101 replies to this topic

[PhoenixFire55]

Bhael Fire, on 28 February 2014 - 09:47 AM, said:

No, what? You don't take the game seriously enough to care about private matches? Or no, you refuse to pay money no matter how reasonable it is?

I don't always have premium time active because I reserve it for times when I think it's most useful and worth it. I think having active premium time to allow a few (non-paying) friends of mine to have private matches set by our OWN rules is pretty much the definition of "worth it."

No, I will not buy premium time ever. I do take the game seriousely, I do own 75 mechs. And no, it is NOT reasonable.

Every other game out there I can play with friends for FREE. And if you think that they'll keep this premium for premium private matches you are wrong, they already said that charging any and all who want to customize even the number of player in their games extra money is what their plan is. This means that even if you are already 'premium' (i.e. subscription) you STILL need to pay EXTRA to be able to get rid of PUGs and play with friends. I will NOT drop a single dime into this game anymore as long as current leadership of PGI and IGP is anywhere near it.

This is however a little off topic and I apologize for it being so, but its true.

[wwiiogre]

Phoenix,

you havn't been on topic yet, but its ok, I personally know your frustration.

I also agree PGI needs to be very careful in how they price this. So far the idea of two players having premium to use the premium private match service is ok by me.

If however they went to an mc charge per use, or per use per player. This is doomed to fail. And once again anger and rightly so and infuriate the public.

So, PGI if you are reading this, be forewarned, because I am willing to pay mc for premium time to take advantage of what Paul has posted so far. I however would never pay a per use fee for premium private matches if it was per user, per use. Never. That would be too far. How Far? TOO F'ing FAR! PhoenixFire has that right.

Chris

Edited by wwiiogre, 28 February 2014 - 10:03 AM.

[Noonan]

I would also like to point out that private matches will provide ZERO XP or Cbills!!!

How is playing for no reward supposed to be a good idea?

Now instead of having to get 12 people together in TS to play 12 man, we have to round up 24 for a private match?

How does this help me?

I am a 4%er and I have been left behind.

[Joseph Mallan]

wwiiogre, on 28 February 2014 - 09:03 AM, said:

So Joseph,

what things about private free and private premium matches can you and your merc corps do?

In other words, what power does the launch module give your unit or other units or the community?

I see a big chance here for the community to create things and do things that were not possible. Want team solaris battles, organize it. Want private matches and world team ladders? Organize it?

Want a 2man, 4man, 8man, 5man league, organize it. Want to run 12 IS vs 10 clan mechs, organize it. This has given us a lot of power. Hopefully, some amazing community organizers will step forward and run with this come April.

Chris

Don't want any of that. I want 12 Lawman action between 12 Clan Wolf Warriors on Coventry for the Battle of Coventry. What happens in Private matches stays in private matches. I want my group to have fun playing CW. Leagues can take a hike. I am not here for the Epeen of sport style MechWarrior, I am here to fight the Clan invasion with 11 other Lawmen or 10th Lyran Guards or the Furillo March Militia!

[CeeKay Boques]

Noonan, on 28 February 2014 - 10:05 AM, said:

I would also like to point out that private matches will provide ZERO XP or Cbills!!!

How is playing for no reward supposed to be a good idea?

Now instead of having to get 12 people together in TS to play 12 man, we have to round up 24 for a private match?

How does this help me?

I am a 4%er and I have been left behind.

I'm totally with you. I hope they remove XP and CBills from the game so we can just play MW for fun instead of needing the "I'm progressing" dopamine release tickler.

[Bhael Fire]

wwiiogre, on 28 February 2014 - 10:03 AM, said:

If however they went to an mc charge per use, or per use per player. This is doomed to fail. And once again anger and rightly so and infuriate the public.

I agree. If it comes to that, I would be extremely upset with PGI. Charging MC per premium private match would be a disastrous move on their part — unless it only cost each team leader a negligible amount like 1 MC per match.

But even that is pushing it...

