322 replies to this topic

[Aym]

Fellow Mechwarriors,
In a recent command chair post the new Launch Module and the proposed Group queue and Solo queue were unveiled, as supported by the “84%” of launches being solo statistic referenced in a previous command chair post. ( http://mwomercs.com/...93-feb-27-2014/ http://mwomercs.com/...and-team-sizes/). To my amateur eyes, it seems PGI Design has concluded these numbers support the view held by a vocal minority here on the forums that solo players do not want to play as part of a “group.” Even though they are all on one “Team” each game, Paul states “a solo player would have a MUCH greater success(sic) at winning in the regular match than up against teams.” Paul believes one pug is an unacceptable number paired with an 11-player group on the same team. However this flies in the face of the desire for most of the forum posters in regards to queue desires. So to my fellow Mechwarriors, I ask you to please list the various reasons you drop solo, when and if you do at all. I’ll get the ball rolling.
I, Aym, drop solo for the following reasons –

• I am participating in one of the many PGI sponsored Solo-ONLY activities
  
• Participating in another solo only activity such as Marik Monday Madness
  
• Testing my performance/stability from a recent patch
  
• Levelling a mech/testing a new build (these I feel are very much related as I don’t want to be a drag on my team for specific game-play reasons as opposed to IRL or patch performance)
  
• I just want to get a few games in quickly and don’t want to spend the time finding a group that has less than 4-players, IE the current team restrictions FORCE me to drop solo
  
• I am waiting for a spot to open up within the current match-making restrictions (again being forced to drop because of group restriction, not a desired play-style)
  
• The less-than-4-player group I have found just launched and I’m getting a quick drop in
  
• I am sync-dropping with a 4-player group because I wish to continue my conversation with my friends while we play
  
• Sometimes I don’t want to communicate/play with people that I am sure have a much different style than me (ie more competitive, less competitive, language differences, personalities, whatever)
  
• And last but not least I’m just grinding out a promotional offer from PGI on my alt account and will be quitting-re-launching as fast as I can to get my games/wins in.

I count 10 reasons I drop solo, but none of those should be misconstrued to mean my solo-dropping constitutes such a larger player-base than those wanting to drop in groups. Half of these reasons didn’t exist before PGI limited groups to 4 players, and the biggest by far for me is PGI encouraged, the multitude of “x against the y” where the only drops counted are solo, even when they’re to show faction unity…



Please share your reasons for dropping solo, and honestly if you really really really don’t ever want to be put on a team with anyone in a group do say so, however you’ll note that reason for dropping solo is NOT on my list.

Ideally I can collect the reasons listed and create an infographic.

I'd also like to list the reasons and the pilots who gave those reasons in this post.

Edited by Aym, 21 April 2014 - 06:17 PM.

[AlmightyAeng]

I drop solo for the following reasons:

1) No one in my group is online.
2) My friends list is grey and sad.
3) I'm testing myself in my go-to mechs to make sure I'm not letting my evil premade boogie-brothers carry me.
4) There's a solo-only competition with a tangible fluff reward for X amount of wins.

Edited by Ghost Badger, 21 April 2014 - 12:46 PM.

[Mystere]

I drop only solo because Community Warfare does not yet exist.

Edited by Mystere, 21 April 2014 - 12:48 PM.

[627]

Ghost Badger, on 21 April 2014 - 12:45 PM, said:

I drop solo for the following reasons:

1) No one in my group friends is online.
2) My friends list is grey and sad.
3) I'm testing myself in my go-to mechs to make sure I'm not letting my evil premade boogie-brothers carry me.
4) There's a solo-only competition with a tangible fluff reward for X amount of wins.

[Roland]

I drop solo because most of my friends who used to play no longer do, because it was too hard to play together.

Although, to be honest, I've pretty much abandoned playing myself as well.

Just killing time until the dog fighting module is released.

Edited by Roland, 21 April 2014 - 12:50 PM.

[Ngamok]

I dropped solo last night in 5 of 8 matches on my alt account to get the free TDR-9S since I got home late last night from being at my parents for the Easter holiday. Other 3 matches were in a 4 man. So I contributed !

[Hangfire]

I drop solo because I work 3 jobs at erratic times and can't offer any competitive team the commitment required :/

[Archon]

I drop solo because I've had bad experiences getting too involved with MMOs in the past and am trying to avoid that happening again.

