34 replies to this topic

[Boeduur]

Can someone explain how PGI intends to differentiate this game from MWLL (especially if one includes MWLL's proposed future additions)?

At this point, it seems like we have two of the exact same game under development (gameplay, graphics, setting).

[MogCarns]

Well, for one... one is an actual game... and the other is a Mod for a game that few people actually possess.

Two, one is a professional game studio with paid employees and the guy that created the franchise some 27 years ago, and the other is some random guys working on it when they feel like it.


Those are pretty big distinctions, right there.

[Deaths Touch]

Simple: It does not require a purchased copy of Crysis Warhead to work and you will get direct support straight from the developer. Also I think the game will get more press than a mod.

There will be other points to mention later when more is known about the game, but I think that starts to answer your question.

[SilentWolff]

MogCarns, on 18 November 2011 - 12:48 PM, said:

Well, for one... one is an actual game... and the other is a Mod for a game that few people actually possess.

Two, one is a professional game studio with paid employees and the guy that created the franchise some 27 years ago, and the other is some random guys working on it when they feel like it.


Those are pretty big distinctions, right there.

This.

[Gravitas]

Also, MWO will feature a persistent game universe in which our battles are merely a part, but those battles will affect the larger universe. In addition, our pilots will gain skills in someway, and those skills put to use over the longer course of the game.

[SquareSphere]

MWLL is combined arms and always remain so.

MWO is mech focused and will be a retelling of the clan invasion with offical dev support from built from the ground up mech optimized engine. Along with some built in planetary control style game thing mode.

[Jack Gallows]

Boeduur, on 18 November 2011 - 12:42 PM, said:

Can someone explain how PGI intends to differentiate this game from MWLL (especially if one includes MWLL's proposed future additions)?

At this point, it seems like we have two of the exact same game under development (gameplay, graphics, setting).

Hrm, professional company with money and manpower vs a non professional group (no offense guys, I bet you're just as talented, but don't have the same resources.) Surely they'll be the exact same game!

Sarcasm aside, this will be a different beast. The engine may be incredibly close, but Piranha can do anything with it and aren't restricted like the MWLL guys are. They have more money to toss into development and salary for employees to spend more time working on it, which means a great deal more that can be added and changed to make it quite a bit more unique then MWLL is.

Again, nothing against MWLL, that mod is ridiculously impressive.

[Owl Cutter]

I hope this thread is not created due to announcement that MW:O is to be built using CryEngine 3, because that is an absurd reason to think the games are to be the same. The technical backend has little influence on the game's rules, visuals, or setting, assuming the developers are competent.

MW:O gameplay is expected to focus on immersive battlemech vs. battlemech combat, with a long-term, personalised player investment in his or her 'mech and player character, which is a mechwarrior- not a power armor trooper, one-person tank crew or aerospace pilot, let alone all of those at once. Living Legends is a drop-in combined arms game where players discard 'mech (and tank and ASF) chassis in the middle of a game and buy new ones, and start all over again with every game instance. How could two Mechwarrior games possibly be any more different? That is, of course, ignoring the fact that there are myriad undefined variables for developers to fill in while translating BT from a turn-based game and various paperbacks into a real-time first-person game, to say nothing of original additions to and outright deviations from established canon as MWLL has and MW:O is also expected to have.

Graphics might still end up being similar in such a way that one can tell they are related, and probably will for computer graphics geeks out there, but aesthetics, which much more strongly affect visuals, are dramatically different. Look at the bright glowy weapons in MWLL, for example, or search these forums for the word, "gritty." Also try googling whatever modern warfare-themed (note case) games EA and Activision are marketing right now, and compare their graphics.

MW:O is to start just before the clan invasion gets going, when foundtech is just trickling onto the market and rare enough that we'll actually see a lot of SW tech, if it is faithful to canon in this respect. I don't know where MWLL might be going, but somehow I doubt it will be to a setting where all the foundtech and clan toys currently implemented will have a hard time following.

[metro]

ditto on behalf of the crew at PGI !

[feor]

Well, the coldest, hardest truth of the matter is MW:O is a licensed game. So Catalyst is making some money off of it. MW:LL is not, and Catalyst isn't.

Therefore, if MW:LL ends up more popular than MW:O, Catalyst, Piranha, or Infinitegame will simply slap them with a Cease & Desist order. (and if they're smart, higher most of teh MW:LL guys to come make MW:O better)

[metro]

feor, on 19 November 2011 - 09:05 AM, said:

Well, the coldest, hardest truth of the matter is MW:O is a licensed game. So Catalyst is making some money off of it. MW:LL is not, and Catalyst isn't.

Therefore, if MW:LL ends up more popular than MW:O, Catalyst, Piranha, or Infinitegame will simply slap them with a Cease & Desist order. (and if they're smart, higher most of teh MW:LL guys to come make MW:O better)

enough with the doom and gloom , lets sue someone over our damn warhammer c r a p already.

how about.

