19 replies to this topic

[Moriquendi86]

TL, DR: It would be cool if MWO would allow us to import builds from smurfy's mechlab by copy pasting it's checksum. No handshakes between services required, just player input.

So with awesome new quirks for IS mechs a lot of us have plenty of mechs to redo and tweak. Which on it's own is pretty cool but also underlines many flaws of current mechlab.
Mechlab improvements are a little bit lower on priority list right now so I don't think we'll see any of them earlier than Q1 2015. A lot of players is using smurfy's mechlab to workaround MWO's mechlab but it's still necessary to go trough the mech rebuilding process in the game which is a little annoying. I remember that importing builds from smurfy's mechlab to MWO was mentioned before but since it would require communication between services it would be a potential security risk and strain on the servers.
Therefore I was thinking how we could eat a cookie and have a cookie at same time by replacing handshakes between services with player input and came up with this, simple I think idea.
My old Centurion build saved in smurfy looks like that: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...fee829be8b7d542 the later part of this link- i=28&l=f753204daff293833a4b9ab96fee829be8b7d542 looks like checksum of this build.
So MWO's mechlab could have text box where players would be able to paste those checksums and game would read it and recreate mechs using our in game inventory. There still will be some technical challenges to solve, probably existing mechs build would have to be stripped, often game would have to ask if we want to buy 20 items we don't have in inventory. But it still would be easier to implement this than communication with actual smurfy's mechlab or fully functioning mechlab in game.

PS: smurfy if you are reading this, I'm sorry for talking about your amazing tool without you. I hope you would not mind such integration of your mechlab with the game.

[Aresye]

Dude, we can't even SAVE different configurations in MWO. A third party import function is so far away the real Clans will invade before then.

[Captain Stiffy]

It'd be fine if we could just save them.

[Bront]

I want the smurfy style lab in MWO before I want an import feature. Currently, the Mechlab is built to be run on a 1024x768 monitor, with lots of wasted space.

[Asrrin]

Honestly I think the simplest solution would be for them to hire/buy out smurphy and link the website with your account and just have a web based mechlab.

[gregsolidus]

It would be cool if MWO had a proper garage system in general but that's extremely down the line.

[ColourfulConfetti]

I'd love to see this implemented in MWo, but as you mentioned, it'd take a fair amount of programming resources and alot of cooperation between smurfy and PGI.

[Kill Dozer]

Captain Stiffy, on 05 November 2014 - 12:38 AM, said:

It'd be fine if we could just save them.

You would be amazed at the players that don't think this is needed.

To me, it's a core function of the mechlab and has been since Mechwarrior 2 / NetMech for DOS.

The UI 2.0 Lab would be much less of a hassle if I could just select a saved config and click the apply button.

Edited by Kill Dozer, 05 November 2014 - 02:09 PM.

[Captain Stiffy]

Kill Dozer, on 05 November 2014 - 02:09 PM, said:

You would be amazed at the players that don't think this is needed.

To me, it's a core function of the mechlab and has been since Mechwarrior 2 / NetMech for DOS.

The UI 2.0 Lab would be much less of a hassle if I could just select a saved config and click the apply button.

I think one large problem with it is that favorites puts you less than 500 clicks away from engine swaps, etc... strip all, load favorite. Strip mech every time you finish a match and switch to a new one. It runs totally contrary to their marketing goals which involve generating desire in their market base and to them in some way this means pricing things at a point that seems 'too difficult' for c-bills. This includes things like making it more difficult to swap weapons and equipment.

They're on record as saying they don't want it to be "too easy".

Edited by Captain Stiffy, 05 November 2014 - 02:27 PM.

[Troutmonkey]

An EVE style save / apply loadout option would be ideal, but considering how much PGI stuffed up with UI 2.0 I doubt we'll see anything change before the middle of next year

[Navid A1]

being able to save load-outs or import them from 3rd party sources will be a very welcome feature. It will make mech building really convenient.

wait...
convenience?... in UI2?... madness..!
Even the size of the buttons are designed for the sole purpose of torturing the user.

[Hexenhammer]

Number one reason why I'm not playing MWO right now is because of the current mech garage UI.

I say what I said back when it first came out on the PTR.

Too busy
Too many clicks
To much data not enough information.
Too hard to find anything.

I have played some since then but not the hours per week like I used to before UI2.

[Dazzer]

Bront, on 05 November 2014 - 09:54 AM, said:

I want the smurfy style lab in MWO before I want an import feature. Currently, the Mechlab is built to be run on a 1024x768 monitor, with lots of wasted space.

TOTALLY agree relice the current horror show with a direct copy of smurfy , far better all round. (wither permition from smurfy )

[SharpEye4XX]

Honestly, something like this is probably not easily made. For starters, just think about the need for Smurfy's to always have to be up to date exactly (which already wasn't the case after the 4 nov patch with the quirks).
However, I'd like to think that building mechs in-game like in Smurfy's would already be a huge improvement, especially a timesaving one for the player, and probably less hard to achieve for the devs. That way they wouldn't need to work on both the game and the tool.

The thing I dread most about UI 2.0's mechlab is having NO overview of your total mech when building and the constant switching between mech body parts just to put something in it. Not to mention the need to keep switching between the other lists (weapon types, ammo, equipment, bla bla bla LISTS LISTS LISTS; lists everywhere!). Just writing about it now already makes me frustrated. That's how much the constant swapping between lists, rather than having everything visible in one window like in Smurfy's, irritates me. I'm sure others who need the mechlab a lot feel the same way. Clan mates have expressed the same annoyances with the UI 2.0 mechlab as I have and would also prefer a Smurfy-like approach.

Edited by SharpEye4XX, 06 November 2014 - 01:13 AM.

[Captain Stiffy]

Hexenhammer, on 05 November 2014 - 03:52 PM, said:

Number one reason why I'm not playing MWO right now is because of the current mech garage UI.

I say what I said back when it first came out on the PTR.

Too busy
Too many clicks
To much data not enough information.
Too hard to find anything.

I have played some since then but not the hours per week like I used to before UI2.

It helps if you just NEVER EVER click on 'select mech'.

[Jay Kerensky]

I have been away for close to a year now when the garage was first brutalised and ruined. Went back to WoT where they make everything functional and easy. Must admit to a slight garage improvement since I left but have to agree hands down mech lab is an abortion. May need to wait another year......

[bad arcade kitty]

Bront, on 05 November 2014 - 09:54 AM, said:

I want the smurfy style lab in MWO before I want an import feature. Currently, the Mechlab is built to be run on a 1024x768 monitor, with lots of wasted space.

it's because it doesn't scale

also the new mechlab is about to be patched.. it still seems meh but it's significantly better

Edited by bad arcade kitty, 31 May 2015 - 08:46 PM.

[Aresye]

Jay Kerensky, on 31 May 2015 - 08:37 PM, said:

I have been away for close to a year now...

I take it the first thing you decided to do was post on topics almost a year old?

[MechaBattler]

If this was Blizzard. We would probably have a Smurfy lab app for our phones that we could then use to import builds to the server while we're at work. Only $2.99 monthly.

[Bront]

bad arcade kitty, on 31 May 2015 - 08:45 PM, said:

it's because it doesn't scale

also the new mechlab is about to be patched.. it still seems meh but it's significantly better

Not that you're wrong, but I made that comment back in November, when it was still a pipe dream.