402 replies to this topic

[Mylardis]

Kagran Zercher, on 18 December 2013 - 11:34 PM, said:

Mint Frog, this was beautifully written, and very heartfelt. I salute you, and will drink a toast to your health, and what could have been.

I second that - Mint Frog, that was just awesome, or it would be. I honestly doubt it will happen, but it shows what real passion for a franchise can achieve.

Taking part in that event would probably even have been way better than the end of WoW closed beta (which was epic in itself - I was there!).

[MechFrog1]

DasAmok, on 19 December 2013 - 01:08 AM, said:

I second that - Mint Frog, that was just awesome, or it would be. I honestly doubt it will happen, but it shows what real passion for a franchise can achieve.

Taking part in that event would probably even have been way better than the end of WoW closed beta (which was epic in itself - I was there!).

Unfortunately it cannot happen, as the horse has left the barn. It's just the latest in a pattern of missed opportunities that the devs have had to seriously promote MWO. It is totally baffling that a small development studio such as PGI, which does not have much (or seemingly any) money to spend on advertising, continually squanders every chance they have to generate buzz for the game with the resources they do have.

When I asked on twitter why they were not taking advantage of the 70,000 gamers who were in Seattle for PAX2013, the tweet was ignored. Though Catalyst was there to promote Battletech:Alpha Strike, the only shred of MWO to be found was sharing screen time with Mechwarrrior Tactics and ShadowRun on an out of the way flat screen TV. To call it a missed opportunity right before the "launch" of the game is a massive understatement.

There is a pattern established which suggests the people who make these decisions either don't know how to properly advertise the game, or they simply don't care to do so. Either way, it's unacceptable.

Edited by mint frog, 19 December 2013 - 07:16 AM.

[Wrenchfarm]

Wonderful dream. Reminds me of the events held in City of Heroes to hype up content expansions (alien invasions, Arch-Villains storming the newbie zones, dev controlled lore heroes cleaning up the Rogue Isles, ect). CoH was FAR from a perfect game, lots of technical issues, content gaps, balance issues, and some of the worst PvP I've ever seen, but I never doubted that the devs wanted the game to be a success. They were out there doing exciting things with the fans and trying to make the game as good as they could given their limitations (small team, horrifically stitched together Jenga engine, niche audience, sounds familiar?)

I can't say the same about the PGI team. There are either serious issues of competency or apathy, I don't know which. All I know is that they have squandered their opportunity and chased away their core fanbase. RIP MWO.

[cDnStealth]

My thoughts on the clan invasion were pretty similar to yours. The key to it all would have been Community Warfare. I would have loved to see us fighting each other in the Inner Sphere for about a year. That would have provided plenty of time to establish an overall meta for the game and made the Clan invasion more impactful. Then on an unannounced day you would find yourself in what would seem to be a regular match between Houses. Shortly after launching and proceeding to your objectives you'd see dropships descending from the sky accompanied by Clan transmissions. You'd then have the opportunity of fighting AI controlled Clan mechs with your enemies.

[Silent]

It could have even bled over into other mediums. Since they are fond of Twitch.tv they could have made it look like they are starting a stream of a normal match (which is actually pre-recorded and edited) and then halfway through have it glitch out with a transmission from the Clans. They could have built it up gradually by having it just glitch out occasionally with garbled sound and a quick glimpse of the Clanner speaking to the screen or whatever. Then they could have had stooges that are in on it go out to various communities and drum up interest by saying stuff like "Hey check out their stream it's doing something weird" which could have got new players interested by just checking out the stream and seeing the gameplay, but also be a sort of announcement for the Clan reveal.

[Silent]

Or they could have had sound bites of some garbled Clan transmissions have a chance to randomly play when you are near communications buildings on a map in-game. You know, like if you just happen to be near that satellite dish on Forest Colony or close to the dish on Manifold you might hear something.

[Adridos]

Gaulwa, on 18 December 2013 - 08:38 PM, said:

Sorry to tell you this, your ideas are either impossible to realise and implement or so out of scale they are a waste of development resources.

Sorry to tell you this, but You've got no idea about the scale or possibility of implementation of his ideas.

[xhrit]

mint frog, on 18 December 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

Besides the stuff that PGI says will be in the game by May in their own roadmap, there's nothing in my description that requires any additional features.

Yes there is.

mint frog, on 18 December 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

these random 12 players receive a special achievement on their account as, “First of the Fallen.”

