16 replies to this topic

[Marauder3D]

I have no idea how to make polls. One might be appropriate here.

I'm still seeing about 70% of the mechs or more be heavy and assault. In order to see more lights and mediums, would people be in favor (or against) increasing wait times for heavies and assaults until the proportions get closer to 25% per weight class?

Just curious what the people think.

[Archon]

Players bringing heavies or lights will have to wait longer anyways if there's a surplus of those mechs waiting to get into a game, so...no.

[Sandpit]

so you're going to suggest that the game risk losing players for extended wait times in order to offer more variety? That's counter-productive and there ARE players who want to ride in nothing but heavies and/or assaults and they WILL leave for other games if they sit too long waiting for a match or fail to launch.

I promise you this, you'll get a lot more of the casual crowd leaving than you would anyone else. Most organized units are gonig to be more willing to be flexible with this. The casual guy who jumps into that Shiny new mech he just spent $50 on and can't find a game with is going to be pissed though...

[Cord78]

People also need to keep in mind that the release valves only kick in after the waiting queue has reached a certain waiting threshold. It is not instantaneously load 6 assaults on each team, that would happen only after someone has been waiting for a while to get into a match.

[Marauder3D]

People didn't leave WoW when random dungeon queues kicked in for people who wanted the "DPS" slots.

Tanks would get instant queues, so would healers. DPS had to wait 5 minutes, or more, depending.

So people think instant queues for mediums/lights but 5 minutes for assaults would be a game breaker?

[Dracol]

Marauder3D, on 03 July 2014 - 12:28 PM, said:

People didn't leave WoW when random dungeon queues kicked in for people who wanted the "DPS" slots.

Tanks would get instant queues, so would healers. DPS had to wait 5 minutes, or more, depending.

So people think instant queues for mediums/lights but 5 minutes for assaults would be a game breaker?

The difference here is we can't shoot bots to kill time.

[EgoSlayer]

Marauder3D, on 03 July 2014 - 12:28 PM, said:

People didn't leave WoW when random dungeon queues kicked in for people who wanted the "DPS" slots.

Tanks would get instant queues, so would healers. DPS had to wait 5 minutes, or more, depending.

So people think instant queues for mediums/lights but 5 minutes for assaults would be a game breaker?

Yes, and WoW is a terrible example to compare against.

First and foremost: In WoW you can still be out playing the game, doing quests, etc while you are waiting for a queue spot. Your game client isn't locked in a 'searching' screen without any indication of when or if it's going to stop like MWO.

Second, WoW queued events don't average 7-8 minutes of play time like MWO. So the amount of idle wait time vs the amount of playtime is several dozen orders of magnitude greater in MWO (100% idle time while queued) vs. WoW (Zero idle time if you choose to do something while waiting).

So yeah waiting 3-5 minutes for a game session that lasts 7-8 minutes, less for a player that derps out in the first 1-2 minutes through lack of skill or bad luck, is a game killer for many players and probably *most* casual players.

[Marauder3D]

EgoSlayer, on 03 July 2014 - 12:42 PM, said:

Yes, and WoW is a terrible example to compare against.

First and foremost: In WoW you can still be out playing the game, doing quests, etc while you are waiting for a queue spot. Your game client isn't locked in a 'searching' screen without any indication of when or if it's going to stop like MWO.

Second, WoW queued events don't average 7-8 minutes of play time like MWO. So the amount of idle wait time vs the amount of playtime is several dozen orders of magnitude greater in MWO (100% idle time while queued) vs. WoW (Zero idle time if you choose to do something while waiting).

So yeah waiting 3-5 minutes for a game session that lasts 7-8 minutes, less for a player that derps out in the first 1-2 minutes through lack of skill or bad luck, is a game killer for many players and probably *most* casual players.

Very good points. I guess I'm disappointed that the MM is still creating 1-1-5-4 games. Dunno what we can change aside adding better role warfare.

[Torgun]

MM is still overall crap. Just had a whole series of matches I knew beforehand we'd lose quickly. 3-4 trial mechs on your team, of course you're screwed.

[stjobe]

Marauder3D, on 03 July 2014 - 01:00 PM, said:

Very good points. I guess I'm disappointed that the MM is still creating 1-1-5-4 games. Dunno what we can change aside adding better role warfare.

