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Creative Developer Update – Summer Edition With Special Guest Paul Inouye


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#1 Bryan Ekman

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 12:57 PM

Creative Developer Update – Summer Edition with special guest Paul Inouye

This and future CD updates will be moving to a slightly different format this month.
Typically summertime is slower in the game’s business. I’m happy to say we’re bucking that trend. MWO has seen steady growth since we announced the game back in 2011. We surpassed our 1 million registered player mark a while back, a huge milestone in the F2P business. Our numbers continue to grow and the game continues to improve with each patch. Recently we launched our first ever corporate charity drive – Sarah’s `Mech! I can’t describe how surprised and truly humbled by the outpouring of support. I was expecting to raise maybe $10,000 over the course of the program. We raised $40,000 in the first 24 hours! With such a huge amount of support we’ve decided to deliver the first batch of Sarah’s `Mechs this Friday!

Development is moving along nicely.
The team has split in two, with about half of us working on features, and the other half working on delivering regular updates, bug fixes, content, and tuning. Through the summer work on UI 2.0 and Community Warfare will continue to dominate as we work towards launch and beyond.

Like UI 2.0, the community can expect detailed posts and reveals ahead of Community Warfare’s test server debut and final release. CW will come in several phases, like many of our big features, starting with Association (I am part of…), then Growth (I can earn…), and finally Conquest (I can control…). Each phase will undergo extensive testing and only be pushed to live servers once we are happy with the quality and balance of each phase.

With several successful 12 v 12 public tests completed, players can expect to see a permanent shift in our development methodologies. Big features like 12 v 12, UI 2.0, 3PV, CW, Clan-Tech, and pretty much anything else you can think of will go through the test server process to help us deliver the best possible product. This will also extend development time as we address bugs, design and balancing issues, along with community feedback much earlier in the development process.

Terra Therma is set to launch next Tuesday. This volcano themed map should offer up some interesting new dynamics as players will need to watch out for lava environmental hazards. Third Person view will enter public test sometime next week. We’re excited to get player feedback ahead of its planned released in August. The first in a series of tutorials will make its way onto product ion in August, along with a new engine update and DX 11. Both of these features will be going through the test servers shortly.

And now over to Paul:
The road to launch is going to require a lot of tuning to the game’s mechanics and overall feel. The game experience is being addressed on a per patch basis with a lot bigger/frequent changes coming at a faster rate. Below are some short term goals we are looking into when it comes to gameplay and balance.

Weapon balancing will be undergoing numerous changes on the road to launch. First up Large Energy Weapons will be going through multiple iterations in terms of their base performance variables. Cooldown, durations, heat, damage are all being looked at. There is a focus on Large Pulse and Medium Pulse to give them a bit of a bigger edge over their standard counterparts. The PPC/ERPPCs will be getting a 1 point base heat increase.

Investigating the roles of Medium and Light Mechs on the battlefield. We will be attacking this from two different fronts. While still under heavy investigation, weight balancing during match making will restrict the number of heavies/assaults that a team will be able to bring to the battlefield. There are multiple ways to approach this but we are taking our time to ensure we pick the right path to maximize the effectiveness of what we can do in the short term. Second is a series of quirk adjustments that will emphasise the lines between the Mech classes. First in line will be the Medium Mechs with a series of agility buffs coming their way. A tertiary sub-objective for us, is to increase the kinds of rewards that are given for various types of gameplay, meaning, pilots will get more CB/XP for performing specific tasks that are ideal for the Medium and Light Mechs. Capturing a base can earn players more rewards the more frequently they do it in a given match.

Edited by Niko Snow, 25 July 2013 - 01:13 PM.


#2 Belorion

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:14 PM

Thanks :)

#3 Lonestar1771

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:16 PM

View PostBryan Ekman, on 25 July 2013 - 12:57 PM, said:

Creative Developer Update – Summer Edition with special guest Paul Inouye

This and future CD updates will be moving to a slightly different format this month.
Typically summertime is slower in the game’s business. I’m happy to say we’re bucking that trend. MWO has seen steady growth since we announced the game back in 2011. We surpassed our 1 million registered player mark a while back, a huge milestone in the F2P business. Our numbers continue to grow and the game continues to improve with each patch. Recently we launched our first ever corporate charity drive – Sarah’s `Mech! I can’t describe how surprised and truly humbled by the outpouring of support. I was expecting to raise maybe $10,000 over the course of the program. We raised $40,000 in the first 24 hours! With such a huge amount of support we’ve decided to deliver the first batch of Sarah’s `Mechs this Friday!

