529 replies to this topic

[Verdic Mckenna]

Paul -

It has been said there is currently no Mixed - Tech for now. It has also been said that Mercenaries are currently Inner Sphere affiliated in regards to tech. If this is the case - what is the general time line for adding salvage? (From a lore perspective, how long until Dragoon's / Draconis Combine and others start sharing Clan knowledge?) Are we talking a year from Phase 2? Two years? This is a very serious issue for some Mercenary Units and we'd like to be able to make a serious decision regarding our faction commitments.

Thanks in advance.

Edited by Verdic Mckenna, 11 September 2014 - 08:33 AM.

[Shalune]

How frequent and evenly spread will conflicts be?* Will there always be a conflict up for every faction to participate in, or will they be staggered? I don't think the latter is necessarily bad after launch (everyone deserves a shot when it's new content.)


*Part of the info said PGI controlled them, but another that unit leaders could start one. Unclear how much is player driven vs dev managed.

[Ramsess]

Can you please answer if the current unit creation form is the one and only form that there will exist in MWO and there won't be a different kind for Loyalists?

Thank you.

[Fanatic]

Question 1:
Is the concept for Loyalist Unit Life (2/3) scrapped, because there is nothing anymore about this in The Plan

So every House Unit and Clan Unit is actually a Merc Unit ?

Question 2:
(for example) Why should a Merc Unit (loyal/paid by House Liao) fight/defend a Steiner Planet ?

Edited by Fanatic, 11 September 2014 - 10:50 AM.

[Josef Koba]

Will there be other sorts of missions in terms of taking over a planet? As I understand it (as do my peers it seems) we will be fighting over static defensive type choke points. I would like to see a variety of mission sets, for instance search and destroy set in a rural environment. I think mopping up defensive units would add an interesting element to game play and make things a bit more dynamic.

[Almond Brown]

Tekadept, on 10 September 2014 - 07:33 PM, said:

what happens in timezones where there potentialyl just aren't enough players willing to participate in CW? you say"During peak player count times " When exactly is this for GMT+8 players? especially when you say to attack you need a full 12man of the single unit.

And have you ever tried to get a 12man formed up?? that **** dont happen in 2 mins.

It seems reasonable that "the 12-man" would be pre-assembled prior to clicking "Attack". The required Defense Force is then notified, and those who opt-in to defend get banded together, if a 12-man Defense force is not queued and readily available. After 30 seconds, faction affiliates get placed in empty seats.

[KingCobra]

I like so many others are in a wait and see mode about CW. It is hard to imagine after 3 years MWO will be progressing past a boring grind event of 12 vs 12 Solaris style free for all matches into a possible true meta. What's left to say that has not already been said before and ignored for the past 3 years? =not much.

This article was from back in 2011 on GDN http://gdn9.com/stor...s-Revealed.html

(
Mechwarrior Online Community Warfare Details Revealed

Posted by Christophor Rick (TheSuperGuido), Dec 08, 2011 19:07



Mechwarrior Online is currently in development and many of us who are fans of the franchise, and giant mechs in general are eagerly holding out breath for details. Well some details have been revealed!
Since Community Warfare is a large topic, we decided to focus this blog on one specific topic, the Inner Sphere and Faction Warfare.
Contributors for this blog include Paul Inouye and Bryan Ekman.
Inner Sphere

It all starts with the concept of the Inner Sphere and a living timeline. Each day that passes here on Earth, also passes in the virtual MechWarrior Online Inner Sphere.
Wednesday December 7th, 2011 is Wednesday December 7th, 3048.
This means every time you log into MechWarrior Online something new has happened. News Updates via the ISN feed, news reporter features, and battle feeds, keep players up-to-date on current events. Feeds can be viewed through a dynamic universe map or RSS style feed, in game or online at the MechWarrior Online website (coming soon).
For those unfamiliar with what the Inner Sphere looks like, here’s a map:

Faction Warfare

The Inner Sphere is broken up into several factions, each with their own regions and sub-regions. Each faction is warring with at least one other faction at all times in a universal territory battle. Players can be active or passive participants in this battle by following one of three paths:

• Pledging Allegiance to a Faction
  
• Joining a Mercenary Corporation
  
• Remaining Neutral

At its core, the territory battle is a fight for resources – planets. Planets are divided into three types. Each type requires a more active level of participation by the player and as a result earns a greater reward.

