38 replies to this topic

[Chemie]

So let me start by saying I think a lobby is a core functionality and that PGI gets to "monetize it" by having a dedicated, engaged player base playing the game and buying the existing F2P stuff. In fact, I suspect that players using the lobby (which would not pay out CB or XP), would tend to buy more things via MC or premium time to help their pug time to generate CB needed to sustain their addiction to the lobby.

Having said that, I know PGI has said they are not sold on the idea of a lobby and that they need to figure out the business model for it.

So, time for Russ to innovate the F2P model again with a kickstarter for a lobby. I admit there is an opportunity cost to having programmers code a lobby versus pink fuzzy dice so kickstart that cost.

If you look at the founders program, it showed there is a large, fanatic, player base who want this game to succeed and be around for many years. Anyone who bought Legendary was more funding the game than buying value (over the elite).

So run a kickstarter. You could do two levels. $10 to get a lobby and $25 to get lobby+some swag (say MC or premium time),

Assuming 5 programmer for 2 months, that would run $100,000 so only only need 10,000 legendary founders to pony up $10 (equiv. to one month premium). I bet you would would get easily get this.

(Note to people reading this. I did not make this a poll since they seem to drop off the board quickly so just like this post and when we get 10,000 likes maybe Russ will be on board). Heck, posting the kickstarter does not cost anything anyway so why not just try it Russ? Please?

[Mjolnir]

What do you envision this lobby doing?

[Chemie]

I should have stated that for those who miss the point.

A lobby allows you to do your own match making. ie. play with clan mates, play challenge matches against other clans etc. Some would like topick map, weight restrictions etc but I am fine with the ability to play against others without having to sync drop.

[Noth]

They are adding a type of lobby. It just wont be a typical lobby.

[Lyteros]

Kickstarter?
So millions of revenue for founders did not include a lobby function?

Do you even think before you post?

[Disclaimer: IF you are just trolling, think about all the goldies and fanboys who will take this serious!]

Edited by Lyteros, 17 March 2013 - 05:04 AM.

[AnnoyingCat]

Now your mechs can have a tea party in the lobby

[Chemie]

Lyteros, on 17 March 2013 - 05:03 AM, said:

Kickstarter?
So millions of revenue for founders did not include a lobby function?

Do you even think before you post?

[Disclaimer: IF you are just trolling, think about all the goldies and fanboys who will take this serious!]

No I am serious. Are you trolling? If you can read, you can see I said I prefer it would be core to game but since it isnt, I provide an option for us to get it.

Edited by Chemie, 17 March 2013 - 05:44 AM.

[danust]

Would we get smoking jackets? And those tiny crackers?

If so I'm in.

[Cebi]

Cooks, broth. PGI already have a team, you can't just throw extra people at it.

[Noth]

Chemie, on 17 March 2013 - 05:44 AM, said:

No I am serious. Are you trolling? If you can read, you can see I said I prefer it would be core to game but since it isnt, I provide an option for us to get it.

You are already getting a lobby. Also at this point, you cant just throw money at it and expect it to change.

[Stoicblitzer]

I'm not putting any more money into this. Kickstarters for certain features would start a bad precedent.

I completely understand your frustration.

Edited by Stoicblitzer, 17 March 2013 - 05:51 AM.

[Lyteros]

Chemie, on 17 March 2013 - 05:44 AM, said:

No I am serious. Are you trolling? If you can read, you can see I said I prefer it would be core to game but since it isnt, I provide an option for us to get it.

You think throwing money at a problem is a good idea? Have you thought about the consequences?
Like: "Hey whenever something goes wrong they pay more... lets add some problems in each patch and ignore/delay all promised features until we get at least paid tripple for them"

I have no problem with the idea of using kickstarter to get some NEW features which would have to be financed independend of the main product (like singleplayer stuff in MWO), but to pay multiple times for core features that every 3rd class homeprogramming project has is just too much, especially after the patch, missing content and error history here. I'm also quite sure the lobby was already announced.

We already paid in good faith for founders, we paid in good faith for all the stuff in a BETA (at least thats what most people call it), IMHO there is no need to pay even more without having the product delivered we paid for yet. Getting new features in right now, with all the problems, may prove hard since the human resources needed for it are not available.

Edited by Lyteros, 17 March 2013 - 05:52 AM.

[Thorn Hallis]

Chemie, on 17 March 2013 - 04:56 AM, said:

A lobby allows you to do your own match making. ie. play with clan mates, play challenge matches against other clans etc. Some would like topick map, weight restrictions etc but I am fine with the ability to play against others without having to sync drop.

It seems to me that this is something PGI does not want in their game.

[Noth]

Read the answers to Ask the Devs 33. You will get private matches which are essentially what you are wanting. Throwing money at it wont make it come any faster

[PoLaR]

I agree with you on that we could really use a nice lobby system, but paying for It seems a little ridiculous.

We already pay for pretty much everything else lol

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Noth, on 17 March 2013 - 05:57 AM, said:

Read the answers to Ask the Devs 33. You will get private matches which are essentially what you are wanting. Throwing money at it wont make it come any faster

Unlikely, we'll be getting a lobby that ties us into PGI and who they want us to play for Community Warfare.

[Malisinn]

Private matches if they are only organized through our friends list isn't going to accomplish what public lobbies could.

[Gaan Cathal]

DV McKenna, on 17 March 2013 - 06:34 AM, said:

Unlikely, we'll be getting a lobby that ties us into PGI and who they want us to play for Community Warfare.

That seems like a fairly sensible method for avoiding fifteen separate groups of beards from throwing their hands up in disgust at CW (because they're loosing) and starting their own 'real CW' leagues where they can manipulate the rules to suit their own prejudices.

[Malisinn]

Gaan Cathal, on 17 March 2013 - 06:39 AM, said:

That seems like a fairly sensible method for avoiding fifteen separate groups of beards from throwing their hands up in disgust at CW (because they're loosing) and starting their own 'real CW' leagues where they can manipulate the rules to suit their own prejudices.

Just like when that happened before...

[Synra]

This whole topic seems out of place. It's like you are a baseball player, offering to pay money to go directly to 3rd base. It might actually work... but it's not the right way of doing things.

There is no reason we should have to pay additional money to get a feature that probably should be in the game by now. The problem here is the very large disconnect between players, the game and PGI. It's almost impossible to get them to listen to us and do something about the very serious problems in the game. Lobby functionality, particularly the ability to publicly chat with others outside of matches, is something that we have needed all along. I know I have explained that many times over the months. This blind random launching should not still be the norm, today.

It's worth understanding here that we are still using the same original bare-bones launcher / mechlab that we have had since early beta. Yes, they have changed a few things around and made some improvements, but it really hasn't evolved much at all. Supposedly they are working on a whole new launcher, but we were supposed to get that in January. Who knows when that will happen now.

As someone else said earlier in this thread, I am done giving them money. Countless players contributed to the future of this game by buying a founders pack last summer. That money was meant to improve the development of MWO. But as I understand it, PGI is still short staffed. They haven't hired any new people to help get this project done. Not only that, but they invested our founders money into the development of two other unrelated games, by different studios. That's money that could have paid for a new UI programmer to build the lobby functionality that is being asked for in this thread.