16 replies to this topic

[Zerberoff]

...and how you can make people use it.

I already made such a post a while back, but now with the new Spawnpoints i think, a usefull Battlegrid is more needed then ever before.

My favorite suggestion is to bring in the 13th man on each Side. No Mech, only Observer and hand him a usefull Battlegrid. Reward him for every kill/capture/whatever his Team does. Pass him a pretty skilltree he can improve himself with, like Commander-Artilery. Maybe put him into a static Controlroom that can be shoot down, now THAT would be a Target that is worth to Defend instead of those Oilrigs ;P

I know, my First Suggestion is an Pretty-much-far-away-goal, but there are things that could help us now like:

• Give us more information on the Battlegrid, like Target Informations. I realy would like to know if i just send my Assaultlance to Intercept an oponents Scoutlance.
  
• Also helpfull, before setting up the groups let the Commander know how experienced a player is in his current Mech. (Basic/Elite/Master) i know this isnt realy helpfull in higher elo level, but in PUG Groups you can minimize the chance to only have Newbies in one Lance.
  
• Also let him know who is Premade
  
• But the most important thing is... Drop the players AFTER they Rearange the Lances!

Everyone is welcome to continue my List...

Edited by Zerberoff, 09 December 2013 - 11:54 PM.

[Diego Angelus]

I want my commander to be able to play Mechcommander wouldn't that be awesome setting waypoints droping,arty and all other cool stuff

[Enzane]

Yeah This was suggested awhile ago.

We loved it then, And we still love the idea now.

Allow the Command module to bring a 13th player to your side.

Someone who solely watches the map. calls in arty and air strikes. Maybe UAVs.

But this has already been done in the Battlefield 4 game. And probably would take way too long for PGI to program in.

It's still something I'd like to see.

[Sandpit]

The problem is giving a player the kinds of views needed UNLESS they see the battlegrid like it is now, only see what is currently seen as it is implemented now. Then maybe. Anything else and bleh

If it was just a battlegrid view and nothing else I'd be all for it. No 3rd person top down type view. That defeats the purpose and just throws the whole 1st person view out the window. (And no the optional 3pv did not, I may hate that and it does have exploits but they are nowhere near as bad as this would be). So if you really wanted to be a commander, sitting in an HQ somewhere, watching the battlegrid, giving orders, calling in and authorizing stuff like arty, and have absolutely no other interaction with the game that would be a cool mode but get very boring.

[Oppresor]

Take a look at the ideas in this thread: http://mwomercs.com/...ode-for-tablet/ . I see the commander role centring around the Battlegrid in one form or another. The Op's room view if you like, our commander would not necessarily have to actually see the battlefield as we do, rather read the developing situation from the active BattleGrid and the in-mission chatline, later maybe VOIP. I also really like your idea below; this would be a great incentive.

" Reward him for every kill/capture/whatever his Team does. Pass him a pretty skilltree he can improve himself with, like Commander-Artillery."

[Diego Angelus]

Why not use actual game from bird perspective and limit view to sensors of allies mechs.

[Mordynak]

I don't think that would get boring at all. I often play commander in Arma 2, and you literally just control your forces from the map. It also had the option to view what was going on from each of your team mates perspective. I like to think the battletech universe is advanced enough to allow a single cameria in each mech to send an image back to command.

Obviously you wouldnt be able to earn Mech XP. Maybe just General XP? Could be very cool.

I think something like this could be quite easily implemented. Basically just spectator view with commander controls. The ability to mark out routes on the map would also be pretty great too.

[Zerberoff]

Mordynak, on 09 December 2013 - 01:49 PM, said:

I like to think the battletech universe is advanced enough to allow a single cameria in each mech to send an image back to command.

Obviously you wouldnt be able to earn Mech XP. Maybe just General XP? Could be very cool.

i realy like this idear, a Controlroom where you not only see a borring grid, but also a couple screens where you see your teammates View... maybe a bit less then the Mechjockey himself... just like a cam somewhere on its shoulder .. and that one could be destroyed too like everything else on a Mech.

You dont even need to worry about detention because of lag or something... a difference by 2-3 Sekonds doesnt matter as Commander and does show some realism.

Once we finaly get to CW, we could also make Commanders Hireable or the Commander hires ... however.

Edited by Zerberoff, 09 December 2013 - 11:59 PM.

[Zerberoff]

Enzane, on 09 December 2013 - 08:53 AM, said:

Allow the Command module to bring a 13th player to your side.

This is pretty aswell, the 13th player could be within the mech with the command Module and not only within a static Building.

While mostly Assaultmechs will have the space for such a modul it will make them atractive in another way then only the Big Stompy Weaponplatform.

Edited by Zerberoff, 10 December 2013 - 12:11 AM.

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

Reference the Battle Grid:

1. What the pilot see in his Mech should be semi transparent to allow him to look through it when the target is near the bottom of the view window. (for Mechs that are at elevation, currently you can not see through this map and have to guess where the target is when aiming low.)