• Core Worlds – Are managed by the dev team. These are worlds that necessary for future planning and part of major historical events.
  
• Faction Worlds – Are fought over by Faction players. These planets buffer core and border worlds, and do not play a significant role in major historical events. Rewards for controlling these planets are directly linked to global bonuses and abilities associated with a player’s Faction.
  
• Border Worlds – Are fought over via a contract bidding system by player run Mercenary Corporations. These planets change hands on a regular basis, and have no impact on historical events. Rewards for controlling a boarder world are significant and go directly to the occupying Merc Corp.

It’s important to state now, that worlds can change from Border to Faction to Core, or any combination thereof, at any time by the development team. This will be necessary to facilitate dramatic changes in faction territory control as we progress through some tumultuous times within the BattleTech universe.

Faction Worlds

The battle for control over faction planets is a simple war of attrition. The faction with the most influence over a particular planet occupies it. By virtue of simply competing in online matches, faction players contribute influence points to target planets.
Border Worlds

Mercenary Corporations can bid and fight for occupation rights of border worlds throughout the Inner Sphere. Merc Corps must bid on a planet’s occupation rights via a system of contracts generated by the game.
A match or series of matches are set up between the defending Merc Corp and the challenger. The victor is determined from the results of each match, and takes control of the planet. They are rewarded with an immediate contract payout, and will continue to earn rewards while they occupy the planet.
Loyalty Points and Ranks

Loyalty Points are used to determine how devoted you have been to a particular faction. The more loyal you are, the greater the reward. LPs are earned by engaging in activities that further the goals of a particular faction.
For Example: Killing an enemy faction player would earn 1 LP.
Loyalty Points decay over time if a player is not active. Participating in negative actions can also decrease LPs.
Faction Players

As a Faction Player, loyalty points are earned by playing and winning matches. As the player accumulates loyalty points, they will gain a military faction rank at pre-determined loyalty point totals. If a player loses LPs by decay or negative actions, they will be demoted.
Gaining ranks earns special privileges and items, including membership to special units, unit skins, and bonuses to C-Bills and XP. These are all non-permanent and subject to the player maintaining a certain rank level. At the highest possible levels, players can begin to influence their faction by controlling which planets are targeted in territory conquest.
Mercenary Corp Players

As a Mercenary Corporation, all members’ earned loyalty points go to the Merc Corp. The Merc Corp must have a minimum amount of loyalty points with a faction before they are able to engage in planetary combat on behalf of that faction. Loyalty points also determine the type and level of contract a Merc Corp is permitted to bid on. These loyalty point restrictions mean that a Merc Corp’s membership, must remain active in order to maintain the required level of LPs.
Ranks are created within a Merc Corp by the Merc Corp leader. The naming of the ranks is entirely up to the Merc Corp leader who can assign Merc Corp level permissions to each rank.
Lone Wolf Players

As a lone wolf, the player can earn loyalty points through participation in random matches, however these LPs have no positive or negative implications. A lone wolf player does not have any ranks.
Now the game isn’t out yet, still being made and all that, so it’s entirely possible that some elements will be changed or not make the final version of the game if they don’t work well. But it does look particularly interesting already, no?
- See more at: http://gdn9.com/stor...h.yfSI4OZv.dpuf)



P.S Look familiar? sound familiar?

Edited by KingCobra, 11 September 2014 - 08:36 AM.

[kuangmk11]

deputydog, on 11 September 2014 - 08:00 AM, said:

The big question is as a merc unit can we use our clan mechs on some planets and our IS mechs on others, and what are the limits to the number of fights we can be in?

Paul Inouye, on 10 September 2014 - 08:33 PM, said:

Merc Units/Lone Wolves = IS

Dagger Star = Clan

[Corbon Zackery]

My main questions so far are.

1. Why 12 man groups would get exclusive rights to start conflicts? Community warfare is suppose to be open to all players in the related faction. Seems like your catering to the 23% of the community again?

2. I don't understand why you just don't make it objective based? With 5 capture points and a 15 min timer. All objectives must be taken for planet conquest. This is a standard proven format that gives the defender a advantage when down to 1 point and the attacker a advantage when down to one point.

3. If your going to have destroyable objectives then why not destroyable terrain also? Allow people to blow holes in walls and knock down buildings.

