28 replies to this topic

[Birddog FAC]

First i would like to say with such a strong fan base the Devs have alot on their plates at the moment and i respect that.

This in mind i would like to put an idea on the table. i would ask the deves to create a simple mech lab (not the entire in game system) to allow people to learn the way customization works. I have read alot of posts on the subject and am still a bit confused as to how it works. a simple program like "the drawing board" found on sarna .net or the Skunkworks also found on sarna.net with weapon crit and allocation rules as used in game would be nice. this would only have to show text (referance the programs listed above) and include the mechs currently released. while allowing the people not in beta a chance to see how the customization of mechs in the game realy works. It would also allow non beta testers to feel as they are part of the game letting them come up with builds for trial in game when they are granted access in open beta or at launch.

I think this would take alot of nagging and random speculation out of the forums and i know i can poor over a mech building program for hours trying to find just the right tonnage and weapon mix or the best modification i can based of the mech info on Sarna.net.

Thank you for considering my idea.

if anyone would like to comment or just post a suportive comment to show the devs that this would be apriciated i would welcome that. please dont troll and if this has been posted before please just let me know (the only post i have seen is a full mech lab launch to allow only mech lab access). This is simplified for only configuration not visuals or anything and could probably be built buy a single Dev member in about a week maybe more.... i dont code so its a guess.

I voted yes of course

[Freyar]

Would require too much dev time and probably require "hosting" locally stuff that's run on the server.

[Birddog FAC]

Thats why it would be simple and be a download ... no server space required except to host download. but i understand the dev time.

[Death Mallet]

The game will be out in a few weeks. No reason for this.

[Helvetica]

time wasted, rather weren't distracted and get the main product out quicker.

[Birddog FAC]

ok i see your point... i just like tinkering and no matter how much i search the forums i cant find a strait simple anser on how crits and weapons customization is going to work.

and i have some ideas but i dont wanna or choose my first mech and find out that the idea i have wont work at all and i shoudl have grabbed the other.

[Havyek]

No reason NOT to have a MechBuilder, I suggested/requested it several months ago in fact.

Many MMOs have character builders (think LOKI and GearBunny for DAOC), there's no reason that MWO couldn't have a simple web-based (preferable) or downloaded app that would allow players to tinker and save configs outside of the game and either import or build them once they get something together that they like the looks of.

[Jess Hazen]

Helvetica, on 13 June 2012 - 07:04 PM, said:

time wasted, rather weren't distracted and get the main product out quicker.

agreed waste of time.
no.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

Given that they need to get all the announced mechs in the game, finish off other maps, fix bugs and tweak balance, all in just over a month, I don't think that they will have the time for this. I just check the TRO's and use SSW working off just the original hardpoints. I may produce a few speculative designs in case they have an extra HP or two but to be honest, until I play the game and see how everything works I have no data to work on, other than previous games and assessments made from the videos.
Waste of time and effort, although an app later on when the game is running would be nice.

[Chacatumbi]

Death Mallet, on 13 June 2012 - 07:01 PM, said:

The game will be out in a few weeks. No reason for this.

wow man, have you ever played a video game? LoL has build sites, diablo 3 has build sites... all of these are used all the time to save builds for when you have enough EXP/cash to make it possible. It's just plain ignorant so not see this as a benefit. The only con is it might take a separate section on this website and therefore would need programers to do it and potentially slow the release of the game. If that is the case, then forget it, but if the webmaster or someone not directly working on making this game launch worthy can do it, that would rock.

Praetorians, on 13 June 2012 - 07:40 PM, said:

ok i see your point... i just like tinkering and no matter how much i search the forums i cant find a strait simple anser on how crits and weapons customization is going to work.

and i have some ideas but i dont wanna or choose my first mech and find out that the idea i have wont work at all and i shoudl have grabbed the other.

I 100% agree. Thats is the beauty of builders.

Edited by Chacatumbi, 14 June 2012 - 04:16 AM.

[ltmyndonos]

I was just thinking that this post would be here somewhere, cause I thought it was a good idea, and most good ideas are already posted.
I would love to play around with the Mechlab. Just play around to see how I could configure my mech. It doesnt have to me transferable- quite honestly half the point would be to just see what was viable. We might even find a bug or two while we were at it(probably something silly that no "normal" preson would think of- us idiots are good at that.)
This is coming from a person who has probably spent more time "configuring" a mech than rolling his dice.(translation- the more time I can play with the configurations now, the less time I'll spend on it once the beta is open)

edit due to typo

Edited by ltmyndonos, 14 June 2012 - 06:08 AM.

[Mechteric]

I think just having some tutorial videos even if its just on youtube would be sufficient.

[Roland]

Having access to a mechlab, even if we couldn't drop in game, would certainly give folks something to do and something new to talk about for the next few weeks.

[Rodney28021]

Well someone should make one for those that like to tinker with mechs and put it on the MWO wiki.

[GHQCommander]

Wow I can't believe how many people voted Yes. Bet you all think they could throw it together in a couple of days don't you ?

The planning and man hours this would take for a gamer that is just around the corner would be a serious waste of money.

As to not reject the idea 100%, because more of anything and little tools are always cool. My comment is on the aspect of man hours and money, with the games early play being just a mont haway.

I would say such an interface could be great if it connected to the games database itself, allowing players to manage their mechs on mobile devices. Now that could make it a little more worth doing.

[Birddog FAC]

I respect all imput and thank all forum members that have spent the time to put a thought out post on this thread. If you looke there is a post on how nasty people are getting .. and a simple mech builder based of the standard mech builders already created with even a few of the mechs on it would give the players who are not part of beta and cant afford $60 for early entry something to fiddle with and learn about the mech allocations system. alot of post out thier are confusion on how the mechlab works. taking the time to get this done shoudl not be too hard as the framework is already laid in the in game programing and would just need transfered to a 2D program. but as i said i see both sides. but the lack of information since closed beta started is Extreemly agrivateing. especial since there are alot of un answered questions

[Jimmy the Tulip]

The difference between this game and games with builders out online (such as the aforementioned Diablo 3) is that there are a ton of Mech Builder applications, both online and available for download, already out there.

The screenshots I've seen of the MechLab in MW:O is very true to BT mech design and therefore to the way those Mech builders help you design Mechs. I'm tinkering with designs as we speak (anything to get an edge over you guys ).

[Johannes Falkner]

I voted yes, but I don't think PGI should do it. (Yes I am THAT contrary)

It would be a better use of PGI's resources to simply release the background data and the ruls and allow the community to create the builder. Effectively there would be a database/csv/excel file set with a listing of:

Mechs - crits, weight, tech levels, allowed equipment, cost, armor, and structure
Weapons - crits, weight, damage, range, cost and tech level/availability
Equipment - yeah you get the idea

If you look behind the scenes on SSW the information is in the *.dat files for the equipment and weapons and the *.ssw for thye mech and configuration data. This information should be relatively easy for PGI to harvest from their system. It would also be a very small amount of data to download and host.

[Axatillian]

I'm thinking that if the devs here do it, it will be post launch. Although I bet as soon as the NDA is lifted you'll see several sites come out with thier own versions.

[Crucifier]

An offline mechbuilder would be AWS-8Q