Development is moving along nicely.
The team has split in two, with about half of us working on features, and the other half working on delivering regular updates, bug fixes, content, and tuning. Through the summer work on UI 2.0 and Community Warfare will continue to dominate as we work towards launch and beyond.

Like UI 2.0, the community can expect detailed posts and reveals ahead of Community Warfare’s test server debut and final release. CW will come in several phases, like many of our big features, starting with Association (I am part of…), then Growth (I can earn…), and finally Conquest (I can control…). Each phase will undergo extensive testing and only be pushed to live servers once we are happy with the quality and balance of each phase.

With several successful 12 v 12 public tests completed, players can expect to see a permanent shift in our development methodologies. Big features like 12 v 12, UI 2.0, 3PV, CW, Clan-Tech, and pretty much anything else you can think of will go through the test server process to help us deliver the best possible product. This will also extend development time as we address bugs, design and balancing issues, along with community feedback much earlier in the development process.

Terra Therma is set to launch next Tuesday. This volcano themed map should offer up some interesting new dynamics as players will need to watch out for lava environmental hazards. Third Person view will enter public test sometime next week. We’re excited to get player feedback ahead of its planned released in August. The first in a series of tutorials will make its way onto product ion in August, along with a new engine update and DX 11. Both of these features will be going through the test servers shortly.

And now over to Paul:
The road to launch is going to require a lot of tuning to the game’s mechanics and overall feel. The game experience is being addressed on a per patch basis with a lot bigger/frequent changes coming at a faster rate. Below are some short term goals we are looking into when it comes to gameplay and balance.

Weapon balancing will be undergoing numerous changes on the road to launch. First up Large Energy Weapons will be going through multiple iterations in terms of their base performance variables. Cooldown, durations, heat, damage are all being looked at. There is a focus on Large Pulse and Medium Pulse to give them a bit of a bigger edge over their standard counterparts. The PPC/ERPPCs will be getting a 1 point base heat increase.

Investigating the roles of Medium and Light Mechs on the battlefield. We will be attacking this from two different fronts. While still under heavy investigation, weight balancing during match making will restrict the number of heavies/assaults that a team will be able to bring to the battlefield. There are multiple ways to approach this but we are taking our time to ensure we pick the right path to maximize the effectiveness of what we can do in the short term. Second is a series of quirk adjustments that will emphasise the lines between the Mech classes. First in line will be the Medium Mechs with a series of agility buffs coming their way. A tertiary sub-objective for us, is to increase the kinds of rewards that are given for various types of gameplay, meaning, pilots will get more CB/XP for performing specific tasks that are ideal for the Medium and Light Mechs. Capturing a base can earn players more rewards the more frequently they do it in a given match.


Lots of words with very little new information... GG PGI!

#4 ObsidianSpectre

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:18 PM

I'm a bit disappointed that this didn't address or acknowledge any community concerns with the heat scaling system.

#5 INAPPROPRIATE NAME 0001

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:18 PM

Still intent on forcing third person?


Best devs ever I tell ya hwhat.

#6 Redshift2k5

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:18 PM

Great update. I really do hope you can delivery on your promises to deliver "detailed posts and reveals ahead of Community Warfare’s test server debut and final release."

Can't wait for the new map, and it looks like I will need to decide on a Medium mech chassis to invest in!

#7 Cerebelli

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:19 PM

Thanks, but... where's all the actual information?

So we're getting a new map on Tuesday. Fantastic. Excited for that. They're looking at heat again. Great. Glad to hear ER/PPCs are getting heat bumped. Also good to hear that they're looking at Lights and Mediums. The rest is mostly just reiterating information that we already knew or could easily be inferred.

"Summer Edition" makes me believe that we're not getting a separate CDU for August, which would be bothersome as this gave us next to no information on what content/features to expect. More than slightly disappointed, but thanks for making an effort.

Edited by Cerebelli, 25 July 2013 - 01:31 PM.


#8 Infernus1986

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:19 PM

Surprise its NOTHING but a wall of text with no substance
You guys are getting good at this you should run for president and vice president of USA

#9 hammerreborn

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:22 PM

Any specifics on what the engine update is and what it might solve, if anything?

I remember the last time cry engine was updated and didn't it cause all sorts of issues?

View PostInfernus1986, on 25 July 2013 - 01:19 PM, said:

Surprise its NOTHING but a wall of text with no substance
You guys are getting good at this you should run for president and vice president of USA


How so? We got confirmation of ppc heat increases, new map Tuesday, dx11, 3rd, and an engine update next month. Likely CW phase 1 in test servers soon. We actually know what the three phases are going to be now.

And lights + mediums are getting buffs and the weight limit hammer is probably coming down

These posts reek of dr:dr:bpgia (don't care, didn't read, bash PGI anyways)

Edit: oh, and a TUTORIAL

Edited by hammerreborn, 25 July 2013 - 01:27 PM.


