232 replies to this topic

[Mavairo]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 18 May 2014 - 02:42 PM, said:

While I appreciate the comparison to what was an awesome officially sanctioned fan-mod using a last-gen game engine, where, as you mention, everything is fan-created in virtue of the fact that it is a fan-mod. Let's keep in mind that such projects often run on charitable donations and the personal investment of those devs (often with no expectation of return.)

In the absence of any official licencor with rights to a next-gen game engine and the business model which lends itself towards further investment in development, these guys did an amazing job carrying the MechWarrior community for several years. I certainly hope the talents they honed in that project opens the door for great opportunities in their careers.

But we are in a different time now: Retail games are going out like the arcade in favor of digital distribution. Freemium is picking up more and more players than games with subscription or even single-payment barriers. Free-to-play has only seen exceptional circumstances where adding large amounts of player modification saw increases in profitability (and thus, further investment into the game): In most of these circumstances the game was already a reknowned-AAA retail title looking to re-invent and re-vitalize itself.

Even in all these instances, the game was at a point in development where only a handful of resources were needed to monitor and oversee the fan submissions, and the tools provided to create such in-game items were provided in a controlled manner by the game developer. Unfortunately, in it's raw form, the SDK tools for CryEngine3 are too powerful to leave un-monitored in the hands of the average player, at the risk of those few who would ruin the experience for all by using those tools maliciously with anything from secret invisible barriers for cover to scripted events to manipulate their progress.

invisible barriers...
you mean like the ones we're plagued with now? Or how about those pebbles which stop a 25+ ton mech dead cold in it's tracks...

I love this game don't get me wrong, but it's kind of hypocritical to use a "Quality control" excuse, when the games existing maps QC is so abhorrent.

Edited by Mavairo, 18 May 2014 - 02:59 PM.

[Sevrid]

Mavairo, on 18 May 2014 - 02:59 PM, said:

invisible barriers...
you mean like the ones we're plagued with now? Or how about those pebbles which stop a 25+ ton mech dead cold in it's tracks...

I love this game don't get me wrong, but it's kind of hypocritical to use a "Quality control" excuse, when the games existing maps QC is so abhorrent.

a certain desert map will remain nameless...

Not to mention that if a map had something like an invisible barrier in it, the gamers would not let it stay in or just avoid the map until a quick fix came out removing it.

Edited by Sevrid, 18 May 2014 - 03:16 PM.

[Bartholomew bartholomew]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 18 May 2014 - 03:19 PM, said:

QA has requested a fresh pass to determine the greatest overall offenders.

This is good to hear. Thanks

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 18 May 2014 - 03:19 PM, said:

Please report any major instances of the collision walls being offcentered from their corresponding objects and textures in this thread please: http://mwomercs.com/...ision-feedback/

QA has requested a fresh pass to determine the greatest overall offenders.

If this is the case then there are already many thread'd instances of especially tourmaline desert and HPG where there are several objects that have hitboxes that jut out FAR beyond where they visually end (namely those enlarged crystal spires and the columns directly under the radar dish)


Btw keep up the good work with the responses niko. I was unaware QA even requested this, and the best course of action is to create a stickied thread about it. You will most likely get flooded with map locations regarding faulty hitboxes and even more likely complaints that no one else hear about this. But hey, progress is progress.

Let me contribute to this thread instead of simply running my mouth fingers.

Edited by mwhighlander, 18 May 2014 - 03:39 PM.

[IraqiWalker]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 18 May 2014 - 03:19 PM, said:

Please report any major instances of the collision walls being offcentered from their corresponding objects and textures in this thread please: http://mwomercs.com/...ision-feedback/

QA has requested a fresh pass to determine the greatest overall offenders.

Thank you for the response Niko.

Now I have ran into another problem with low-end machines (and even on some high-end ones). As some of them don't render all the terrain properly, it would seem sometimes that I have a clear line of sight to an enemy, only to fire at them, and realize that a piece of terrain was just not rendered and blocked the shot. Once I move closer, I can see that piece of terrain appearing out of the aether. I don't expect you to have a clear answer for this problem, but is this a limitation of the engine because of the game's scale? Or is it a problem with graphics drivers? If you do not have an answer, that is not an issue.

[Kharax]

New patch tomorrow, and anything comming or just another nothing ?

[Corbon Zackery]

Last month we were suppose to get a new Jungle map. It looks like this is not going to happen. Don't know why the La Manchie was outfitted with a Jungle them paint job.

