to each map and how is it going to work? For bonus points: Will we be able to use the same single use pattern on multiple maps or do we have to buy them multiple times to use them on multiple maps, making permanent patterns the more sensible option?
A: This will happen via the lobby and DropShip interfaces coming out with UI 2.0. Players will be able to bring in a variety of BattleMechs to use.

SUBZERO8K: Are you guys considering changing patterns/skins to be a universal system like the paint colors, rather than on a per Mech basis?
A: No.

Sable: Jumpjet shake was a big step in the right direction. The shake seems a bit violent and disorienting and i'm sure it will be fine tuned in the future. Something just didn't seem fluid with the reticle shaking though and i came to the conclusion that it was because the rest of the HUD doesn't shake along with it making the reticle by itself seem awkward. Any plans to make the rest of the HUD shake to create a more fluid feeling?
A: Probably not, however we are tuning the shake amount to make it a little easier on the eyes.

*Bonus: Follow up from ATD-39

Quote

Sentinel373: What i meant was:
When we first spot an enemy mech it is given a letter designation, Alpha Bravo, Charlie etc. most of us that play with friends via teamspeak or other voice chat programs never look at the players name during the match. we refer to the enemy mech as Alpha Cataphract or Bravo Cicada. and when an enemy player gets killed we often call out which letter is destroyed but sometimes this gets confusing when multiple mechs die right after the other and we dont know which mechs had gotten killed. Can we see this designation next to the player name when he/she gets killed in the kill message. That way at the end of the match we'll know who is still standing and its easier to remember what mech he/she is in.
A: Ah! Ok, I’ll ask the team and see what they think. Thanks for the clarification.


Miscenalleous
GB Tarkus: When can we expect to see SLI/Crossfire and TrackIR in game.
A: When our team has extra time.

Chiun44: What is being done to eliminate hacking that seems to be occurring occasionally? Are players being actively banned, and is the player stat database being routinely combed to identify game altering hacks? How often? Are server side changes coming to root out hacking? Are the recent changes in trial mech options an attempt to deter hacking?
A: Players are actively banned. We have a suite of tools and telemetry that helps us track down and discourage the more prolific hackers. That being said, hacking will always be a part of any PC game. It’s impossible to eliminate entirely. And no to the trial mech question.

Tsunamisan: Will PGI be adding server side implementation to block stuff such as Hacked game files, Aim bots and other types?
A: For the most part, players can hack data files, everything is server authoritative. Aimbots, wall hacks, and the like are more difficult to deal with since they prey on core Windows/DX functionality. Aimbots are reasonably easy to detect, especially in MWO. We have telemetry and snooping tools that allow us to watch players real time.

Krzysztof z Bagien: Any other game of similar kind I play shows actual number of people playing at the moment, often with average time to join the match. Can we get the player counter back, maybe with UI 2.0? And why did you remove it after closed beta in the first place?
A: It was a business decision to remove sensitive data. Queue time is something we’re looking at though.

DEMAX51: I think the June 4th patch fixed a lot of balancing issues. LRMs are a viable option again, especially from a team-play perspective, and the JJ shake has certainly reduced the number of poptarts we're seeing. I'm just wondering how satisfied you guys are with the overall balance of the current build. In general terms, are there any major issues you feel still need to be addressed?
A: There are always things to tune. We’re working on heat and beam weapons now. I’m happy we continue to improve the balance week to week.

Chavette: Its a shame to see game engine bugs taking such amount of time from you guys could spend elsewhere. How close do you work with the engine devs, and do you mutually benefit from the engine bug findings from other studios like Chris Roberts' team?
A: Unfortunately, very little to none. We’re pretty much on an island when it comes to a lot of issues.

Hellen Wheels: One of the tool tips mentions downloading the software to use the in-game VOIP. Is there any possibility that this might be a patch option that the patcher can handle and set up as part of running the game, as opposed to the user having to do it manually apart from the game?
A: Possibly.

Morang: When will you give us more freedom in Training Grounds? Selecting a map is the obvious need, selecting target mechs is possible, but what I want to be able to do is selecting camouflage pattern and colors for target mechs to evaluate camo performance before buying. You don't need that if you want fancy colors, but to create working camo a field test is needed.
A: Map selection is coming very soon. The rest is very granular and we’ll need to evaluate player feedback before adding/changing how it works.

VanillaG: Can you explain how the test server is going to work. Specifically:

• Can anyone get onto the test system or will it be invite only?
  
• Will the test system be always available or only available for specific time windows?
  
• Will the test system require a different account or will the test system be periodically refreshed from the live system so we don't have to grind out existing mechs and configs?

A: Anyone. On for limited hours on specific days. Same account, new client.

Draxist: Would the Dev's consider doing community survey's once a month or once every two months via email? Another beta game I play uses these to gain feedback en mass from the community upon specific topics or in general.
The survey questions range from "is xy satisfying" or "rate how well you feel this mechanic works" to "any feature you want to see in game?" with a text box.
I know the game will be launching soon, but even after launch, a community survey about features being tested or that are currently "issues" could help the devs in getting a better feel for what the community feels without all the forum rage.
A: We are doing this. We just haven’t sent one out to certain demographics of players yet.


Forum/Website/Sales, Events and Tournaments:
ThePieMaker: I heard that either Garth or Bryan said they wanted to make MWO into a E-sport.
Has any progress been made on this? Do they still want to make it a E-sport?
What's the news concerning this?
A: It’s an ongoing progression. We have to get some core feature out before turning to an e-sport concept.

MrDoggss: Would there be a possibility of offering premium time in an play-time based form? A lot of players would be more willing to purchase MC/Premium time knowing that it won't just evaporate when we're not able to play. Instead of 3 days, maybe 12 hours?
A: We do not have any plans to make tweaks yet. The implementation is widely accepted and PT sales are incredibly strong. Before changing time slices, we plan to add more benefits as the game evolves.

MasterC: Could you release mech usage statistics? It would be very interesting to see what are the most and least popularly played mechs on Mechwarrior Online. And if you do release mech usage stats, please release stats or charts which show mech usage over time, say month-to-month or evenly weekly. For those who play the game regularly, this information would be very useful to help spot trends and changes in mech usage.
A: The only issue with showing trends, is they being to influence how players play. I’ll have to think about this one.

Khord: Would it be possible to get the Profile > Stats > MechStats page on the website organized to group by "Current" mechs (mech's currently owned and in a mechbay) at the top and "Unused" mechs (mech's where we no longer own the chassis) at the bottom in designated groups?
A: More functionality will come as we roll out new stats.

