99 replies to this topic

[Frantic Pryde]

I think it's simple. Do what most people do in the tabletop game: 1 star vs 2 lances. Sometimes even puts the clans at a disadvantage.

[DFDelta]

Quote

So, what happends when the clan shows up...

I'll take a Zeus or Atlas and beat their faces in, what else?
If this is really centered around so much urban combat as it looks the clans will lose their speed and range advantages, and once those advantages are gone in a brawl most IS mechs can hold their ground against clantech machines.

[diznoid]

*sigh*

All you clan clown kids want your gunboat mechs. If there's ever Clan VS IS game mode, it should stick to the Battletech rules. Clan is outnumbered at LEAST 4-1, and must adhere to the honor code of Zellbrigen, even though IS pilots don't give two ***** about honor.

[Mindwiper]

It's easy! Choose your House (Steiner). Join a Mercunit (Kell Hounds). Take a job in the peripherie (The Rock) Fight great against an unknown enemy and loose (Clan Wolf) Be a bondsmen. Become a warrior again. Win a trial of bloodright. Go up the ladder until saKhan. Fight against another Clan! Get abjured! Become Khan with a new founded Bloodname! Take your Clan into Lyran Space...

[lichbane]

I kind of hope they make the clans a later addition, and make some kind of AI campaign using them until the Inner Sphere salvage enough gear and then are on a more equal footing. And then introduce them as player based factions.

[Kristof Bowen]

Did someone mention Clans?

[Saurok]

I'd love to see Dev's and group of hand picked players to perform initial Clan invasion. Players can switch sides after
strength of Clan juggernaut is demonstrated. Maybe Clanners can offer defeated Inner Sphere pilots an opportunity to join their Clan as
bondsman.

[Phytochrome]

I don't know how practical the having veteran players form the Clan invasion force would be, but it sounds like a fantastic idea.

At any rate, I hope they duplicate the general panic that accompanies the Clan invasion by having Omnimechs seriously outclass IS mechs. That could open up a whole new set of challenges for teamplay and really emphasise cooperation.

[gilliam]

Having the clans limited to the better veteran players would be interesting, since it would reflect the tendency of the clans to have better pilots, but I'm not sure it would be feasible for a game since most people nowadays have a sense of entitlement, and would likely want to play clans regardless.

I do think play progression should be different between the IS and clans. IS militaries are more like conventional militaries where you are part of a team. progression should reflect that. You get c-bills from winning, and, while being the best combatant in a battle will get you some prestige, actual points would be assessed for furthering the team's goals rather than your own. On the flip side, the clans are highly individualistic and hyper-competitive. This should be reflected in game; while you would win or lose honor for your team winning or losing a battle, most of it rides on how you as an individual fares. You're not so much fighting against the other team, as you are trying to out do each other on your own team; who has the most kills, who captured the most objectives, ect. When playing as a clanner, being the best mechwarrior in the match earns you something tangible, and actively assisting the other team members is potentially damaging to your bottom line. IS players will benefit from fighting as a team while clan players should benefit from fighting as a group of individuals with a common goal.

[HanaYuriko]

Clan play could be like Monster play in LotRO?

[Animal]

gilliam, on 01 November 2011 - 05:35 AM, said:

Having the clans limited to the better veteran players would be interesting, since it would reflect the tendency of the clans to have better pilots, but I'm not sure it would be feasible for a game since most people nowadays have a sense of entitlement, and would likely want to play clans regardless.

I don't think its so much having a sense of entitlement as it is people having a strong attachment to the Clans setting and would rather not have to play an IS house/merc to get to the Clans. This is similar to what happened with Star Trek Online, where you had to play a Federation player before playing the Klingons. People were ****** And to be honest, I understand their point. I think it'd be in there best interest to find a way to have everyone play on the side they wish, but with appropriate drawbacks/advantages to each side.

Quote

I do think play progression should be different between the IS and clans. IS militaries are more like conventional militaries where you are part of a team. progression should reflect that. You get c-bills from winning, and, while being the best combatant in a battle will get you some prestige, actual points would be assessed for furthering the team's goals rather than your own. On the flip side, the clans are highly individualistic and hyper-competitive. This should be reflected in game; while you would win or lose honor for your team winning or losing a battle, most of it rides on how you as an individual fares. You're not so much fighting against the other team, as you are trying to out do each other on your own team; who has the most kills, who captured the most objectives, ect. When playing as a clanner, being the best mechwarrior in the match earns you something tangible, and actively assisting the other team members is potentially damaging to your bottom line. IS players will benefit from fighting as a team while clan players should benefit from fighting as a group of individuals with a common goal.

