15 replies to this topic

[Alistair Winter]

My first Mechwarrior game was Mechwarrior 2. Anyone who's played it will remember that all maps contained a minimum of detail, I guess the maps had a maximum polygon count of 100 or something. Basically, desert missions were vast, flat, yellow areas with a few cube-like mountains. Polar missions were vast, flat, white areas, with a few cube-like mountains. Tundra missions were vast, flat, blue areas, with... well, you get the point.

Anyway, my problem is this: every time I hear the start up sequence "All systems nominal", I'm reminded of the glorious old Mechwarrior games with their vast, flat landscapes, devoid of plants, structures or mountains with a polygon count above 20. It's hard to explain, but my concept of Mechwarrior falls somewhere between Heavy Gear and Tron, but with bigger and stompier robots. My concept of Mechwarrior isn't gritty, it's smooth.

Is there anyone else out there who appreaciate the photorealistic beauty of, say, River City, but would desperately like to see a good old Mechwarrior 2 map for MW:O with a vast, flat area with a few cube-like mountains?

I know, I know, it might not have the same tactical challenges as the more detailed maps. It might not have as much waterfalls and other eye candy. But it will be Mechwarrior, dammit!

TL:DR: Give me a map that looks like this:

Edited by Alistair Winter, 17 November 2014 - 01:56 PM.

[Team Leader]

lol

I want them to include that as an "ENHANCED IMAGING!!!" module!

[Terran123rd]

I can probably safely say that you're probably the only one and that what you're asking for is not going to happen. We're liable to get big maps, yes. We're liable to get flat maps, yes. Something as barren as what you're asking for? Not likely.

[Team Leader]

Terran123rd, on 09 March 2013 - 09:32 AM, said:

I can probably safely say that you're probably the only one and that what you're asking for is not going to happen. We're liable to get big maps, yes. We're liable to get flat maps, yes. Something as barren as what you're asking for? Not likely.

What if the clans invade planet minecraft?

[Alistair Winter]

So I guess you're not willing to join me in boycotting PGI untill we get a MW2 style map? I was about to start a poll and everything.

[Relic1701]

Team Leader, on 09 March 2013 - 09:57 AM, said:

What if the clans invade planet minecraft?

They already have......



...oh noes.....!!!!

[Terran123rd]

Team Leader, on 09 March 2013 - 09:57 AM, said:

What if the clans invade planet minecraft?

Then we can face them with our bows and swords. You dig the moat, I'll get the walls going.

Honestly, I think what you're taking as style choices, Alistair, was nothing more than a technical limitation. With the capabilities of today's engines (and we're talking about cryengine here, no less), maps can be made more varied, more complex, and simply better than a flat surface with a few cubes sticking out of it. While understand that the limited maps that were in MechWarrior 2 hold nostalgic value for you, you, honestly, are probably the only one with that particular form of nostalgia.

EDIT:

Ninja'd.

Edited by Terran123rd, 09 March 2013 - 12:26 PM.

[Alistair Winter]

Terran123rd, on 09 March 2013 - 12:25 PM, said:

Honestly, I think what you're taking as style choices, Alistair, was nothing more than a technical limitation. With the capabilities of today's engines (and we're talking about cryengine here, no less), maps can be made more varied, more complex, and simply better than a flat surface with a few cubes sticking out of it. While understand that the limited maps that were in MechWarrior 2 hold nostalgic value for you, you, honestly, are probably the only one with that particular form of nostalgia.

I can see that, but technical limitations do sometimes create visual styles that are interesting for their own right. Just look at pixel art, or all the indie games out there trying to combine old graphics with new. Like Sword and Sworcery.

I just think the Mechwarrior universe lends itself very well to minimalistic visual styles, because the universe itself is very childish and fantasy-like. As much as I like the gritty visual style we have now, it's very hard to give this game the same raw and gritty emotional setting of a more mature sci-fi universe.

[Alex Corkum]

It would be fun and interesting to have a "Classic" maps with landscapes as you describe. That being said, I would much rather them flesh out the existing game and fix the myriad of bugs that recently cropped up.

