6 replies to this topic

[DI3T3R]

The basic idea is very simple: If your team wins, you have a chance of receiving a random item. It will be added to your Mechlab and you will be free to do with it whatever you want. (Disclaimer: The original idea was brought up by somebody else. Forgot who.) Of course, the earned CB would have to be cut to balance that influx of value to the community.



My suggested implementation:

Step 1:
All destroyed enemy-mechs and all their components are compiled into a numbered list.

For example, your team only managed to destroy a Spider before winning the game by cap. The salvage-list will e.g. consist of:
MG
MG
MG
MG
ER-LL
DHS
DHS
Spider-Chassis sans weapons, HS, and ammo
That's 8 items.

Step 2:
Your salvage-probability depends on the ratio of your earned GXP vs the earned GXP of your whole team. (It doesn't matter, who destroyed which Mech. Your contribution to victory is reflected in the GXP.)

For example: You earned 50GXP, while your team (including you) earned 60+50+50+50+20+20+20+20+10+10+10+0=320GXP

Step 3:
You get two throws.
First, will you salvage at all? Your chance of winning this throw is 50/320 = 15.625%.
If you win, you may approach to the second throw:
Which one of the items will you get? You could get the (albeit empty) Mech-chassis, but the odds are just 12.5%. The odds for getting a DHS are 25%! The odds for getting a MG are 50%!



So, in this example, the odds for walking away with an empty Spider-chassis are 15.625%*12.5% = 1.95%

Now what if the item-list is longer? Your team destroyed 12 enemy-Mechs and each one contains about 10 removable items. That's 12*11=131 items.
12 Mech-chassis, a few auto-cannons/gauss/ppc, some large lasers/LRM, lots of medium-lasers, and heaps upon heaps of heatsinks.
So, if you earned 20% of all the GXP of your team, you have a chance of 20%*(1/11)=1.82% to salvage any one of those Mech-chassis.

It doesn't look like much now, but what if you play 50 matches? (The odds for NOT salvaging a complete Mech decrease exponentially over time.)

And now think about fighting Clan-Mechs! Clan-Tech could be introduced gradually to the IS by way of salvage. Only battle-hardened veterans who fought the Clans for a long time will get Clan-weapons for their IS-Mechs. And once in a while a lucky b*stard will salvage a (weaponless) Clan-Mech!

[Enzane]

Interesting Idea... But I think I'd rather just have a C-bill boost for Salvage or Match Win.

Would take less time to Implement and make more players happy.

+1 on the Clan Idea though.

[Bagheera]

Salvage for IS teams fighting against clans as a way to distribute the tech has been suggested many times, and is a bit of a pain point for the forums - there are folks who are adamant that IS mechs not be allowed to mount clan gear.

I like the salvage reward as a concept over straight c-bill rewards (in addition to) as it adds a little flavor/immersion to the game. Salvage rewards are one of the things canonical to both Battletech and the MW series of video games. Even without the clan/IS gear exchange (I think the devs have other plans for clan gear balance, so I'm waiting to see what they do) salvage rewards would be a fun addition.

Edited by Bagheera, 09 November 2013 - 07:00 AM.

[Oppresor]

I have supported the idea of salvage since I first noticed it in the forums. I see it at a much more physical level, picture the scene:

Tourmaline Night (Yes I know we don't have it yet) the desert is bathed in the glow of the moons with fires raging from the stricken carcases of fallen enemy Mechs that tried to defend Theta in vain. The Atlas Sniper (mine) with smoke & sparks pouring from the hole which was once it's left arm walks down from the hill, leaving the relative safety of my last sniping location.

I am not alone, I have been working with a Locust who has been our Recon throughout the campaign; She has identified the remains of two enemy Highlanders (Theta defence force) that are shot to pieces. I quickly assess the remains and see the Heavy Gauss Rifle (We will get these at some point and they are awesome) the Locust stands watch as I deploy the Salvage Module (New Module, basically an electromagnet on a Hauser cable) which attaches to the Weapon.

We move off together with the Gauss Rifle gouging through the sand behind my Atlas; finally we make it back to the Dropship where the Patron Loader collects the weapon and moves it into the ship. We all board and lift off.

Mission breakdown:

Salvage = Heavy Gauss Rifle = Actual weapon value / 2 split between Locust and Atlas.
Recovery = 200 C-Bills.
Recon & location = 5 GXP
Guard action (During recovery phase) = 100 C-Bills

Maybe not yet, but it would certainly make units co-operate and make missions more interesting.

[Commissar Aku]

What you guys are all suggesting is to put repair costs back in and I am not down, to get salvage back in that manner would mean to remove it for the loser in the same manner, and I don't know if you have noticed but of late games have been a stomp for one side far more than the other. I think it would tip the game in a way that would make it so new players and long time players would play fewer games in order to not lose money when they play. It is a good idea if you only take into account the winners, but if you include what you would have to do to the losers I am not sure I am ok with losing money if I lose a game.

[Oppresor]

Hi XPH Aku, I understand your concern but remember that you will only loose money if you have actually paid for equipment via MC. So far I haven't fallen into that trap and have built up my units over time with C-Bills and GXP. It is an area that would need to be analysed further before Salvage can be introduced into MWO.

[wickwire]

i love this idea. would make things bit more interesting