[wwiiogre]

Well Noonan, I am sorry you need a reward. I am also glad to tell you Joseph that this Launch Module is the first step towards CW.

I feel the ideas put forth for this launch module will help the pug grind, while allowing new players to not be completely roflstomped in the way they have been currently under this meta.

As a former 12man group player, I saw so many people not playing 12mans, but instead dropping as 4mans and roflstomping pugs, and also trying to sync drop their 4mans to further roflstomp the pugs.

This launch module puts a damper on the fun of the 4man, meta assault/hvy lance matching up against the 4 new players in their lights and mediums. For me, that is a win. I can now dust off my lights and mediums and expect fair and even matches. Not running into an 8man firing line of hvy/assaults playing jump snipe all game.

Now I know there are only 3 assaults on the other side. and only 3 heavies. I can deal with that even in a locust. Let alone my firestarters or jenners. And my medium mechs just got more deadly. Plus if I run my LRM boats I now have to worry every single match I can be overrun by lights or fast mediums.

I like it. But then again I am not a jump sniping, hvy/assault meta cheese player who only runs 4man assault lances and roflstomps pugs. I solo drop around 84% of the time, imagine that, I am the 84%. So when I get recognized by PGI, that the current matchmaker is actually penalizing me, its nice to know that will change.

Sorry you no longer get to roll pugs and noobs. Look forward to role warfare again.

Chris

[Joseph Mallan]

Technoviking, on 28 February 2014 - 10:15 AM, said:

I'm totally with you. I hope they remove XP and CBills from the game so we can just play MW for fun instead of needing the "I'm progressing" dopamine release tickler.

I really don't see that happening Tech. I know the feeling, but just don't know how that could work.

[Asakara]

I think it would be logical for customers to have a choice with "Premium" matches. They can set one up if they have premium time running or if they did not want to pay for even a day of premium they could purchase a single match. Having both options be available seems fair to me.

[AlmightyAeng]

wwiiogre, on 28 February 2014 - 10:17 AM, said:

For me, that is a win. I can now dust off my lights and mediums and expect fair and even matches.
Chris

Regardless of what you take, enjoy the locusts your teammates bring getting eaten alive by Jenners, which then turn on your mech as fire support. 'Fair and even' isn't achieved until the mechs within a weight class are balanced.

[wwiiogre]

I personally hope CW is separate from pug dropping and brings r&r and also will play differently for House, Merc and Lone Wolf for how the economy works. With Mercs living off salvage and actual contracts and benefits from holding a planet. While Lone Wolf keeps the current pay scale, while House, has no cbills, but gets benefits by being in the house. Ala, rank, paint jobs, possible hero/champion mechs for each house for reaching certain ranks. Upgraded, weapons or engines, or even modules only available to house faction players and only available at high rank.

Lots of things can be done with this game and having the three style of CW play differently and reward differently would be awesome.

For the clanners, allowing them to retrofit their IS mechs with clan tech and use them as Solahmma mechs is another possible way to reward clan CW players. Just saying, there are so many possibilities.

chris

[Joseph Mallan]

Ghost Badger, on 28 February 2014 - 10:20 AM, said:

Regardless of what you take, enjoy the locusts your teammates bring getting eaten alive by Jenners, which then turn on your mech as fire support. 'Fair and even' isn't achieved until the mechs within a weight class are balanced.

I understand what you mean Ghost, but a Jenner is almost 2 times the size of a Locust. With 75% more weight for armor,engine and weapons How is a Locust supposed to be balanced with a Jenner. If balance means what I think many of you want, they will not be balanced they will be equal and sometimes that just can't be done.

Your post above, sounds awesome Ogre! I like every word of it!

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 28 February 2014 - 10:26 AM.

[wwiiogre]

Jenners eat locusts, unless that locust is smart and baited the jenner into overextending and running into a wall of mediums. Just saying this is literally rock/paper/scissors when all tonnage classes are represented. We don't get the overdose on meta hvy/assault jump snipers.

