46 replies to this topic

[CW Roy]

I'm running a pre-invasion Merc company under Clan Wolf, sorta like the Wolf's Dragoons. I'd gladly help fight off the Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguar.

Really I prefer that the Clans be NPC, as that'd eliminate the balancing issues. Everyone would remain IS, and clan tech would only be expensive and rare or salvagable.

[Aethon]

CW Roy, on 02 July 2012 - 05:48 AM, said:

I'm running a pre-invasion Merc company under Clan Wolf, sorta like the Wolf's Dragoons. I'd gladly help fight off the Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguar.

Really I prefer that the Clans be NPC, as that'd eliminate the balancing issues. Everyone would remain IS, and clan tech would only be expensive and rare or salvagable.

Clan/IS balance isn't difficult. Battle Value is the answer.

[Thorn Hallis]

MC Hammer, on 01 July 2012 - 07:54 AM, said:

I cant wait to see the tears if the clans end up being NPC.

I will collect them and put the tears on my mashed potatoes, yummy.

Would you shed tears when the Clans become a playable faction?

[Rixx]

I've said several times that NPC/Dev controlled clan invasion forces is the way to launch the clans.

It would help us relive the invasion. We are all starting off as IS mechwarriors. Would seem odd to just swap to the clans in an instant. Forcing us to play out the invasion with us on the IS side would be interesting.

It would allow the tech advantage to exist. The clans had several major advantages in tech that made their mechs superior on the battlefield. Not allowing players to play them would help keep the playing field level.

We could still do all our normal combat with each other, and the Devs could control small clan forces. With a mechcommander type interface, they could still dominate us without having AI glitches. In major events, the devs as a team could pilot mechs and really woup us.

After 6 months or so, they could allow players to join the clans as a bondsman. Using a loyalty system like they will have in the houses would allow bondsman to gain access to equipment over time. Bondsman could start with access to light, or light and medium mechs only and only certain weapon systems.

As time marches forward and more clan bondsman gain access to higher end gear, the IS houses could be granted access to their new IS weapons tech, and some occasional captured clan mechs/weapons.

This system, while somewhat complicated to launch and maintain, and sure to draw some ire from certain player bases, would help recreate the entire invasion scenario in a somewhat realistic way.

[Bloodweaver]

Although I'd love to play as a Clansman, I'm actually in favor of their being purely NPCs. Not only does this keep players from taking advantage of the better tech while still using Inner Sphere combat tactics, and thus breaking immersion severely, it also allows for huge matches. Think about it. Games are currently set at 12 vs. 12. If one side is NPC-only, that means all the players can be on the same team. That's 24 players working together in combat. Could be awesome.

The problem is that doing this would require coding AI. And making sure said AI is good enough to actually be extremely challenging. So, although it's a good idea, I have doubts it will happen that way. Another alternative is to have the Devs hand-pick which players can join the Clans, and send them private invitations.

Who knows. We'll just have to wait and see

Edited by Bloodweaver, 02 July 2012 - 09:27 AM.

[Kodiak Jorgensson]

Rixx theres always going to be some sort of abuse with the games content weather it be clan tech or IS it will happen regardless. sorry but NPC and MC interface will just take way too much time to dev and implement into the game, not to mention that the idea will cut there developement time in half becasue they have to micro manage a small unit to keep the game moving. also its a pritty freaking old record that where always forced to paly I.S factions the game need sot change that aspect about it and they need to show the invasion from BOTH perspectives not just the I.S there pritty old and there pritty boring after 11 games of I.S facrion play. record needs to change...

[Slapshot]

Does it really matter if the clans deploy with 12 mechs and break the star system? Does that seriously have to be major reason that we cannot play as the clans?

I have always played clan and I would not be offended if we did not use neat organized stars.

Also clan tech has been used against I.S tech in mechwarrior games online for many many years, and I am just going to assume it will be the same this time around.

Edited by Slapshot, 02 July 2012 - 10:04 PM.