#10 N a p e s

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:23 PM

Agility buff for mediums.... Oh my!

Fear my hunchback as I dance around your heavy mechs!

#11 Ter Ushaka

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:24 PM

Can I get someone to condense the developer update down into some kind of blackboard chart with mathmatical equations? :)

#12 Kraven Kor

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:24 PM

Still no actual details on CW.

No acknowledgement of, well, anything.

"Goodbye, and Good Luck."

I'm sure you won't miss me. I sincerely hope you the best in your endeavors.

#13 JadeRaven

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:24 PM

I guess the player numbers got so huge that they couldn't display them on the client. That's why they removed the player counter.

#14 L e x

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:24 PM

Was hoping for more details, but the balancing and engine updates are good to know.

#15 DerangedShadow

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:25 PM

Thank you for the update Bryan ^_^7

#16 Warge

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:26 PM

View PostObsidianSpectre, on 25 July 2013 - 01:18 PM, said:

I'm a bit disappointed that this didn't address or acknowledge any community concerns.

We are on island, you remember that? Minority. Just noise. Who cares about fly's buzz?

#17 Deathlike

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:26 PM

View PostBryan Ekman, on 25 July 2013 - 12:57 PM, said:

Stuff


So... 1 million registered... that doesn't actually mean 1 million playing. This is PR spin written all over.

I guess all we're getting is a new map.

Is this a ninja excuse to not have an August update? It kinda feels like that.

Quote

And now over to Paul:
The road to launch is going to require a lot of tuning to the game’s mechanics and overall feel. The game experience is being addressed on a per patch basis with a lot bigger/frequent changes coming at a faster rate. Below are some short term goals we are looking into when it comes to gameplay and balance.

Weapon balancing will be undergoing numerous changes on the road to launch. First up Large Energy Weapons will be going through multiple iterations in terms of their base performance variables. Cooldown, durations, heat, damage are all being looked at. There is a focus on Large Pulse and Medium Pulse to give them a bit of a bigger edge over their standard counterparts. The PPC/ERPPCs will be getting a 1 point base heat increase.


You have figured out your "nerf" to PPCs/ERPPCs, but can't tell us a thing about any projected numbers that would improve LPL or MPL? Great.

However, 2 LL is still OP for some reason.

Quote

Investigating the roles of Medium and Light Mechs on the battlefield. We will be attacking this from two different fronts. While still under heavy investigation, weight balancing during match making will restrict the number of heavies/assaults that a team will be able to bring to the battlefield. There are multiple ways to approach this but we are taking our time to ensure we pick the right path to maximize the effectiveness of what we can do in the short term. Second is a series of quirk adjustments that will emphasise the lines between the Mech classes. First in line will be the Medium Mechs with a series of agility buffs coming their way. A tertiary sub-objective for us, is to increase the kinds of rewards that are given for various types of gameplay, meaning, pilots will get more CB/XP for performing specific tasks that are ideal for the Medium and Light Mechs. Capturing a base can earn players more rewards the more frequently they do it in a given match.


So... you want to reinstate CapWarrior, but not actually try to fix issues with capping in general.

Yay... a buff in Conquest for every capping pilot (in light and other fast mechs) has been asking for since... a while now?

Capping on Conquest AND Assault could still be improved.

Great... I'm sure this will go over well.

Edited by Deathlike, 25 July 2013 - 01:54 PM.


#18 Sir Trent Howell

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:27 PM

I see the player response is its usual childish self. Par for the course so far.

#19 Andrew Cranston

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:27 PM

Thrilled about the +1 heat to PPCs/ERPPCs. Somewhat ambivalent about the class incentives. You just need to implement weight limitations and weight balancing for drops. For people who play a lot incentives are trivial; they already own all the things that they care to. I understand why you feel like you shouldn't be more open about when we can expect UI 2.0 and CW to come and give us tentative dates, but I won't spend any more money on the game until you do, which sadly includes Op Phoenix.

For the love of god just give us lobbies so that we can arrange our own drops, then we can make our own balance/CW while you continue your glacial pace towards CW next year.

#20 Jman5

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Posted 25 July 2013 - 01:28 PM

View PostBryan Ekman, on 25 July 2013 - 12:57 PM, said:

First in line will be the Medium Mechs with a series of agility buffs coming their way.


Great to hear. Btw, if you're reading this I hope you look at the maximum engine speed of the Hunchback. Currently it is the slowest mech under 61 tons. Furthermore 10 of the 22 heavy mech variants can actually move faster. I think a 275 engine might be a good conservative upgrade for the Hunchback.





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