164 replies to this topic

[bobF]

This is a serious post.

All this glorious warfare, politicking, smacktalking, merc betrayal, merc loyalism, pug stomping, actual ggclose 12man fights and fun in TS seems like it's coming to a close.

Dunno about you guys, but the game seems to be driving everyone off, leaving a few pugs for stomping, but mostly 12 mans (or assorted units on comms) to ghost drop on attack or wait for the new Last 15 Minute Defense to keep planets from flipping.

It's gotten so bad that both factions and mercs are coalescing into a system of cease fires and known allies, just so there's a concentration of forces to have some combat.

There are two important realities that everyone needs to absorb, and internalize: 1) pugs make the world go round. Every PvP game is mostly pugs. Every GAME is mostly casual players. While I will agree 9000% with some of you that these scrubs should just git gud, the reality is that people just want to play a video game on medium difficulty, and not be frustrated getting curbstomped every match. 2) PvP is competition, and someone has to lose. Just as I spoke to my fellow elite neckbeards in point 1, I now address all casual players. You're not going to always win, even if you were dropped into a perfectly balanced match. Learn to love the struggle and ultimate satisfaction of getting good at something. Reach out to those neckbeards for pro tips, or to become part of their unit. I promise you won't regret it.

Those two things being said, the following NEEDS to be done to save CW:

1) THIS IS THE #1, NUMERO UNO HIGHEST PRIORITY: PGI, in order for your factional groups to come to real fruition, the game NEEDS CHAT LOBBYS. All these casual players could immediately be brought up to speed in like 5mins having a simple chat convo with a helpful vet. TS info could be readily spammed on these chat channels. Groups coordinated. Etc. PGI, this is a must-have, mission-critical feature for building community.

2) the pug queue HAS to be integrated into CW. Sorry elite 12 mans, casuals make the game and to deny them participation because they can't come with 12 for instant queues (or, turret killing as it's been of late) is foolhardy. The game is doomed without effective integration of casuals. PGI, there are a ton of threads all over with excellent ideas on how to implement this. The most straightforward way is to adjust the % needed to cap a planet higher, then have a "CW" option for the general queue that contributes to the cap of some planet; you could have CW and include all the normal game modes, ELO separation and fast queues everyone currently enjoys.

3) 12 mans, big units, and major community contributors need mechanics to choose their own destiny. Sorry casuals, but there needs to be a high level of competitive play, and that play should be rewarded with being the biggest contributing factor to map movement. Factions need ways to choose their own attack lanes, keep track of alliances and enemies, current merc employment, and other fun battle metrics. Otherwise, we would all just switch to the CW mode proposed in point 2, because of fast matches. Which neatly brings me to point number...

4) Participation in CW needs to be encouraged by the things that alter player behavior. Make a c-bill bonus for 12man faction groups that have at least 4 different units, a "pug" bonus of sorts, to encourage pugs to queue for CW. Make LP do something useful. Make unit coffers do something useful (like act as a unit bank, that unit players may withdraw funds from, with permissions admin'd by unit leadership). Give direct unit coffer rewards from factions, in addition to personal reward. Get that LP reward system in place, pugs love new mechbays, cockpit items, mechs, equipment, etc. There are many methods to get the masses into the game mode.

Yeah I know, why don't you guys get this done yesterday, right? I'm not ignorant to the work needed to make the above a reality, but just consider a moment what you're working on now, as requested by players (i.e. stupid **** like urbanmechs and in-game voip) versus what your game NEEDS to grow and thrive. Re-prioritize appropriately. CW has given you guys the opportunity to actually exist as long as you plan to, don't waste it.

[bobF]

I would love to engage your challenge for forum PvP, but the OP wasn't a troll. If CW goes away, so does the excuse for forum PvP, and think about how sad that would make everyone.

I would be quite distraught.

