It's my intent to read through, and comment on, what was written for this posting. I know I'm sort of late to the party, but as I've explained elsewhere, my sons and I have been moving to Washington state, starting three weeks ago, and ending with the restoration of our internet last night. Anyway, I intend to do this, and then spend some time reading what everyone else has been asking for.
Quote
Community Warfare - Phase 2
Sept 10, 2014
OPT-IN TO COMMUNITY WARFARE
When a player clicks the Faction tab, they are opting into Community Warfare gameplay. This means they will be accepting the fact that teams will be split into IS vs Clan ‘Mechs and cannot mix the two technologies.
Very nice verification of how things should be.
Quote
INTERACTIVE INNER-SPHERE MAP
The Inner-Sphere Map displays the status of the Inner Sphere in terms of borders and conflicts. It shows all planets that we have data for.
Unfortunately, unless some changes and updates to the map have been made in the past three weeks, I still get an ugly matte grey/black THING behind the star systems, and am unable to see the successor states and/or the colors in the image representing it at all. Are you going to be fixing that?
Quote
Interactivity
- Players can pan the map.
- Players can zoom in/out on the map.
- Players can click a planet.
Planet Details
When a planet is clicked, an information panel should show the planet’s detailed information:
- Planet Name
- Planet Faction Affiliation
- Occupying Unit (If applicable)
- Any lore from BT we can add (Population, temperature, lore facts)
- Indicate if the planet is contested or not (see below)
Contested Planets
When a planet is contested, the warring factions are fighting over who will control the planet and reap the associated rewards. For each planet, there is an attacking Faction Unit and a defending Faction Unit.
- Contested planets are specially marked on the IS map and can be identified at all zoom levels.
- Contested planets are assignable by the design team.
ENGAGING IN PLANETARY CONQUEST
During peak player count times throughout the day, planetary control matches will be kicked off within the Faction tab. Players will see planets on the Inner Sphere map which are currently contested and be able to choose to be part of the fight.
A Player's Faction Selection
The faction a player has aligned to will be a hard rule as to which ‘Mechs they can use and which planets they can attack/defend.
Thank God. I was wondering if this was going to be addressed.
Quote
Groups in Community Warfare
Groups in community warfare will be hard limited to players in the same unit. This is to re-enforce faction gameplay so you will not see groups of mixed Kurita and Davion for example.
Initiating an Attack
Initial plan is to have initiation of an attack can only be done by a 12-man unit group. The group leader will select a planet and click the attack button.
Not a fan of that, and I think you're going to find that will not work very well, especially for smaller groups. What about adding the various game and map modes that would allow for missions requiring various sizes. Restricting a Planetary Assault to a minimum 12-Man makes sense, but what about raids, bounties, etc.?
Quote
Prioritization of Groups
Attacking groups are always placed in a single queue in a first-in first-out logistics order (FIFO). Defending groups are placed in queue and are given the opportunity to choose their group’s ‘Mech weight class build to meet the requirements of the defending team for the given match.
I'm not quite certain what this looks like, but it doesn't sound as if it would be terribly exact, nor viable for Merc Units, or Lone Wolf elements less than twelve.
Quote
DEFENDING TEAM QUEUE
There are 2 types of defenders for a planet. Contract defenders are the Unit that won the right to defend a planet through the bidding system. Faction defenders are the rest of the players who can defend the planet but are not part of the contract defending unit.
Contract Defenders
- When an attack is first triggered, a notification is sent to all members of the unit that is part of the contract defenders.
- The contract defenders have [2] minutes to respond by creating a 12-man unit team and clicking the defend button.
Faction Defenders
- If the [2] minute limit expires, the remaining slots available on the team are made publically available.
- When this release to faction defenders happens, all faction players are notified via an in-game messaging system.
- The remaining slots are filled by faction defenders in priority order in which they clicked the defend button.
- Faction defenders when allowed to join a team are given [30] seconds to choose their ‘Mechs to fit the available slots.
Will Contract Defenders, who either responded within the 2 minute time-limit -which is ridiculously short, by the way- or that become available after the 2 minute limit, also be allowed to fight with the Faction Defenders, as something of a mixed bag? Otherwise, what you're doing is penalizing Contract Defenders because they couldn't hit the button fast enough, and that's just unfair. What if they were already involved in a game when the 2 minute limit came and went? My recommendation is that you allow between twenty [20] and twenty-five [25] minutes for Contract Defenders to respond, first, then send it out to Faction Defenders, as well. If enough Contract Defenders respond, treat it like readying up in the game, the counter drops to a smaller time, or goes away entirely, and the drop commences. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're looking at potential mutiny territory.
Indeed, I find it silly that the old system of unit commander's agreeing on a set of three battle times, if necessary, is not being set in place. If a House or Clan does not have enough member's on at a particular time, the system you're proposing will penalize them, especially if that's not their prime time to play, let alone what it does to Merc units. You need to institute a means for Unit Commanders, or those authorized to do so in the UCs stead, to either launch off a game immediately, or to negotiate three times and days to get enough people together; this two-minute time limit, and then it goes to Faction, is just silly. If the units cannot agree on any times, or cannot get enough people together at any times, then the UCs need to be responsible and send out a Contract and Faction Defenders message about how many MechWarrior's will be needed at a particular time.
The system you're proposing simply will not work as proposed.
Quote
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.
I like this, but I wonder about those who do not have a 'Mech in a certain weight class? Will they be allowed to drop without four 'Mechs, or would you allow them to substitute with a Champion 'Mech of the appropriate weight class?
Quote
PLANETARY CONQUEST GAME-MODE
This new game mode and map is planned to be part of the map/game mode cycle of matches for Community Warfare.
To make taking a planet feel epic, a new game mode would bring the feeling of longer matches and standoffs. Instead of playing a series of death match games to decide who conquers a planet, this new attack/defend game mode would let players feel like they’re truly fighting over something.
Invasion incorporates an attacking drop zone (where attackers spawn) and a defensive base (defenders spawn). The idea is that the attackers destroy the defenders base and defensive structures. At a severe choke point location on the map, a set of defensive barriers prevent the attackers (those who do not have jump jets) from proceeding beyond this point. If the attackers use high ground positions and take out the power plants holding the magnetic doors shut, the doors will lose power and a safety mechanic opens the doors allowing the attackers through.
Invasion Mode - Map Requirements
- Maps must have longer travel times to point of first contact. This is important because it also increases the time it takes for re-enforcements (respawns) to arrive back into battle.
- 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.
- Choke points must provide some means of destroying power generators on the defender’s side of the defensive barriers.
- Choke points should be protected by defensive turrets.
- Defensive barriers should be connected to a power plant.
- Destroying power plants open the connected barriers.
- Gates should open slowly allowing players to “slice the pie” and engage.
- Light ‘Mechs with jump jets should be able to barely make it over the barriers if they so choose.
Weak.
But, it's a step in the right direction. Planetary Assault/Conquest should NOT be the only means of fighting in MWO. There absolutely MUST be different missions, in accordance with the BattleTech lore, for God's sake, and we need objectives and contracts that include raids, as well. PGI, you have the tools, you have the talent, you can make this happen and, if you want the game to last, this is what you need to do... what has never been done in a multi-player game before.
31
5th Fedcom Rat, on 10 September 2014 - 06:56 PM, said:
