876 replies to this topic

[Lucity]

Dragons need a speed buff quirk to fill its intended role, Id ask for ECM too but I know that won't happen.

[SaltBeef]

Nerfwarrior online! <<<<<<<<<Still fun to play but it is what it is

[wasder unguided]

Please don't give up on 10v12. It's cool that Clan and IS are different, games are more fun the more asymmetrical the sides are.

[Cade Windstalker]

So much yes to all of this.

This seems to not only match the general community sentiment regarding these changes but also meshes with the direction the community discussion regarding Clan Balance has been taking.

I'd especially like to see the IS heat efficiencies tweaked a bit, since that's one place where the Clans are kind of canceling out their intended disadvantage.

[Sereglach]

Clan Balance Approach:

I am actually pretty happy with this level of direct communication with the player base. So, first off, thank you. Hopefully this is a thorough 2-way dialog on how we can approach this (as long as everyone willing to take part is civil), and we can achieve the goal intended of making the clans potent, unique, but not overpowered.

I think most of the ideas seem reasonably viable, but I also have to agree with some of the points brought up within this thread, so-far.

-More considerations need to be given with future technology, like Light Engines for the Inner Sphere, which help close the gap on clan XL engines. Things like this can alter the gameplay balance drastically if not addressed now. Will Light Engines suffer the same side-torso destruction of Clan XL engines? If we don't look at future technology, now, then we WILL hit this same kind of snag and Charlie-Foxtrot with each iteration of new technology introduced into the game (since it has been stated those are long-term goals).

-IS chassis quirks and buffs SHOULD be implemented, and should be used to make various chassis much more viable at what they do. Quirks should give highly specific buffs to a chassis/variant (The Awesome's were actually a pretty good example of this) to help define its specific purpose/focus. However, quirks should not overshadow my next point.

-The skill tree overhaul should also be looked into making chassis more viable and desirable. I'd suggest looking at the canonical roles in Battletech "Fluff" for mechs and making a skill tree for each Role . . . then these trees can be assigned to chassis (IS and Clan) to help improve gameplay overall and reaffirm balance and role warfare. For example, a "Fire Support" chassis (sniper or missile boat), should have an elite ability to increase the range of its weapons by 10% . . . thereby an Awesome/Warhawk with PPCs/LRMs will reach further and be more effective than an Atlas/Dire Wolf (juggernauts by nature) with the same weapon systems.

-I agree that taking the opportunity to go back and revisit Single Heat Sinks would also be a good move to address during this timeframe, unless PGI is perfectly OK with some technology and equipment in the game becoming completely obsolete.

-Please take the time to readdress numerous types of equipment throughout the game, their impact on MWO gameplay, and any changes that could be made. Some examples, the completely inability to use LRMs/Streaks around ECM. Maybe consider removing the inability to fire them (or just lock with LRMs) and replace it with slower lock-on times? Other examples could include the Command Console, the Target Deprivation Module (possibly consider just decreasing lock retention by the standard locking time?)

-Something to consider in regards to potentially increasing armor and structure ratings: Heat management and power creep (via weapon DPS, cooling, pinpoint damage, and the ability for most mechs to almost constantly alpha) should also be looked at in correlation to the overall TTK. A desired TTK number (via DPS) should be considered when balancing the overall DPS of various weapons. Therefore, set the fastest TTK goal first, and work backward from there . . . with higher yield weapons reaching that TTK goal and lower damage weapons taking longer from there.

Again, though, thank you for taking the time to provide this direct, blunt, and concise information to us on WHY you're doing things and WHAT the plan is moving forward.

Friday's Patch Feedback (Since there's no direct/general feedback thread like there normally is . . . and it coincides with this):

I haven't gotten to test it, yet, so I'll reserve applying judgment on direct gameplay impact (like "this should be nerf'd/buffed"). I think the adjustments seem reasonable, but at least (off pure numbers) the gap between pulse lasers and standard/er-lasers seems to be getting a little too thinly veiled. I believe more distinction needs to be given to pulse lasers rather than just getting a slight shortening/boost in beam duration. Most of the other stats are nearly on-par with each other, at this point. However, the approach to continually balance the weapons is greatly appreciated.

As always, though, now that you're getting back to addressing weapon balance, can we please see some love for some of the neglected weapons. Namely, I'd request the Flamers be addressed, since a major overhaul on their playability and usability was said to be done back in January (with the coming of the Firestarter), and we still don't have it, yet.

Thank you for continuing to put the effort into making MWO a balanced and enjoyable game.

[lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol]

My thoughts are,

I don't know if I'm going to continue to support a development team with my money when they have no competent project planning and deliver content, patches, and balances "off the cuff" without any professional foresight about the product they are producing.

On a similar note, if Community Warfare is going to be as "professionally implemented and balanced" as the "Clans" were and continue to be, then excuse me if I don't hold my breath.

[Rebas Kradd]

No big complaints here.

[Dark Jackal]

Mystere, on 05 September 2014 - 05:11 PM, said:

The CryEngine is just a game "engine", not a game. I think you are seriously confused about the difference.

Not really. There's a difference between a FPS and a RTS and that is something you apparently are confused about the difference.

[Tarl Cabot]

Quote

Clan Heat and Movement penalties if a Right or Left torso is destroyed.

Clan heat penalties with lost of Left/Right Torso = 2 engine crits on XL engine = Reducing heat dissipation by 10 SHS/5DHS and reduction of Heat Cap by same amount to baseline it then adjust accordingly.

