12 replies to this topic

[ACB]

After playing the game for two days these are my thoughts on the new player experience.

It sucks. Not the game itself, the game is fine. It looks and feels like a mechwarrior game. It's nice to see the venerable Locust making an appearance along side the iconic Atlas. The weapons appear to be balanced (I'm sure some vets will point out that I am totaly wrong here but hey, that's the internet ) And the mechs feel like hulking war machines.

I don't have any issues with the learning curve. Granted, it's harsh, but I played EVE for 5 years so I've got no problems with being blown up 9 times out of 10 for the next year. No, my issue is with the complete lack of in game voice comms or any lobby/chat room.

This game is billed as the 'thinking man's shooter' and with voice comms it probably is. However, without voice comms it's just frustrating. Playing as a missile boat you end up wasting ammo as no one maintains locks for indirect fire, and then you get bumrushed by a couple of light mechs because no one was watching your back. Play as short range brawler and you suddenly find yourself leading the charge of the light brigade all by yourself and end up as a massive XP pinata. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Making friends is nigh on impossible whilst in combat and without a post game chatroom/lobby you are left to use the forums. Forums are all well and good for established players who have invested time into the game but for new players they tend not to be very inviting.

[mogs01gt]

The in game chat system is pretty pathetic in this game. It should follow LoL or DoTa where enter puts you into team chat and another key puts you into all chat. Then the post game lobby should default to all chat.

[Tannhauser Gate]

Well said. MWO is essentially in extended beta and a lot of features have not made it in yet. The next big feature is the new user interface. UI 2.0 comes out in less than a month which is the big hill we have to get over to receive things such as a lobby. Voice comms is likely to come much later or possibly never since there are so many good alternatives out there.

God knows we agree with much of what you said. Many of us have invested hundreds of dollars and countless hours in MWO hoping it will become the game the devs are working toward. My recommendation is to come back in a couple of months and take another look. In a year it will be a much different experience.

Edited by LakeDaemon, 17 January 2014 - 08:53 AM.

[Pyrrho]

If MW:O utilized an IRC-style interface as their chat/lobby system it would tell me that they have an understanding of what life is like in the 21st century. As it stands, they haven't even reached Terminal/BBS levels of complexity.

[Modo44]

LakeDaemon, on 17 January 2014 - 08:52 AM, said:

Voice comms is likely to come much later or possibly never since there are so many good alternatives out there.

The alternatives require searching, which makes them useless from a casual/new player's point of view (i.e. most of the player base). Most people do not join the forums, ever, so posting info here does not help.

[AaronWolf]

Pyrrho, on 17 January 2014 - 09:10 AM, said:

If MW:O utilized an IRC-style interface as their chat/lobby system it would tell me that they have an understanding of what life is like in the 21st century. As it stands, they haven't even reached Terminal/BBS levels of complexity.

Their working on that from my knowledge.

But it would really help to have a more chat-friendly system. Most of my friends have been found through the forums, and in general that is a bad sign. Atleast to me.

Though I am just issuing forth my opinion.

ACB, on 17 January 2014 - 08:40 AM, said:

After playing the game for two days these are my thoughts on the new player experience.

It sucks. Not the game itself, the game is fine. It looks and feels like a mechwarrior game. It's nice to see the venerable Locust making an appearance along side the iconic Atlas. The weapons appear to be balanced (I'm sure some vets will point out that I am totaly wrong here but hey, that's the internet ) And the mechs feel like hulking war machines.

I don't have any issues with the learning curve. Granted, it's harsh, but I played EVE for 5 years so I've got no problems with being blown up 9 times out of 10 for the next year. No, my issue is with the complete lack of in game voice comms or any lobby/chat room.

This game is billed as the 'thinking man's shooter' and with voice comms it probably is. However, without voice comms it's just frustrating. Playing as a missile boat you end up wasting ammo as no one maintains locks for indirect fire, and then you get bumrushed by a couple of light mechs because no one was watching your back. Play as short range brawler and you suddenly find yourself leading the charge of the light brigade all by yourself and end up as a massive XP pinata. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Making friends is nigh on impossible whilst in combat and without a post game chatroom/lobby you are left to use the forums. Forums are all well and good for established players who have invested time into the game but for new players they tend not to be very inviting.

When I get ingame on this account (not my brothers) I will add you and we can drop on a TS or something to work together.

Maybe convert you into a light-psychopath like me.

[Pyrrho]

AaronWolf, on 17 January 2014 - 09:16 AM, said:

Their working on that from my knowledge.