Dan Baxter: I greatly enjoyed the 25 victory challenge. Does PGI have any plans to start multiple challenges at the same time, allowing players to decide which ones they wish to opt in to?
A: These are tests. We are building an in-game achievement systems right now, and we are gauging user interest. The short answer is yes.

White Bear 84: Have you considered or is there room for consideration to provide opt in challenges over short-timescales such as 1/2 hours? Additionally is there any consideration towards providing items such as modules as rewards for challenges?
A: Definitely. We are working on a new system that will allow us to have much more granular challenges.

A lot of work continues to be focused on our major launch features. If you haven’t already checked it out, head on over to the UI 2.0 Command Chair post and check out the latest information on our major overhaul of the Front End UI. Production is well under way on this new UI and we expect to begin testing in August. The final bits of engineering work are being put into 12 v12, which include further networking code optimizations, UI work, art optimizations, and some minor gameplay/level adjustments. Our drive to launch continues to keep the bulk of our team focused on delivering an exciting MechWarrior experience for all players.

New Content:

• `Mech of the Month - Quickdraw (18th)
  
• Hero `Mech of the Month - FireBrand (4th)
  
• Champion `Mech of the Month - Hunchback-4P© (18th)
  
• New Pattern(s) - Sherman (4th)
  
• New Cockpit Item(s) - Spider Statue (18th)
  
• Special - Sarah's `Mech (25th)
  

Test Servers



The networking and hardware wizards are hard at work setting up this our new public testing environment. While not necessarily a new feature per se, this new server architecture will allow us to test a range of features from small tuning adjustments to large additions such as 12 v 12 and UI 2.0. This is part of our continued commitment to product quality and stability, along with involving the community in key aspects of the game’s development. The test servers will be coming online in June, and the first major test will feature 12 v 12 functionality.

Company and Lance Improvements

Further lance improvements make their way into the game this month. These adjustments are based of internal testing and player feedback. These new adjustments include text and audio queues when new orders are issued, Company and Lance Commander icons to identify leadership, revised chat color, and revised order icons for more clarity. If you haven’t tried out your leadership skills yet, have a go! Players can take command by pushing “B” for BattleGrid and taking either a Lance Command (4 players) or a Company Command (8 players).

Balancing and Tuning

LRMs, SRMs, and Flamers will receive tuning passes in the first patch of this month. For mid-June expect to see more tweaks to the UAV consumable, and Seismic Sensors. Jump Jets will receive a weight based shake to add a more realistic feel and help to balance out some of the jump sniping meta game. Caustic Valley gets a lighting adjustment for the mid-June patch Expect to see more details about upcoming adjustments in the Command Chair section.

Host State Rewind (HSR) – Missiles

With this latest addition, all weapon systems are now affected by HSR. HSR helps high ping players achieve more reliable hits, improving the gameplay experience and making them more competitive.

Bugs and Stability

A lot of effort has gone into improving and fixing some of the more difficult technical issues, among them the HUD bug (last month). This month we are introducing fixes for some to the more frequent black screen and disconnect issues some players may experience.

Looking Forward

• 12 v 12 is due out for first patch in July.
  
• Training Grounds (tutorial) will make it's way live mid-July to early August.
  
• Third Person view will be pushed to test servers in the next 30-60 days.
  

Ask the Devs #39

Some players have asked - ‘’why wasn’t my question answered?’’ We receive an average of 200 questions for each ATD! We do our best to select a range of questions that will result in the the most informative ATD.

UI 2.0
StalaggtIKE: UI 2.0 is looking really great. Are there any plans to synchronize a web interface to the mechlab, to allow for out of game mech purchases, weapon grouping and customizations? Then we can waste more of our work time. Thanks.
A: Eventually we would love this to happen. There’s a lot of architecture work, engineering, and web development to make this a go. I don’t expect this to be done in 2013, as we have other aspects of the game to finish first.

CarnifexMaximus: With the ability to change mech names in UI 2.0, will the limit on the number of letters expand as well? Example. I wanted to name my Centurions: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Scippio Africanus. These names are too long with the current character limit for naming mechs on purchase.
A: There are always limits. We won’t know the final limits for a little while yet. It’s a balance between reasonable space and aesthetics.

TheComet: Is there any possibility of a colorblind mode for the UI colors? I have a great deal of difficulty telling just how damaged a section of a mech is from the interface when I target them due to my color deficiency.
A: Yes, we plan to address the HUD after launch, adding some new features, and allowing custom colors.

Harmin: Could we have an indicator in the friends list if someone listed there is currently grouped or not? Perhaps even a looking-for-group indicator flag they can toggle?
A: With UI 2.0 yes.

Zwanglos: Will there eventually be the ability, in 8-mans/12-mans, to pre-assign lances before even pressing the Launch button? Will premades (esp. 8-mans/12-mans when that comes) be able to see mechs listed in the Group tab? Could the UI automatically tally the max weight of the entire group?
A: Yes! And yes! We’re going to be showing of the new group/pre-launch (lobby) screens very soon.

Jetfire: Is there anything interesting you can share about the UI 2.0 Store? Hoping for something related to the kinds of packages or deals it will offer.
A: A limitation of our current architecture prevents us from selling bundled goods. The new store will replace the weekend sales we currently run with daily, weekly, and other event sales. Players will be able to see when and how long an item will be on sale for. The new system will allow us to put items on sale for smaller time frames, down to the minute if we want. The best part – no more sales downtime! Yay!

`Mech's and Mechbay
Dragonkindred: Due to the huge support for a worthy cause, will you be making a hero mech for Sarah?
A: A mech yes!

MavRCK: Some mechs seem easily to focus fire on specific areas such as the center torso more so than other mechs, ie. Awesome, Cataphract, Highlander. In the past, mechs such as the Catapult with this issue were adjusted (possibly had their hit boxes adjusted)? Would it be possible to look at the aforementioned mechs?
A: Each mech is designed to be have strengths and weaknesses. This can take the form of lager hit boxes or geometry, along with harpoints and quirks.

Xenroth: The new mechs change their appearance whenever you change their weaponry. When can we expect this feature on the old mechs, like the Atlas, Catapult etc? Can we expect this to be done till release or might it come after the official release?
A: There is no official timeline. The art team squeezes them in when they have extra time.

An Ax Murderer: What are your processes for determining which 'Mechs get quirks and which do not? Are they only given to certain chassis' or can we expect to see quirks for every variant later on down the road?
A: They all get quirks, we’re slowly going back in time adding them to each mech.

