115 replies to this topic

[Vassago Rain]

Grynos, on 06 January 2015 - 06:17 AM, said:

I am glad you are so engrossed in the lore aspect of the BattleTech Universe. But in REALITY , this is a Mech MMO. In order for the MMO to be successful it needs have a draw for not only for the people who love BattleTech, but it needs to expand its reaches to those that are not into the lore as well for the MMO to survive.

Arguing with him is like talking to a wall.

[Grynos]

Vassago Rain, on 06 January 2015 - 06:17 AM, said:

The goons largely left MWO in august 2013. They got a couple small squads up when CW was announced, but they're not nearly enough to fight back against the most populated factions (marik, davion) who outnumber them at least ten to one.

I believe there's actually a ceasefire between purple bird and green arm, but don't quote me on that.

SQUAWK!! Yes birds of a feather flock together. WoL is always looking for those wild and crazy guys and gals.

[Mott]

Grynos, on 06 January 2015 - 06:17 AM, said:

In order for the MMO to be successful it needs have a draw for not only for the people who love BattleTech, but it needs to expand its reaches to those that are not into the lore as well for the MMO to survive.

And what, exactly, is it about a shifting map (that is going to be reset at end-of-season, or end of CW Beta Stage 1, or Russ' determination that PGI wants to try something new) that is such a darned turnoff for players that it would threaten MWO's survival?

Did we not want faction warfare? Did we not want a living, breathing inner sphere that changed due to our actions or inactions?

If we wanted these things, why would anyone (even those on the losing "side") be upset that this season, their faction lost ground?

PGI has already done far more to make CW "fair" than I ever thought they should. Your faction homeworld is immune to conquering meaning your faction NEVER ceases to exist no matter how bad your pilots or your luck is. If your faction experiences a week or two of hard luck, PGI then ups the rewards on your contracts, attracting more warriors to your "side".

If MWO needs a "draw" of any sort... it needs one that attracts true gamers - those looking for challenge and good sports to boot - who don't need to cry about every little imbalance that exposes the fact they're not special snowflakes.

[Sprouticus]

Tempest/Teapot.

I will say that Kurita is in a rough spot due to Davion/FRR/SJ borders.


But SJ is also in a rough spot due to the same issue (relatively low population).


the difference is SJ rallied early in process, organized, and is working together. With some notable exceptions (NS being the first to come to mind), DC seems REALLY unorganized, and populated with a lot of solo players who don't want to take the time to setup.

This is NA time of course,, I cant speak to Euro/Asia-Pac times.

On the up side, other units appear to be coming to the aid of Kurita. Last night we were at 66% on our attack and in the last 2 matches (both of which we won) the % went down to 33%. The last match was vs. QQ, so it looks like there was an influx of help from other facitons units.

[DasaDevil]

Sprouticus, on 06 January 2015 - 07:11 AM, said:

Tempest/Teapot.

I will say that Kurita is in a rough spot due to Davion/FRR/SJ borders.


But SJ is also in a rough spot due to the same issue (relatively low population).


the difference is SJ rallied early in process, organized, and is working together. With some notable exceptions (NS being the first to come to mind), DC seems REALLY unorganized, and populated with a lot of solo players who don't want to take the time to setup.

This is NA time of course,, I cant speak to Euro/Asia-Pac times.

On the up side, other units appear to be coming to the aid of Kurita. Last night we were at 66% on our attack and in the last 2 matches (both of which we won) the % went down to 33%. The last match was vs. QQ, so it looks like there was an influx of help from other facitons units.

doesnt help that there are some pretty seriously solid players on the smoke jag side too

[Sprouticus]

DasaDevil, on 06 January 2015 - 07:19 AM, said:

doesnt help that there are some pretty seriously solid players on the smoke jag side too

There are, but at the same time, CSJ was forced to organize right off due to very small size, so we are benefiting from that. DC is much bigger. If they ever get a leader set, they will be quite dangerous.

[Grynos]

Mott, on 06 January 2015 - 06:49 AM, said:

And what, exactly, is it about a shifting map (that is going to be reset at end-of-season, or end of CW Beta Stage 1, or Russ' determination that PGI wants to try something new) that is such a darned turnoff for players that it would threaten MWO's survival?

Did we not want faction warfare? Did we not want a living, breathing inner sphere that changed due to our actions or inactions?

If we wanted these things, why would anyone (even those on the losing "side") be upset that this season, their faction lost ground?

