Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Yeah, that's an issue as well but a slightly different one. If for example rich long term players could afford to run LRMs and LRMs were mega-powerful, but cost so much to rearm that you were basically making a loss every match meaning equally-skilled newer players without the cash were getting owned because they were priced out of using a weapons system - you think that is fair?
Perfectly fair if they aren't matched against each other, just as I already said. As for equal skill ... if you bring a Fiat into a touring car race do you complain about guys in Ferrari and Porsche being overpowered? Of course they are.
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Founders was a term I used to indicate someone that's guaranteed to have been playing for a long time and has guaranteed +percentage c-bill mechs, along with premium time they may or may not have used and probably a couple hero mechs from the founder's MC. In addition the economy at the start of OB was much friendlier than it is now so anyone playing back then would likely have earned a lot more than if they played for the same period of time today.
Founders are guaranteed nothing. I know founders who played all the time for 2 years. Same time I know founders who got maybe 50 games under their belt since open beta. Also, nothing to do with economy, but rather fail matchmaker.
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Yes, I do. If that's what they want to play and buy with their 20 matches of c-bill bonus then absolutely they should be able to buy an "elite" clan mech. This is a game where buying mechs is literally the only content we have to supplement the endless deathmatch, so people should be able to buy and play whatever they want. Modules are supposed to be the "endgame" c-bill sinks, plus whatever the "epic gear" is that PGI said they were thinking about some time ago, not mechs.
Well if you really think that 'hey-I-spent-one-hour-playing-your-game-now-give-me-all-the-best-equipment' kinda thing is good for this (or any other game) then I pity you. Even me, a guy who is saying for 2 years that PGI are shameless moneygrabs, can't agree its a good business strategy. Plus, it kills the fun. Plus, it kills the already dwindling population even further.
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Maybe it wouldn't be a couple alphas... but maybe it would. Let's put all the Lords in overpowered "elite" mechs - the Lords are "elite", right? - and sick them on a raft of pugs. It ain't gonna matter how many pugs there are, they'll be slaughtered. So even though your stance is somewhat contradictory here, the other thing you said where MM matches on equal skill gives 12 people inferior mechs and 10 people better mechs, right? Do you really think those extra 2 mechs, let's say a medium and a heavy for balance, would make that much difference? Remember Clans are already getting un-nerfed UAC20s, CERPPCs, lasers, Streak 6s, everything. A star would take down a lance significantly quicker than the lance could take them, 3 on 4. Only in situations where both teams met each other at full strength would it be a bit more equal, and even that I feel would be lopsided.
First. Lords and PUGs have nothing to do with the point we debate. Equally skilled pilots in unequal mechs are balanced by different amounts of those mechs.
Second. Lords are only dominant for a few reasons. They choose to use comms, PUGs don't. They know a meaning of a team and teamplay, PUGs don't. They dictate the course of the match by being aggressive and fighting on their terms, PUGs don't. But, this isn't any different from any other skilled 4-man group in PUGs. The only difference is that they type the famous ggclose at the start of the match, thus the plebs (don't take offense but most times it is the only way I can describe what people are in games vs Lords etc.) is cowering somewhere in the corner, doing nothing useful, just waiting while the rest of their team who choose to resist dies to superior numbers. Mechs has nothing to do with it. My last game yesterday my team had 3 DragonSlayers + 3D in alpha lance, enemy team had Lords on 3 DragonSlayers + 3D in alpha lance. Our alpha combined for ~400 damage, theirs for ~2500. Same mechs, pretty sure they were same builds as well ... results vary greatly.
Also, I've never said 12 vs 10. Or 5 vs 8. These are the numbers that make sense lore-wise, numbers that the devs can use as a starting point for balance. Plus, if you are afraid of Clan mechs being so OP and disbalanced even in 10 vs 12 matches, then why aren't you crying about current disbalance among IS mechs? Because pilots of same skill in Victor and Awesome are perfectly balanced within current MM? All disbalance comes from one thing... matchmaker. Even if clan tech is so OP that it takes 5 IS mechs to kill one clanner, you can always make a MM that'll balance it.
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Realistically we'll never know because it's not happening.
If they'll finfally wisen up and realize that a BattleValue system was made for TT games for a reason, then it can happen.
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
Population limit is a fine excuse. If clan mechs are objectively superior, who's going to play IS? LARPers and... maybe newbies who can't afford "elite" clan mechs, I guess?
Couple years back when we only started there was a popular poll "when clans come out which side are you gonna play" with two options - IS and Clan. Back then people knew the lore and were well aware that clans are supposed to be OP and believed that they will be OP in MWO. Poll resulted in smth like 52% on 48% (I don't remember which side got what nor does it matter).
Onmyoudo, on 09 June 2014 - 02:16 AM, said:
As for the work, well. PGI is slow and ineffective as you've implied. You think they could make the matchmaker work around this?
We'll see. People once thought it was impossible to reach the Moon. Only a few centuries later ...