[MonkeyDCecil]

Spheroid, on 25 April 2014 - 08:16 PM, said:

No company will ever accept fan produced content because if the ownership or use of said content is ever contested the company will have to pay lawyers to defend them even if the case has no merit.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Wrong. All they have to do is have you sign a contract. Done and done. Next BS reason.

[Xavier]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 25 April 2014 - 11:48 PM, said:

While there is certainly something to be said about new features like maps: Considering that some of the top first-person shooter franchises of all time have even re-used maps over multiple iterations of their games, and that I have just seen another thread where a player begs for more focus on Mechs rather than other content; the correlation-causation link there isn't always true for all players.

With that in mind. I can appreciate as well the concerns regarding playerbase: Statistically speaking, the greatest improvement to our retention was seen when our first Tutorial was created.

Like with any other game, there's going to be a large number of players who just don't stick around for the longer duration. The nature of the F2P model allows us and other games to make up for that by putting the lowest possible barrier for entry for new players to get in.

We will be continuing to balance getting more of the New Player Experience in alongside the content everyone else wants. But if player numbers are your concern, there's no better solution than getting involved with New Players and teaching them how to play, and getting them involved in your unit. Some of those New Players may still go, but more will stay thanks to active and friendly mentorship from veteran players.

I would rather have the community take some stake in contribution and rather than have PGI spend an significant amount of time on map development that they would instead allow the community to help contribute map content. I have done this before in other games and player produced maps have quickly become fan favorites for many other game titles. I just wish PGI would leverage its community player base for areas like this when we could contribute far more manpower than they currently have.

[Xavier]

Nikolai Lubkiewicz, on 18 May 2014 - 02:42 PM, said:

While I appreciate the comparison to what was an awesome officially sanctioned fan-mod using a last-gen game engine, where, as you mention, everything is fan-created in virtue of the fact that it is a fan-mod. Let's keep in mind that such projects often run on charitable donations and the personal investment of those devs (often with no expectation of return.)

In the absence of any official licencor with rights to a next-gen game engine and the business model which lends itself towards further investment in development, these guys did an amazing job carrying the MechWarrior community for several years. I certainly hope the talents they honed in that project opens the door for great opportunities in their careers.

But we are in a different time now: Retail games are going out like the arcade in favor of digital distribution. Freemium is picking up more and more players than games with subscription or even single-payment barriers. Free-to-play has only seen exceptional circumstances where adding large amounts of player modification saw increases in profitability (and thus, further investment into the game): In most of these circumstances the game was already a reknowned-AAA retail title looking to re-invent and re-vitalize itself.

Even in all these instances, the game was at a point in development where only a handful of resources were needed to monitor and oversee the fan submissions, and the tools provided to create such in-game items were provided in a controlled manner by the game developer. Unfortunately, in it's raw form, the SDK tools for CryEngine3 are too powerful to leave un-monitored in the hands of the average player, at the risk of those few who would ruin the experience for all by using those tools maliciously with anything from secret invisible barriers for cover to scripted events to manipulate their progress.

This is quite the pessimistic view of people and even if malicious intents were executed and solid public test session of any all all player submitted content would more than likely catch any unfair user inserted content. If your QA process is as thorough as discussed I am certain that any reviewers would catch most of these issues as well.

So in short couple your QA process with an extensive user public test of new map content and I think I have just solved your problem!!!

[Tom Sawyer]

Skilled Player creates the map. Said map is then put on the test server. Everyone from PUGS to veteran elite founders and your aunt test the every lasting F*CK out of it. It stays on that server until a peak consensus is reached that the map is valid, vetted, and FUN to play. Any sneaky bull about hidden walls, codes, ect ect should be caught if enough people test. And knowing the MMO community and hunger for new maps they WILL. If a map maker makes a dog tur* or hack ban the latter and the former will just stop.

Good maps then gets moved to regular server rotation. Everyone is happy.

Come on PGI are you saying your team are the ONLY people with the skill to make maps? REALLY? Some of the greatest mods to alot of games are FAN MADE.

[NextGame]

Are we going to get a hyperpulse news article soon about how the clan invasion was suddenly stopped in its tracks after the first few systems as they ran out of maps?

[IraqiWalker]

NextGame, on 16 June 2014 - 07:44 AM, said:

Are we going to get a hyperpulse news article soon about how the clan invasion was suddenly stopped in its tracks after the first few systems as they ran out of maps?

Dev vlog 5 showed a lot of map concepts. So I hope no.