4. How do you intend to solve the issue of lack of map content. You cant just fight on a frozen wasteland then for round two suddenly be whisked to a hot volcano planet. So the maps would have to be split up, and altered so you had at least 4 different Alpine peaks. If we were all fighting on one Alpine Peaks map 24 hours a day 7 days a week were going to know every route, every snipe spot, and also the best way to win the map as a attacker. So I think some improvement is need on that part.

5. Unit and faction decals?

6. Bounty system?

7. Integrated TeamSpeak into the game so we no longer need to use 3rd party applications.

8. What sort of resources can we buy to protect are planets? Can we buy Infantry, tanks, VTOLs, Upgraded, Turrets? What sort of base customization can we get reinforced walls. Decals and decorations. If people are a attacking my planet I want them to know who is defending it. I want my base to be unique to other factions.

9. Can we buy spy satellites? Early detection systems? So we can scout out bases, and rally forces to defend the world.

10. What about IS vs. IS conflicts on other borders. The Clan invasion will be fought by the Federated Commonwealth, FRR, and the Dragons. What are the Liao and Free World League going to do while all this Clan vs. IS fighting is going on?

11. Will the Federated Commonwealth exist in game, or will we keep them separate factions that can group together?

12. What type of bases can we set up? Can I build mine on a asteroid? Space Station?

13. What type of weekly resources will we get from captured assets?

14. How do you plan to solve the issue of Time Zone conquest. (Meaning you make solid progress during American game hours EST, CST, PST.) Only to watch all your progress evaporate because you went to sleep for 8 hours? During the night the international community erases all your progress forcing you to start all over again. This is known as the Catch 22 of Community Warfare

15. How do you plan to handle enforcement of nonparticipation, and Disconnects in community warfare? If I lose a 100ton Atlas during a major invasion because someone is just farming c-bills.

16. Level based system of play in community warfare?

17. Spawn point killings? What is preventing base camping, and spawn killings?

That's all for now I can edit as I think up more questions. As far as my opinion I am excited that were finally getting the ball rolling.

However it seem like Paul is just making it up as he goes along for phase 2. As someone who has 19 years experience play FPS games. It just seems rushed like no planning or base line work was done on paper or even on a napkin during the development of clan packs and UI 2.0.

Edited by Corbon Zackery, 11 September 2014 - 09:17 AM.

[Almond Brown]

SerEdvard, on 10 September 2014 - 07:42 PM, said:

Good post, very nice to get these kinds if previews.

Question about design of the A/D game mode:

Will the maps have a single choke point, multiple sequential choke points, or multiple non-sequential choke points? I hope it's the latter, in order to diversify the attacker's strategy and to potentially force the defenders to defend multiple positions at once.

From the Document:

Quote

Maps must have multiple choke points that encase the defensive barriers. Too few choke points and the defenders will have too great of an advantage focus firing on the points of passage.

[DocBach]

In regards to Drop Decks, why the static "everyone is stuck bringing one of each class"? Why not make a drop weight for each player based on the world contested to make different classes dynamic but not locking people into a certain class they may not have or be comfortable playing?

[Jonny Taco]

Will game modes other than conquest be part of CW?

[Almond Brown]

Bhael Fire, on 10 September 2014 - 08:16 PM, said:

Yeah. Translation: You would pretty much NEVER see a Clan mech on the IS side during the first wave...and therefore it is irrational to assume that IS would be sporting Clan mechs in Faction play during the first wave of the Invasion in this game.

Ludicrously absurd, even.

However, in the Public queues (both solo and group) it'll be fair game and business as usual!

Agreed and true. According to the Lore, the Clans arrived, went GGCLOSE every encounter while chewing on some rather tasty FRR hide for almost 2.5 years. Then the I.S. got its act and forces together.

Remember also, the timeline will be reset when this sucker gets airborne.

[CharlieChap]

Will Planetary Assaults involve fighting over a progression of old maps before the 'endgame' of the new map ?


One of the criticisms commonly levelled is the lack of maps in this game and its great that lots is being done to rectify that, and its great that this will involve a new map and new mode but if Community Warfare is always just this new mode on this single new map, its going to get stale pretty quickly I suspect....

A progression of missions on the appropriate old maps leading up to the 'endgame' and the new Map & mode would proabbly be more 'epic' than soemthing endlessly playing out on a single map.