[Khanublikhan]

I used to love piloting in wireframe mode in the early mechwarrior games.

Perhaps we can get the developers to have a wireframe mode for the training missions only (textures / shaders / effects off) as a homage to the previous games.

To devs: Any chance we can see what the game looks like running with just the base models (wireframe) no textures or nothing?

[KingCobra]

PGI has made wonderful maps I do believe it would be in there best interest thought to let fans and players use or distribute the mapmaker. Fan based content as far as maps would be spectacular and you could go back and recreate any of the old MechWarrior maps I believe there were around 1000 maps total for MW2-MW4Mercinaries + expansions. And the Crytek Eng SDK has a Mapmaker in it.---> http://www.fileplane.../1/section/Maps --------->

[Davers]

Alistair Winter, on 09 March 2013 - 10:03 AM, said:

So I guess you're not willing to join me in boycotting PGI untill we get a MW2 style map? I was about to start a poll and everything.

A poll? Don't joke about things like that. Polls are serious business.

[Ranek Blackstone]

KingCobra, on 10 April 2013 - 12:24 PM, said:

PGI has made wonderful maps I do believe it would be in there best interest thought to let fans and players use or distribute the mapmaker. Fan based content as far as maps would be spectacular and you could go back and recreate any of the old MechWarrior maps I believe there were around 1000 maps total for MW2-MW4Mercinaries + expansions. And the Crytek Eng SDK has a Mapmaker in it.---> http://www.fileplane.../1/section/Maps --------->

It's not that they're map Nazis and won't let us have the SDK because they're mean. It's because user created content needs to be swept for possible copyright infringement before it could go live.

That, and lets face it. 99% of the stuff people would be submitting would be total crap.

[aniviron]

I always think of Battletech in MW2 terms as well, it was how I was introduced to the franchise. But playing against AI is a lot more fun than playing against humans when the cover is, um, sparse.

Khanublikhan, on 10 April 2013 - 12:14 PM, said:

I used to love piloting in wireframe mode in the early mechwarrior games.

Perhaps we can get the developers to have a wireframe mode for the training missions only (textures / shaders / effects off) as a homage to the previous games.

To devs: Any chance we can see what the game looks like running with just the base models (wireframe) no textures or nothing?

Would be a lot of work for a feature that was only in training grounds. Especially given that models are subdivided incredibly heavily these days, a wireframe of one of these mechs would be almost solid anyway, very different from the MW2 aesthetic.

[Khanublikhan]

aniviron, on 10 April 2013 - 12:35 PM, said:

I always think of Battletech in MW2 terms as well, it was how I was introduced to the franchise. But playing against AI is a lot more fun than playing against humans when the cover is, um, sparse.



Would be a lot of work for a feature that was only in training grounds. Especially given that models are subdivided incredibly heavily these days, a wireframe of one of these mechs would be almost solid anyway, very different from the MW2 aesthetic.

Quite possibly so. Still. I quite like the idea of seeing the game running like that - as a dev video diary or sumthin'.

[MentalPatient]

I too had that nostalgic feel upon startup, however I feel this game has its own feel, and CW will hopefully expand on that feel even further to flesh it out even more. We used to get that feel because we were awed by Mechwarrior, there was nothing else like it, and we were instantly placed on another world which to our naive eyes was totally believable, with Titan beasts of steel roving the plains. Although there is no going back to that game, maybe certain maps will capture that feel, with salt lakes or long icy plains. However with newer gaming technology today we have the chance to fully realise the Mechwarrior universe firsthand. I remember those cutscenes and intros taking place in canyon like areas, that's what I look forward to, and it looks like we might get that. I hope with CW, the devs go all out to capture that feel from those CGI videos, and put us IN the Mechwarrior universe, not just having a small window into a battle taking place, but to immerse ourselves in the lives of a Mechwarrior and all it entails. In the future maybe if this gets pulled off, we might look back on MWO with fond nostalgia as a fully worthy Mechwarrior title.

Edited by MentalPatient, 10 April 2013 - 01:04 PM.