170 replies to this topic

[mike29tw]

I think the biggest problem here is that PGI are doing things way too slow. The HUD bug took months to get rid of, missiles took months to get it right, and for a long time we haven't gotten any interesting patch. Maps, mechs, MC items and consumables. That's all we've been getting and they don't really spice up the gameplay that much.

Anyone remember PGI saying that they plan to hire more people and double the size while moving to a new building? I wonder how that went.

[FunkyFritter]

I'm avoiding pessimism until UI 2.0 is out. The impression I get is that a lot of their resources are focused on that right now, once it's implemented things will hopefully start moving faster.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

pssssshh

Unless the next 3 patches are massive, like 5x the size of any patch yet to date.
And the last 3 resolve bugs and balance issues.

Then no, this game will be ripped to shreds except by people like PC Gamer that can be paid to play the game as a shooter, without looking at the deeper mechanics and writing a blind review.

Also, given the hilarious game additions and the bugs they introduce in small patches, launching the game with the UI 2.0 update sounds absolutely ludicrous....can't wait for that patch role back because it breaks just about everything.

Could you imagine if they released the game with a broken "new" UI......and then said on release we'll fix it "soon" as they do now?

[z3a1ot]

I think they are focused on finishing CW, new UI and 12v12 right now. I think that's the main reason for lack of content this month. In July I guess we will get public test servers to test out new things before they even come out. Im not optimistic about august/September release but I hope they make it.

[Devil Fox]

z3a1ot, on 20 June 2013 - 02:33 AM, said:

I think they are focused on finishing CW, new UI and 12v12 right now. I think that's the main reason for lack of content this month. In July I guess we will get public test servers to test out new things before they even come out. Im not optimistic about august/September release but I hope they make it.

The problem... CW was started when it was needed to be started (hence it's going to be a year late). 12v12 has now dropped off their radar of telling us any information... it was meant to be out for us to test and break, but seems to have fallen back into their QA. Their new UI has also be under construction for a few months and we were meant to start seeing it ingame for testing.

At present their lacking content, balance and bug fixes. These are basic things coming up from patch to patch (SRM's nerfed for the last few months), this indicates that week to week changes are needed. But since they can completely forget fixes to be included in patches then I'm optimistic but I think PGI will fall far short...

[Budor]

no way, cw is next year

[Randalf Yorgen]

Did you rad the patchnotes where the poster said this was a small patch and that we should all hang on for some huge changes coming soon, like in the next patch or the one after that? No? didn't think so.

[armyof1]

The devs handling weapons and balance of them would have to go into god-mode to manage to make the game somewhat balanced for release. During the 5 months I've played this game, with the exception of the HUD bugs, it's the weapon development and balance team that I feel has really been bringing the game down. There's been too many bad changes and fixes (or lack of them where it's actually needed) especially for missiles during this period I don't see how they'll suddenly become several times better at their job for the coming 3 months to have the game with good weapon balance and mechanics in time for release.

The main problem is that they don't seem to be playing the game they're balancing for enough, as things like the crit system with MGs and LBX is just stuff that might work well on paper, but in reality is pretty useless compared to doing just focused standard damage. And then being really darn stubborn about it when anyone who's played the game for a while knows they're wrong try to tell them doesn't help either. I don't know if they will actually stick to the release date, but either way it's still going to feel like a beta when that day comes.

Edited by armyof1, 20 June 2013 - 02:58 AM.

[OpCentar]

I blame the CryENGINE.

It turned out to be buggy, poorly scalable (ok, kinda knew that) and incredibly lacking in features.


Anyway, the game WILL be released in september, the only question is what features will be included. 3PV for sure, UI2.0 probably, skeptical about CW.

[mike29tw]

Randalf Yorgen, on 20 June 2013 - 02:53 AM, said:

Did you rad the patchnotes where the poster said this was a small patch and that we should all hang on for some huge changes coming soon, like in the next patch or the one after that? No? didn't think so.

Do you remember the last time PGI said there was something huge in the patch and hyped up the whole forum? No? Didn't think so.

[James DeGriz]

Honestly, does it matter? We're playing a game that we don't have to pay any money for that most of us have been waiting for for around a decade. Am I the only one who more or less every match, when I hear Betty doing her thing find myself thinking "oh my god. It's 2013 and I'm playing MechWarrior"?

It's fun as it stands even without the extra stuff, so waiting another couple of months for that extra stuff isn't reeeally that much of a big deal when it comes down to it, is it?

Sure I'm as excited as the next man about the things that will make what we have now even more awesome and even more immersive (despite my reservations about some of the questionable decisions - 3PV, I'm looking at you), but whilst the disappointment about having to wait a bit longer for that stuff does suck, nobody dies, so what's the problem?

