51 replies to this topic

[Lefty Lucy]

The entire trial mech system has been a nightmare since it debuted. Especially with MWO's heat system, stock mechs just can't hold a candle to mechs that have been designed specifically to handle MWO's relatively higher fire rate and slower dissipation rates.

Today I gave the new experiment a go: a player-designed trial mech.

In 5 games, this thing just rocked. 4:1 KDR, 4:1 W/L, 279 damage per match, it is just a really, really decent mech to drive. It's heat curve is forgiving, and it has plenty of ammo, which is really important to allowing noobs to learn their weapons.

I think the trial mech system is still intrinsically flawed, but if every trial mech were as solidly designed as this thing, it would be a lot more reasonable for keeping new players playing until they own their own mechs.

[Urdnot Mau]

Maybe more trial contests will be nice.

[Tennex]

A step in the right direction is viable stock mechs.

Heat efficiency needs to be at 1.0 instead of 1.4

[Sug]

Tennex, on 07 April 2013 - 09:55 PM, said:

Heat efficiency needs to be at 1.0 instead of 1.4

So......hotter mechs?

[Lefty Lucy]

Sug, on 07 April 2013 - 10:09 PM, said:

So......hotter mechs?

Didn't make any sense to me either.

[BlightFang]

It wouldn't be too bad either if more trial mechs came with DHS and endo-steel built-in. I'm personally a fan XL engines and think they are a must too(except on Atlas).. although I'm sure many would disagree.

[Renthrak]

Lefty Lucy, on 07 April 2013 - 11:17 PM, said:

Didn't make any sense to me either.

I think he meant that what is currently a heat efficiency rating of 1.4 is where a rating of 1.0 should be.

[Deathlike]

Heat efficiency needs to be above 1.2 (in game) to even become viable. I forget what it shows at smurfy's, but it's closer to 30% or better.

1.3 or 1.4 gets to the cushy side of the heat curve (40-50% @ smurfy's).

[Victor Morson]

Urdnot Mau, on 07 April 2013 - 09:47 PM, said:

Maybe more trial contests will be nice.

They need to make all four trials custom variants at the very least, if they insist on sticking to this trial 'mech idea. It's still an awful, awful plan that is literally hurting their wallet yet they don't seem to care. But I will say that newbies piloting the Dragon seem to having a FAR better experience than those that unfortunately found themselves in crappy TT conversions.

[DaisuSaikoro Nagasawa]

I wrote a post like this a few days back and love the eagerness of people being able to try out a trial mech and have fun with it. Imagine that.

Now if we can do this every two weeks (or even every month) until we have a rotation of community built "trial" mechs.

[Koniving]

Mine and Verrick's experience. Verrick frequently pilots dragons. I rarely touch them. Our conversation, commentary, and live impressions are in vid. Note: I suck with gauss rifles because I don't normally use them. Still did well.

[Ramrod]

This trial mech is a lovely little machine. My sister is currently using it to power through her cadet bonus and having a blast. I'm not sure if she's planning on sticking with Dragons, but it's certainly a good time for her to have started the game.

Much nicer ride than the 1C we had in the previous trial lineup...

EDIT: Koniving, watching your video now, got to 3:48. I listen to the MW2 soundtrack while playing MWO as well...

Edited by Ramrod, 07 April 2013 - 11:55 PM.

[aniviron]

Even as an experienced player, I had a great time trying it out. Made me kind of want to buy a dragon of my own.

I'd like to see four competitions every two weeks to design the next new crop of trials. It's good for new players, gives them an idea how to actually play a good mech, and is much more forgiving and fun, which leads to better player retention. It encourages veterans to give chassis that they don't play much a shot at them, and might boost sales on that front. And the last thread for designing a heavy seemed to be a ton of fun for the forum community too; if it's not a gigantic project to make this work, I would love to see it implemented.

[One Medic Army]

Deathlike, on 07 April 2013 - 11:29 PM, said:

Heat efficiency needs to be above 1.2 (in game) to even become viable. I forget what it shows at smurfy's, but it's closer to 30% or better.

1.3 or 1.4 gets to the cushy side of the heat curve (40-50% @ smurfy's).