2. The mini map battle grid should be scalable, possibly using the mouse scroll wheel in combo with the "Alt or Ctrl" key. (if at the start of a match the Commander issues orders they are most likely outside the initial sized map, a quick spin of the wheel and you see where the orders are positioned.)

3. Battle Grid needs to display friendly incoming "Arty" and "Air" drops. (indicated by a pulsing small red ring on the map, at the target location, and have "Betty" sound queue the pilot. "Incoming Artillery". - Having her indicate friendly or enemy is irrelevant as both will damage your Mech.)

4. Have the Battlegrid be dynamic in size. (the map battlegrid will expand and contract proportionally -grid size smaller/larger, to follow current targets. If I target a Mech 1000mtrs to my right the map grid gets smaller as it expands to show that target and its surroundings.) -So I don't have to turn to look there.

5. Battlegrid displays My lance as larger icons (current size) and the rest of my team as smaller arrows. (currently the arrows are so large that when 5 or more Mechs are near the whole area is saturated by icons.) - This goes with the dynamic size changing effect, I target something really close the map opens up allowing me to actually see where Mechs are.

Hopefully with the introduction of DX11 and transparency effects being allowed, 9C doesn't allow for them, we will see many new and graphically enhanced effects added to the game. The CryEngine has so much potential for effects and environmental changes, without being a resource hog or reducing the level of play (FPS). Here's hoping PGI can code it to bring some eye candy back into the battles. And we have yet to see the entire "Collision/Destructibility/Knockdown" module be returned, all just crying out for better graphics.

9erRed

[Zerberoff]

9erRed, on 10 December 2013 - 06:15 AM, said:

1. What the pilot see in his Mech should be semi transparent to allow him to look through it when the target is near the bottom of the view window. (for Mechs that are at elevation, currently you can not see through this map and have to guess where the target is when aiming low.)

While i can understand the reason why you would like to have something like this, i think it shouldnt implemented. The way of what you can see and dont see is a specific Characteristics of your Mech, since we all whine for ballanced Mech layouts like Hitboxes, Speed, Armor and other stuff, the only way that will be left is how your Cockpit will look like with all its advantages and disadvantages. Also i think it would make MWO to much arcade like.

9erRed, on 10 December 2013 - 06:15 AM, said:

2. The mini map battle grid should be scalable, possibly using the mouse scroll wheel in combo with the "Alt or Ctrl" key. (if at the start of a match the Commander issues orders they are most likely outside the initial sized map, a quick spin of the wheel and you see where the orders are positioned.)

3. Battle Grid needs to display friendly incoming "Arty" and "Air" drops. (indicated by a pulsing small red ring on the map, at the target location, and have "Betty" sound queue the pilot. "Incoming Artillery". - Having her indicate friendly or enemy is irrelevant as both will damage your Mech.)

4. Have the Battlegrid be dynamic in size. (the map battlegrid will expand and contract proportionally -grid size smaller/larger, to follow current targets. If I target a Mech 1000mtrs to my right the map grid gets smaller as it expands to show that target and its surroundings.) -So I don't have to turn to look there.

5. Battlegrid displays My lance as larger icons (current size) and the rest of my team as smaller arrows. (currently the arrows are so large that when 5 or more Mechs are near the whole area is saturated by icons.) - This goes with the dynamic size changing effect, I target something really close the map opens up allowing me to actually see where Mechs are.

Hopefully with the introduction of DX11 and transparency effects being allowed, 9C doesn't allow for them, we will see many new and graphically enhanced effects added to the game. The CryEngine has so much potential for effects and environmental changes, without being a resource hog or reducing the level of play (FPS). Here's hoping PGI can code it to bring some eye candy back into the battles. And we have yet to see the entire "Collision/Destructibility/Knockdown" module be returned, all just crying out for better graphics.

9erRed

Those some realy good points.

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

Thanks Zerberoff, not sure if PGI could code the map overlay to do that, but here's hoping.

Reference the first item: #1, I meant only the map overlay as it is larger than the display unit it is placed over. And why any pilot would cover the bottom of his view with a hard fixed object is not really smart. Even today we use Heads up Displays that are projected on transparent surfaces. (obviously we must have lost that tech in the 1000yrs of advancing tech.) Same as the left and right monitors, if there's nothing on them, swing them up out of the way. [some Mech's do have information on one or two units. - heats sinks on one and weapon ammo the other.]

9erRed

[MnDragon]

I like the idea of the commander's seat. Whether in a static building or not, (although in a defend scenario that would be an awesome position to defend.) I think it should be taken one step further.

1. The commander can only use what his team mates bring into the game, and only he can activate them. For example, 12 mechs combined bring in 2 UAVs, 1 Airstrike and 1 Arty Strike. That's all he can use, because that's all that is available. He launches them where he wants, not the mech driver. Because he has a top down view via the battle grid, he has a better view of where to place things. He can only see what the mech telemetry sees therefore, it will help force role warefare (scouts and recon and support).