Right, I get that and I am glad that they may fix it. My issue is that "Chat" is something that has been trivial to implement in an online environment for decades. Why is it suddenly something that needs working on? The poor chat system hasn't been addressed (beyond fixing the Backspace repeat problem).

I unfortunately missed the PTS run of the UI2.0 3½ -- does the chat function any better?

[Napoleon_Blownapart]

you need to check the factions inner sphere section and join some TS hub and meet people.

[Nick Makiaveli]

ACB, on 17 January 2014 - 08:40 AM, said:

After playing the game for two days these are my thoughts on the new player experience.

It sucks. Not the game itself, the game is fine. It looks and feels like a mechwarrior game. It's nice to see the venerable Locust making an appearance along side the iconic Atlas. The weapons appear to be balanced (I'm sure some vets will point out that I am totaly wrong here but hey, that's the internet ) And the mechs feel like hulking war machines.

I don't have any issues with the learning curve. Granted, it's harsh, but I played EVE for 5 years so I've got no problems with being blown up 9 times out of 10 for the next year. No, my issue is with the complete lack of in game voice comms or any lobby/chat room.

This game is billed as the 'thinking man's shooter' and with voice comms it probably is. However, without voice comms it's just frustrating. Playing as a missile boat you end up wasting ammo as no one maintains locks for indirect fire, and then you get bumrushed by a couple of light mechs because no one was watching your back. Play as short range brawler and you suddenly find yourself leading the charge of the light brigade all by yourself and end up as a massive XP pinata. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Making friends is nigh on impossible whilst in combat and without a post game chatroom/lobby you are left to use the forums. Forums are all well and good for established players who have invested time into the game but for new players they tend not to be very inviting.

There is a thread for TS servers. There are also House sections, and the merc recruiting section.

In other words, no need for friends as you can find people to drop with and make friends that way. I was leaning House Liao for the whole underdog vibe, when I ran into someone I knew from Fallen Earth and wound up in the DHB. But the point is, I had access to TS long before I knew anyone here (FTR I only downloaded and installed TS once I applied to the DHB.)

So to sum up, the tools are there, so why waste dev resources fixing a relatively low priority issue? Those who have the desire will seek out a solution. Those who don't, won't. Yes I know my career in marketing or player retention would be short and bloody, that's why I work in IT.

[Macksheen]

I'd love an in-game, company / lance voice chat. LOVE.

Having to drop to TS or Vent works, but is erratic - you'll only have full comms if your entire run is your group.

I'd also love some better text chat options, including both ease of entry (love the enter to type to company idea) and display - I rarely see the stupid blue chats when I'm busy. Placement and coloration would be nice.

[MetalBacon]

rebind all chat to shift+enter and team chat to enter.

I have not done this myself because I use TS, but Im pretty sure the enter key isn't used for anything (significant) in game.

[Tannhauser Gate]

Modo44, on 17 January 2014 - 09:15 AM, said:

The alternatives require searching, which makes them useless from a casual/new player's point of view (i.e. most of the player base). Most people do not join the forums, ever, so posting info here does not help.

True. Im just relating that pgi has put off adding voice comms to MWO because of alternatives. Yes, MWO needs integrated voice comms for all the players who want to use it in-game. IDEALLY, Id like to see something like the comms used in Space Marines (iirc) where you can hear all kinds of background audio, combat sounds, and interference from electrical attacks etc.. But, a lobby and basic voice comms would be minimum and we dont have those yet.

[ACB]

Nick Makiaveli, on 17 January 2014 - 10:05 AM, said:

So to sum up, the tools are there, so why waste dev resources fixing a relatively low priority issue? Those who have the desire will seek out a solution. Those who don't, won't. Yes I know my career in marketing or player retention would be short and bloody, that's why I work in IT.

That's my point in a nutshell. I do have the desire to continue playing this game but many others out there will see this as a ball ache and write the game off. While I can understand the desire of older players to keep the game 'HARDCORE!' and keep the COD-kiddies away from their beloved game I also can see ( as I assume you do too from your tongue in cheek response) the toxicity of that attitude.

If this game is to continue to develop (and I hope it does) then new players are essential. Failing to provide these basic things that pretty much every other online game has done for the last 10 to 15 years seems self defeating.

Oh, and one final thing I forgot in my OP. The initial keymap sucks big time.

And why haven't they brought in close combat? I want to be able to punch mechs in the face!
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Thug You know you want it