11 replies to this topic

[BlazeKaiser]

Probably the best thing is to disallow people from starting as clans. This would cause major problems as you would have people instantly with better equipment and weapons, while experience players would be handicapped and future players would generally refuse IS outright.

Transfering by "Bondsmen" rather than born clanners would be best.

You would probably need some kind of achievement, as the claners doesnt care for skilless people within their clans, even the more tolerant clans, such as the Hell's Horses.

[CoffiNail]

Only real viable Clan then is Clan Wolf. Jade Falcon and Ghost Bear would allow bondsman to become members of the Warrior Caste. You would only be able to mainly garrison planets, rarely would they have made it in to the front lines until later in the timeline. Clan Smoke Jaguar does not allow freeborns in to their ranks at all, so no one could play as a Smoke Jaguar.

[Slapshot]

And what about players who are not fighting on the clan front? No real opportunity to be taken as a bondsmen.

Edited by Slapshot, 28 June 2012 - 06:29 PM.

[Outrider01]

Thank god. Some pointless, little to well thought out suggestion that instead of just offering the option to play Clan or not play Clan we need Developers to instead waste more time developing some way to play clans (cause the clans have not even been introduced yet, so even having a clan section isn't even necessary). Its not like they can't just model a Summoner, **** about with the animations, make sure it runs smooth....but now they have to implement a system on how to get it. And as if it really makes a difference at all if someone wants to play clans....someone will still play the IS.

Lets not forget, being that it is a game and all...you have options. Doesn't matter if some scrub goes for Clans since their weapons are twice as great with the same disadvantages as the IS....you can still play IS and defeat that OP munchkin weapons. So yeah...doesn't matter much how it goes about. Some go straight clans...its not your problem as its their choice and if you want to get butthurt over some assumed problem in the future that doesn't exist yet that is your problem.

[BlazeKaiser]

wow troll much?

You come up with a better compromise.
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Oh and clanners dont take warriors as bondsmen to make them merchants. a major point of clan society is the skill of the warrior. a warrior worthy of being taken as a bondsmen is a future clanner, possibly even worthy of donating genetic stock to the Clan Genetic Repository for furture Sibkos(sibling companies).

Bondsmen allows the clans you vary their genetic stock. Prince Ragnusson for example was a Free Rasalhague Republic Prince, turned into a bondsmen and later warrior for Clan Wolf, and eventually even greater for Clan Ghost Bear, and even became Regent of the FRR.

Phelen Kell has similar circumstances, starting out as a Wolf's Dragoons trainee, becoming a Kell Hounds warrior and finally becoming Bondsmen and later SaKahn/Khan of Clan Wolf/Wolf-in-Exile respectively.

[Stormwolf]

LOL, Clan Smoke Jaguar is totally going to put a freeborn bondsman in mechs

[Thorn Hallis]

BlazeKaiser, on 28 June 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

Bondsmen allows the clans you vary their genetic stock.

No.

[BlazeKaiser]

No what?

[Forren]

BlazeKaiser, on 28 June 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

Bondsmen allows the clans you vary their genetic stock.

Only if you manage to gain a Bloodname, and for a freeborn bondsman this is next to impossible. There are exceptions, but that is because the author(s) basically made those characters DMPCs.

[Strum Wealh]

BlazeKaiser, on 28 June 2012 - 05:00 PM, said:

Probably the best thing is to disallow people from starting as clans. This would cause major problems as you would have people instantly with better equipment and weapons, while experience players would be handicapped and future players would generally refuse IS outright.

Transfering by "Bondsmen" rather than born clanners would be best.

You would probably need some kind of achievement, as the claners doesnt care for skilless people within their clans, even the more tolerant clans, such as the Hell's Horses.

Interesting idea.

To flesh it out a bit more...

Even if taken as a Bondsman, one would still start their new life as a Clanner with access to only the Clans' "second-line 'Mechs" (normal, non-OmniTech BattleMechs outfitted with Clan technologies).
Canonically-available examples include the Horned Owl/"Peregrine", the Hunchback IIC, the Grizzly, and the Supernova (among others).

From that point, one would have to work their way up to earning the privilege to use OmniMechs (including the "friggin Mad Cat" ) through one's performance in matches and earned Loyalty/Honor/whatever Points, which in turn unlocks Trials of Position and/or Trials of Possession against other players and/or high-level (superhuman, but not quite cheating) AI.

Your thoughts?

[Skyefox]

Balancing the Clans against the IS during the initial addition of the Clans could be simpler than anyone is realizing. Some starter ideas:
Clan spawns on the map could be at a geographical disadvantage, whether due to height, blocked terrain (the Clans tend to field a much lower number of jump capable Mechs), or simply being a greater distance to an objective.

In the traditional role of invaders, the Clan side of things could mean they actually respawn LATER or have longer wait times than their IS counterparts.

As stated by those knowledgable poster before me, the numbers game is both canon and an effective means of balance. The bidding system, if actually implemented, would be incredibly amusing to me.

There's still the matter of who, or how, Clan "players" will be determined, whether it be a nominal fee, or a leaderboard, or even random draw. If every 3rd and 4th player on a leaderboard (3rd-4th, 6th-8th, 9th-12th, etc) was selected, you'd find someone hard pressed to manipulate the scoring system to get clan Tech. This also means that the best players won't get the best technology either, also important in terms of balancing.

Implement a "You kill it, you keep it" policy applying to battlefield salvage (obviously more beneficial for IS to upgrade their Mech or swap it completely with an Omni) and being able to "recruit" for your Clan by keeping a codex.

There's plenty to do when it comes to balance other than bend/break canon to make it work.

[BlazeKaiser]

Bidding is another idea, but bidding is basically a way for clanners to gain temporary positions by making fights more challenging/less resource consuming.

Say 3 commanders are bidding on attack. One forgoes Aerospace fighters, a third of his forces and support from a warship. He gets to go and fight.

Now how could you use that ingame? alot of the stuff may not be implemented for some time. Aerospace fighters, orbital attacks, satelllite maps, etc. once that stuff appears then itll be alot more possible.

Clan teams would self-handicap for certain advantages for, I dont know, more experience?