PGI has already done far more to make CW "fair" than I ever thought they should. Your faction homeworld is immune to conquering meaning your faction NEVER ceases to exist no matter how bad your pilots or your luck is. If your faction experiences a week or two of hard luck, PGI then ups the rewards on your contracts, attracting more warriors to your "side".

If MWO needs a "draw" of any sort... it needs one that attracts true gamers - those looking for challenge and good sports to boot - who don't need to cry about every little imbalance that exposes the fact they're not special snowflakes.

See I look at MWO through the eyes of someone not hell bent on the lore of the BattleTech Universe. I simply look at it through the eyes of a gamer. I truly want the game mode to succeed , because I like playing it. Me picking Liao had nothing to do with lore, but rather I like playing the underdog in games in general. That's why I went with Liao .

Now everyone knows there are issues with CW, everyone. I also realize that it is in Beta , and that really none of the dots and colors changing means anything yet. But in order for CW to survive as a game mode, it has to change things so that every gamer that plays it has a say in the outcome of wether a planet is won or lost. Currently that is not the case. I truly wish it were more about the skills of the players but currently that is only somewhat the case.

Also remember that we are dealing with currently 10 different factions/clans. Planetside 2 which has a much larger player base and seperate servers only deals with 3. In Planetside 2 they have events throughout the day for the three factions to try to take over a planet. They also limit the amount of people from each faction that are allowed on that planet for a very important reason. It is so that the best coordinated faction wins not the most populated. The skill of the collective whole determines the outcome.

If CW is supposed to be about skill, fine I can take my beatings like a man and if I lose I lose. If CW is supposed to be a game of who has the most population, then it eventually will die off due to that.

[Red Legs Greaves]

Klappspaten, on 06 January 2015 - 05:23 AM, said:

I don´t know if the reward boost has helped Liao, but it certainly helped the FRR.
Several FRR units have already dropped in defense of DC worlds at the clan border and will continue to do so as often our own operations allow it. Thats all we can do right now.

In the long term you will need to find a way of making peace with Davion.

And you wont help the wait times if you do not drop in CW. The more players, the more games can be started. And by the way, I had a lot of matches where I could organize a few PUGs in a way that we sucessfully attacked against an organized unit.
In CW I have seen better PUG performance than in all the other modes since closed beta.

For my unit it was the Wolf/Steiner alliance that got us to switch to FRR. We not going to let them carve up a smaller faction together because they can't hope to do it alone. The c-bill bonus was a nice addition, plus we seem to find a drop much quicker than before.

[Mordin Ashe]

Your faction is screwed? In CGBI there is like 5 TU TZ people playing CW, and we are the biggest ones. All strong units left us and joined FRR, so we are facing double problems. And the worst thing? We have to play with CW pugs - man, I've never seen more conflicting, annoying, angry loudmouths that surprisingly can't score a whack. Wow, a real fun times ahead for CGB.

At least Kurita has a nice logo and relatively weak oponents o face...

[Cerlin]

Flash Frame, on 06 January 2015 - 05:14 AM, said:

I love how everyone complains about how long it takes to get a match going in CW...so they avoid CW...which results in longer wait times because less players.

This is why I want to see units that are playing together FORCED into CW, because people are so uninformed about how the que system works in CW, they figure that because it's taking so long, not participating at all is helping, when it's not at all the case.

If you want to see CW thrive... encourage EVERYONE YOU CAN TO PLAY THE MODE. It's either that, or PGI will have to enforce that units are locked into CW matches no matter what... because otherwise, it's literally been a waste of resources to put in a gamemode that won't get used.

Which is a shame, because CW is amazing in regards to how it changes the feel of the game overall... but too many people are impatient.

The ideas for "forcing" units to play CW is the worst idea I have seen on these forms in the long time. While you are not the first to mention it, someone from a unit I know mention it makes me balk even more than normal. The is a GAME about enjoying your time. The game should never force me to drop a CW match if I do not want too. I may have life constraints, time constraints, motivation constraints, and it should not matter to the mechanics.

If PGI wants us to drop CW more, make the incentives higher. Especially raise them for attacking planets and for defending factions that are smaller on a per-drop basis. I also think it needs to reward factions that stay loyal much stronger than they do now, but a tune of 50% + money and LP or more.

[Alexander Steel]

Joseph Mallan, on 06 January 2015 - 05:54 AM, said:

This is why the Star League reformed! So everyone could send forces to rally against the Clans. Yes Its the Lore. I am here to play a BattleTech Universe game. I am here for the lore I grew up on, If it were not for the Lore, I could play any Mecha game, But I am a BattleTech fan and BEFORE MechWarrior was a video game it was the RPG portion of BattleTech. You come to play a CBT video game then expect it to be according to YOUR desired house rules. Not going to work that way.

