98 replies to this topic

[Kyll Long]

Mal, on 11 November 2011 - 10:37 AM, said:

Thanks for doing the Q&A.

I've got lots of questions, but as this topic is supposed to be strictly 'reboot' related, just one for now.

How true to canon for later events (post clan invasion and defeat) are you planning on following the established storyline.. or will the reboot be like say the Star Trek reboot under JJ Abrams.. where events up to the reboot are the same, but everything after that can be different?

This is a very improtant question. Can we REALLY influence events or are we destined to lose when storyline says we lose and win when storyline says so. That would be kinda self defeating to me.

[Tierloc]

Will there be unit to unit challenge play available so pilots can square off on their own accord either individually or as units - ie support third party leagues?

Will there be any ladder type arenas or gameplay available to units within MWO? Or Solaris arenas for individuals?

Edited by Tierloc, 11 November 2011 - 11:22 AM.

[IntruderAlert]

Thanks for the chance to ask directly to the Dev's..you guys rock!

Q: It's seems that a large amount of Questions and Arguments are occurring in most of the
House Forums on CoC. How will you answer the in-fighting going on about who gets to be
in charge of what. (For example : 4 differnet people arguing that they should be house leader
because they were in a previous incarnation of BTech/Mechwarrior/ISW/MPBT/Naveron..blah blah)
???

Q: Will you be given a signup list of Merc units to be part of and just join...or will you have to be invited?
and..if auto join...what would the unit's ability be to remove you if you are substandard to their needs?

Thanks!

[Red Beard]

Thank you for entertaining our questions.

I am an avid fan of MechAssault and I see many elements of that game that were very successful. In playing different games in order to get a better sense of what MWO should be, did any team members take inspiration from either of the MechAssault games? If so, what elements stood out? In contrast, which elements of those games do you feel MWO should avoid?

Thank you again.

[Makuta Icarax]

Is the trailer for the game really in game footage. beacuse if it is then the game will be amazing

[TheForce]

Bryan,

A couple of people have mentioned targeting but didn't get to the point...or should I say "pinpoint."

Targeting in the previous Mechwarrior titles included:

• group fire
  
• pinpoint accuracy
  
• concentrated damage to one area of the 'Mech.

This allowed 4 grouped medium lasers to do the same amount of concentrated damage as an AC20.

Targeting in the table top game had no group fire, and damage from each weapon was randomly distributed across different areas of the 'Mech.

Will you be "rebooting" group fire?

Thanks!

PS: Do you like my location

Edited by TheForce, 11 November 2011 - 03:32 PM.

[Cyttorak]

The FAQ states that you will be able to customize your decals and paint job, but how will this be implemented? Will skins be purchasable as singles or in packs? How many skins are you shooting for in the initial release? How will custom skins for mercenary corporations be handled? Will you be working up skins for units according to canon regimental schemes?

[GargoyleKDR]

In the FAQ it describes that a pilot will choose to align with a Great House during the creation process. It also says that each Great House will have certain benefits and drawbacks associated with that choice. In the Community Warfare section of the Game web page it says that Merc Corps will bid and occupy various border planets between the Great Houses.

My question is if the individual pilot choice governs their lifetime Mech availabilty options independantly of their Mech Corp membership, or if the Mech Corp bid awards with a different Great Houses than that selected by the individual pilot will modify the availibilty options.


- Garg.

Edited by GargoyleKDR, 12 November 2011 - 07:32 AM.

[Cifu]

Hoi!

Keep in short:

-How do you plan to build up the match-making system?

-The balance based on what - tonnage, tabletop-game based BV points, or something else?

-There is can be build up a match with uneven numbers? Like 5 larger mech in one side, and 10 lighter in the other side?

-What kind of maps you imagined? Only "Team Death-Match", so just kill the opponents, or scenario-based (for example one team is defending a HPG uplink, the other team try to destroy it within 10 minutes, before the HPG send the crucial message)?