Colddawg: Is there a limit to the number of different 'Mechs you are planning on adding into the game?
A: Not so far.
Zolaz: The "best" variant of the Awesome is the 9M and the Cataphract 1X does a better job with its slimmer profile. The Cataphract 3D sacrifices one laser slot for jump jets. The only thing the Awesome has going for it is a slightly more armor. However, that is offset by the exaggerated center torso that no one misses on the it.
A: We’re going to be tuning each chassis in the future to address some of the less useful variants.

Thorqemada: What has happened to the general Mechspeed (kph)? It can say that the speed differences between the weightclasses seem to be compressed (means there is significant less difference). This hurts the differentation between the Weightclasses and Mediums especially. Any enlightment you can give us PGI?
A: Eventually we plan to increase the speed cap, until then the ranges are going to stay the same. There is still quite a variance of 2x from light to assault.

Fishhawk: Any plans to introduce quadruped Battlemechs like the Scorpion or Goliath?
A: No plans.

FrostCollar: Do you track the relative use of Light/Medium/Heavy/Assault mechs over time? Care to share any insights? I've always been curious about what those relative usage rates are, especially given talk about how some classes of mech are harder to play than others (Spider experts, I salute you).
A: Yes we track usage.

Weapons & Loadouts

Levi Porphyrogenitus: Has PGI considered removing splash damage from missiles altogether?
A: Yes we have, but have elected to balance them differently. Currently the splash damage on all missiles is set to 5cm (effectively removing it) and will investigate if it should change any further in either direction.

RazorWarrior: Will we ever be able to use jump jets to go directly forward or side to side like in previous MechWarrior games?
A: Vectored jumpjets have been discussed.

Void Angel: Given the new interactions with the Beagle Active Probe and ECM systems, is there any chance we'll see an icon for 'Mechs equipped with BAP (and have it locked to a hardpoint, like ECM?")
A: At this time, no. But we have discussed an equipment hardpoint.

Karl Streiger: Do you consider any changes on the armor distribution? Most players aim directly for the Center - some for the side torso - but in most cases it is cheaper (less time consuming to kill the target)
Shouldn't the gain of disarming a target first be increased over the kill shot? My Ideas were (CT 28%, Legs 13%, SideToros 15% and Arms 7% of total armor)
A: Armor values are based off the TT values.

jay35: Given the prolific nature of modules (resulting in an increasing inability to carry all the relevant modules for a given role, e.g., scouting), when will you be adding additional module slot unlocks to the pilot tree? Or will you be moving some of the current modules to more relevant locations outside of the module mechanic, such as Artillery & Airstrikes to Command Console functions, perhaps Seismic Sensor as an equipment item, etc, so that each role can actually mount all of the relevant modules provided they've unlocked them and purchased them?
A: We do not plan to convert modules or consumables to equipment, as they are designed to be layered and balanced on top of the standard BattleTech rules founds in MechLab. We’re looking at separating modules and consumables, giving both their own separate space rules. And yes we are adding more modules and consumables as time goes on. It is also our intention to make players make a conscious decision as to which modules/consumables to bring to the battlefield, and not necessarily bring everything but the kitchen sink.

coolcook007: Why you guys have decided to make Arm Lock as default? The new players don’t even know that there’s an option to turn it off, there should be ansta annotation if a new player starts the game.
A: We made arm lock default because most new players have an easier time learning how to pilot their mech. With UI 2.0 and Training Grounds, players will undergo a tutorial which teaches them how to toggle this on and off.

Asmudius Heng: Russ Bullock replied to a player on Twitter who enquired why PGI didnt like the idea of hardpoint sizes. Russ replied:"@AC1DPHA5E we’re not against it, it's been discussed.”
Is it possible to get an elabolration on what that discussion was so we know if this is 1) still being discussed and why, 2) rejected for X reason.
A: No further news on this thought process. If we reject it, I’ll let you know.

Firelizard: Given the disparity between the 0.5 ton machine guns and the 6 ton AC2, will you consider adding the mech mortar line to add low tonnage ballistic armament options?
A: Eventually, as the timeline allows for it.

General Taskeen: I recall in Closed Beta that Devs would examine making C.A.S.E. useful with XL Engines (since it is used on Record Sheets), is this still being worked on? If yes, when might we expect this?
A: No plans to do so at this time.

Zaptruder: In the weapon grouping list, why are arm weapons listed as right arm first and left arm second, while torso mounted weapons seem to be listed CT, LT and then RT? Would it be possible to have the weapons listed from left to right, top to bottom? Or even better yet, have the weapon locations identifiably marked on the weapon list, so that you're in no doubt as to what weapons are located where.
A: We’ll be reviewing this with the HUD rework after launch.

Mizore: The Seismic Sensors module is very strong at the moment. Any plans on changing it the way, that at least light and medium mechs can move nearly undedected for example at a speed of 50kph or below? In my opinion this would strengthen their role as scouts or harassers.
A: Yes. We’re tuning right now, expect tweaks mid-June to bring it in line a bit. More details forthcoming.

Mokey Mot: When are brawling weapons going to see some love (pulse lasers in particular)?
Ranged warfare is in a good place at the moment; as shown by it's current popularity. But I feel it is narrowing the gameplay a little too much; there is no real advantage for brawlers to expend the effort of getting close at the moment. I don't think you can just go nurfing ranged weapons though, as balanced builds are actually quite nice to pilot now.
A: While nothing specific is coming at the moment, we’re going to be coming full circle on weapons soon, where beams will be looked at and tweaked if necessary.
Maps/Environment:
Geist Null: When is the next city map or heavy forested map due out? the high heat, low temp open area maps have gotten a lot of play recently, I’m ready for somewhere focused on maneuvering and light/medium play styles
A: We have an Island Urban map in production right now. Due out late summer/early fall.

Adridos: During an NGNG interview with your main map designer T. Jantzi, he mentioned that all maps he creates must work with our current movement abilities, but also once the restrictions on movement will be applied (like non-scalable hills). Since it's been a while and there never was an official response on the fact before or after the interview, when could we expect to see this implemented?
A: This feature is being worked on and will debut very soon (June/July).

Mrbright: When will leg inverse kinematics/foot alignment fit the terrain? I think I noticed it at one point but its gone now?
A: We removed it for performance reasons. Our engineering team is looking at it, fixing some bugs and performance related issues. Once fixed, expect to see it come back provided it does not impact performance on min-spec machines.

Prosperity Park: Are there any longer-term plans to add a Deep Water penalty to the movement speed of Mechs traveling through significantly-deep water?
A: We’re adding some new movement code that will make mechs behave more realistically when traversing rolling terrain. Once in, we can examine adding water friction if we feel it will add a benefit to gameplay.

