63 replies to this topic

[Trauglodyte]

GreyGriffin, on 22 April 2014 - 01:57 PM, said:

That is exactly what I did not say.

Right now Skirmish is the best game mode because you use more than 30% of the map, rather than line up in your WW1 building-sized trenches. It is more fun to play because it is dynamic and in motion, even if that motion is just brownian PUGs. Maps are approached from different angles, and engagements often run the length and breadth of the map without crashing into a wall of turrets or grinding to a halt because of an awkwardly paced point counter.

What I want to explore is really why this happens and if the positive gameplay experience can be rolled forwards into new game modes.

Don't get me wrong, Skirmish is a bad game mode. The inevitable foxhunt is frustrating for both teams, with no victory or defeat valves. The lack of objectives can often make it seem listless, and it lacks any lateral strategic element that can turn the game aside from the broad strategy of maneuver. But, to me, the poorly executed mechanics of the other mode seem to chain the game down rather than elevate it, and that is a problem I'd like to see resolved.

I frankly didn't expect to be taking the side of the argument that Skirmish outplayed Assault or Conquest. But that's my feeling on the matter.

So what are the problems and how could they be addressed?

Well, Conquest is bad because you're not actually conquering anything. Taking a node provides you with nothing and it prevents nothing. Most people treat it like Skirmish with an additional game mode. Assault is just Skirmish for people that dont' want to chase down the lone Spider on the other team (it is always a Spider). So, that leaves us with Skirmish which SHOULD use all of the map but doesn't because every map has the given "come here and let's fight" spot.

[Deathlike]

DeathmatchWarrior Online?

Sounds like every game mode, more or less.

[Shatterpoint]

lockwoodx, on 22 April 2014 - 10:05 AM, said:

Skirmish has taught me that meta player do not like Assault and Conquest.

Meta players don't like anything that involves not holding down their current I-Win button and winning by a crushing victory.

I love skirmish, it's the mode I wanted, got and love..no strategy that a pug can't get behind, no bases for baby troll mechs to take advantage of and throw a "don't hate me, hate the game mechanics" on the forums when people complain..just a big old stompy mech TDM.

I doubt I've learned anything amazing from it if I'm honest, nothing that will change the face of MWO.

1.People don't like dying, they'll throw their whole team to the wolves if it means their KD stays in the green.
2.People love to exploit the FOTM, they might hate the mech and the weapons but they'll buy it and use it if that's the fastest/easiest route to victory (probably linked to 1.).
3.All mechs are equal, but some are more equal than others.
4.Trolls are gonna troll, troll victims will spout hate in chat.
5.Ignoring people needs to be made easier, having to friend an ass before you can ignore them doesn't make any sense to me.
6.Constantly playing the same map over and over makes people either really apathetic or really angry.
7.You'll never make everyone happy, give them a TDM mode they hate but can opt out of and they'll still join it to hate it.
8.Awesomes need some love from the magical balance fairy.

The best thing to learn from skirmishes are probably the things we don't get to see..the "behind the scenes" data that could be gathered. If you can exploit an unbalanced setup, it's going to be exploited a lot in skirmish.

[Albatroz]

Trauglodyte, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

Skirmish is the game mode for mental midgets that don't want to do anything other than shoot stuff.

Way to offend players who enjoy this mode, hu, Trauglodite? I´ve seen some really complex strategies in this mode, depends on players and communication. This mode allows some pretty unnexpected tactics, like ambushes with powered down mechs, using unexplored terrain, effective flanking maneuvers, etc. If you can´t see that, you should include yourself in those "mental midgets" of yours.

if you simply don´t like this mode, just let it be. It´s a basic one, closer to any battletech match than any. And most people just can´t stand the other modes for all their annoying problems already mentioned by way too many players.

Bad players will screw every game mode that you throw at them. Good players will turn any poor designed mode into an epic match. Unfortunately, we don´t have that many good players, that´s the truth.