I look forward to the challenge.

chris

[AlmightyAeng]

Joseph, you're right! Much as I hate to admit it, without 'battle value' there's really no way to balance out a locust and a jenner. Nor, with set 12v12 public matches, is there a way to insert 2 locusts for that Jenner.

Wholly frustrated by the inability to drop in a 5-11 man with friends...that bitterness is leaking into my posts and I'm commenting on tools and strategies PGI has ignored more often than usual. Sorry.

PGI has a lot of press on 'making things fair' but the changes they implement don't actually have the effect they're pushing at the papers. Shrug. The big effect it DOES have is giving them more things to charge us $ for, and that's frustrating.

Edited by Ghost Badger, 28 February 2014 - 10:30 AM.

[IceSerpent]

wwiiogre, on 28 February 2014 - 09:51 AM, said:

IceSerpent,

Not counting all the games I lost during all the wipes I still have thousands and thousands of drops. I will still grind mechs in pub matches. But, this gives me the ability to do more, I could care less if I am not grinding xp or cbills in my private matches. At least I am playing in a style that I like, against like minded individuals. To me that is worth paying for.

It's definitely worth paying for, but that's not the point. My point is that private matches are obviously not suited for c-bill/xp grind and CW due to potential to be abused. Therefore, we will have to use public matches for those purposes. Therefore, those public matches should work properly.

Quote

Now, until we see where MM goes, all we can do is hope it is better than the current one. As far as I can see, unless they screw up the programming, it is already better. I will no longer face a tonnage difference of 400+ tons in most of the games I play. That means it is better already, I will no longer face two premades on oneside while having all pugs on the other. Better again.

It still doesn't do what it's supposed to do - it doesn't create even matches. If I have two cars that don't run, it doesn't really matter that one is in a better shape than another, I can't drive any of them anywhere regardless.

[Noonan]

Wow wwiiogre, nice personal attack and sweeping generalization set all rolled into one. This is based on you knowing my play style so well and having played so many games with me??? Not going to get involved with that here, but you have no clue what you are talking about in relation to your statements directed at me.

Would having another option with groups of 5-11 and people who 'opt in' to be the fill ins in those games somehow diminish you or your play? I think that is unlikely. I have been waiting for almost a year to be able to drop with all of my friends if more than 4 people show up. At this point, I pretty much only play to hang out with the fun people that I have been around for the last year. I really wish that PGI would cultivate more social aspects of this game, especially with CW coming up. If not, they may be alienating 84% of their audience.

[Khobai]

Quote

without 'battle value' there's really no way to balance out a locust and a jenner

agreed. even tonnage doesnt work because a jenner can kill two locusts easily.

[Joseph Mallan]

Khobai, on 28 February 2014 - 10:33 AM, said:

agreed. even tonnage doesnt work because a jenner can kill two PUG Lone Wolf locusts easily.

Fixed that for you. Two on one with good coordination should kill a Jenner... I know I can get that done on TT... Here, I still feel it could be done.

[wwiiogre]

Ice Serpent,

You are correct, what is proposed isn't perfect and I have expounded at length for what I think would need to happen.

It is better than what we have, which is a start. And before I tear it a new hole, I would at least like to drop under the new system 100 times or more and document and build my own data. Which is what I have done with elo, each time it is changed. I document 100 drops. 25 in each class. Half in groups and half solo.

How would I change what is proposed. I would add a max tonnage difference of 95 tons. I would add a max different in arty/air/uav as +1, I would add a max difference of ecm as +1. I would code a handicap system to elo for actual number of drops of pilots so that one side would never have more than +1 of pilots with less than 25 drops and no more than +1 of pilots with between 26-100 drops. This means new players face new players and one side doesn't get stuck with more than the other except by a factor of 1. Not like the 6 new players I saw yesterday facing two 4mans and being out tonned by 400+ tons.

But I can dream I guess.

Chris

[Mechteric]

Joseph Mallan, on 28 February 2014 - 08:53 AM, said:

It means all those teams trying to sync drop shot themselves in the foot!

Huh? You mean "finally get what they've been wanting"?