[Chemie]

I only drop premade and I always see at least 1 and often 2 other premades. This tells me that 30-50% of players are in teams (4 to 12 players per 24) and PGI got their maths wrong (as has been pointed out before in how you count a "team")

[TheCaptainJZ]

I drop solo because I don't want to commit to a merc corps-like group
I drop solo because I'm shy and don't like to talk to people I don't know. (Listening is ok if they are mature adults and not too talky though). Chat is perfectly fine in this regard. My most enjoyable matches are where someone laid out a plan for the team and we all followed it and won. In one example, we set up an ambush. It didn't work, but since we were all working together and communicating via chat, it was fun.
Edit: also I drop solo because I'm too lazy to install Teamspeak, log in, join a chat area, wait for someone to pick me up for a drop, etc.
Edit 2: I also drop solo because I only know 1 real life person who plays this game, my brother. I could try introducing others, but if they aren't familiar with the Battletech universe already, it would be too difficult and confusing.

Edited by TheCaptainJZ, 21 April 2014 - 01:06 PM.

[Felbombling]

I drop solo because I don't want anyone to hear the foul language I use when I try to play the Dragon Slayer I bought recently. I unlocked all the basics on it, and cannot bring myself to work two other Victors towards Mastering the Victor class. Seriously, it feels like I'm standing on a peer with Vinny, Sal and Tony 'Two Times', wearing a brand new pair of cement galoshes. You get caught out in the open anywhere and it is lights out. Like flies to a **** wagon, Mechs start coming out of every nook and cranny for a shot at you. So sluggish, it is painful that I considered converting it into an LRM boat of sorts... or a beefed up defence turret.

Edited by StaggerCheck, 21 April 2014 - 01:13 PM.

[Daekar]

I drop solo because my time is limited and I feel it's unfair to the teams I join to pop in for a few games and then leave them when we're just getting synched up in game.

I drop solo because I need to be able to stop playing and handle IRL issues at the drop of a hat. I love the pause button on single player games.

I drop solo because I am easily annoyed by people, and a lot of the people I've VOIPed with were obnoxious. (I will say that, at least to my spotty memory, every single European I've ever dropped with has been friendly and polite)

I drop solo because I don't like being a VOIPless pug and fighting against VOIPed groups in the public queue - I would kind of be a hypocrite if I started 4-manning on comms.

I drop solo because I'm impatient and dislike waiting for people. I want to push the launch button and have fun just like or every other MechWarrior title I've ever owned.

I drop solo because I'm hovering just above a 1:1 W/L and K/D ratio and I don't want to gimp a team.

I drop solo because I don't want my Elo artificially inflated by playing in a group so that I'll be miserable when I try to drop solo again.

I drop solo because I'm constantly trying out builds, playing in the Mechlab, and XPing up new mechs.

Edited by Daekar, 21 April 2014 - 01:20 PM.

[Argent Usher]

I drop solo because:

Blobskill - What does that do for me?
Lack of time.
I like the facepalm moments and epic fails of my pug mates because they make my day and i can say: "I feel much better now."

[Aym]

Archon, on 21 April 2014 - 12:59 PM, said:

I drop solo because I've had bad experiences getting too involved with MMOs in the past and am trying to avoid that happening again.

That's an answer I didn't expect, I drop solo because I know how much more fun I'd have with a group and cant have that in my life, lol.

[Windsaw]

Once every week I train with others. Besides that, I only PUG.

Because of 3 reasons:
- The playstyle in 12 men groups is usually not enjoyable. (too many meta-builds)
- When I play for skilling or for fun, I usually only play two or three matches and then do something else for a while. Joining a 4 team just for two or three matches is overkill.
- It is too hard to get exactly 12 players together and keep them with nobody dropping out. It is similar with teams of 4: if there are just two players, you might as well play alone.

[CeeKay Boques]

I drop solo because I know if I was ever to click the "on" lever to my League/Ladder/CW Mechwarrior self, I would make life long friends, train every night and be "hardcore". I'm not ready for that stress yet, and not good at balancing practices.

I drop have two sons and want them to come with me, but if that lever was "ON" I would have to let them know they're really just not good enough for 12 v 12, too bad so sad.

I drop solo because I'm not willing to admit that your config may be "better" than mine, but I still want to use mine.

