8 replies to this topic

[SpiralFace]

Ok, I have a serious question about the new spawn points.

Is it possible if you reassign from one lance to the other that you can effectively change your "lane" that you spawn in? Or are you dropped into the game, and you or the company commander has no say in where the lances are dropped?

To me, I like the idea of the new spawn points, but I think that it would hindge on the players ability to actually coordinate which mesh drop in which lances to use their lances more effectively.

[Roughneck45]

SpiralFace, on 06 December 2013 - 05:59 AM, said:

you dropped into the game, and you or the company commander has no say in where the lances are dropped

Yup.

The lances are always put in the same position, but you don't know which lance you will be.

Edited by Roughneck45, 06 December 2013 - 07:45 AM.

[SpiralFace]

The lance's always drop in the same position, and the initial placement is always random, but in the lobby, you are assigned out to Alpha, Bravo, Charlie lances that you can distinctly see.

If the company commander was the "reform" the lances that come in at random, isn't it possible to massage your drop deck into the specific locations.

So for example, you have 4 assaults scattered in your company, the company commander shifts them all to bravo lance, which is always dropped center (just an example) So there for, you have some say in the way you drop?

If the lances are just "randomly scattered" then I can concede that there is an issue with the new drop systems, but if you can actually use the ready room to form up into lances that have high synergy, it can make the entire drop situation not only better, but more tactical in how you deploy your force.

Edited by SpiralFace, 06 December 2013 - 10:14 AM.

[SpiralFace]

Ok, so I did a bit of trial and error, and it appears that you do indeed drop in random locations, and have no way of "re-ordering" your lances.

Due to this, I feel now that the spread out spawns of the mechs is as its currently implemented, a Bad thing.

If the Company commander can re-assign pilots to lances and actually have that affect the mech's starting position, it would lead to some actual tactics where you can stack your lances to capitalize on your lance position, but yeah, as it stands now, its a bit silly, because its utterly random just how well your lances will be stacked against the opposing lances.

[Adran]

SpiralFace, on 07 December 2013 - 11:29 AM, said:

Ok, so I did a bit of trial and error, and it appears that you do indeed drop in random locations, and have no way of "re-ordering" your lances.

Due to this, I feel now that the spread out spawns of the mechs is as its currently implemented, a Bad thing.

If the Company commander can re-assign pilots to lances and actually have that affect the mech's starting position, it would lead to some actual tactics where you can stack your lances to capitalize on your lance position, but yeah, as it stands now, its a bit silly, because its utterly random just how well your lances will be stacked against the opposing lances.

Coming Soon^tm in UI 2.0 when we get lobbies.

[TheCaptainJZ]

There is the issue that once you join a game, it has already picked your starting lance and drop location. If you reorder lances, then the lances members will not be together, since you have already spawned. It doesnt move you.

[Bront]

Once the lobbies are in place, that issue should be "fixed". That won't happen till after UI2.0, but they've gone into some detail recently about how it will work (check all the command posts from the 2nd).

[Mad Porthos]

Adran, on 07 December 2013 - 11:49 AM, said:

Coming Soon^tm in UI 2.0 when we get lobbies.

This above, but to be a bit more specific, when dicussing some of their vision for CW and UI 2.0 in podcasts, tweets and interviews - the stumbling block has always been that the current interface doesnt really allow for everybody being in game, connected, but not dropped yet. There is no system yet made in UI 1.5 where a player can show they are in game with say, a highlander and then, due to chat or commander actions, instead switch to a hunchback to fit in with the rest of their lance. Likewise, the systems don't yet exist so that that commander can rearrange lance membership and actually expect that the person and their mech would be relocated, because by the time one even can take command, all are dropped and in position.

The general implication taken from the devs communication on these matters seems to be that once the UI 2.0 is done, the various control sceens and buttons/lists/chat boxes will be far more easily created and plugged in, giving us some sort of a pre-drop lobby where the lances will sort outtonage balancing and lance assignment/composition. Ideally, smart commanders could rearrange lances so that light fast mechs are similarly grouped for mobility and the individual pilots could inform the team of the non obvious special cases, like "Hey I AM a slow AC20 raven 4x... dont group me with the locust, death knell and jenner - can't keep up!".

Such systems/screens will be essential to balancing teams by tonnage and just incidentally will serve the overall desire of being able to have more choice at drop as to what your team is bringing to the fight, enabling for instance a commander to request some players bring more light mechs, or asking if anyone has Lrms and allowing the adjustment to bring a few Lrm mechs when it is realized that no one does.

Edited by Mad Porthos, 07 December 2013 - 12:51 PM.

[SpiralFace]

If that is the case, then this could be a tease as to what is to come soon. ( They are strongly hinting that they will be releasing UI 2.0 buggs and all sooner rather then later.)

Sad thing is that in the meantime, it would have them collect "bad data" on the new spawn point system when they don't have it work completely as intended.

If anything I guess they released it to show progress. I know a lot of players including myself like the new system and see the potential it can bring to the game as they expand the game systems, but I do agree that its a bit disappointing right now that you could be "hard countered" by a lance on Alpine or have an atlas drop with a light lance and be isolated as they dash off.