-Do you plan to counter the "minmaxing", in other world, how do you wan't stopping everyone only use the most powerful weapons? What kind of changes you plan in weapon mechanism? (a little explain based on table-top: AC/20: dmg: 20 point, heat: 7, weight: 14 tons (+5 shot / 1 tons of ammunition) vs. 4x. Med. Laser: dmg: 4x 5 (20) point), heat: 4x 3 (12), weight: 4 tons (plus you can add 5 tons of Heat Sink to reduce the heat build up the same level ( seven point ). So in the end, the 4 Medium Laser with 5 Heat Sink give the same range, and the same punch, but for only 9 tons (5 tons fewer, even without the ammo of the AC!), and you never run out of ammo - so there is no point to use the AC/20... if we count the cost, this is more uneven match (the AC/20 cost 300.000 c-bills without ammo, the 4 Med Laser cost 40.000 each, so even with the Heat Sinks, the laser option cost 2/3 as much as the AC!!!).

-We need a clearer picture how the playing build up. We are create a Mechwarrior, and we can buy Mech's in our garage? The advance based on what? We can buy and pilot an Atlas right in first day, if we have enough C-bills, or we need to grind a decent amount of XP, and get the necessary skills before this?

-What kind of "lobby" is planned? It is implement to the game (like in WoT), it is a different "starting" program (like how we can start a game directly from the Steam), or a web-based (like in the BF3)?

-What is the plan to counter the destructive players, team-killers, chat-spammers, etc.?

-What about the music of the game, any plan to make new, fresh tunes, or try to keep the legendary Mechwarrior 2 themes?

-There is any kind of public developer timeline exits (when the closed beta begin, when the open beta begin, etc.)? There is any plan to make such deadlines public?

-When we can seen in-game pictures and videos?

-Can we get a clearer picture about which weapons put into the game in the start? Namely we only get 3025 level tech, or we get the 3039 level (including the Streak SRM-2, LB-X 10 AC, Ultra AC/5, ER Large Laser, etc.). If we get the IS "reclaimed" weapons (like the ER Large Laser or LB-X 10 AC), then how we can be bought these?

Edited by Cifu, 12 November 2011 - 12:45 PM.

[Adridos]

How is the gameplay going to be? I know you can't answer me precisely, but can you tell us, which game is the closest to the gameplay the MWO will have? And will there be any respawning?

Thank you for answer.

[That Guy]

How long has the game been in development? how far along is development? (is more of the game on paper or code currently)

[minobu tetsuharu]

Questions people ask for that I want to repeat:

1) We would like at least a broad view of what information warfare is about.

2) Could you elaborate further on what you mean by these roles Scout, Command, Attacker & Defender? This isn't a traditional way of looking at roles?


3) How far along the development cycle are you? Therefore, how much notice have you taken (if any) of the game play mechanics that we are talking about, in great length, in the forum?


4) What percentage of this game is going to be built with player driven content (meaning you give us the tools to make our own fun with little support from the devs after it has been created) and with developer created content (this typically means stuff that has to be continually made with the expert skill of a dev for players to consume like new mech designs or quests or NPCs)

Now for questions that haven't been asked yet.


1) You stated that MWOnine will follow the timeline of the Innersphere strictly where one earth day is the equivalent of one day in the innersphere. You said historical events that happened in the Innersphere will occur in real time in a certain fashion.
This implies battlemechs and technologies that weren't fully produced until a certain year won't be introduced for years after MWOnline launches, and when these technologies do get introduced they will be very rare outside of the faction that built them.

In the tabletop newer tech didn't mean better tech; but since this is a videogame we don't know how you will handle things. What do you want to say to players that would be worried about gear being rare outside of the faction who built them?
What makes you so confident that you can meet strict deadlines like this?




2) For the past decade MW has focused on making the players take the viewpoint of the Innersphere but the first highly popular MW involved the Clans. Why not do a reboot with players choosing to be part of a house or the frontline clans?

Also in this past decade Catalyst Games has revealed many plot points that fleshed out factions that weren't part of the great houses such as the home clans, dark caste, periphery and WoB/Comstar. Are you going to provide an avenue for people to represent those factions as well when the game launches?



3) What number of free to play gamers and players willing to spend money have you told investors to expect a few months after MWO launches, for them to consider it a successful venture?

Edited by minobu tetsuharu, 12 November 2011 - 06:49 AM.

[Essobie]

Do you have plans to support head tracking, such as the popular-in-the-sim-community TrackIR 5.0?

[Tweaks]

Hi Bryan,

Here are my questions:

• What type of experience system will you be implementing (i.e. single pool, proficiency/skill based, other...), and how will experience points be distributed? Will it be done by the player (i.e. level up style), or will it be automatic (i.e. the more you use lasers, the more your laser proficiency skill increases), will it be something else?
  