MrLiNcH: Are there future plans for a jungle/tropical map? I thought this type of environment was right in CryEngine's wheelhouse...
A: It’s on our list of to do maps!

Spirit of the Wolf: If they needed to balance the game, and were unable to do so within the current set of rules they have set for themselves, would PGI ever 'bend' the timeline rules to make the game fit the environment better, (such as bringing in mech mortars, mines, & the like), or is the timeline, insofar as is planned right now, considered to be completely immutable?
(If it is immutable, would PGI simply make its own weapons/equipment/technology, or would it simply do the best to balance what it was given?)
A: For now we are following the timeline closely. We may loosen that restriction if necessary, but I don’t see that happening in the short term.

Gameplay/Game modes/Meta

Hammerreborn: In regards to damage transfer. Is there an engine limitation preventing "piercing" through destroyed components such as the legs and STs to determine damage to other components, or is this something that may/may not be planned in the future? For example, shooting at a centurions damaged leg from the front will not do damage, but shooting it from the side would cause piercing to go through and hit the other leg, rather than having damage appear strangely in the STs?
A: It’s doable, however it would significantly up the number of calculations needed to be done per frame on the server, thereby reducing server performance and increasing network traffic.

Belorion: I seem to take a fair amount of friendly fire during some drops. Is it possible to get friendly fire added to the end of match score board and/or changing the reticule color flash is a team mate is hit? That way people can see if they are hitting mostly the enemy, or need to work on avoiding team mates.
A: The average amount of FF damage done per player per match is less than 5 dmg. The amount of damage being done is far less than even we thought, which is encouraging. I like the FF indicator, we can look at putting up an X or something indicating do not fire along with an audio queue when dmg is done.

Any thoughts on reintroducing collison sonner and in iterative phases to ultimately have it adjusted to the level PGI want it to be?
A: No plans to rush this, we have lots of other features queued up first. Once launch is out of that way, we can reintroduce collisions to the test servers and balance them before going live.

Lentil: Could we get some improvements in automatic PUG lance assignments? For example:sorting mechs into lances by weight or making sure lance-mates appear together when spawning?
A: The latter is being worked on. Also, the new lance interfaces currently on live servers, allow the Company Commander to quickly reorder players in to different lances.

Stormwolf: Any indication if we might ever get a stock only mode? I ask this because not everybody wants to min max or build the latest abusive build all the time.
A: It’s something we can look at after launch.

Brilig: Are you considering changes to convergence to address issues with boating/alpha striking? Or is heat scale the only option that you are exploring?
A: We’re looking at different ways to improve balance. Nothing specific to talk about just yet.

Source Control: Can we have "Lock Arms to Torso" option be assigned on a per-Mech basis? Some Mechs are more appropriate than others, especially on the config and it's a bummer that this is global to all Mechs.
A: We’re looking at making this an easy in-game toggle in addition to the current toggle via config menu.

Willie Sauerland: Since capturing a little box is rewarded in Assault mode (it is an alternate win condition), why is capturing points to gain a team resources in Conquest mode (another alternate win condition) not rewarded?
A: You are reward for collecting resources, not capturing resource points. We are discussing internally whether we should add a cap reward.

Richard Strong: What is the ETA on some sort of mech option for each map?
A: Lobbies will show up after UI 2.0 is out in the wild.

Sentinel373: Is there a chance you'll add arm lock as a toggle function instead holding the button down? I mean a toggle ingame, not the options menu. Sometimes i just dont have enoegh fingers to hold that button down
A: Yes.

FupDup: Will you ever increase the C-Bill and XP rewards for non-killing/damage-dealing roles to be closer to the rewards of those aforementioned damage roles?
A: We are working on refactoring in game rewards to be more granular and role/group/faction based.

Steven Dixon: When you implement achievements will our previous matches count towards the achievements or will only the matches that occur after achievements are launched count?
A: Achievements will most likely start at 0.

Alistair Winter: Will we see a third game mode in addition to Assault mode and Conquest mode this year? I don't mean a variant with respawn, I mean something completely new.
A: With Community Warfare yes.

Cockpit, HUD & Customizations

Lukoi: Any chance you'll consider changing the missile bay door indicators to red/green vice red/yellow? There are a multitude of maps where the colors are so close to each other, it's difficult to tell the difference.
A: We’re discussing moving these lights to the HUD.

Hobo Dan: I am aware that we can change FOV in the game files, but are there any plans to add an FOV slider to the in-game options menu, similar to how Mouse Sensitivity was recently added?
A: Yes.

Arkatrex: Will it possible to get cockpit effects during getting heat / overheat? Like blurring, sweat drops or something like that? The mech pilot should be affected from that much of heat
A: It’s on our list of graphical additions.

Will9761: Is there a chance that you could add a numbering system with the Damage Display HUD so you could see the amount of hitpoints your mech's armor has in combat?
A: After launch we plan to refactor parts of the HUD. This is on a list of improvements along with color options etc.

Sentinel373: Is there any chance we will get to see the letter designation next to the players name when pressing Tab or have it there with the kill message. It often gets confusing at the end of the match who is still standing.
A: We show everyone’s Dead/Alive/Disconnected status in the player list. Can you expand on that thought?

DarkhorseBW: Why are there different types of cockpit hit boxes? For example, the Cataphract's cockpit is only its 1 front center window, but the Catapult's cockpit is all of its windows?
A: It’s getting adjusted to be similar. It’s Paul’s favorite mech, so I made sure everyone could kill him more easily.

defcon won: Can we get map coordinate added to the HUD? Whatever coordinate the main crosshairs are on should show above the distance for team coordination. And/or put a marker on the spot you're in the crosshairs, shared with your team or lance.
A: I’ll ask the team what they think.

Miscenalleous

Ninthshadow: Is there any chance we will be getting new bug/crash reporting tools in the near future?
A: The tools team is working on another feature right now, however this IS on the short list.

Dude42: Any chance of getting the malformed packet issue resolved before release?
A: Yes. The engineering team is working on this now. Similar to the HUD bug, this is an issue deep within CryEngine.

Darwins Dog: Would it be possible to have a link for us to get out stats (mechs, weapons, etc.) in something live a .csv file? I'm a science guy, and I would love to be able to see trends in my performance.
A: Yes, eventually we will have an API for players to get access to stat information.

FruitFly: Is there a possibility of introducing a in game or in launcher survey that all players take?
A: Eventually.

M0rpHeu5: Why don't you put MWO on steam?
A: We’re doing an analysis now.

