3 replies to this topic

[Starquestman]

So, I was chilling out, reading on the MWO website, when suddenly a wild PARAGRAPH appeared:

"A true MechWarrior knows the operational limits of the BattleMechs they pilot, which cover a myriad of areas such as heat, mass, and critical space. These areas are always on the mind of a MechWarrior, especially how the systems are performing under the stress of combat."

It got me thinking... why don't we actually have the opportunity to do this? Why can't we pilot a mech to the point of failure? Why shouldn't we have to think: "I'd run over to that ridge, hit him with my PPCs, and run back, but if I do, I'll take the chance of blowing a leg actuator..."

Here's what I'm suggesting: Mechanical problems and such that go wrong with the mech when we push it past the edge. Give us the ability to run past top speed but at the consequence of blowing a leg actuator. Give us opportunity to fire a laser at a longer sustain but with the chance of it melting out the barrel. We've already done this with heat. The ultra AC5 must be fired gingerly to avoid jamming. Why not keep us on our toes? Why not give us a button to push that takes the speed limiter off so we can take that chance? Why not allow us to "overdo" things so that we can choose not too, like reality?

I have to drive my car right in order to keep it functioning. Can't push the engine revs for too high for too long or I'll start to burn oil. Can't turn too quick or I'll lose traction and skid and cause body damage. I know where its limits are because I've driven it to its limits. I think if we could apply this to mechs, pilots could bond with them more and feel more connected as well as be better pilots. The best pilots would be the ones who know how far past the "red line" they can push it before they blow it.

I think there are a lot of other things that can make the mech truly feel like a mechanical machine we are in control of, and not some perfect video game avatar that only can't go faster because the computers say so. Maybe some of them can be integrated with the collision patch. Anyway, I would love to see things go this direction in the near future.

[Durant Carlyle]

Yeah ... no.

MechWarriors in the lore never had the choice of turning off a speed limiter or over-driving their weapons or whatever. The one exception is the PPC Field Inhibitor giving the minimum range for PPCs. This could be turned off, risking damage to your own 'Mech.

MASC already does this (giving extra speed with a chance to blow leg actuators) anyway, and it will eventually be added to the game.

Think about it realistically for a second. Every single match would be littered with 'Mechs standing still because they all blew out their leg actuators -- the pilots thinking "The failures won't happen to me" just before the failures happened. Or the matches would be littered with intact 'Mechs with no functional weapons because everybody thought it wouldn't happen to them. Give players the option to do stupid things, and they WILL do them.

No, thanks. Beyond MASC and maybe turning off the PPC Field Inhibitor, we don't need this.

[Aim64C]

Durant Carlyle, on 31 December 2013 - 09:33 PM, said:

Think about it realistically for a second. Every single match would be littered with 'Mechs standing still because they all blew out their leg actuators -- the pilots thinking "The failures won't happen to me" just before the failures happened. Or the matches would be littered with intact 'Mechs with no functional weapons because everybody thought it wouldn't happen to them. Give players the option to do stupid things, and they WILL do them.

Sticking with the theme of realism... how many 6PPC stalkers do you see melted down on the maps, these days?

While I'm no proponent of Heat Scaling - the people who are aware of the phenomena tend to avoid evoking its ire.

And that would be the reality behind this system. The research shows that both teenagers and adults assess risks equally. In fact, they over-estimate the risks associated with most tasks. The reason teens do stupid things is not because they fail to see the risk, but because they value different rewards. Put them in a car alone - they drive fine. Put them in the car with their friends - they take more risks.

To illicit a similar phenomena from adults, just place an attractive member of the opposite sex in the room. That generally tends to turn guys, especially, into complete fools. Though women are more likely to argue and to make more subtle gestures they wouldn't normally make (flipping of the hair, shifting of the legs, etc).

Humans are so much fun when you realize that they are essentially identical to birds in terms of behavior (both individually and socially, interestingly enough).

Anyway - the point is that I don't think this idea would actually cause stupid behavior in pilots.

Though this does seem to be similar to the recent statements from the developers regarding pilot leveling and modules. Though that idea was so vague that it's hard to really tell what they were saying.

As for whether or not it's a good idea....

I'm torn. Parts of it would be interesting. The ability to 'overdrive' your mech - slipping on unstable/moist terrain and other such things would be an interesting addition. The ability to take advantage of the fact that you are in a bipedal machine of destruction (as opposed to a glorified tank) would also be nice - the ability to strafe/side-step and even do limited jumps without jump-jets would be very useful (and adding some kind of "doing that wile running a hundred kilometers per hour on a 30 degree incline is a very good way to fall" mechanic would be interesting, too).

At the same time - the problem with much of what you suggest is that it is far too involved for the current way the game is designed and marketed. The game is designed (like it or not) to be a fifteen minute time-killer. It's designed to have a very low learning curve and a very short 'blow stuff up and feel good' appeal to it.

It does not, unfortunately, seem tailored toward providing the player a full experience of piloting a mech.

Oh, and Happy New Year (at least, for us in the Central time zone at this moment - the holidays tend to get lost on me these days - when half your family is dead, it kind of loses its appeal).

[Starquestman]

Aim64C, on 31 December 2013 - 09:58 PM, said:

The ability to take advantage of the fact that you are in a bipedal machine of destruction (as opposed to a glorified tank) would also be nice - the ability to strafe/side-step...

Side-step - nice thought. Current bipedal robots - humanoids, exoskeletons, etc. catch on to utilizing legs in like manner already. How much will the tech have evolved a thousand years from now? Being able to side-step, evade/leap maneuvers, etc. may be enough to complete the feel of being a glorified MechWarrior pilot. Because ultimately, that's what it's about - it's about the romance of piloting a titan, to be the mythical god of war, but like you said, most players must have only a tall slow tank to have fun.

What I wish would be done in games is a two-level approach to everything; a "basic" or "beginner" league and an "expert" or "elite" league. The beginners would be the majority players, playing freely a version of the game similar to this one. But if you are brave, take it up to elite. This is where the "grown ups" play. This is where you get to tweak all the controls without inhibition, and use extra motions like sidestepping, overdrive it at risk, prolonged matches, huge maps, have a much more complicated interface, etc. This wouldn't require the creation of more than one extra server. And best, nobody would be forced to play in a league they don't want. Simple, uncompromised in either direction, no more work done by artists/programmers than they want to.
Actually, my good friend - a fellow Mechwarrior also - and I are working on a game that will do just that eventually.

I do await MASC and other improvements coming... and I don't think players will make the mistake of abusing "overdrive" more than once. I think this game has got the potential to be the best Battletech game ever, and possibly the best and most creative yet realistic "robot" or "future warfare" game. If the decision for ambition is made.