16 replies to this topic

[Finster]

The fact that we had 5 guys online, and had to rotate one person out each match is honestly pretty terrible. If the ability to play with only 1-4 and 12 people in a group is a business decision, that needs to change ASAP. If it's a technical problem, why are we being shoveled $500 gold mechs when something basic like being able to form a group with only 5 people is not implemented?

[luxebo]

You have a few options. Wait for private matches, CW, and stuff. Sync drop (drop one group of 3 and one group of two at the same time and hope). Do the same as you are doing. Or invite 7 more people for 12v12. These are your best solutions. Yeah, we really should be able to pick our size of groups, but the problem with this would be lances and stuff.

[Finster]

Private matches and CW are not the solution. There needs to be support for larger groups. Period.

[Sandpit]

There is it's coming many of us are waiting for it

[luxebo]

Finster, on 03 January 2014 - 07:04 PM, said:

Private matches and CW are not the solution. There needs to be support for larger groups. Period.

Private Matches and CW will allow support for larger groups. Take a look at the Command Chair in the forums, which will allow you to set the amount of people in your group up to 12.

[Firewuff]

The problem of drops or 5 to 8 is it totally unbalances pug drops and leads even more 12 to 1 curb stomps. 12 man can be matched against another 12 man but 5 to 8 is very problematic. As a (almost always) pug I don't want to see larger groups mixed with pugs. I also want to see a small code change to prevent sync drops... Its east to tell when income up against 2 x 4man sync drop... Its horrible for the match no matter what side your on.

[Ryoken]

Firewuff, on 04 January 2014 - 05:08 PM, said:

The problem of drops or 5 to 8 is it totally unbalances pug drops and leads even more 12 to 1 curb stomps. 12 man can be matched against another 12 man but 5 to 8 is very problematic. As a (almost always) pug I don't want to see larger groups mixed with pugs. I also want to see a small code change to prevent sync drops... Its east to tell when income up against 2 x 4man sync drop... Its horrible for the match no matter what side your on.

If you enter a game alone you willingly admit your fate to randomness. It's like flipping a coin. The better players can be on your team, or they can be on the enemy team. It does not matter if they are grouped or not for the single dropping player.

Edited by Ryoken, 11 January 2014 - 09:19 AM.

[Joseph Mallan]

Clanners need to drop in 5s!!!

[Ryoken]

Well I guess it will be a 4 point star for clanners?
PGI needs to fill that 5-11 player gap they created.

Joseph Mallan, on 11 January 2014 - 10:38 AM, said:

Clanners need to drop in 5s!!!

Make that 6s for Comstar/WoB!

Edited by Ryoken, 11 January 2014 - 11:03 AM.

[Lykaon]

Firewuff, on 04 January 2014 - 05:08 PM, said:

The problem of drops or 5 to 8 is it totally unbalances pug drops and leads even more 12 to 1 curb stomps. 12 man can be matched against another 12 man but 5 to 8 is very problematic. As a (almost always) pug I don't want to see larger groups mixed with pugs. I also want to see a small code change to prevent sync drops... Its east to tell when income up against 2 x 4man sync drop... Its horrible for the match no matter what side your on.

This disparity mostly stems from pugs being handicaped by poor communication options and no organization tools before a battle has begun.

By far the most important advantage possessed by premade groups is the use of third party voice programs like team speak or mumble.

Another important advantage premades possess is the ability to select complimentry mech builds to execute a given strategy.

Other than those two primary contributers the pug/premade disparity is minor.

Solution: Built in voice chat system and pre game lobbies to assemble a pug group,select mechs and formulate strategies.

[zolop]

Finster, on 03 January 2014 - 12:29 PM, said:

The fact that we had 5 guys online, and had to rotate one person out each match is honestly pretty terrible. If the ability to play with only 1-4 and 12 people in a group is a business decision, that needs to change ASAP. If it's a technical problem, why are we being shoveled $500 gold mechs when something basic like being able to form a group with only 5 people is not implemented?

This cannot be repeated enough, UI 2.0 needs to work with weight limits per lance so we can have any number of people up to 12 playing with us. A built in voice system with the ability to mute players would be a step in the right direction, as long as player CAN mute other players / create igmore lists. A que option for lone wolf players and group que is needed, I really hope this already is in UI 2.0.