[Dawnstealer]

They need to dump the idea of having only the last matches before the window closes count. It's a bad idea. Just have it be an overall percentage of victories and defeats. You fight and win 51% of the battles for a planet, you win it. If that's two battles out of three, or 1,501 out of 3,000, that's it: straight percentage.

When it's based on this weird cease-fire thing, why would I fight any other time but right before the window closes? Those drops don't count, so why should I bother?

Edited by Dawnstealer, 22 January 2015 - 11:43 AM.

[dervishx5]

There are alternatives in the work compared to this... vanilla... form of metagame warfare. I wouldn't shed a tear.

What I do shed tears over are alternative accounts for someone who's afraid to use his real name.

[Lyoto Machida]

Dawnstealer, on 22 January 2015 - 11:42 AM, said:

They need to dump the idea of having only the last matches before the window closes count. It's a bad idea. Just have it be an overall percentage of victories and defeats. You fight and win 51% of the battles for a planet, you win it. If that's two battles out of three, or 1,501 out of 3,000, that's it: straight percentage.

When it's based on this weird cease-fire thing, why would I fight any other time but right before the window closes? Those drops don't count, so why should I bother?

What would that do to the small factions with low populations?

[Dawnstealer]

Lyoto Machida, on 22 January 2015 - 11:46 AM, said:

What would that do to the small factions with low populations?

Mercenaries? You could have windows, like you do now (so "one week to cap a planet"), but all the drops would count. And enough with the ghost drops. Seriously. If there aren't defenders either make those drops not count, or maybe only count for 10% of a win.

[AlmightyAeng]

Lyoto Machida, on 22 January 2015 - 11:46 AM, said:

What would that do to the small factions with low populations?

I feel like this question SHOULD be the driving force behind increased rewards for mercs going to said faction.

[Davers]

Dawnstealer, on 22 January 2015 - 12:01 PM, said:

Mercenaries? You could have windows, like you do now (so "one week to cap a planet"), but all the drops would count. And enough with the ghost drops. Seriously. If there aren't defenders either make those drops not count, or maybe only count for 10% of a win.

Mercenaries have all signed up with factions that are doing well. How many mercs play for Liao compared to Ghost Bear?

[dezgra]

dervishx5, on 22 January 2015 - 11:43 AM, said:

There are alternatives in the work compared to this... vanilla... form of metagame warfare. I wouldn't shed a tear.

What I do shed tears over are alternative accounts for someone who's afraid to use his real name.

Just a question? Why would anyone name their child Dervish, DervishX, DervishishX1-5?

[Davers]

dezgra, on 22 January 2015 - 12:10 PM, said:

Just a question? Why would anyone name their child Dervish, DervishX, DervishishX1-5?

The same reasons that parents named their child after someone who is disgraceful?

[AlmightyAeng]

Davers, on 22 January 2015 - 12:09 PM, said:

Mercenaries have all signed up with factions that are doing well. How many mercs play for Liao compared to Ghost Bear?

Ever since the conglomerate mercstar switched back to Steiner? More than there were? lol

[dezgra]

Davers, on 22 January 2015 - 12:13 PM, said:

The same reasons that parents named their child after someone who is disgraceful?

My parents are freebirth, not my fault!

[Livewyr]

Every once in a while, I hear an Autocannon in the background of my imagination...and crave a little MWO...

But then the reality of one match meaning very little in a queue of everyone and their mother/brother, hits home and I go play SC2/DDO/BF4 where my accomplishments are not completely/immediately erased by the Dbags next to me. (Usually)

Edited by Livewyr, 22 January 2015 - 12:17 PM.

[Zamiake]

I agree with tis post 100% the only reason i play CW is for high cbill gains. But honestly half the time it isnt even worth it cause 12 mans curb stomp pugs 100% of the time and then you just get nothing at all and its the biggest waste of item in the game.

