15 replies to this topic

[End Crescendo]

Before I start, I just want to say that I'm sorry that this post is going to be so long, but I have a lot of feelings towards this game (that I have put a lot of money into) and I just want to put my opinions somewhere and get some feedback.

Playing MWO recently has become a chore. I used to enjoy this game more than anything else currently out, and at one point I was playing several hours every day. This has dwindled to about 3 or 4 a week. Many of my friends who play this game have done the same. I can't get my friends that don't play MWO (but play many other videogames) to stay with the game. I'm gonna elaborate on these reasons below. I'd like to hear some other player's opinions on this as well, so feel free to post your own experiences for or against what I've brought up.

Up first, registry. As a precursor to this, I'd like to point out that since stats have begun being recorded (I didn't participate in closed beta) my accuracy with the AC20 is approximately 65%, and I have fired it 3741 times. My aim in not bad by any means. The things I've noticed lately about registration are frustrating me to the point of rage quitting at the end of matches and turning off my computer entirely. Countless times, I'll hit a close mech with a ballistic, or an enemy 150-160 meters away with a standard PPC, and just do no damage on their indicator. This is no isolated event, either. While playing yesterday and today, I took an AC/10, 2xPPC Victor. Normally, this is one of my best mechs. After a few drops, I noticed my damage scores were pretty low, so I started to pay attention to individual shots. Many times I would hit a slow target (Atlas, Highlander, Battlemaster) and do absolutely no damage. This happened just now as I was playing approximately 4-5 times in the same match. After I died, i proceeded to watch my lance mate shoot a cored trebuchet 500 meters away with a Gauss and 3 PPCs. In the time it took the trenchbucket to close in on him, he had alpha'd 3 times, and continued brawling with the gauss rifle. On my screen he had scored a hit every single time, but the shots would not register. This type of nonsense is now happening EVERY game to me. If my shots hit the target, and I accrue heat, but deal no damage, what is the point of even playing this game?

But here's the kicker: My brother just started a new account. He bought a Misery on it, and has been grinding enough Cbillz to purchase a 2xPPC AC/20 build. I decided to play his account today and lo and behold, I'm racking up 1200 damage matches with NO BOTCHED REGISTRY AT ALL. Every shot sticks to the target like a charm. This obviously pissed me off quite a bit, so I had my teammates try. One by one they dropped in trial mechs (Gauss, 2xLL dragons to be exact), and picked the enemy team apart with no screwed up registry at all. In fact, one of our guys killed 5 lights that swarmed him. This is absolutely ridiculous. I logged into my brother's account on the same computer I use mine on, so it couldn't be a problem with my rig. I mean FFS I have a brand new set up. I'd like to know why newer players are getting better registry. It's pretty terrible when you think about it.

Next I want to talk about why this game is not engaging for me anymore. Aside from the reg, I feel as though MWO has gotten very stale. Dropping the same 12v12 6 times in a row because my elo bracket won't allow me to play with different people is incredibly frustrating, and boring. The development for seemingly simple features is relatively nonexistent. Everyone I meet on teamspeak seems to disappear in a month or two. I've gone through 3 units. People quit left and right, come back maybe once every 3 or 4 months to check the game's progress, then leave again. There's no structure. There's no reward for doing well. There's also no date on community warfare. How many different mechs can i grind up to master simply because I'm bored. I mean I've gone through all the CTF, HGN, BJ, VTK, Phoenix Mechs, AS7, Jenners, Ravens, Hunchies, Jaegers, and on and on, and now the grind to try a new mech just feels like a massive chore. It's not fun starting a new chassis off with a handicap. It also chases new players away. There's no goal. There's no reason to keep playing. I can't ensure that I fight my friends for fun. This development is too slow on this game and it's making people constantly leave. For some reason I thought Project Phoenix was a turning point for this type of behavior but I was massively wrong.

Next I want to talk about the matchmaker. I'm not going to guess at the way it puts us together, but I really just feel like it's absolutely ******. There is NO FUN AT ALL in A.) dropping with the same pilots multiple matches in a row, and B.) Having a 12 man team so stacked that the game is over in 4 minutes, 12 to zip. I mean, I'll drops with LORDS, SJR, and CSJ all on the same team consistently, and steamroll people. Oh god, and if I want to drop solo? Not a chance, man. Last time I attempted to drop solo (as I had no contacts online) it took me 25 minutes to get a match in my Cataphract, 20 in my Highlander, and on and on. That is not fun. If I want to wait in line, I'll go to Six Flags or Disney Land. It's the same way playing with my friends too, and not just in one or two units. Our ELOs break matchmaker, and we fail 3 times before we get into a game. We constantly have to drop out of mechs we WANT to use just to find a darn match. It's very annoying (and frustrating, but I'm assuming you got that by now).