Trufast: How are you planning to do matchmaking in terms of tonnage and elo when it comes to merc fights and dropship mode? Will the mercs fighting for a planet just have to bring the gorgonzola, or can they enjoy some edamer and not get brutalized by a full assault top elo team? And regarding dropship; will it be weight matching drop by drop, total tonnage of your 4 mechs, or none at all?
A: I’m going to delay answering this until we get closer to launch. We plan to use the test servers to help determine what this ultimate looks like. Stay tuned.

DEMAX51: I know that, at the moment, you address balancing issues once a month. While some people may suggest that this isn't fast enough, I can understand why you would chose this sort of time-frame.
However, once the game actually launches later this year, do you foresee balancing adjustments happening with greater regularity?
A: We actually tune the game with each patch. We do not foresee patching any more than 2x per month at this time.

White Bear 84: It is great having various offline mechlabs where you can design mechs etc. Is there any plans in the future to allow users to export their mech designs from the game for editing either on their computer or through a web browser and vice versa?
A: Probably not. The client/server nature of our game requires some pretty secure handshaking when dealing buying/selling/equipping BattleMechs. I will ask though.

James Heywood: After playing War thunder recently I noticed they had a post match replay option which you could save to your HDD. Is there a chance we will see this function added in the future? since many players like to make fan vids and recruitment videos, this would be a major help and a great way to advertise MWO through youtube etc.
A: Yes, sometime in 2014.

Maverick01: Can we expect to see a short Cinematic trailer for the launch of MWO? If yes, can the trailer be narrated by Duncan Fisher or even Morgan Freeman? This would serve to introduce the futuristic universe of the Inner Sphere, showing the war and politics of the Great Houses and ultimately leading to the Clan Invasion.
A: I would expect something cool for launch.

MustrumRidcully: Can you explain a bit about the patch release process?
I don't want to come off as overly critical or something here, but:
We've had at least two patches where missile flight paths were broken and one where missiles' splash damage interacted together with the hitbox change to make them overpowered, forcing hot fixes. Did the QA miss these issues, or did you find them too late to change anything for the build? You changed missile damage despite having flight paths and splash damage being off. I would expect the damage change would be tested, which would - unless it isn't done in game - necessitate testing the flight paths as well. How do these things fit togehter?
A: All of the above can happen and has. We have an extremely aggressive release schedule, one that sees a feature completed no more than 4 weeks ahead of going live. We’ve been working towards increasing this gap to allow for better testing and soak time. A new set of test servers will come online in the next 4 weeks. These will allow us to test major features and minor tuning adjustments at scale. Scale meaning player loads similar to our production servers. Between IGP and PGI we have finite resources and hardware. It’s almost impossible for us to replicate live conditions at scale. A lot of issues only rear their heads when we have 1,000s or 10,000s of players playing. With each month that goes by, we are able to improve our processes, and testing to improve quality and delivery of content

Forum/Website/Sales, Events and Tournaments:

Kmieciu: Was the Christmas MC sale a success? When can we expect the next MC sale?
A: I would expect an MC sale around the same time as last year, all things being equal.

Toltecher: When could we see a Developers versus the Inner Sphere weekend event (ideally including all of your dev teams and QA teams as well)? I think that would be a wonderful and exciting way to preview the Clan Invasion before handing over Clan tech to the playerbase (and don't forget to broadcast such an event live!).
A: It’s a great idea and one that’s been tossed around internally. Once we get to launch and beyond, we’ll have more time on our hands to run bigger community events. Right now the team is charging hard towards getting the last major game features in.

Smiffy: Why are the ISN news flashes no longer displayed on the home page?
A: We’re moving them to a new home on the website. They should make a return in the near future.

Hoaggie: How are feedback and suggestions from the forums weighted in the use of game development? To clarify, I see many well worded suggestions where people cite examples and sources in the forum threads, but I see many many more “X needs nerfed” or “Y needs a buff” responses that seem to drown out the ones who have sound reasons backing their ideas. Also, how do you factor in people who do not complain because they think everything is fine?
A: As you can imagine we get lots of feedback, some more qualified than others. We weigh community feedback carefully against our design goals, long term plans, and telemetry. Often what is perceived to be an issue, say Win by Capture in Assault, is not actually as big of an issue. When design goals, planning, feedback, and telemetry align to say something needs adjusting, we jump on that quickly.

Ask the Devs #38

Just a note, I did not answer any Clan specific questions this time around, as we are focused on discussing the current live version, UI 2.0, and Community Warfare.

UI 2.0

Maverick01: Would you consider adding Mech Biographies to the Mechlab for UI 2.0? Basically, the Mech Bio would give a description of the BattleMech, along with history, role, and capabilities. The Mech Bio would also show the lore behind Hero Mechs. This would be a great addition for new players and veterans alike!
A: Yes, we plan to add a lot more descriptive lore about each BattleMech and Item in the game.

Harmin: Could we be able to export and import mech loadout configurations as say XML files?A: Probably not due to the complexity of how a transaction needs to be handled between client and server. I’ll check though.

WardenWolf : In the recent announcements about UI 2.0, the following was stated: "Supports standard game resolutions 1024x768 to 1920x1200." Is there any reason you are only supporting up to 1920x1200? What is expected / planned to happen when trying to run full-screen at higher resolutions, like 2560x1440 or 2560x1600?
A: The UI is being built to support any valid resolution from 1024x768 upwards.

mekabuser: Is special attention being paid to the paint and cammo screen in UI2? Features like zoom and rotate?
A: Yes.

EJT: UI 2.0 looks great. Do you plan to make the filter settings persistent from session to session so players don't have to click a dozen things to display only their desired content every time they start the game?
A: Ideally yes. I’ll have to see if it’s doable.

Big Giant Head: Some sounds and maybe some animations and different camera angles in mechlab with UI 2.0 would be perfect. Have you considered any?
A: Definitely. We’re still working out the exact details.

Gnadelwarz: Will there be a function in UI 2.0 to save Serveral Loadouts for the Same Chasis? Like 1 Brawler Loadout, 1 Sniper, 1 LRM Load Out for a Heavy Metal. So you can change loadouts quickly with 1-2 clicks.
A: This is under review and being decided on currently.

Community Warfare/Clans

Seth: I understand that units who want to form their own MWO teams and control planets will be able to form a Merc Corp to do so. Would all people who align to one of the Successor States be lumped together in one giant team? Is there going to be someway for people to form a House team recognized by MWO or will they have to rely on their own private websites to form a cohesive team?
A: Merc Corps can align themselves with Factions. We’re exploring ways for players to create Faction Units that would work similar to a Merc Corp, but have a permanent affiliation to a specific House or Clan.