A reward system would help alot. also ive suggested pug intergration a few days ago

[AlmightyAeng]

Zamiake, on 22 January 2015 - 12:21 PM, said:

A reward system would help alot. also ive suggested pug intergration a few days ago

Or...find a group and have better success? Join the stomping? Believe it or not, groups aren't all a bunch of scary, mean people. They like picking up PuGs and introducing them to the joys of working as a team

[Davers]

If solo players all dropped in CW they would face more pugs than 12 mans. But most players seemed only interested in grinding out Cbills to buy new mechs, so they can grind more Cbills to buy new mechs, ad infinitum.

[DarkMetalBlade]

So, it has begun... The big bad units are now complaining that they've got nobody to play with.

Anyone here surprised? I'm not. In my eyes, those units that are doing all the smack-talk & bad-mouthing is, in my eyes, the worst form of power-creep that I've ever seen.

If anyone wants the soloists integrated into here, it's to either fill in the gaps for groups of less than 12, or failing that, have the match be PuG V PuG. That should help us have a better time.

[Felbombling]

I have a [pipe]dream.

Imagine a planet being contested over for a full week rather than a 24hr window. You could list the units taking part in the battle for control over the planet, a percentage for ownership and then allow for every game mode to count toward that percentage... not just the Community Warfare maps.

As it stands now, I'm not sure when to fight, where to fight and/or how much influence fighting might have for control of a planet. The thing that probably is messing with the Community warfare player base right now is the fact that the pie is too divided. Too many planets on too many borders being constantly contested over, day after day after day.

If you had, say, four planets on the Kurita / Davion border being contested over a week, the interest level could be higher. You'd have people absorbing a week long conflict in the forums. The fall of a planet would resonate more. Not to be outdone, Marik decides to launch on offensive against House Liao. Meanwhile, the Wolves are fighting for Steiner worlds.

I just think this constant fighting back and forth along EVERY border is kind of numbing. If you had time to realize the threat, follow it and participate in it, Community Warfare might be more significant.

If they could segregate the queues to all one faction vs. all another faction, regardless of game mode, everyone would be participating in Community Warfare... even the solo PuG players.

Edited by StaggerCheck, 22 January 2015 - 02:49 PM.

[Devil Fox]

Remember the call to arms goes out if there is a 12man team ready to drop into a game... that means ghost drops are almost non-existent, I know what we thought we gonna be turret runs turned into 9min waits for a pug 12man to form in the last minute to drop against.

Teams are always gonna get games... it's unit players who expect to only get games that have the issue. I don't mind turret drops if it means we grab the attention of the enemy faction to start a battle on a new front.

Davers, on 22 January 2015 - 12:09 PM, said:

Mercenaries have all signed up with factions that are doing well. How many mercs play for Liao compared to Ghost Bear?

Alot of unit's do go to other factions, Antares Scorpions are Liao at present (and they've been with the under dog the entire time in contracts from Steiner getting hammered by clans, to Wolf being ripped to bits, to Liao now). Other unit's like the 228 and QQ move around just to hit factions from new fronts, Mercstar continues to move randomly around the IS houses based on their own motives and goals.

Unit's want games, but they also have their own goals, ambition, and drive that influences the faction houses they go with. And why are the half the factions that are going strong have mercs? Because mercs can provide numbers to push borders, these factions have grown with mercs and like the recent example of the clans push back, can shrink without them when those mercs are on the other side of the border.

[Bigbacon]

Apostal Sinclair, on 22 January 2015 - 02:55 PM, said:

Remember the call to arms goes out if there is a 12man team ready to drop into a game... that means ghost drops are almost non-existent, I know what we thought we gonna be turret runs turned into 9min waits for a pug 12man to form in the last minute to drop against.

the call to arms only works if you have another 12 man team ready and willing to go in. get solos and small mixed groups and they get lose almost all the time. the call to arms is like a beacon of death for anyone outside a 12 man group.

Again, if folks can't have fun playing it, they won't do it. Even if you group together 12 solos with voice, they'd still get stomped 99% of time.