Definitely agree on this one. For example, maybe if you play the Clans, you're limited into your rules of engagement. Whereas if you're a Mercenary, you can attack through any means, regardless of how'dishonorable' it may be. Perhaps even providing more community/guild organization features to Mercenaries that aren't available to Clans.

[wanderer]

cobrafive, on 31 October 2011 - 06:42 PM, said:

I wonder too. To have the clans be a strictly NPC faction wouldn't feel fair.

Maybe once the time comes the clans will become playable factions, and they'll open up a new metagame.

Maybe to simulate the fact that A) IS will have more players due to being an established faction, and Clans have better equipment, in the early stages of the invasion it could be slightly uneven matches, say 10 IS vs 8 clanners or some such. It would fit with the whole bidding thing too.

Actually, having the Clans as NPC's would feel remarkably fair, IMHO.

It'd keep the tech level between players nice and even, lest we end up with packs of Clan babies going LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL while cramming Omnis full of boat configurations and obliterating IS units with "superior tactics". Clan tech should be rare, salvaged, and top-tier pilots only....and expensive as heck to maintain and repair. There's a reason that even 30 years after the Clan Wars, only elite Inner Sphere units tool around with any significant number of the machines.

[Ced Riggs]

mindwiper, on 31 October 2011 - 10:56 PM, said:

It's easy! Choose your House (Steiner). Join a Mercunit (Kell Hounds). Take a job in the peripherie (The Rock) Fight great against an unknown enemy and loose (Clan Wolf) Be a bondsmen. Become a warrior again. Win a trial of bloodright. Go up the ladder until saKhan. Fight against another Clan! Get abjured! Become Khan with a new founded Bloodname! Take your Clan into Lyran Space...

Mhmm, I like this idea here. Let's do that.

Other than that, if a selected amount of players would switch to Clans later on, you would have a problem with the people that are roleplayers - you'd "lose" your IS identity. That'd be sad. Maybe you get a second account for Clan activity, though. That'd be probably better ...

[Jack Gallows]

Honestly, even though I like a few of the Clans, Ghost Bear, Sea Fox (still currently Diamond Sharks,) Wolf in Exile (still Wolf), I hope that the Houses band together when the invasion hits the servers so we can kick their shiny tin cans right back out of our home.

Hoping we're allowed more then one pilot, I'd rather keep my main pilot IS and have either the option for another to be taken by the Clans or by born into them.

Edited by jack gallows, 01 November 2011 - 10:28 AM.

[Adridos]

So I have to become elite, thats great! Fight like crazy, get in love with some IS mech to finally get the mech of your dreams (Cauldron born, but for others possibly Mad cat 2, or something).

[Adridos]

jack gallows, on 01 November 2011 - 10:26 AM, said:

Honestly, even though I like a few of the Clans, Ghost Bear, Sea Fox (still currently Diamond Sharks,) Wolf in Exile (still Wolf), I hope that the Houses band together when the invasion hits the servers so we can kick their shiny tin cans right back out of our home.

Hoping we're allowed more then one pilot, I'd rather keep my main pilot IS and have either the option for another to be taken by the Clans or by born into them.

I think there are two options. Either make them like DK in WoW (you reach certain SKILL, not level, so no n00bs), or just get their tech as a very powerful, but expensive choice.

[terminator]

Mmmm I kinda like the idea to have them level locked.. You can make a clan char after level X. So the more experienced players can play clan, but the clan items can still be used/aquired by anyone once they are introduced.

[reinhardt steiner]

Have a limited number of clan spots. Lose your mech you lose your spot. You get challenged to a trial of position and lose and you lose your spot. If you lose your clan spot you line up to challenge someone else's spot. That way you have a limited number of clanners. The clanners will actually have to be good. It even jives with the canon in spirit. Perhaps you could get bloodnamed and get a permanent spot with a clan. I also like the idea of the clans being held to their code. Someone spawn camping or whatever the MWO equivalent will be should be tossed out of a clan.

[Darkmoose]

Much rejoicing or poo in the pants.

[Jhereg KnT]

The only clan you need to fear is TBC