2. He can have a camera view of the battle if needed, but only through a mech that took the Commander's Console. This console acts like an independent sight (much like on an abrams tank where the Gunner controls the turret, but the tank commander has a sight that turns 360 to find additional targets.) If that mech goes down, he can switch to another mech that took the console, or if it was the only one, he loses his ability to see on the ground in live mode. He can also view the map from the eyes of any UAVs that were launched for the time that they are active.

EDIT: I just thought of this too...If it were possible, to program, what would be awesome is if in the pre-game lobby, the mech commander could choose where to drop his static command center. Everyone on his team would then drop around it. It would make drop points unknown on every map, and cause more realistic warfare as opposed to "go to cauldron, kill mechs, rinse, repeat". The commanders could only set up in certain grid squares on half the map each. (so that they don't accidentally set down next to each other...although that would make for one hilarious fight!)

Edited by MnDragon, 11 December 2013 - 09:50 AM.

[Zerberoff]

9erRed, on 11 December 2013 - 09:07 AM, said:

*snip*

9erRed

ahh, misunderstood it then.
Yeh well maybe we get some HUD options with UI2.0

MnDragon, on 11 December 2013 - 09:43 AM, said:

1. The commander can only use what his team mates bring into the game, and only he can activate them. For example, 12 mechs combined bring in 2 UAVs, 1 Airstrike and 1 Arty Strike. That's all he can use, because that's all that is available. He launches them where he wants, not the mech driver. Because he has a top down view via the battle grid, he has a better view of where to place things. He can only see what the mech telemetry sees therefore, it will help force role warefare (scouts and recon and support).

While i realy like the idear, it need some tweaking somehow. Players will not like if you take their ability to drop their own Ari/Air strikes but i think there is a way to work around this issue.

I realy like the idear to choose where you want to drop your HQ on each Map.

[MnDragon]

Zerberoff, on 12 December 2013 - 01:06 AM, said:

While i realy like the idear, it need some tweaking somehow. Players will not like if you take their ability to drop their own Ari/Air strikes but i think there is a way to work around this issue.

I thought of that too. I wasn't sure how it would play out in a PUG match, but would be fine in 12 mans. I'm sure if there was some CBill/XP bonus that was granted just for it being brought and used rather than getting the XP/CBill for accurate use there wouldn't be an issue. They get say roughly half of what they would have got if they had used it on their own and did their average stuff using it on their own and let the commander get the use XP/Cbill awards. If he drops it in a stupid place, and gets nothing for it, its his fault. The guy who brought it still gets pretty close to what he would have if he had dropped it successfully.

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

Not too sure that any Pilot carrying these items (that take up module slots) will accept handing over control of that asset to an unknown Commander. And with the Commander not being able to see exactly what the Mech Pilot can see in the flurry of a combat situation.
[Example: a scout has long range visuals of a tight moving group of Mechs and needs to "fire" an Arty drop "right now", while the Commander is currently issuing orders to flank units to do something. Arty doesn't get used and recon/scout Mech looses any bonus he may have received.] - that will not go over well with role warfare coming in soon.

Now when unit/faction creation is brought into the game and the company is sitting in the "Dropship" screen, (where you can purchase consumables), there could be an option to load Company held expendables. This would give the commander, unit wide, items that could be used. And these would go in line with what you are looking at, but not sure where they would be carried or if these would even need to be "loaded" onto Mech's. (possibly part of an "off board" load out for Commanders only, to go with the satellite sweep items and whatever else is designed into the Command Console.)

Note here: There are still off board weapons systems (available in this timeline) that are not in the game yet. And these items could be used from the Command seat element.
Example, 1. the Long Tom Arty, slow to arrive but devastating in the area it arrives - splash damage to anything in its area of effect (friend or foe) [similar to 50+dmg at 20mtrs radius, 30+dmg at 40mtrs, 15+dmg at 60mtrs] (just examples for the values to illustrate) - But this is a very large warhead arriving with huge effects on the target area.
2. Arrow IV artillery - (equipped with standard area saturation missile or homing missiles which work in concert with a forward unit carrying TAG)
3. Sniper Artillery - (the Sniper can cripple or destroy most light and medium Mech's with a single hit)
[probable won't see this as it required line of sight in most cases.]

9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 12 December 2013 - 02:06 PM.

[Zerberoff]

I always thought Long Tom = Arty strike

But yeah, i think it will work out better if you hand the Commander its own Strike Arsenal.

I know Elements are Clantech, but how awsome would it be to have them ig for some kind of DoT Special!?
oh, could use a Group of Foot Soldiers for IS!

They could drop down from the sky with Jepacks, Parachutes or something like that, while a big A400M Military Transport crossing the sky.
Climbing over the oponents Mech, Shooting, flame-cutting and placing little Bombs on them.
They also can be countered by using your own Swarms on the same place/mech.

Edited by Zerberoff, 13 December 2013 - 01:31 AM.