As for movement penalties, potential but without the above really a bandaid. Without actual engine crits and their effects, as well as a dynamic changing heat scale verses a fixed heatscale, there is no real balance nor a solid foundation to make adjustments.

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 05 September 2014 - 08:55 PM.

[Asmosis]

I'm glad they ditched the 10v12 idea.

There was absolutely no way that was EVER going to work outside of single team vs team fights aka full premade. Anything less organized and IS was always going to get steamrolled.

[Revis Volek]

Pope RW, on 05 September 2014 - 11:42 AM, said:

If we aren't going to allow for Lore then the game needs to be renamed.

They did that already.....that is why it is called MECHWARRIOR ONLINE (MWO) and not BATTLETECH.

[valt901]

Please bring IS mech's up rather than clan mech's down. Before the clans dropped there were a number of nerfs to Highlander and Victor, as well as some others. Start undoing some of those. You never, or rarely, see a Highlander anymore. It used to be the best mech in the game. Make those mechs and some others viable again. Put an ammo limit on base turrets so people play assault again. And make direct fire weapons preferable rather than missle spam. A 700 meter narc is as stupid as it gets. That is asking for noskill missle spam. And that will drive the best players away faster than you can fix it. Players want a level of skill involved, not press R, then press launch.

[Selbatrim]

Know this thread has probably moved on but I just have to say NO. Clans should NOT be balanced with Inner Sphere and telling the community otherwise is plain old dumb. Clan mechs cost heaps more than IS mechs. They are and should be more powerful than IS mechs. YES the idea is that more IS mechs can defeat lesser numbers of more powerful clan mechs. THAT is the end game. That is CW. If the clan is just a flavour change then truly you could've just left them out and not angered both IS pilots and Clan pilots.

I've chosen not to pilot clan mechs. I WANT to be up against difficult odds. I do really NOT want to be up against the "same" mechs with different coloured lasers.

You guys make it SO hard to keep playing this game and support it! You just had to get those clanners in didn't you. You really had no idea what to do with them when they got here.

Now you got nothing left to sell really. Or is it a case of "lets fast forward 100 years to sell upgraded IS tech! Then lets go back in time to sell Star League tech!"

You had a complete overhaul of the UI to make all this possible. Then you had a complete overhaul of the matchmaker that would allow just about anything to work. Then you come out and say you can't do this because you didn't see 10 v 12 coming?

Man I wish I didn't like giant stomping robots so much...

[N0MAD]

Havnt Liked a Russ post in about 18 months.
I like this one, post was good, given the current situation seems as if they know whats going on.
No 10v12? thats fine, thats what lobies are for. Beter to have all mechs viable.
Balance, well thats ongoing, needs to be.
No massive lists of things to do, focusing on a couple current issues, thats good.
My only comment would be to let community test changes on Test and be able to listen to input.
Would also like to see another pass at the MM after this flows in.
GG.

[stjobe]

The thing that irks me the most right now is that PGI chose to set the game in 3050 three years ago, deliberately setting the game in a period of the BattleTech timeline where the majority of fighting you'd see would be IS vs Clan.

They didn't set out to make Mechwarrior Online: The Fourth Succession War, or Mechwarrior Online: Word of Blake, they deliberately set the game on the verge of the Clan invasion.

How the hell can they not have decided on how to balance Clan vs IS? How the hell can they still not know?

[Roland Skinner]

Dissapointed that the 10v12 isn't going ahead, I think that would have been the most interesting solution. I guess I will have to mentally adjust to the idea that this is an alternative BattleTech universe where Clan technology got better in some areas, but they lost some tech in others.

[New Breed]

I'm all for increasing armor across the board, longer it takes to kill a mech the more fun it is. (In my opinion)

Can I have the option to use a normal variant skin for the prime mechs? I really want to use camo =/

Edited by Ghost Bear, 05 September 2014 - 11:45 PM.

[Conan Librarian]

I actually like their ideas a lot.

Better armor on all mechs means gravitating towards simulator away from twitch shooter - yes, please.

Giving more quirks to all Mechs is the way to go. It could even be applied to Clan mechs (cough Summoner cough Warhawk).

I never cared for 10vs12, I'll take good, balanced gameplay over RPG elements anyday. Clan Mechs clearly differ from IS Mechs so CW should still look interesting, even 12vs12.

Edited by Groovy4life, 06 September 2014 - 12:19 AM.

[J0anna]

"At this point we cannot make the statement that we have a picture perfect solution to IS vs Clan balance"

In other words you really don't know what you're doing. My problem with this is that effectively now MWO is finished. By nerfing clan weapons to be equal to 3050 IS weapons - you've effectively said that ALL future weapon development must be nerfed back to the 3050 level. MRM's, Light Gauss, Heavy lasers, X-pulse Lasers, Rotary Autocannons, EVERYTHING must be nerfed back to 3050 levels. So we're done - no reason to advance the timeline, no reason to add new weapons - we've reached the endgame.

You've just created a situation where there is no reason to look towards the future, because there will never be any improvements - well done.

[Kmieciu]

Mektek balanced IS vs Clans.
Living Legends balanced IS vs Clans.

I don't see why MWO couldn't balance them. It's not rocket science.

Starcraft (1) balanced 3 completely different races, even though they didn't have anything in common.

To all the people saying Clans should be better: learn to play without your crutch.