5 replies to this topic

[Punisher 1]

What I’d like to see at the core of the game.

I’m a fan and have played on paper and on the PC since the 1980’s I’m not a Battletech geek but like most of us here the ideas for a fresh start in this genre is quite appealing.

I wanted to throw in my .02 but it will likely turn out to be a $1.02.

Over many years of gaming I see a great many flaws to games that could have been awesome but have fallen short in some ways. I will not go into detail and refrain from bashing other games to save us all time on getting to the point. However I ask the development team PLEASE research what people love about past games and what can be improved upon in a new game.

It might be simple as taking a look at the battletech /mechwarrior games and seeing what was cool in each release of the game My first experience was with BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge / Mechwarrior, old yes, but it had a lot of interesting aspects not found in games today one being the ability to haggle over merc contracts! Travel to 100’s of planets, buy and sell player market system, salvage from battles, play with a simple economy, seek out hard to find mechs and what not.

Here are a few core ideas that I think are important I will try to keep it simple but explain to a point.

What to avoid on a basic level: I do not want to clean out my bank account to play on a monthly basis nor do I want a pay to win game. I do not want to have to buy a new PC or video card to be able to enjoy the game. I do not want a one dimensional type of game play which only consists of solely PvP play.


Making the player base happy: What most players want is a sense of satisfaction when the play the game. What I want is to sit down and choose to participate on a level that I feel that will be fun for me. I do not want to spend countless hours grind up experience points for just another bland item or vehicle.


Depth: For most game designers depth seems to elude them. Most game these days are so shallow, they are nothing more than pretty graphics and one or two avenues of game play. Players often, after a few weeks or a few months, tire of the game and move on. Depth can be several things, a good story line, many places to visit and explore, things to make or create, working together as a clan to complete a task or hold a territory. MWO might even consider holding plantes or part of them to include manufacturing centers.

Examples:

- Tech related: Research, building, improving, salvage, probability factors positives and negatives in creating items.
- Market place sales between players and computer generated basics.
- Resources to obtain
- Arena like combat ( Solaris )
- Soloing mission or Mission running
- Running a merc squad, platoon or company in organized combat that runs a parallel to clans
- Clans conducting a planet wide assault to gain resources hold territories or bases for financial gain (along with mercs )
- Empire building, being able to take a planet over or collect resources from it.
- Manufacturing for fun and profit.
- Traveling from planet to planet in trade or owning a ship to move mechs and cargo for profit.

I see a great amny ideas floating around in the forums and well to be honest there are a alot of games out there you can pull ideas from and incorporate them into the game over time.

Divide up the universe: There has been talk of mechs from all aspects of this game to include the most futuristic being added. If that is true a good system to keep like vehicles balances is essential. In some games this is a major issue. You do not want to mix low tech with high tech or light with heavy, this will sour the experiance for players and they will want to move on.

This can be as simple as making areas of conflict that are divided into PvP or Player versus AI, or by mech classification or construction date. For those that do not care or want a challenge The Arena or open conflict areas where everything goes should be availible. Having conflict "zones" may help with players gravitating to parts of the universe that best suits them.

In closing think giving players a sense of ownership in the game is really is what will keep them coming back.

Edited by Punisher_1, 12 November 2011 - 10:50 PM.

[Red Beard]

Just a thought, but try condensing your post into a paragraph or less. That wall of text was a bit harsh. Some good ideas, though. I like your pilot name too.

[Punisher 1]

Thanks it's never easy to summerize a head full of ideas. I'd like to see aspects from alot of other games meshed into this one.

I think there are many great example of parts of games that would work nicley here.

[Red Beard]

I know what you mean. I agree, there is a lot out there that is working really well. The devs just need to sift through it and pick out the stuff that would apply nicely to MWO.

[Havoc2]

I think a lot of what is lacking in today's games is a story.

Maybe I'm just getting old (at 28) and can't sit down and play for 10 hours straight any more, but ever since MW2:Mercs I haven't found a game that I wanted to sit down, play, then look up and go "oh ****, it's been 5 hours I should go eat or something. . ."
Most of today's games worry about being pretty over being thoughtful. I'd like MWO to change that (and still be pretty)

[Psyche]

reposting this from MMORPG http://www.mmorpg.co...ng.html#4548127 simply because it seems like its a decent idea for the Developers to see and this thread has a title and OP where it would be On Topic.

Quote

Pay2Win does fit with the Lore but its still a challenge to incorporate without ruining the game. Pay2Win essentially creates 2 social classes within the game community (haves and have-nots). The key to keeping it from being game breaking is segregating the 2 for the most and intermixing the 2 in scenarios where the Pay2Win stuff doesn't have 'much' impact [like planetary assaults/takeovers where the number of participants makes it more a battle of numbers and attrition]. Another key to keeping Pay2Win from breaking the have-nots gameplay experience is the ability to contain/restrict it from there game areas for the most part since it being present all the time will be a negative to the free players and quite simply thats important to maintain the community. An MMO without a healthy community is a multiplayer game on its last legs waiting to die.

Problem is Pay2Win needs to provide an advantage worth the payment or the game becomes a ghetto community because the infrastructure can't be maintained that well and the developers have little reason or finances to develop it.

I imagine they they use the 'Land Grants' system from the IP as Premium only benefits (ie. only paying customers could have Land) while titles (which don't necessarily include Land grants) would serve as Community Honors. A number of thing would be heavily influenced by Land ownership (like Mech Production facilities would give a Landowner a big boost choice and quality of Mechs - a freelance could do just as much but would have to scrounge/trade/steal what they needed).
Furthermore, Estates would work full time (when player is offline) where F2P/Have-nots would not benefit unless they are actively playing. The segregation of play would simply be a matter of Premium's mostly fighting over Land (taking it or defending it) and having their own political circles (the landowners and whose allied with who) while the F2P players would be mostly fighting for currency & assests working for the Landowners and Factions (possibly GM/NPC's though Player involvement in the Faction would be possible) (think Mercs but it would really apply to Faction Regulars as well) with barracks/accomadations/resources/services provided (for a fee/service obligation or something) by the Landowner or Faction.
Essentially Landowners would have a significant advantage over free players without even messing with the base gameplay. Because the Pay2Win/Landowners would be more appealing to the community for the power their Land brings and easier accessibility to choices on loadouts and such because of there landownership with the problem of defending there land (the segregated Pay2Win game - a Free player MIGHT take some land but would be a rogue/criminal element if they did and at war with the whole community as there are Not permitted/acceptable owners of Land only leasers/renters).