You could even use a Deck 'weight' progression to do this so that the first 'skirmish' is low weight and composed of Lights and few Mediums predominantly, getting heavier with each map until the final showdown on the new map.
(in this way killing two birds with one stone and giving lighter mechs a role and going a way down the road of 'Role Warfare'.)

[Johnny Z]

CharlieChap, on 11 September 2014 - 09:00 AM, said:

Will Planetary Assaults involve fighting over a progression of old maps before the 'endgame' of the new map ?


One of the criticisms commonly levelled is the lack of maps in this game and its great that lots is being done to rectify that, and its great that this will involve a new map and new mode but if Community Warfare is always just this new mode on this single new map, its going to get stale pretty quickly I suspect....

A progression of missions on the appropriate old maps leading up to the 'endgame' and the new Map & mode would proabbly be more 'epic' than soemthing endlessly playing out on a single map.

You could even use a Deck 'weight' progression to do this so that the first 'skirmish' is low weight and composed of Lights and few Mediums predominantly, getting heavier with each map until the final showdown on the new map.
(in this way killing two birds with one stone and giving lighter mechs a role and going a way down the road of 'Role Warfare'.)

Its an idea for sure, but if they do go with a 1/1/1/1, letting the players decide which to take first adds a new layer of strategy for each player. Its not alot but it is exactly like deciding which card to play first. This along with mech load outs etc really starts to make a deep game for each player, especially for important battles.

[Almond Brown]

Illegal Username, on 10 September 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

Starting with IS vs Clans sounds like a bad idea.

Requiring a deck of one weight class each is a non-trivial investment for the Clans side.

Thus the use of "Trial" Mechs. You can't expect the "Game" to "Give" you Mechs just so you can play Faction Warfare. You want in, you cover your needs, as you see them.

[Almond Brown]

Hoax415, on 10 September 2014 - 09:29 PM, said:

The most pressing question so far is obviously this:

Are you seriously planning on doing ONLY IS vs Clan planets at launch of CW? Because that means that half (that's being generous, FRR isn't a real faction!) the IS factions are left out in the cold unless you something very odd and against the lore and common sense is happening to those invasion corridors...

Worried Marik (and Davion and Liao) pilots would like to know if PGI forgot about them not being anywhere near the invasion.

You fill a Dropship, then attach that to a JumpShip. The Jumpship(s) have FTL drives.

After Launch, you ask the Captain.

"Are we there yet?"

He responds.

"Why yes we are! Gotta love FTL eh!"

Click Attack!

[Johnny Z]

About the 1/1/1/1, i dont think anyone wants a so called respawn. But it isnt a stretch that a well equipped mechwarrior would bring a small dropship with their best mechs to an important battle. This isnt in lore true but i think this game demands it really. This is treating each player as a wealthy noble in lore but there it is.

Edited by Johnny Z, 11 September 2014 - 09:16 AM.

[JediPanther]

DROP DECKS

A drop deck is a selection of 4 ‘Mechs in the player’s inventory. Each of the 4 ‘Mechs must be one of each weight class (one light, one medium, one heavy, one assault). All 4 ‘Mechs must belong to the same technology core (IS or Clan). The Drop Deck is a means for the player to quickly choose their favorite ‘Mech of a specific weight class when in the defender queue outlined above.

"The Drop Deck will display the following:

Currently chosen Light ‘Mech thumbnail
Currently chosen Medium ‘Mech thumbnail
Currently chosen Heavy ‘Mech thumbnail
Current chosen Assault ‘Mech thumbnail
A drop down in each 'Mech panel will allow the player to change a 'Mech for an owned, same weight class 'Mech. "

Is this the same as the mech ready function-box from the old ui as in this picture?

http://i1.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

I hope the ui gets an upgrade to include some form of it. Having four mech instanyly congfigued and read to use would be greatly apreciated over having to slog back through the current method of going ack through the ui to select a mech.



I have been wanting that function back for an eternity.

[Almond Brown]

Felio, on 10 September 2014 - 09:30 PM, said:

Seeing as how much we will want to opt-in to CW... what are you going to do for people who spent money on 'mechs they will no longer be able to use?

We will assume for now that before you Opt-In, whatever faction tag you sport will be used after Opting-In. Some days I may play Clan. I would select Wolf as a tag and go to Opt-In. Now I am sure for many that will be way to much work. We will have to deal with that "QQ" when it arrives I suppose.