Next is the mech and map imbalance. I know it's weird to combine them but I have a pretty specific reasoning for that. Everyone knows there are meta builds and meta mechs. You can call it cheese or whatever else you like, but you know what I'm talking about. Boomlanders, 2xAC5 2xPPC 3D's, 2xERLL Raven, etc etc. It's okay that these exist. I'm not mad in the least about that. In a game partly about building the best robot, there are gonna be best robots and worst robots. But there SHOULD be more variety between these. Here's why I'm including the maps in this. Have you ever tried to push the hill on Frozen City with an Atlas? Good luck. you're cored by the time your weapons reach firing height. How about a Stalker? Easy peasy. Poke your ears up over that hill and blast away while the only thing that can hit you is another Stalker. But this isn't the only map. It's the same only song and dance everywhere. The terrain in this game seems to be about the same. Hills. Hills everywhere. Lots of ******* hills. If you don't want to have your buttchecks handed to you in a cardboard box with a jumpsniper emblazoned on it, you best be taking a mech with high hardpoints. There have been so many times where the only workable routes on the map just absolutely forgo using anything with low mounted weapons. Terra Therma -> Hilly. River City -> Buildings that block waist high weapons. Alpine -> Let's face it so many of the engagements happen from so far out that you'd be lucky to get into lurm range. Also hills. The list just goes on and on. It's not that things like the Atlas are unusable. I still rock my Atlas as a hide and seek brawler... but that's kind of the problem. There's such a niche for the obvious best strategies in this game, that it closes out the opportunity for new ones to far. This is partly because of the way technology progresses IRL, and partly because of the map design. Now we can feasibly render 2000 meters out. Back in MW4, you'd be lucky if you got someone on radar at 800 meters on most occasions. Sneak attacks actually worked. You could shut down in a huge city and ambush a team. You could hide in some tight hills and do the same. You could use cover and push your miserable 40kph *** all the way up into a sniper's face, and then they'd cry about it while you stripped them of their armor, laughing all the way to the bank. That diversity is gone. Wanna know how many games I've been in that I got killed at close range today? 1. Out of maybe 20? The mechs are imbalanced right now because there are predominantly sniper situations. Poptarts (even at close range) still dominate (see AC20/2xPPC HGN) because there's just no cover. SRMs are trash right now too. I get worse registrations with the decrepitly slow SRMs than any other weapon in the game. That even further limits the viable chassis selection and nerfs any type of brawler.

As a final note I would like to say: IF MY ATLAS' FOOTPAD LIFTS 30 FEET INTO THE AIR WHEN IT GOES UP, WHY AM I GETTING STUCK ON 5 FOOT ROCKS????

Thank you. I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.

[akpavker]

id say that if the game is a chore man just quit or take a break.

[End Crescendo]

It's such a weird thing though... I just have such high hopes for it. It could be so great. I spent a bunch of money on it. I have good friends I play with... it's hard to decide what I should do.

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

To be fair, I only ever log in when there is a league match.


The game hasn't seen progression since 14 months ago.

[End Crescendo]

mwhighlander, on 13 November 2013 - 09:25 PM, said:

To be fair, I only ever log in when there is a league match.


The game hasn't seen progression since 14 months ago.

I used to be a league player like you, until I took an inactive team to the knee.

I agree, but now even the leagues are frustrating when my shots won't reg. I mean how many times did you yourself spectate me when I played for you guys and watch my shots not hit in critical moments?

[Steel Claws]

The biggest stumbling block for me is the lack of anything new to do. Shiny new mechs... just like the old mechs but without a new or better game mode ,,,, meh. Community warfare would be nice. Different game modes would be nice. But a new U.I while nice isn't that big of a deal. THey really need to put other stuff on the back burner and bring out community warfare but then again if it is just the same old game modes... I don't think it will be enough to save this game from growing stale. How about some objectives like destroy the enemy base. Or have one nav point that both teams have to fight to control - ala capture the flag. There has to be enough variety to keep interest. Drop ship mode might spice things up as well.

Edited by Steel Claws, 13 November 2013 - 09:33 PM.

[Deathlike]

The definition of insanity... doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.

You know, you're not along in this, and I wish you well by taking a break or something. These things have been complained about before time and time again and we're kinda stuck at it. Whether it is the borked state of HSR or the two modes of standing in some "field of lights" or shooting things is all we do day in and day out.