[bechiir]

Let us not forget community warfare was originally promised to be delivered in Sept 2012. I am cautiously optimistic. But i have reservations on the current posted timeline as they are already a year late than originally outlined. With that said, when they announced their original timeline for last year delivery, and from what i saw in closed beta, i knew they didnt completely comprehend the amount of work left.

I still think they underestimate the level of effort required, which they have continously proved me corelrect over the last year on many occasions.

I am taking the perspectuve of wait and see. Likewise, i have not put a single additional dime into the cokpany since my founders pack(i do so here in support of a cause and hope). However i will not put Additional money in, until such time the game is so called live with commujity warfare.

I support the cause, but no longer with my money until i can see pgi follow through with promises.

It is like investing. You put some money and and see how it goes before committing more, when there is uncertainty.

-Sent from my pocket.

Edited by bechiir, 20 June 2013 - 03:46 AM.

[Chemie]

I honestly do not see what UI2.0 brings to the table. Sure it is nicer but it is not the game...they are spending all thier time on out of game features? not content?

[Billygoat]

I heard Community Warfare is going to be in no more than 90 days after Open Beta!

In short, nope. It's extremely unlikely PGI will be anywhere near "Ready" when September 28 (or whatever their date was) rolls around. They'll have exceeded my expectations handily if even half of what they've promised is in by then. The only thing I'm really certain they'll be making a concerted effort to get into the game is 3rd person, as that reeks of publisher diktat.

That said, I'll concur with the above posters that "Launch" will happen on that date regardless of what state the game is in. It happened with Open Beta, which was almost certainly an IGP call and it will happen with "Launch". They'll go with whatever they've got, do a marketing push and then "F2P is always in development" and nothing will have changed much.

As for next month's "HUGE" patches... meh, we've heard that before. "Huge" means something else in the PGI dictionary.

[Artgathan]

Deathlike, on 19 June 2013 - 03:49 PM, said:

Do you remember the times where people had issues connecting to the match and had a black screen (this was during same era of time that had the kaleidoscope effect)?

I bet that is related. I swear they are trying to do some sort of slick graphic effect, that if the netcode doesn't react in time, the game hangs, needlessly.

Plus, it explains how some people drop into the match like 5-10 seconds WAY after everyone has actually gotten to move their mechs.

Perhaps it is related to those issues. The really strange thing about it is that it occurs mostly when I play in groups - if I play by myself I drop either with everyone or at most 5 seconds after everyone in the match, whereas if I play with a group (of any size) I routinely drop 10-15 seconds after everyone (and I hang at a black screen for a bit between the loading screen and in-game).

[Jestun]

Personally I'd rather they stopped trying to rush it to meet a publisher deadline and release it when it's ready.

Scrap the too-early launch date, and if it's IGP insisting on 3rd person views scrap them too.

[jozkhan]

The way things are I dont believe its possible to hit the launch date and expect it to be pushed back 6 months at least.

I think theres a real possibility that MWO will fail and shut down pre-launch, the inability to attract and retain new players and even retain the original player base means the burn rate is non-sustainable. Development / progress has slowed down to an absolute crawl in real terms - thats not because development is slow, theres something else at work that we arent seeing probably related to funding. It's a deep dive and I dont think theres any time or tricks left to 'pull up' in time.

It's too late to make the necessary management and project recovery changes to bring this under control, I'd dearly love to see MWO succeed but without a buyout and a clean sweep of software development project management then someone is gonna pull the plug.

Edited by jozkhan, 20 June 2013 - 05:00 AM.

[TexAce]

You will get 3 new mechs, 2 more maps, a ton of cockpit stuff.....aaaand that's about it.

IGP is milking this cow for 3 more months max before they pull the plug under PGi's a$$.

Edited by TexAss, 20 June 2013 - 05:08 AM.

[Papar]

Yes they can. We must all remember that progress is slow because they are focused on getting all those features mentioned in the first post to work. They said so in one of the recent AtDs which is likely since those features seem very troublesome to get them working. Besides they want them to be as bug free as possible because we are getting closer and closer to launch so there isn't ample time for testing. That's why progress is slow. Plus a forum user somewhere once said that he/she had read a post from the devs saying that they were already working on clan tech so that when clans invade, we will have a bunch of different equipment to use. That user said that they already had about 5 clan mechs and some equipment ready.
This is my view of the situation and whether you agree with me or not is up to you.

[jozkhan]

I'm afraid 'what they want you to think is happening'

vs

'what is actually happening'

really are a gulf apart and most players have woken up to that now, some sooner / some later.

a recent example from this weeks patch:

• Fixed some issues that were occurring in the Front End.
  
• Made more improvements to the bandwidth costs.
  
• Fixed a few crash issues some users were having.

that may look like patch documentation but its not, thats padding, thats vague and opaque and in most development houses would get you fired.

With a major reality check very visible on the horizon now the chickens are coming home to roost.

Edited by jozkhan, 20 June 2013 - 05:34 AM.