133 replies to this topic

[Cimarb]

KelesK, on 10 June 2014 - 05:11 PM, said:

Agreed. It seems to me from the way PGI had been acting up to around Dec last year they had some kind of quota or something that they needed to reach. I honestly think they may have been on some kind of leash up to that point because ever since then they have been relatively productive in comparison. Also their community interaction has been a hell of a lot better.

That finalization with Microsoft may have had something to do with it, but I really think it may have been a staff issue as far as communication. When Niko left, the communication finally reached the floor, and ever since he came back it has been considerably better. I'm not saying it revolves around him, but I am pretty sure what happened around his "departure" was a wake-up call to PGI.

[TibsVT]

Very true. But marketing in a F2P game like this where the community has such strong ties with the product (BattleTech) isn't really all that hard. I've said in the past that if they were to offer us up PVC models (30cm/12in tall) in faction colours I'd buy one (probably two actually) depending on how silly they went with pricing. No custom paint jobs to try and simplify it down a bit. I know Blizzard did something similar with WoW characters.

Little in-game nick-nacks are also worth their weight in gold if you make decent ones and not just rubbish. People have been asking for new Atlas skulls for a long time. Stuff like that. I just worry that they may be thinking about it all too hard and not bothering to look at where the easy money is.

[CoffiNail]

Pariah Devalis, on 10 June 2014 - 05:19 PM, said:

Maybe IGP finally realized that constantly sticking their hands in the development of the product they are trying to sell instead of leaving it in the hands of those who actually do the work was potentially hurting their bottom line? I find a lot of the decisions made up until December odd from a developer point of view, considering it is a work of art to them. They work day in and out for it, so why would they want to half ass anything?

Marketing, though, may have been overreaching their boundaries, resulting in pressure from above, leading to rushed or incomplete development, unrealistic target goals, and, accordingly, community backlash for the prior.

Coupled with the developers' at the time incomplete understanding of the CryEngine they were working with, errors were made. However, this recent trend is very, very positive. I would like to hope that they turn the public perception of them completely around and make this game successful as a result.

Almost want to link the quote to niko on Twitter. Very much agree. I am enjoying how much they have been releasing information, the have dropped a lot, not stats... But those will be tweaked for the next few months. Maybe Monday we will see the stats, lol.

The communication reminds me of the days when the game was announced. The team has a passion to make this game go far, but Rome was not built in a day. I know I have a lot of fun still... Well right now I am waiting until the17th... But otherwise mwo is a lot of fun :-P

[Pariah Devalis]

I imagine the real issue with geometry options is that any mech that gets the unique geometry option also needs to get all the camo patterns and color channels for it redone, so that the optional geometry parts are not included in the camo scheme. Not a small task at this point.

For additional revenue they could probably make a killing on paints (if not camos) by simply cutting their cost down farther. Same with mechs, really. The MC cost of any given mech is too high for what you get. The average cost of a LOL champion is, what, $10? Special geometry and animation skins for $20? Sells like hotcakes. Why not a similar price scheme?

CoffiNail, on 10 June 2014 - 05:28 PM, said:

Almost want to link the quote to niko on Twitter

Hey, I am not one to toot my own horn that often.... Especially when the reality is none of us really know for sure to what extent IGP forced PGI's decisions.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 10 June 2014 - 05:32 PM.

[TibsVT]

I don't use the camo patterns personally but I would be happy to pay for unique Clan paints that can only be used on Clan Mechs just so my green and black is different from the rest. I know it sounds a bit pety but to me that kind of thing adds a little bit of personalization. That way you can throw together the paints like I have done since beta but it won't be the 'actual' colours.

I wouldn't be opposed to an IS option also.

Edited by KelesK, 10 June 2014 - 05:35 PM.

[Pariah Devalis]

To get an idea of just how borked I think their current pricing model is, I recommend strongly to my trothkin in Clan Nova Cat never to purchase the permanent unlock for the Snowfall pattern skin. The one time use skin is all they will ever need so long as they do not repaint it. You could literally apply it to every variant of a given mech chassis and still save MC vs one purchase of the perm unlock.

To be clear, it is not that the one time use cost is too low, but that the perm unlock is way, way too high.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 10 June 2014 - 05:36 PM.

[TibsVT]

Never actually looked into that Pariah. Like I said, never use camos. Interesting bit of trivia though, I'll have to have a look next time I'm playing around with my paint.

[Pariah Devalis]

I only recommend coordinated paint schemes because Alpha Galaxy colors are incredible, and seeing a 12 man Nova Cat drop all in matching camo and colors is jaw dropping. You would be surprised how many opposing teams we came across who, at the end of match screen (or after they died) would comment on it. IIRC, even some of Clan Wolf's members, back in the day, were startled by four man teams of us in matching camo. It has a psychological impact.

[TibsVT]

Oh, the psychological effect it would have on an unprepared team would be great. It's an incredibly unnerving thought to see a whole team in the same colours but a good challenge also.

I often see a few Mechs painted the same colours as my own but very, very rarely. A shame.

[Pariah Devalis]

Clan colors make a statement. Should wear yours with pride! I know I had pride when I snuck up behind a CSJ Alpha galaxy cataphract with my spider and shot him in the butt. Then poofed before he knew where I was.

Heck, Russian Jade Falcon in the tournament was fully painted up in colors, and it was so pretty! Granted, the next day I dropped as a pug and one of them was on my team and holy god our colors were loud compared to everyone else. But still! A statement! XD

[TibsVT]

I run around in the Epsilon Galaxy colours so mine's not all that loud fortunately.

[Pariah Devalis]

KelesK, on 10 June 2014 - 05:54 PM, said:

I run around in the Epsilon Galaxy colours so mine's not all that loud fortunately.

http://www.camospecs...ure.asp?ID=6945

Extremely green. With black. Nope. Not loud at all. XD

[TibsVT]

I use a duller green.



Thought to be fair once the Omni's are out I may repaint them all a brighter green with black highlights.

EDIT: One more day to go!

Edited by KelesK, 15 June 2014 - 10:22 PM.