Multitallented: Regarding community warfare, how are matches between mercenaries going to be scheduled? Will there be a penalty for not responding to attacks in a reasonable time? Please describe the process of one mercenary attacking another.
A: I’m going to hold off answering this in great detail, as we plan to release this info before launch in a detailed CC post. The short answer - the penalty would be loss of the undefended planet. Matches will be scheduled during (regional) primetime periods.

Razgriz Gundam: How will the relationship between the Lyran Commonwealth, and the Federated Suns work in community warfare?
A: They will be allied for now.

MegaZordTrololo: From the sounds of it, community warfare will need the matchmaker to generate teams of players all from a single faction to start a match. Have you considered the effects on waiting times for matchmaking that this will cause? Especially considering that the future player base may be split into 1st person and 3rd person queues.
A: Yes, we do not anticipate an increase in wait times due to Lone Wolf and aligned solo Merc Unit players filling the ranks.

`Mech's and Mechbay

Asmudius Heng: Mechs are being given 'quirks' to change their handling capabilities to differentiate hero mechs and variants. Have you considered adding different quirks to all mechs to give them more flavour linked to their lore.? E.G. Awesome might get slightly better heat dissipation for PPCs, Stalker slightly better LRM reloads, Jager more ammo per ton for ballistics? Something to help differentiate mechs with minor tweaks and quirks.
A: Right now we are limited to modifying the data associated with how a Mech functions. Ie) Torso Yaw Speed. Eventually, with some engineering support we could look at additional quirks.

Adridos: What is the team's stance on the issue of "entry requirements" being raised?
Currently, for a mech to be usable, it needs to get upgraded by DHS, ES and have all it's efficiences skilled up, otherwise it is gimping itself in the match. There are already mentions of expanded pilot trees, epics and such and it may very well become a serious issue. Thus I would like to know the official stance on this.
A: This is entirely subjective. It depends at which level you play at. From my 1 in hundreds of thousands of player view, I can roll into a match with a stock Mech and be very competitive, and get lots of enjoyment. I may not be able to compete for 1^st place all the time, but I can usually place in the top 8 no sweat. Your skill and Elo rating will definitely drive the level of competitive play you will face, and therefore the requirement to bring a more efficient, upgraded `Mech to the match. This is working as intended, and plays nicely in with how a player’s skill and inventory evolve over time.

N0V0CAIN: Will the Atlas D-DC's command console allow a 9th or 13th person to enter a match and take command in a match as a passenger?
A: No plans to do so. We’re looking at a more passive benefit, rather than a literal to the TT rules.

Miles Naismith: There are a number of mechs that are available by canon but don't have enough variants to master. Any chance we can get some C-Bill buyable custom variants to flesh them out?
A: Right now we have so many BattleMechs to choose from with plenty of variants. Once we exhaust that supply, we can explore ways to bring those Mechs into the fold.

MATADOR: When will you add opportunity to sort owned mechs in mechlab automaticly by name, tonnage e.t.c. or manually by drag and drop or click some buttons (for example left and right arrows)?
A: Many of these options will be available with UI 2.0 coming out late summer.

Ngamok: We know the last 3 mechs coming out will give each weight class 5 mechs to choose from with the exception of the Assault Class. Is there a planned 5th Assault Mech in the works before Clan Mechs are introduced?
A: Yes, you should see an Assault Mech in July.
Redshift2k5: Could we see a schedule for 'mech tweaks'? Still a lot of chassis that need to be looked at.
A: Paul and David will be looking at every chassis in the summer time, once we get some other higher priority weapon tuning done.

Sparkymarkyp: Are more damage textures going to be added to mech in the future? i.e. dents, bullet holes, armour panels blown away, sparking internals fires etc
A: For performance reasons, we have opted to reduce the amount of detail currently available. As time goes one, and players update their equipment, we can explore adding back in more fidelity.

Phobic Wraith: Any way we could get an "after action report" of some sort? I mean, it would be cool if we could see what went into our c-bill payout, like contract fulfilled (or not), damage done, repairs, reloads, salvage value, etc, etc. I mean, we're mercs. It's the almighty c-bill after all...
A: You currently have this available to you at the end of a match. With UI 2.0, players will also received an out-of-match AAR as well.

Source Control: Would it be possible to remove confirmation dialog boxes from within Mech Labs when switching between Loadout and Module tab if no changes have been made? It's annoying to have to click the OK button when you're browsing through your mechs and would provide a smoother user experience.
A: I’ll see if we can make this change for UI 2.0.

Maps/Environment:

Featherwood: On all maps I regularly see 'terra-morphing miracle', landscape geometry flexes and changes - that's really annoying at times. Is there ETA for fix or any workaround how to stop it?
A: This is intended behavior and part of the Level of Detail (LOD) terrain system inside the CryEngine. Popping/clipping/missing geometry on the other hand are either rendering bugs, or video card driver issues.

Skalpel: Any chance for dynamic weather? As in random time of day (mornin, midday, dusk) and sometimes rain sometimes pure blue skies.. It would give a lot to the dynamic and beauty of the game.
A: We currently have this in Frozen City, and will be added to more map variants in the future.

9erRed: Will future graphical and engine improvements allow for true cover from view, and provide some disruption of fire?
A: We have true cover currently, with exception of some destructible objects like trees.

Zhiel: Are there any plans to address the missing textures (or fail to load) on the Frozen City maps?
A: If it has been reported to support@mwomercs.com, then we have it in our JIRA database, and it will be looked into.

3Xtr3m3: Will PGI ever introduce Air Composition variations and Gravity variations that will strongly effect mechs and mech weapons?
A: We’re looking into low grav, however it’s a very risky change to the mechanics of gameplay.

KuruptU4Fun: Will there ever be environmental conditions that will effect the landscape? Like a avalanche/ rock slide that would cut off an avenue in a map in Tourmaline or Forest? Or something like a variant of a map that has a thunderstorm and lightning strikes would blind those using (night/ heat vision) temporarily?
A: We’d love to do this and will eventually get to a point where level designers can add stateful gameplay objects that play nice with our server authoritative architecture.

Weapons & Loadouts

Mahws: Really happy to see the recent command chair post on weapon balancing, doubly so that we can expect them in the next patch. Any word on balancing changes to single heat sinks though? Would be good to see viable non-DHS builds.
A: This will be looked at again closer to or after launch.

Koniving: Will it be possible for flamers to emit a field of smoke? Or any smoke effects?
A: I’ll let the BT/science wizzes comment, but I’m pretty sure it’s engine plasma, which does not really create smoke until it contacts with a surface.