What we can change is the same as always; keep dropping in lights and mediums, keep bugging PGI about role warfare.

What PGI can change? Just about anything they want. They could force people to switch weight classes after every match if they wanted to (not saying they should, just saying they make the rules).

Apparently they don't think it's much of an issue and 3-3-3-3 was just a smoke-and-mirrors routine. The valves they put in makes certain you can keep dropping in your meta heavy all day long and not have to wait significantly longer than anyone else.

Edited by stjobe, 03 July 2014 - 01:07 PM.

[EgoSlayer]

Incentivize players to use the lower % classes. 20% C-Bill bonus for every class below 20% or something. Or some scale of higher rewards in proportion to the lowest percentage e.g. 100% boost if 5% or less used, 50% bonus for 6-10%, etc.

[Marauder3D]

I'd be game to even double the light mechs rewards. Too hard to stay alive in them in the current game, IMO.

[Sandpit]

EgoSlayer, on 03 July 2014 - 01:12 PM, said:

Incentivize players to use the lower % classes. 20% C-Bill bonus for every class below 20% or something. Or some scale of higher rewards in proportion to the lowest percentage e.g. 100% boost if 5% or less used, 50% bonus for 6-10%, etc.

^This

Until PGI accepts that they aren't going to be successful in trying to dictate to players what to drop in, nothing will change. Players have to WANT to use them, no amount of trying to force them otherwise will change that. If you get too heavy-handed on the forcing issue, they'll go play something else that doesn't limit their personal enjoyment of a game.

[Mechteric]

Marauder3D, on 03 July 2014 - 01:19 PM, said:

I'd be game to even double the light mechs rewards. Too hard to stay alive in them in the current game, IMO.

Rewards for the least 2 popular weight classes (lights and mediums) would go a long way. And I don't mean some measly 5% XP reward. I'm talking at around 25% increase in both XP and CBills if you take the class. Maybe 25% for the least popular, and 15% for second.

[Sandpit]

CapperDeluxe, on 03 July 2014 - 02:02 PM, said:

Rewards for the least 2 popular weight classes (lights and mediums) would go a long way. And I don't mean some measly 5% XP reward. I'm talking at around 25% increase in both XP and CBills if you take the class. Maybe 25% for the least popular, and 15% for second.

That's kinda high in my opinion. 15 and 10 would be better in my opinion

[stjobe]

Sandpit, on 03 July 2014 - 02:03 PM, said:

That's kinda high in my opinion. 15 and 10 would be better in my opinion

The point is, it can't be too small or it won't have the desired effect.

Ideally, it would be dynamic depending on percentage - lower percentage, higher reward. Perhaps this could work:

Seeing as we want a nice 3-3-3-3, every weight class should be at 25%. So, every percentage point under 25 gives 1% bonus to winnings AND every percentage point above 25 gives 1% reduction in winnings.

[Sandpit]

stjobe, on 03 July 2014 - 02:10 PM, said:

The point is, it can't be too small or it won't have the desired effect.

Ideally, it would be dynamic depending on percentage - lower percentage, higher reward. Perhaps this could work:

Seeing as we want a nice 3-3-3-3, every weight class should be at 25%. So, every percentage point under 25 gives 1% bonus to winnings AND every percentage point above 25 gives 1% reduction in winnings.

I agree
I still think a dynamic economy reflecting supply and demand among popular and unpopular mechs would be better.

Example: (numbers purely for example)
Stalker=10 million cbills base price
500 are bought
Stalker = 12 million price
500 more are bought
Stalker = 15 million
500 more are bought
Stalker = 19 million

Eventually it becomes much more cost effective to buy something else.

Commando = 4 million
none are bought
Commando = 3 million
none are bought
Commando = 2 million
none are bought
Commando = 1 million

Eventually it becomes much more cost effective to buy those mechs.

Include R&R fees, tech fees that go up for heavier chassis, and throw in actual role warfare, mission objective that go beyond "shoot the other guy" and/or "stand in one spot while the enemy team tries to perform the earlier objective I mentioned" and THEN you'll start to see voluntary and willing variety on the battlefield.

Until then? Not so much