Finster, on 03 January 2014 - 12:29 PM, said:

The fact that we had 5 guys online, and had to rotate one person out each match is honestly pretty terrible. If the ability to play with only 1-4 and 12 people in a group is a business decision, that needs to change ASAP. If it's a technical problem, why are we being shoveled $500 gold mechs when something basic like being able to form a group with only 5 people is not implemented?

Edited by zolop, 12 January 2014 - 07:04 AM.

[Firewuff]

Ryoken, on 11 January 2014 - 09:19 AM, said:

If you enter a game alone you willingly admit your fate to randomness. It's like flipping a coin. The better players can be on your team, or they can be on the enemy team. It does not matter if they are grouped or not for the single dropping player.

It actually makes a HUGE difference. If you get oneside with a 4 man drop or mulitple sync drops with up to 8 say and the other side has all PUGs, even if they are really good, the lack of coordination is a total killer. I've seen it happen time and time again. I'm not a {Scrap} player, in a lot of those situations I'm the only person getting any kills but i can almost always pick when I'm fighting with or against a pre-made. I'd really love to see something to prevent sync drops to stop these larger pre-made groups, or the match maker to ALWAYS make sure 2 pre-mades fact off then fill in the gaps, but right now that doesnt happen.

Anythign that penalises PUGS is bad for the game long term. The hard core players are not going anywhere but it is from PUGS these players come in the first place. A bad single player pick up experience makes game adoption slower. its part of the reason I didn't play some other games after a while, because it became blantly clear there was no point unless I joined a group... that sucks big time.

[Ryoken]

Firewuff, on 13 January 2014 - 12:38 AM, said:

It actually makes a HUGE difference. If you get oneside with a 4 man drop or mulitple sync drops with up to 8 say and the other side has all PUGs, even if they are really good, the lack of coordination is a total killer. I've seen it happen time and time again. I'm not a {Scrap} player, in a lot of those situations I'm the only person getting any kills but i can almost always pick when I'm fighting with or against a pre-made. I'd really love to see something to prevent sync drops to stop these larger pre-made groups, or the match maker to ALWAYS make sure 2 pre-mades fact off then fill in the gaps, but right now that doesnt happen.

Anythign that penalises PUGS is bad for the game long term. The hard core players are not going anywhere but it is from PUGS these players come in the first place. A bad single player pick up experience makes game adoption slower. its part of the reason I didn't play some other games after a while, because it became blantly clear there was no point unless I joined a group... that sucks big time.

Sorry I think you do not get the point. My argument still is valid - for the single dropping player it is irrelevant if the randomly applied odds in or against his favour are applied by single players or groups.

On another note I really do wonder why people start playing a MMO and then lament about players grouping up and enjoying teamplay. Makes no sense to me. Who drops alone should just accept it is flipping a coin. I do it alot, and it's perfectly fine with that in mind. All those "subjective observations" about how team play ruins a MMO experience are baseless assumptions at best.

Edited by Ryoken, 13 January 2014 - 11:59 AM.

[LordSkippy]

Firewuff, on 13 January 2014 - 12:38 AM, said:

mulitple sync drops with up to 8 say and the other side has all PUGs

I'm 98% convinced that never happens. The unit I'm in tries to sync drop when we have more than four people, and on Friday nights will do "drunk drops", where we have several 4-mans sync dropping.

The only time I've seen more than one of our 4-mans drop on a side, the other side either contained at least one of our 4-mans or another obvious pre-made.

Another thing I've noticed, the match maker tends to fill pre-mades in the pattern Team 1 Alpha Lance, Team 2 Alpha Lance, Team 1 Bravo Lance, Team 2 Bravo Lance, Team 1 Charlie Lance, and Team 2 Charlie Lance. Charlie Lance is usually just PUG players, but if there is one pre-made in the group, it's in Alpha. If there are two pre-mades in the group, they're in Alpha and Charlie, and the opposing team has at least one pre-made in their Alpha. Could just be my imagination or trying too hard to find a pattern, but that's what I've noticed.

You also can't tell the enemy lances in the match start screen, they get jumbled. Unit mates on opposing teams that I know are in a lance appear in random ordering at the start, but are in their lance at the end and claim their lance wasn't moved around.

Edited by LordSkippy, 13 January 2014 - 01:12 PM.

[SgtKinCaiD]

It's coming after UI 2.0. When UI 2.0 is out, PGI will implement the new group window and the tonnage limit associated.

[Corvus Antaka]

ui 2.0?

[Ewigan]

the new drop module will arrive in April according to Russ' Twitter