PGI is doing something, noone has had the intestinal fortitude to see through for the last d a n g decade, and we will have the first new BT/MW game in the longest time.

A little patience, understanding, and benefit of the doubt.....and MORE of the LATTER...cuz it is their STUDIOES butt on the line....

PGI is full of BT/MW fans. Do you really think they would even consider doing a 2nd or 3rd rate job?

I say H E L L no , they will do it right. We wont get everything we want at the beginning, but if anyone paid attention to all the posts and announcements and news releases....

MWO will EVOLVE.

It will take the DEVS

It will take the MWO community to support and play it.

Rest assured. This FAILS? BT/MW is done.

So Pray, Warriors, no matter which venue you prefer.........SUPPORT MWO, or its over.

Edited by Metro, 19 November 2011 - 09:20 AM.

[Moppelkotze]

They don't need to differentiate as they will get a lot of advertising for free by the games magazines and websites.
But who will know MW:LL?

[Jack Deth]

Deaths Touch, on 18 November 2011 - 12:49 PM, said:

Simple: It does not require a purchased copy of Crysis Warhead to work and you will get direct support straight from the developer. Also I think the game will get more press than a mod.

There will be other points to mention later when more is known about the game, but I think that starts to answer your question.

This! I am a huge Battletech fan but I didn't even know LL even existed until I saw it mentioned on the forums here. Never played Crysis or had any interest in it.

[Bryan Ekman]

Boeduur, on 18 November 2011 - 12:42 PM, said:

Can someone explain how PGI intends to differentiate this game from MWLL (especially if one includes MWLL's proposed future additions)?

At this point, it seems like we have two of the exact same game under development (gameplay, graphics, setting).

MWLL is not an official MechWarrior product. In fact, it's technically breaching a bunch of copyright laws, unless they have written permission from the license holder/owner. It's a fan made product.

[Bryan Ekman]

feor, on 19 November 2011 - 09:05 AM, said:

Well, the coldest, hardest truth of the matter is MW:O is a licensed game. So Catalyst is making some money off of it. MW:LL is not, and Catalyst isn't.

Therefore, if MW:LL ends up more popular than MW:O, Catalyst, Piranha, or Infinitegame will simply slap them with a Cease & Desist order. (and if they're smart, higher most of teh MW:LL guys to come make MW:O better)

Catalyst Game Labs does not make any money from digital versions of any BT, Shadowrun, and Crimson Skies games. All digital rights are owned by Microsoft and sublicensed to different entities. Currently Piranha Games controls the MechWarrior and BattleTech rights for PC and Xbox platforms.

[feor]

Quote

It will take the MWO community to support and play it.

Rest assured. This FAILS? BT/MW is done.

As a computer game franchise, yeah, almost certainly. (or at least it'll probably be another 15 years before someone tries again) Battletech, the tabletop game, probably won't even blink if MWO fails. It's been going for almost 30 years at this point, through lawsuits, company closures, stupid STUPID story & design decisions, and it's still alive and kicking.

Quote

Catalyst Game Labs does not make any money from digital versions of any BT, Shadowrun, and Crimson Skies games. All digital rights are owned by Microsoft and sublicensed to different entities. Currently Piranha Games controls the MechWarrior and BattleTech rights for PC and Xbox platforms.

If you're trying to assuage fears that MW:LL will get C&D'd invoking micro$oft's name is probably not the right way to go about it. And I have trouble believing they make NO money from something like this. It might go through a half dozen intermediaries and they may get fractions of pennies on the dollar, but someone I'm sure the web of licenses and rights must trace back to them somewhere.

I'm not saying I want MW:LL to get C&D'd but it's a sad fact about our modern corporate world that if you're doing something better than the people who have the right to do it, they will probably sue your butts off as a threat to them.

[Bryan Ekman]

I think the fact the it hasn''t been ceased tells you how much MS cares about the brand.

[feor]

Bryan Ekman, on 19 November 2011 - 03:44 PM, said:

I think the fact the it hasn''t been ceased tells you how much MS cares about the brand.

so far, true. But if MWO is failing and it can be traced to people playing MW:LL instead...*shrug*

Again, don't want it to happen, just pointing out the fact.

[Nathiel Surefire]

Just to clear up a misconception (which has been gone over numerous times in the MWLL forums), the developers of MWLL received explicit, written permission from Microsoft (the IP holder) to create a free battletech based game mod before they ever started development on the project. So long as the team never receives any form of monetary compensation from the game, they will not be in any legal troubles with Microsoft, since they've already been sanctioned by them.

[Deliverator]

MW:LL is a mod, and is entirely fanfic. MW:O is Canon. They will not be the same. In fact the people at MW:O will most likely ignore any changes to the game world that MW:LL makes as they are not part of the game universe.