It's worth mentioning that mechs with multiple engagement ranges can run well with 1.0 efficiency.
1.3-1.5 is a good place to aim for if you plan to use all your weapons all the time, 0.9-1.1 is for if you have multiple sets of weapons you don't use at the same time.

For instance if I fit PPCs+MedPulses+SRMs onto a mech, obviously the PPCs will be used without the rest of the weapons, and the MPL+SRMs will be used without the PPCs.
Now on top of the fire rate/dissipation rate issues in MWO many mechs are designed with this type of weapon usage in mind.

[Bishop Steiner]

While I totally agree with the premise of this topic, I think replacing all the stock mechsbwith customs or made up versions sets a bad precedent, and further obsoletes Stock mechs. I would rather see the m balance things better, be it in game, or in meta, revamping the RnR system without giving it such ridiculously easy exploits, than see the game creep even further from remotely looking like Battletech, where 90% of mechs are stock or near stock.

Funny thing about thebTrial Dragon? I am in Mexico sp I only get to play on a laptop via Starbucks WiFi. So I decided to use a new free account for it. My KDr with the Dragon has been a pretty limp .5, while in the obsolete, stock CN9-A I am well over 1.5. Go figure. For whatever reason, I just can't lay down the hurt worth a damn in that Dragon, yet I KNOW its the best "stock" version offered.

[TexAce]

The trial contests should be taken from the devs hands and be a community driven thing, where we just "hand over" the chosen designs and they implement them.

This would reduce the workload for the devs, since they already stated (although through the grapevine) that it wasn't such a pleasent experience for them and that they dont know if they will continue it despite the partially good response from the community.

[Oxyclean]

Bishop Steiner, on 08 April 2013 - 05:25 AM, said:

While I totally agree with the premise of this topic, I think replacing all the stock mechsbwith customs or made up versions sets a bad precedent, and further obsoletes Stock mechs. I would rather see the m balance things better, be it in game, or in meta, revamping the RnR system without giving it such ridiculously easy exploits, than see the game creep even further from remotely looking like Battletech, where 90% of mechs are stock or near stock.

This is Mechwarrior, not Battletech. I recognize they're technically the same, but mechwarrior is a brand more associated with the videogames. One of the huge draws of the game series has been customizing your mech to suit your tastes, to discourage that would be silly. That said, I do agree stock mechs need to relevant- but in this case that should mean moving them away from the table top variants and balancing them based on MWO.

Also, R&R should never return.

[MadPanda]

I tried the trial dragon. Maybe it's just me and I've gotten used to faster dragon, but I found the trial one to be very slow and sluggish. I frequently also kill them in games as those who drive them can't seem to manouver them at all.

And speaking of trial mechs, the 3 PPC Awesome, someone really dropped the ball on that one. That is the worst newbie death trap bucket I've seen so far with trials. I can't tell how many of them I have completely dominated by just walking next to them and looking how the poor newbie is totally confused when he isn't doing any damage. I don't think PGI is putting any effort into the trial mechs.

[Grayseven]

MadPanda, on 08 April 2013 - 05:58 AM, said:

I tried the trial dragon. Maybe it's just me and I've gotten used to faster dragon, but I found the trial one to be very slow and sluggish. I frequently also kill them in games as those who drive them can't seem to manouver them at all.

And speaking of trial mechs, the 3 PPC Awesome, someone really dropped the ball on that one. That is the worst newbie death trap bucket I've seen so far with trials. I can't tell how many of them I have completely dominated by just walking next to them and looking how the poor newbie is totally confused when he isn't doing any damage. I don't think PGI is putting any effort into the trial mechs.

This is why an integrated interactive tutorial system is necessary. It's all well and good to say that a PPC has a minimum range but if you are unfamiliar with Battletech in any form you don't know the consequences of that minimum range.

[Bishop Steiner]

Pre Double Heatsinks, stock mechs were relevant. Not the best, but could be used. With RnR, XL Engines were the gamble they were supposed to be. No denying it was poorly implemented, but when people weren't gaminbit, it worked. I'm all for total free for all, in. TDM setting, but there needs to be risk reward economics in the CW meta.

Also, the farther from BT specs get, the more core players are go into abandon ship. And if you think a niche title like mw will survive on casuals, you are insane.