• Will you be implementing any sort of honor, reputation or reward system? If so, how will it impact the pilot (will it be purely cosmetic, such as titles or medals, or will if affect the type of equipment available or the factions you can affiliate with)?
  
• What kind system will you be implementing to encourage teamplay in teamplay oriented game modes?
  
• A few suggestions have been made on the forums regarding Tech crews and the role they could have. Are you planning on implementing this concept and if so, can you tell us more about it and how it will affect a pilot's performance in combat (i.e. better Tech crew skills could slightly boost certain 'Mech statistics, such as weapon jamming probability or mounted weapon accuracy)?
  
• What kind of map terrain physics and map environments can we expect to see and how will they impact a pilot's 'Mech (i.e. muddy swamps, frozen lakes, icy cliffs, sand dunes, quicksands, wet jungle)?
  
• In previous FAQ's, you have stated that it will be possible to destroy certain buildings in urban areas. What other types of destructible terrain are you planning on implementing?
  
• What kind of features are you planning on implementing in the MechWarrior Online Pilot Profile that will be available on your Website?
  
• Are you planning on implementing any sort of training or tutorial missions and if so, can you tell us more about it?
  
• How many times will you be able to repair and patch up your 'Mech before you need to completely replace a part? Will such a concept even exist?
  
• What kind of 'Mech variants will you be implementing? Will it be true canon variants only (i.e. AS7-C, AS7-D, WHM-6K, etc...), custom variants of your making, will you allow players to customize their own (MW4-style), or will it be a mix of it all?

Thank you!

Edited by Tweaks, 13 November 2011 - 10:15 PM.

[Jake Grafton]

So after sifting through this thread the question that came to me was "What mechs should be avaliable at the start of the game?" I broke out my TRO's from 3025 and 3050 to take a look. The obviouis answer to me it seemed was that the vast majority of the mechs should be 3025 class machines. Take a look at our current military. Most of the heavy armor and aircraft of today averages 20 years old. Machines are introduced then run through a cycle of upgrades until the equipment is either fatigued beyond use or hopelessly outclassed by newer equipment. To make mechs interesting you could introduct the "age effect." Cannon misfires, electrical system shorts, actuator package failure should all be part and parcel of running a machine that on average is at least 10 years old. Any plans on implimenting something like that?

[Strum Wealh]

So, having just found this thread, I have a couple of questions with which I had started another thread:

1.) Will the Mechwarrior (that is, the player's avatar within the 'mech) be subject to any particular effects during missions (e.g. injury resulting from hits to the BattleMech's head, falling, ammo explosions (injury as the result of an electric shock from feed back through the neurohelmet), and/or prolonged extreme overheating of the 'mech)?

2.) How will the game address 'mech disabling/destruction via destruction of the head area - can the Mechwarrior die in battle?

[itchies]

A question regarding Rifleman, Jaegermech, Blackjack (to name a few) that these mechs could specifically "flip" their arms (had to be both) and be able to target to their rear. Is this feature going to be in game?

[Cyttorak]

Will there be a "noob" area, or someplace where PvP is limited?

[Bullseye69]

Will mechwarrior online allow Death from Above with jump capable mechs. Second will we take damage from fall if we ru out of jump jets and we are 10 meter up.

[taxman]

Hi Bryan,

As this is a MechWarrior reboot, there is a lot of Canon out there that is chisselled in Granite.
There are also large gaps in the Canon that could give rise to side plots and introduction of new mech's new factions and splinter groups.

• Have you any plans to add new material to give a unique MWO perspective and enhance the end users experience?
  
• Will you be looking for writers to assist in storylines? ( I think you may have 20,000 + on this forum )
  
• Would you consider competitions for best short story, best new Mech design, best Fan Fiction all would help generate publicity for the reboot?

I know that Microsoft have tied your hands as to the platforms that you can launch the game on. ( Very sad about this, Microsoft sold us some great products and then abandoned us ).

Can you give us any additional information you have concerning limitations, and can you as suggested above write your own Canon?

Final question, I am having difficulty in my own quantum singularity that functions as a brain cell, in trying to work out how the game play will be in MWO. If we cannot play as Clans, then we are either House or Mercs. Does that mean that the battle drops will be against NPC's ( Non Player Characters ) Which will be based on Clan Technology?

And again I thank you for your efforts to date.