Sorry you picked the faction furthest from the fighting in the Clan Invasion. If you want You can always join one of the 3 front line Houses and provide support that way.

So be happy and realize it wasn't until 3059 that the Star League was reformed and fought as a thing against the Smoke Jags. Only 9 more years to go before that.

[Abivard]

Much of the OP's post is due to simply not bothering to learn about cw or not participating with his faction in any but a haphazard manner. In other words he is a low information solo pugger. I am saying this not as an insult but as a statement of facts.

Faction Capitals can never be taken, this has been stated so many times in so many places how could anyone still be ignorant of that.

CW as it's name imply's is not really set up for anti-social lone wolves to do as well as social minded groups and unit players.

The Cease fire at 4 am Zulu time eliminates almost all actions not taken in the immediately prior 3 hour time slot, indeed most ghost drop wins start and finish in the last hour of the active fighting cycle.

Kurita does not have a large NA player base and is fronted by hostile factions with HUGE NA player bases.

Your solutions lay in petition PGI for a better round the clock and lasting impact of unit actions on worlds. #1!

Educating yourself on how CW and MWO work.

Join a unit. Join your factions team speak hub.
Perhaps read the relevant posts found all over these boards before you start posting essentially the same post as dozens of others have posted.

Without a firm grounding and understanding about the roots and causes of CW problems, your going have problems you need not have and your solutions will likely be not helpful.

Yes, the DCMS exists, Yes there are many good Kuritan units, yes they have a TS hub, yes they are more than willing to help new players learn, yes they can and do win victories.

Nope there is nothing wrong with your faction what is wrong is the way PGI is currently implementing it's beta version of CW.
But beta's are not set in stone, they are meant to find problems and correct them.

They certainly could help You the OP by putting information in a easy to find spot, establish faction wide chat with the standard chat functions of being able to ignore certain people etc that has been around for the last couple decades. Etc etc etc.

YOU also need to DO things as well, those things I mentioned above, if you do nothing on your part, you are going have an un-fun time in CW and MWO in general. No other player is under any obligation to carry you or to have their fun destroyed because you want your fun handed to you.

[Mott]

Grynos, on 06 January 2015 - 07:39 AM, said:

in order for CW to survive as a game mode, it has to change things so that every gamer that plays it has a say in the outcome of wether a planet is won or lost.

It is ABSOLUTELY the case. Players' efforts are the ONLY determining factor in whether a planet is won or lost.

Some players just need to realize that in a player vs player MMO, it can't always be raining sunshine, rainbows and cbills every time they drop in a match. Someone has to win, someone has to lose.

Each pilot DOES impact the fate of the Inner Sphere... the problem is that everyone thinks they're a hero, when in actuality, 12 of 24 warriors in each fight have to end up scrubs. And, as a result, that impact they bring is a negative through either crap skills, crap drop decks, crap gamemode/map knowledge or crap luck.

There is no way for PGI to ever give you what you're looking for - a way to make everyone involved in the battle happy and fulfilled.

Ever.

E V E R.

Edited by Mott, 06 January 2015 - 09:04 AM.

[Argent Usher]

Shauma, on 06 January 2015 - 04:50 AM, said:

Well what you feel is not the number of your faction is the numbers of your faction vs the numbers of your faction playing CW, since stocking stuffer event is out no way players go to CW matches why? well lets pick from the list:

-Too long to get a match
-rewards vs fun = low
-no point in lore wise unless you live in a suitable timezone

Kuritans suffer a lot from the EU timezone problem, most EU players are either Steiner Kurita Marik or Liao, a few clan a few Davion like, on the other hand if we go to the America Timezone, i feel a lot of the player base goes for Davion and Steiner, few Marik few Kuritans and a few clans, so thats why you are suffering for what is called population attrition in my opinion a big game mechanics flaw but of course they will try to solve it, but the question is when they did solve it, will be enough players around, just wait and see....

I think that are the points for me atm. Another Beta phase - in the current CW state - nay.

[Abivard]

Mordin Ashe, on 06 January 2015 - 07:50 AM, said:

Your faction is screwed? In CGBI there is like 5 TU TZ people playing CW, and we are the biggest ones. All strong units left us and joined FRR, so we are facing double problems. And the worst thing? We have to play with CW pugs - man, I've never seen more conflicting, annoying, angry loudmouths that surprisingly can't score a whack. Wow, a real fun times ahead for CGB.

At least Kurita has a nice logo and relatively weak oponents o face...