Krzysztof z Bagien: Do you have any plans to change existing or add some new types of crosshairs to make it more "marksman friendly" (like making it more transparent or changing the shape of it)? Right now it obscures the target a lot, and when you have lock-on weapons you can barely see what's under the reticule.
A: Eventually we plan to allow more HUD customizations, including color.

Pencilboom: What do you guys feel about large weapons boating? And what are you guys planning to do to prevent them from creating game imbalances?
A: This is something that Paul is looking into currently and he will post a CC statement on his findings. We’re also exploring incentivizing players to balance out their BattleMechs better on a personal and team level in addition to small tuning changes.

Thontor: Once HSR makes hit detection reliable for all weapons, can we expect to see more frequent balance changes, of simple weapon variable numbers, possibly every patch?
A: We make changes to balance at least once a month and will continue to do so.

Arhurt: When can we expect all mechs to have the actual weapon models change as we add/change weapons (similarly to the Highlanders)? Can we expect, for example, the ballistic spot on the CDA-3M to change to an MG or a LBX-10 if we so change the loadout? Would a spider actually have a huge PPC sticking out it's chest?
A: Eventually.

FrostCollar: What's the dev team's vision for indirect fire? There are two tools that have specific abilities that help facilitiate it (TAG, NARC) and one piece of equipment that has little purpose except to help protect you from it (AMS), yet the only system that we have with the capability to fire indirectly is the LRM and right now few use them compared to direct fire weapons.
A: For now this is the only indirect fire weapon.

JaniTheWeedman: Are there any plans for improving advanced zoom module? I understand that PiP is a problem, why not make it a plain x4 zoom? (without the PiP function)
A: The rendering team will be looking at it in the future.

RenegadeMaster: Can you contrast how the upcoming Seismic Sensor Module and existing 360 Target Retention modules will be similar or different from one another?
A: Seismic Senor detects BattleMech movement. Retention maintains a target after you have received an IDENT. They work hand in hand.

C12AZyED: Are you considering making changes to the Flamer to make it more viable in realistic combat scenarios?
A: Yes in the May 21^st patch.

FullMetalJackass: Are there any plans to increase the theatrics of the artillery strike? I like the damage it does but it seems to be very lacking the looks department
A: Yes.

ZnSeventeen: In regards to critical slot splitting, as happens in the King Crab, will you ever consider having different numbers of critical slots in specific mechs as their "quirk." Ex: King Crab gets extra arm crits and fewer torso crits so the problems of slot splitting would be allayed.
A: It’s a very specific TT rule. Right now we’re not looking to add it.

Foust: Has there been consideration given to adding minimum ranges to other extended range weapons such as the ER PPC and Gauss Rifle similar to LRM's and the PPC?
A: No plans to do so as this was one of the benefits of these weapons.

Wispsy: At least on certain mechs (Jenner for one) SSRMs only hit the front ct, even if the mech is directly behind you you can die with full back armour. Is there any plans to change this at all considering how quickly they can kill lights right now?
A: Currently the SSRMs will randomly hit one of 8 bones on a Mech. The cluster of these bones is generally around the CT area. In addition to a large splash damage effect, and damage transfer – most of the damage is ending up on the CT, even though the missiles are actually hitting at different locations on the mech. It’s not actually a bug, rather a tuning fix to minimize splash damage. This tuning adjustment will go live in the first patch of June. Unfortunately, the fix was a tad late for the 21^st patch.

StalaggtIKE: What are some details or updates of the following within information warfare:
· active/passive radar? – After launch.
· vision modes? - No changes for now. Except for performance related.
· BAP?
· NARC?
· TAG?
· Command Console? – Waiting for design. Higher priority items are pushing this back.
· ECM?
A: Please take a look at the Command Chair Forum for the latest information on the rest: http://mwomercs.com/...-command-chair/

Gameplay/Game modes/Meta

3rdworld: With 12v12 coming: What do you believe is the maximum number of players / mechs you could put in a game world while delivering a good gaming experience?
Example: Is it technologically possible/feasible to have a 50v50 mechwarrior match or would the network/computer requirements be to great?
A: It’s hard question to answer. With each additional player, fidelity has to go down. We’d have to rewrite a large portion of the CryEngine to support more than 24, as it was built for humanoid PVP, not giant mechanized beasts. Theoretically, if we improved the renderer, streaming engine, networking code, and reduced the fidelity by a factor, we could push player counts higher. The game/gameplay would be completely different as well.

Metafox: Do you have any future plans to accommodate groups of 5+ players who want to play together but are unable to fill a full 12-man?
A: Yes. We’re getting close to feeling confident in the matchmaker, which is the sole reason for not allowing it currently.

urbeker: Are there any plans to make scouting easier, such as adding something above the range finder in the hud showing what grid you are looking at or a key to call out contact in the grid you are looking at?
A: Interesting idea.

BFett: In Dev Blog 3 it states that "Each BattleMech chassis has its own pool of XP and custom Tech Tree. At certain branch points in the BattleMech Tech Tree, a Pilot Point is awarded to the player." When can we expect to see pilot points in the game, and if they are not being implemented then what can we expect to see for more customized play?
A: I have answered this question a few times. We moved away from trees, in favor of the current system, which affords the player more choice.

ElLocoMarko: Is the base capture rate for assault mode being assessed.... perhaps to include map size as a factor... ?
A: It’s right about where we want it. See this tweet about the stats - https://twitter.com/...830885091119106

DeathofSelf: What is your reason behind the decision to not reintroduce collisions/knockdowns until after launch?
A: Priorities mostly. The same people needed to work on Collisions are needed to work on CW and UI 2.0.

Draz McMillen: Any chance, down the line, of a hardcore mode where damage or mech destruction results in repairs or loss of the mech?
A: Maybe.

grayson marik: Will we be able to match one premade group of any size against an other specific premade group of same size any time soon to prevent the frustration of being forced to syncdrop multiple 4 men groups just to play together with our friends and without not needed nor wanted pug fillers in our match?
A: See previous answer (up a few).

TexAss: Why don't we get capture assist bonuses in Conquest?
A: You’re not capturing a base. You’re accumulating resources.

Lilslugger: Would it be possible to switch between 1st and 3rd person view when spectating another player after death rather than only seeing 1st person?
A: Probably.

Weaselball: I've heard a particularly disheartening rumor that, aside from simply stepping away from the game for weeks at a time, there is no real way to lower one's current ELO. If you're stuck in a bracket that you got in because of a series of exceptionally lucky games, you're screwed. Is this true?
A: Absolutely not true. The only way to change your Elo score is to play the game and win or lose. Being idle keeps your score exactly where it is.