This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.

mint frog, on 18 December 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

To prevent duplicate experiences, a script has been added to the matchmaker that makes it impossible to drop against the Clan mechs more than a single time.

This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.

mint frog, on 18 December 2013 - 09:54 PM, said:

The second, surprise item is the battlemech War Banner.

This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.


Conclusion : This is a clear example of the Dunning Kruger effect in action.

[RG Notch]

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 09:51 AM, said:

Yes there is.



This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.


This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.



This is a feature that can not be added via an XML file, nor is it on any roadmap.


Conclusion : This is a clear example of the Dunning Kruger effect in action.

If anything Russ's post about this whole thing is a perfect example of that effect.

[xhrit]

RG Notch, on 19 December 2013 - 09:53 AM, said:

If anything Russ's post about this whole thing is a perfect example of that effect.

Except Russ is a professional game developer who has actually shipped a professional game.
Anyone else can make that claim here? No? Lol, Ok then.
Continue talking about how much better you are at making games then Russ, even tho you have no clue what you are doing.

[RG Notch]

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 09:56 AM, said:

Except Russ is a professional game developer who has actually shipped a professional game.
Anyone else can make that claim here? No? Lol, Ok then.
Continue talking about how much better you are at making games then Russ, even tho you have no clue what you are doing.

LOL no this is by their own admission a MINIMALLY VIABLE PRODUCT. That's not a professional game. Also maybe you haven't noticed but they virtually never hit their deadlines or live up to their own pillars of the game. So while they may get paid to do what they do, I'd hardly call their work professional. But don't let me stop you from defending them. Someone apparently has to judging by the tenacity of some of the cheerleaders.

[MechFrog1]

1. We already have achievements, and they're going to be a part of UI2.0. It's not an additional feature beyond what is already in the roadmap.



2. It's possible to edit all sorts of variables into the matchmaker. It's already done with player Elo and the attempt at weight balancing.

3. Replace "War Horns from the Clan Packs" with "War Banners" Now it's in the road map. The only change is away from an item no one wants to an item everyone would want.

I appreciate all the effort you're going through to be deliberately obtuse, but you're grasping at tiny little straws. Please, for the sake of your own self respect, stop this idiocy.

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 09:56 AM, said:

Except Russ is a professional game developer who has actually shipped a professional game.
Anyone else can make that claim here? No? Lol, Ok then.
Continue talking about how much better you are at making games then Russ, even tho you have no clue what you are doing.

Well, before I switched careers, I actually did work on games at Nintendo in Redmond, WA. back in 2003. So perhaps I might have some clue as to what I am doing. If you wish to continue to speak from a place of ignorance, fine. But I think you're making my case for me about the curse of lowered standards.

Fun relevant anecdote time:

Before Guild Wars 2 launched, when they were still showing off the game at Gamescon and PAX. Arenanet employees were encouraged to invite in friends and family to come into the office and play the game in order to populate the world for the previews. Picture about 200 people playing most of the night so that people in Germany could see the game in all it's hustle and bustle. It was an amazing and exciting thing to be a part of and I think it helped.

Anyway, please continue explaining about how I don't know anything about game development.

Edited by mint frog, 19 December 2013 - 10:20 AM.

[xhrit]

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

2. It's possible to edit all sorts of variables into the matchmaker. It's already done with player Elo and the attempt at weight balancing.

Weight balancing and ELO was added to the matchmaker by editing an XML file? No. it wasn't. Variables do nothing without code to drive the logic, and XML is a data definition format - it does nothing about logic.

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

Well, before I switched careers, I actually did work on games at Nintendo in Redmond, WA. back in 2003. So perhaps I might have some clue as to what I am doing. If you wish to continue to speak from a place of ignorance, fine. But I think you're making my case for me about the curse of lowered standards.

Working for nintendo doesn't mean you are a game developer. Tell me, what games has Nintendo shipped that have your name listed in the credits as a developer? None? Right, because Nintendo offices in Redmond, WA are not a development studio.

http://www.indeed.co...d,-WA-jobs.html

I see jobs for customer support, inventory analyst, market forcaster, web designer, localization. No actual game developers tho. So you answered a phone, filed some TPS reports, did some data entry. Congrats, you are now qualified to bring Russ his morning coffee.

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

3. Replace "War Horns from the Clan Packs" with "War Banners" Now it's in the road map. The only change is away from an item no one wants to an item everyone would want.

So, it is in the roadmap, but only if you replace a feature that is actually in the roadmap with a feature that is not in the roadmap?

