102 replies to this topic

[SgtMagor]

been hoping for a test bay a long time this is sought of getting into the try before you buy, so that might be a problem on PGI's end...

[Shrike ski]

the test bay could include a "buy it now" button as well so that once you get the build you like you can just directly by it if you have the c-bills/MC

[MandaloreWise01]

I like the idea. It would also drive new recruits to a specific goal for a 'mech design.

[Jon Gotham]

This is an extremely sensible and sound idea.


*EDIT*
Shrike ski's idea is also a fine idea, nice one:)

Edited by kamiko kross, 25 November 2013 - 10:01 AM.

[DLFReporter]

I'm all for a testing area, but online offline.

[Karl Streiger]

I would make an addition to that idea.
While I don't think that this would ever happen. May it be MechLab -> Testing Grounds -> Buy

To analyses a Mech you need several rounds on Testing Grounds. While it is adequate to shoot at real targets i wish there would be a kind of course
You have a fixed defined route with "target" balloons at both sides - in cover, without cover in different ranges.
Each balloon can take up to 10-20dmg. They could be static and they could be dynamic popping up.

The goal is to move your mech as fast as possible through that course - while killing as much balloons as possible.
That will give you an good idea about "mobility" - firing arc and heat and damage capabilities

In addition those target balloons should be able to answer fire - to cause a "battle" situation were players learn to defend from incomming fire and deliver fast and precise firepower of their own

[Ngamok]

I would like this feature as well. Smurfy only does so much but until you can go out and test it to see if you actually like it before you buy, it would help newer players. Also, to the suggestion about seeing how much it costs, smurfy does list a cost in the upper right hand corner for parts, mech, and upgrades.

[Myke Pantera]

This feature sounds plain AWESOME!!!

Add to it that you can actually run the mech from the testing bay for let's say 100.000 CBills and don't gain CBills or XP during the match and we'd have a brilliant new feature to try new stuff without the need to grind CBills for weeks/months.

The problem is, i have the honest feeling that IGP won't add a feature that might reduce their cash-income on first sight, although this particular feature would make a lot of players happier, and might (you never know) help generate more money on the long run.

[Darling_In_The_MeXX]

Ingenious, this would have saved me a couple million by now! (When I say that I mean 20,000,000 +)

[DevilMan187]

As a newjack to MWO, let me start by saying this is my first post and though I've never played WarHammer 40K, Vampires??, MechWarrior, etc games on the 20 something sided dice platforms I did LOVE the old BattleTech pod games. In fact one of my friends in Japan (I was stationed there while in the US Navy) was the "First International Grand Master" of the game.

I am on the fence about buying into this game for these very reasons. I have been playing for about a week and though it says that the "Test Mechs Change" I have yet to see that. Other than some of the variants maybe. On the "Test Field" I also thought I may be able to build a mech and test it out. WRONG!!! Yes the test field is weak at best with only running around really a test. Sure you can test your firing, and your heat, and your other things, but overall it's nothing in the current mode.

I don't know if any of you have been subjected to having me on your team, and if so I offer my apologies as all I can hope to do is run around and draw fire off of you guys and hope that you get some good shots in before I die.

If you were able to TEST build a mech and make sure that all of your items fit, (I have one in mind that I want to try out, but have no clue where to do it and I just learned of Smurfy's but still a bit hard to decipher for me) and see what your max speed, your jump distance, your heatup/cool down, your basic, "Will this all fit under the hood?" idea for things I think it would be AWESOME!!!!

I have not bought into the game because I know of the 25 round "cadet" bonus... but I'm not gonna waste them shooting for trial and error on something. In todays world MWO is in competition with all of the other games out there. Do you want to grow more players? Or do all of you that KNOW MW by heart wanna keep it to yourselves? People, like me, don't have the time/money to earn "millions" of CBills to "TRY" something.

I'm not saying that PGI can't make money. I am saying that making a little a lot of times is sometimes better than making a lot a little of the time.

If you were able to build a mech of any sort with any components and run it on the test bed for free with nothing major.. you don't really need moving targets... I mean focus on a piece of terrain and try and shoot it. But then you could pay some C Bills to run the mech in actual games. I don't know all of the numbers but, 10K for 1 run or 50K for 6 runs or something like that. You do NOT earn any cbills or other perks on any of those games that the mech is run in. Stuff like that is what "TEST" is.

Anyway, as you can probably guess, I voted YES. I hope to see this happen. When it does I would like to actually buy into the game. Until it happens, I'll just run the trial mechs as I'm too broke/poor/cheap/frugal/OCD/stubborn to throw my "money" out the window. And yes it's my MONEY. Whether it's Cbills, MC, or my phone/internet bill, or my electricity, or my time to play the game. Or any number of other "cost" that can be considered in while "playing".

Please consider this an option.

See you guys out there I hope.

DM

[Ziogualty]

I play Planetside2 and it has exactely what you wish.
There is a testing ground were you can try all weapons, vehicles and planes with every attachment the game has to offer, and it works perfectly fine.

Expecially during sales, everyone can go test them and see if the discount item is worthy or not.

Of course nothing you try there has any connection with your actual item/equip ingame. The game simply reset everything you tested once you leave the place.

[Sandpit]

A "simulator" option would be great for sales. Load up all of the mechs on sale and allow players to drop in them in testing grounds and see how they like the mech itself. As far as being able to build mechs and experiment just use Smurfy

[LauLiao]

I like that you can vote for "abstain" in this poll.

#irony

[Pz_DC]

Long time ago, when they just add testing grounds I've told about testing mode - any mech, any weapon, any module for free but only for testing matches. Looks like no1 like it.

Edited by MGA121285, 19 February 2014 - 10:27 AM.

[Hoffenstein]

This is a great idea!

[BFett]

This idea was also touched on in the MWO Concept UI thread and it showed how it could be integrated into the interface.

[Ordellus]

This will never happen the way you want.

What might happen is:
1) They develop an awesome, kick ass, test mech builder
2) They make you pay real money to use it b/c they're money ***** ********, and they could care less if you have a shitty time playing their game without it.

[GreyGriffin]

New map

"Simulator pit."

Looks like the landscape out of Tron. Or old school MW 2 Image Enhancement.

[Reno Blade]

I would like to have
1.) the ability to customize mechs in the mechlab like smurfy without the need to buy them first
But without the ability to play test the mech.

and
2.) the ability to play stock mechs (no champions/heros) in any game

and maybe
3.) the ability to play stock mechs incl. champ/hero in testing grounds.

4.) With the stock mechs you would be considered as a minus 20% or - 200 ELO points for public matches to prevent gimping your team too much.

[ProfessorD]

This is an utterly brilliant idea that needs to be bumped and spread until it's implemented. It's good for the players, because we can build and try things without the usual crushing risk of making mistakes and wasting MC or CBills, and it's good for PGI, because they can put a big glowing "Buy Now!" button front and center on your "Test Bay."

This alone would substantially improve that "new player experience" we hear so much about and seems to still suck years after we got started on this business.