I guarantee that I would do much better as the 12th man in a 12 v 12 than in a straight PuG. But thats because I bring experience of team mech PVP with me. I could see the point where you might just die first if you didn't bring experience with you. Having a guy who just got the game drop as the 12th in an group match might be punishing.

Aym, on 21 April 2014 - 01:20 PM, said:

That's an answer I didn't expect, I drop solo because I know how much more fun I'd have with a group and cant have that in my life, lol.

I can totally relate.

[Roadbeer]

[Harathan]

Aym, on 21 April 2014 - 12:43 PM, said:

Fellow Mechwarriors,
In a recent command chair post the new Launch Module and the proposed Group queue and Solo queue were unveiled, as supported by the “84%” of launches being solo statistic referenced in a previous command chair post. (insert links here). To my amateur eyes, it seems PGI Design has concluded these numbers support the view held by a vocal minority here on the forums that solo players do not want to play as part of a “group.” Even though they are all on one “Team” each game, Paul states “a solo player would have a MUCH greater success(sic) at winning in the regular match than up against teams.” Paul believes one pug is an unacceptable number paired with an 11-player group on the same team. However this flies in the face of the desire for most of the forum posters in regards to queue desires. So to my fellow Mechwarriors, I ask you to please list the various reasons you drop solo, when and if you do at all. I’ll get the ball rolling.
I, Aym, drop solo for the following reasons –

• I am participating in one of the many PGI sponsored Solo-ONLY activities
  
• Participating in another solo only activity such as Marik Monday Madness
  
• Testing my performance/stability from a recent patch
  
• Levelling a mech/testing a new build (these I feel are very much related as I don’t want to be a drag on my team for specific game-play reasons as opposed to IRL or patch performance)
  
• I just want to get a few games in quickly and don’t want to spend the time finding a group that has less than 4-players, IE the current team restrictions FORCE me to drop solo
  
• I am waiting for a spot to open up within the current match-making restrictions (again being forced to drop because of group restriction, not a desired play-style)
  
• The less-than-4-player group I have found just launched and I’m getting a quick drop in
  
• I am sync-dropping with a 4-player group because I wish to continue my conversation with my friends while we play
  
• Sometimes I don’t want to communicate/play with people that I am sure have a much different style than me (ie more competitive, less competitive, language differences, personalities, whatever)
  
• And last but not least I’m just grinding out a promotional offer from PGI on my alt account and will be quitting-re-launching as fast as I can to get my games/wins in.

I count 10 reasons I drop solo, but none of those should be misconstrued to mean my solo-dropping constitutes such a larger player-base than those wanting to drop in groups. Half of these reasons didn’t exist before PGI limited groups to 4 players, and the biggest by far for me is PGI encouraged, the multitude of “x against the y” where the only drops counted are solo, even when they’re to show faction unity…





Please share your reasons for dropping solo, and honestly if you really really really don’t ever want to be put on a team with anyone in a group do say so, however you’ll note that reason for dropping solo is NOT on my list.

Ideally I can collect the reasons listed and create an infographic.

I'd also like to list the reasons and the pilots who gave those reasons in this post.

Most people drop solo because PGI made it as hard as possible to play as a group. I can't help but feel that, given the context of this thread, we're all aware of this, we're all aware that PGI doesn't care, and it's time to bury this particular dead horse.

EDIT - Sorry, I'm being grumpy.

Hangfire, on 21 April 2014 - 12:55 PM, said:

I drop solo because I work 3 jobs at erratic times and can't offer any competitive team the commitment required :/

Join a team that isn't quite as focused on the competitive side?

Edited by Harathan, 21 April 2014 - 01:27 PM.

[Trauglodyte]

I would like to drop solo but find that I get frustrated and angry enough with the other 8 people on my team when I drop with my friends that I can't begin to fathom what it would be like playing with nothing but randoms. Seriously, I had a PUGGer drop with my 4 man team 3 straight games this weekend and, beside making himself look horrible for admitting that he did 37 damage the prior game with LRMs on Alpine, he asked why "R" didn't work properly and then went on to do a combined 42 damage in the next three games. After that, someone asked how PPC minimum range worked.

I've dropped with Lords and I've dropped with paupers. I'd much rather drop with friends and roll the dice.

[Bobzilla]

All of my friends quit.
Takes too long to group for the time I have to play.
My main play time is usually late currently and I can't make noise.