64 replies to this topic

[Lanessar]

I cannot quite give the developers an A+ as yet. I see their increased communication and attempting to elicit discussion. One thing that keeps me wary is that this smacks of PR damage control, not contrition. Let me add a disclaimer to this that the increased attention to the players voicing their concerns is better than previous attempts, so this does give me some hope that the matter will be addressed permanently.

I see the things on the horizon, but until they arrive, I'll cautiously consider that "they may be moving in the right direction". Russ and others have, in the past, asked for contributions on topics and then ignored the resulting feedback under the guise of "not the majority" without providing any further information. As well, Community Warfare has been announced as "being on the horizon" and never materialized. So, while I see UI 2.0 and "creating units", neither really seems a complete and viable product, but more of the same "minimum viable product" which has plagued their development since CBT.

This round of asking for player feedback, the players involved have more discussion on a player council than actually accomplishing anything on the ECM issue. And, without being able to address the other affected systems, there isn't a really good solution for ECM.

I did see a developer post addressing Information Warfare which gives me hope (should it actually be done) that makes scouts more valuable with scanning range - this is the most solid step forward I've seen that actually encourages me to post and believe that the development model will change.

PGI stepping up and providing some vehicle via the forums to actually collate all the feedback (thus making the council unnecessary), with full transparency would, in fact, be proper community management. Requiring 80% agreement when the player base can't 80% agree on a player council is self-defeating. In fact, if I were suspicious, I would say that this would be the easiest way to show contrition without changing anything, as players themselves will never agree 80% on a single methodology of relaying those ideas to the developers.

I personally don't like the idea of a player council. Having run an online community of 15,000 players for a project that lasted a good five years, I've seen these come and go and they are extremely inefficient. The best way I've seen in such methods is benevolent dictatorship. Simply put, you appoint three to five players who have shown that they can collate the data being offered up, examine all the well-thought out information, and offer up the final solution for a poll/vote. PGI's problem thus far has been failing to take any player complaints at all, and not managing the community properly. This addresses both without tying up the players in needless "elections", and gets the feedback needed in a timely fashion.

Right now, I'm in a "wait and see" mode, and I think that's the case for more than a few of the Founders who posted angrily or thoughtfully on the "About Reddit" thread. I personally am not big on forum interaction, and only make a few posts here and there. But I wanted to note this, not in a negative or angry tone, but in the tone I felt. I don't want to deny the developers here the kudos they deserve for changing tack.

I'd place it at a "B-", but far better than the failings of yesteryear.

[p4r4g0n]

I won't go so far as to rate progress to-date as A+ but the only people denying that any progress have been made are the haters and those that are so focused on the trees they're not seeing the forest.

To get an A+, PGI will have to deliver a lot depth to the game. Whether the MWO will attain this remains to be seen but the developments in 2014 make me reasonably confident that they will get at least part-way there.

@Russ Bullock - you might want to think about:-

• somehow incorporating the single player game with the online multi-player element e.g. initial part of the single player training with the first 25 cadet bonus drops, the UI2.0 mechlab when the player buys or is awarded his first mech in single player, etc.

• developing the aerotech component as either an expansion or a separate parallel game that players can switch back and forth if they decide to become a pilot rather than a mechwarrior or vice versa

[Lightfoot]

I can't agree. We lost any long range game 3 weeks ago when the last accurate long range weapon, the PPC, was made slower than the speed of a 450 meter AC10. Now it's just brawling AC's and Lasers with a little LRM support.

So MWO is not currently a MechWarrior Simulation in any sense of the word (Simulation). It's an arcade robot brawler now with only one winning tactic. Get to 350 meters with as many ACs and Lasers your mech can hold. How can there be any tactics at all in a Mech game with an OP Brawler meta winning on every map? It's just a contest to see which team is dumbest.

[El Bandito]

Lightfoot, on 15 September 2014 - 05:56 AM, said:

I can't agree. We lost any long range game 3 weeks ago when the last accurate long range weapon, the PPC, was made slower than the speed of a 450 meter AC10. Now it's just brawling AC's and Lasers with a little LRM support.

So MWO is not currently a MechWarrior Simulation in any sense of the word (Simulation). It's an arcade robot brawler now with only one winning tactic. Get to 350 meters with as many ACs and Lasers your mech can hold. How can there be any tactics at all in a Mech game with an OP Brawler meta winning on every map? It's just a contest to see which team is dumbest.

1. Gauss is still there, still long range, still fast, still accurate, still deadly.

2. ERLLasers are still being used at long range to good effect.

3. OP brawler meta winning every map? What? I played a few group matches with the FRH last night and brawling only happened near the end game when half the team is already dead. In pugs it is still LRMs first, brawling second.

Edited by El Bandito, 15 September 2014 - 06:01 AM.

[Kraven Kor]

Russ Bullock, on 13 September 2014 - 05:59 PM, said:

Any noticing of improvement is appreciated and drives us, thanks.

The one thing I assure you is that many of us will in fact come flocking back if you manage to close the gap between what was promised / sold / advertised, and what is delivered.

Make the game deeper, more immersive, and bring us that feeling of fighting through the clan invasion and we will once again fill your coffers and sing your praises.