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

I appreciate all the effort you're going through to be deliberately obtuse, but you're grasping at tiny little straws. Please, for the sake of your own self respect, stop this idiocy.

And I am the one who is grasping at straws.

Edited by xhrit, 19 December 2013 - 10:47 AM.

[Damocles]

As I understand it, xhrit is extremely satisfied with the vision PGI has for the Clans, good for him.

[MechFrog1]

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 10:37 AM, said:

Weight balancing and ELO was added to the matchmaker by editing an XML file? No. it wasn't. Variables do nothing without code to drive the logic, and XML is a data definition format - it does nothing about logic.

I never said anything about an XML file. I do however know how variables work and how it wouldn't take five months to figure out how to tag an Elo with a 1 or a 0 to either include or exclude them from a drop against the devs after a first instance.

Quote

Working for nintendo doesn't mean you are a game developer. Tell me, what games has Nintendo shipped that have your name listed in the credits as a developer? None? Right, because Nintendo offices in Redmond, WA are not a development studio.

http://www.indeed.co...d,-WA-jobs.html

I see jobs for customer support, inventory analyst, market forcaster, web designer, localization. No actual game developers tho.

There are game devs at the Redmond campus. You don't seem to understand all the jobs that qualify under the term, "game developer." Would you like to narrow your definition of "game developer" to a specific job title? Because even those aren't standardized from one business to another.

Edit: Even in your own link there are listings for programmers, planners, and software engineers.

Quote

So, it is in the roadmap, but only if you replace a feature that is actually in the roadmap with a feature that is not in the roadmap?

And I am the one who is grasping at straws.

It's a purchasable item. Instead of buying a valentine card for your cockpit or whatever {Scrap} they try to sell you next year, the art team could be working on the War Banners.

What is your real problem here?

Edited by mint frog, 19 December 2013 - 10:52 AM.

[xhrit]

Damocles, on 19 December 2013 - 10:47 AM, said:

As I understand it, xhrit is extremely satisfied with the vision PGI has for the Clans, good for him.

Maybe if you all get together and wish for it hard enough your magical thinking will actually change something about this game.

Satisfied? Yes. I am not happy, I am content.

Quote

...this is by their own admission a MINIMALLY VIABLE PRODUCT. That's not a professional game. Also maybe you haven't noticed but they virtually never hit their deadlines...

A minimally viable product is still a viable product. It is a professional game because Russ developed it as part of his paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

Quote

Also maybe you haven't noticed but they virtually never hit their deadlines...

You want to know who else virtually never hits deadlines? Valve. Maybe you have not noticed that is how the industry works?

https://developer.va...wiki/Valve_Time

[MechFrog1]

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

Maybe if you all get together and wish for it hard enough your magical thinking will actually change something about this game.

That's funny, because I'm actually offering constructive ideas in this thread and you brown knights still come in and wipe your feces all over it.

What is the matter with you?

I know you think PGI can do no wrong, but how can anyone expect the community to never offer any ideas? You really think they know everything? Do you really think that there aren't lots of people in this community with game dev experience who could lend a few ideas? (hint: there are lots)

Edited by mint frog, 19 December 2013 - 11:08 AM.

[xhrit]

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:48 AM, said:

Edit: Even in your own link there are listings for programmers, planners, and software engineers.

Web programmers? People who make the web site do not make the game.
Software engineers? They work on unix backends for hosting said web site.

Planners? Yeah. Financial planners.
Nintendo WA is a game publisher, not a game developer.

mint frog, on 19 December 2013 - 10:48 AM, said:

What is your real problem here?

Your ignorance incites negativity.

[RG Notch]

xhrit, on 19 December 2013 - 11:08 AM, said:

Web programmers? People who make the web site do not make the game.
Software engineers? They work on unix backends for hosting said web site.

Planners? Yeah. Financial planners.
Nintendo WA is a game publisher, not a game developer.



Your ignorance incites negativity.

They say ignorance is bliss, I guess that's why you're content.

[Prezimonto]

This would have been amazing.

Now imagine, that for the following several months all trial mechs (until the actual drop date of the mech packages) are clan mechs.... matches are between factions, but clan vs. IS matches give a chance for clan tech and mechs to drop as salvage (that the faction the releases) and the winners can bid on with cbills(starting price being just below normal value and going up from there).

instant money sink. Instant feeling of place and setting. reward system for lots of play: check. Coupled to this kind of a teaser it could have brought back most of the missing players.

Instead it's just driven more away.

Edited by Prezimonto, 19 December 2013 - 11:23 AM.