Surtr: I've always been fond of the canon portrayals of mech combat being carried out primarily by lighter groups of mechs (lights and mediums) so with that in mind: Will there ever be an option to play in a specific weight bracket, or set of weight brackets?
A: Possibly.

Timuroslav: Can we expect Bigger Matches ie: 12+players versus 12+players on a 7kmsq map in the Far Far Far Far Far Far future? I'm hoping for 32vs 32 Thrashing Trashing Thursdays
A: Just 12 v 12 for now.

Kmieciu: People using macros is a sign that the game controls could be improved. What's the official response for these ideas that have been floating around forums since closed beta?:
- changing ultra autocannons behavior: hold button for single fire (no jam, like regular autocannons), tap to double fire (a risk of jamming)
- chain fire with shorter delay between shots (usefull for AC2)
- ability to toggle TAG on/off (just like missile bay doors)
Anyone with a macro can already do all that, why not helping new players by giving everyone the same opportunities?
A: We’re going to look at any macros that may pose a balance issue and see if anything needs to be addressed in gameplay.

Miscenalleous

MoonUnitBeta: How come mechs running animation seems to roller skate or slide forward along the ground when they start running? Is it some kind of sync error?
A: The rate of movement through space does not always match the rate of animation. It’s almost impossible to get right 100% time in a game’s real time engine simulation.

Cubivorre: Is there a confirmed date for DX11, or at least a 'good chance' ETA?
A: Between now and launch.

Dr B00t: Are there any plans to expand the options? i.e. mouse sensitivity bar, depth of field, and depth of vision and other graphics settings
A: Yes.

Zerberus: Currently Heat Vision causes a 5-10 fps drop on many systems, hurting it`s usefulness for some players that don`t have the newest and best PC (because you essentially either have to choose between Heat Vision or playable framerates). Is this being actively tweaked?
A: Not actively, but I’ll pass it along.

Citizen Erased: Shall we be able to hear Betty announcing the classical "target destroyed" ? The only orgasmic boomish thing that is missing to me...
A: We plan to do a recording pass in the future once a few more features go into the game.

Spawnsalot: What's PGI's stance on things like sound mods? I'd love to mod the audio to give the weapon sounds a more harsh but muffled quality for instance, or more jarring, echoey weapon impacts and a more noticeable reactor hum.
A: We’d prefer it if players elected not to modify any PAK files as it invalidates your build and makes it near impossible for us to provide support.

Mattiator: With many of us clamoring over the music seen in the "Misery" trailer, are there any plans or possiblity that we will see a soundtrack release featuring Sean Kolton's tracks used in the trailers?
A: I’ll see what we can do.

NextGame: Can we have downloadable versions of the music from the mwo videos that have been put out to date (particularly the illmerica cover, and the one from the Misery video)?
A: See above.

paladinowp: Will there be a chance of releasing book -> Art of MechWarrior Online in the future? And... ETA if possible? =)
A: See above x 2.

BlueSanta: Have you thought about doing any videos of the studio and yourselves to make yourselves and your work more personable to the community? We only ever read what you write or see a couple of you in interviews. Why not do a walk through of the studio, meet the team short interviews, or the like? It's easy for people to rage at essentially strangers who they only know of inside the game. I'd like to see your real life selves fleshed out a little.
A: We’d love to.

LonestarrSB: I know you guys work hard on updating the game with new things. With regards to new content coming up you post very occasionally on the forums with content roadmaps and screen shots now and again with screen grabs of some new content. My question is, Is it possible to get more of that information displayed on the main page of the website? Even if it's just concept or just ideas or screenshots. A front page that has more updates and plans posted is good for new and old players alike.
A: We’re going to be amending the news roll on the front page to add more of these updates, which are typically found in the Command Chair section of the forums.

Willie Sauerland: If you guys were able to get a Mulligan, what would you go back and completely rip out of the current game so you could do it differently?
A: The UI.

Cockpit, HUD & Customizations

IqfishLP: Any Updates on the Cockpit Screens? It would add a HUGE amount of realism to the mech's cockpit, instead of just showing "no signal".
A: Eventually. It’s low priority currently.

Ramien: Will there ever be an option to change the camo colors or patterns for just specific parts of a 'Mech?
A: The system only allows for a global pattern changes and up to three color channels.

Terran123rd: We know there's going to be swappable heads/torsos/legs/etc, but what about other options for customization, like weapon effects (in-client only) or custom skins (as opposed to the standard camo skins you can buy from the micro-store)?What are the chances of things like that?
A: Reasonable over time.

Fat Amy: Any chance of a sophisticated damage-display? Like switching between different schematics (like the bar-diagram in mw4) to assess damage to specific mech-parts? The color-schematic we have now doesnt do it for me! This could even be something for those inactive monitors in the cockpit.
A: The HUD will be getting some updates after we finish UI 2.0.

Elric von Rabenfels: Now that hero mechs are paintable, will founder mechs also be fully colourable in the near future?
A: Yes.

Vegalas: Are there any plans of bringing down the paint costs permanently or making tweaks that would make it cheaper to buy a camo otherwise? At the moment paint and camo cost are so high that buying a mech is cheaper than buying a camo with certain paints.
A: We are always looking at ways to bring more value to the player.

Karl Streiger: Are there any plans in moving to bring "canon" paint schemes?
Lyran Royal Guards?
Alliance Jaegers?
Lyran Guards?
Davion Guards?
A: Yes with CW. Although not necessarily those specific units, as they are still TBD.

Forum/Website/Sales and Tournaments:

FireDog: Would you consider letting your fan/player base submit draft ISN News Flash reports for possible MWO forum transmission? In addition to lighting the leg work for your staff, it could be setup as a fun weekly/daily competition with small rewards (MC, C-bills, GXP, hud items, mech colors, etc.) for winning ISN news stories getting published. The MWO team would of course be the final authority in all reports.
A: I think it’s a very neat idea! Randall currently provides all of the content for the ISN feed. Eventually this will also include automated battle reports and other fluff.

Scromboid: Will there be any more 'Founders Type' sales? For clan invasion or release, maybe?
A: You never know.

Lusankya: Will you be introducing more premium time options (ie: 6 hour or 12 hour intervals) in the future?
A: Not plans to add sub day premium time concepts - yet.

Since Social elements of the UI are worthy of their own channel, please post your ideas here.

This thread will serve as the official and dedicated feedback channel. Please keep your feedback, responses, comments and concerns limited to this thread so that we may ensure no valuable opinions are lost.