I am curious, just what CGB unit left you and joined the FRR? I know -MS- left you for Steiner, but just like when they left you for Davion, they will be back, you are their one true love, all that they do they do for you alone, so feel secure in your heart for their love for the bear.


CI was once FRR, but they went to CGB, and now are in Steiner, I think they like you almost as much as -MS- they will be both be back to you next week I am sure.

But it was bad timing they left you just when so many Merc units came to fight for the FRR.

[Roadbeer]

Yes, there is a truce between Liao and Marik.

[Willard Phule]

Joseph Mallan, on 06 January 2015 - 05:54 AM, said:

This is why the Star League reformed! So everyone could send forces to rally against the Clans. Yes Its the Lore. I am here to play a BattleTech Universe game. I am here for the lore I grew up on, If it were not for the Lore, I could play any Mecha game, But I am a BattleTech fan and BEFORE MechWarrior was a video game it was the RPG portion of BattleTech. You come to play a CBT video game then expect it to be according to YOUR desired house rules. Not going to work that way.

Yeah, man! Right on!

And just as soon as we get Hanse Davion to marry Melissa Steiner and can get this 4th Succession War to kick off!

Um..wait....this is a problem. No Fourth Succession War, no St. Ives Compact. No St. Ives Compact, No Kai-Allard Liao. No Kai Allard-Liao, no "Yen-Lo-Wang".....and we've already got that......

Well, forget that. It's paparazzi crap anyway. No bearing at all, whatsoever, with what's truly important. Let's get those troops moved around within the Federated Commonwealth from when they got married and all, then we can have the Clan Invasion!

What do you mean there's no Federated Commonwealth? It existed for what, 30 years or so before the Clans showed up?

Oh, this isn't making a damn bit of sense. Who wrote this stuff, a bunch of Canadians?

Joseph Mallan, on 06 January 2015 - 05:54 AM, said:

Sorry you picked the faction furthest from the fighting in the Clan Invasion. If you want You can always join one of the 3 front line Houses and provide support that way.

Or you could go Clan and fight other Invading Clans, because we don't have an Ilkhan....or maybe we do...it's hard to tell. Either way, we get to fight each other instead of trying to reach Terra.

Now, THAT one I can explain.

In the BT universe, the entire point of the invasion was to reach Terra. In the MW:O universe, the object of the invasion is still to reach Terra....but all the maps were drawn by Canadians.

And, early on in the invasion, Paul determined that Clan Compasses were overpowered, so he beat them with his football bat and now they don't work.

Therein lies the confusion, frustration and ultimately...uncontrolled aggression.

Alexander Steel, on 06 January 2015 - 07:59 AM, said:

So be happy and realize it wasn't until 3059 that the Star League was reformed and fought as a thing against the Smoke Jags. Only 9 more years to go before that.

.....or next week. We skipped all that good stuff before the Invasion, it's possible we'll skip Tukayyid (because they can't spell it the same way twice) and go straight to Dark Ages.

Edited by Willard Phule, 06 January 2015 - 09:45 AM.

[Slar]

Early in this post someone mentioned that since the 'stocking event' was over, there are less people doing CW because there's nothing to play for.

Maybe he's on to something.

We all would like larger numbers on the planets at more times of the day. But incentive is low.

Having your name on a planet doesn't really count for anything right now, perhaps it will in the future, but as mentioned, all will likely be wiped anyway as beta concludes.

I'd guess that the Halloween and Stocking events were some of the most fun and successful promos PGI has run...

.. and it's because the players get new stuff.


Why not add it to CW? Maybe not a a 'grab bag' if you will, but maybe add a 10 - 15 MC reward for a victory in CW.

20 - 30 wins to get a mech bay seems reasonable... that's hours of game time invested into CW.

It might increase the number of solo pilots if they have something tangible to acquire.

[Mott]

Good point Slar... but i still maintain that CW's largest issue right now is just lack of depth.

Not enough game modes, not enough maps, not enough variety in objectives and not enough variety in methods viable for achieving those objectives.

Giving out a cookie to get people to drop in CW would work... for a while. But how many cookies will they earn before they say "ugh, it's still boring and i'm not hungry for any more cookies"?

I'd drop 20 matches for a mechbay... but after that what's next? I couldn't stand the boredom or afford the time required to drop in 1000 CW matches to get the MC to buy premium time or a smaller mech.

[Mark of Caine]

@Slar and Mott

Neither of you have read the expanded rewards for Loyalty points, have you? It basically covers everything the two of you are asking for, and much more.