I don't know what to tell you otherwise, but I apologize in advance that knowing that those who likes the "normal state" of the game is probably insane, and congrats to them.

MWO is the definition of insanity at this point in time. Perhaps, we may be lucky to "do something to break the monotony" before 2014 arrives (and that seems unlikely from the projected UI 2.0 timeline).

With respect to the account issue and HSR you have described... I wonder if it's some sort of netcode optimization gone wrong. It might also have to do with the existing data in your account... or I hope not the worst case "intentional handicap".

Edited by Deathlike, 13 November 2013 - 10:00 PM.

[GalaxyBluestar]

i agree about the hit reg thing. it's one of the predominant cause for all weapon balance arguments over the last 2 years and saddly it hasn't improved. how the hell is anyone supposed to be able to judge what is op and what isn't when hit reg is deciding this? and if it's true that it's not ping or rigs that determines hitreg, that it's selected accounts like a big brother operation to curb players to create metas to push particular mechs and loadouts through the shops.... i feel cold just thinking about that.

oh yeah inb4 mod jettisons

Edited by GalaxyBluestar, 13 November 2013 - 10:09 PM.

[Otto Cannon]

GalaxyBluestar, on 13 November 2013 - 10:07 PM, said:

if it's true that it's not ping or rigs that determines hitreg, that it's selected accounts like a big brother operation to curb players to create metas to push particular mechs and loadouts through the shops.... i feel cold just thinking about that.

And yes, this thread is stamped and addressed to K-town.

[Metalsand]

Hmm...when it comes to hills, it's really a tactical difference more than anything else.

For instance, my hunchback 4G can fire it's AC/20 while the only thing vulnerable to damage IS the AC/20. Meanwhile, my Dragon trial mech (still working on grinding for a permanent one) can poke the gauss arm around the side of a building with only the gauss arm and sometimes part of the body be able to be damaged. In both instances, I am maneuverable enough to duck back down while reloading. I would say though, that not all terrain is created equal. The mappers have made maps that look good and are very suited for online games, but...not for mech warrior. Mechs handle and fight a lot more differently than tanks and people do not to mention the size differences, and so maps should be adjusted accordingly.

There are a lot of imbalances in this game, to the point that I would assume it was in beta if I didn't know otherwise. Ballistics are currently more powerful than anything else, LRM's are either overpowered or useless depending on how many enemies are working together whom have ECS/AMS, and light mechs can survive 9 rounds total of LBX-10 from three guns to the rear because of lag issues. On top of that all, servers can conk out in the middle of the day due to heavy load issues.

[Corvus Antaka]

"has been grinding enough Cbillz to purchase a 2xPPC AC/20 build"

hehe.

that 1 sentence sums it all up.

[End Crescendo]

I'm glad some people agree with me. I hope the mods don't eject it. I tried not to be rude about anything, and hopefully this is seen as constructive criticism.

Plus, If I was intent on abandoning the game I wouldn't take the time to type all of this up.
I really want to like it... it's just... I also really want to be able to play it, yaknow? I could stomach the other stuff if it didn't feel like for some reason my account has some kind of a handicap when it comes to registration. I'll try it out on my friend's account and see if I get the same problem.

Metalsand:

In FFP, and even really in 3rd person view, you expose enough of your mech that someone good could knock out your side torso. this especially sucks in a Dragon since most of them run XL's.

Galaxy:

If nothing else, I really hope this thread alerts someone that someone who bought Overlord package, Heavy Metal, and a lot of colors and the like shouldn't have any type of forced or accidental handicap on his or her account. If that can get resolved here, it will at least be a small victory for me.

[End Crescendo]

Wow, really? Just gonna delete any type of criticism you get, huh?

[Egomane]

There is nothing deleted!
There is no post removed or changed from this thread.

It just got moved to where a post like this certainly belongs more then in gameplay balance.

Edited by Egomane, 14 November 2013 - 12:16 AM.

[End Crescendo]

The post (at least the latter half) is about gameplay balance. Is there like a little rulebook mods gotta follow that says any time a post contains something disagreeing with the devs at all, it gets jettisoned? Yaknow there's a reason this game has a 50-60 on most review sites, and the fact that the devs just ignore these issues, and jettison all talk about them is kind of pathetic. Why the **** did we have to get stuck with this developer for the next mechwarrior installment. This used to be my favorite series and now it's a joke.

[ratgoat]

Wow just wow. Legitimate concerns about the game will just be thrown into the trash i guess? And yeah jettisoned communications or many of the other sub forms might as well be a giant garbage can.

Good job mods.