86 replies to this topic

[Joseph Mallan]

Where's the anger and hatred for any opinion that isn't yours Sarlic? This isn't how a idea thread is supposed to work!

(Lets hope it goes viral!)

[Sjorpha]

As I understand it there will be a PvE tutorial before steam release, plus overhaul of ELO system and big balance pass.

So there is some hope at least.

[Sarlic]

Sjorpha, on 19 July 2015 - 02:44 AM, said:

As I understand it there will be a PvE tutorial before steam release, plus overhaul of ELO system and big balance pass.

So there is some hope at least.

I don't think it's enough. We need a better reward system who rewards actual teamwork related things; not not some shanby system we have now. 2.0 is better. But it's still lacking. Big time.

[TyphonCh]

Sjorpha, on 19 July 2015 - 02:44 AM, said:

As I understand it there will be a PvE tutorial before steam release, plus overhaul of ELO system and big balance pass.

So there is some hope at least.

#Promise ?

[xe N on]

They need simply give one light or medium starter mech after completing the tutorial. The mech would be one of the weaker, lesser played mechs. Choice between Clan and IS.

Then introduce milestones where beginner get new free mechs up to a total of 4 to complete a drop deck for CW.

Edited by xe N on, 19 July 2015 - 06:13 AM.

[Johnny Z]

It would make alot of sense if the player was given a stock mech after completing the tutorial, chassis and varient depending on faction chosen. Do away with trial mechs. Trial mechs make no sense at all, for the sim or the potential story for a new player.

In fact this makes so much sense I fully expect Mechwarrior to go this route.

What would be even cooler is if the story on how the player got their starter mech was random or something and was really interesting and atmosphereic and fun. Like the player found their mech in the barn of an abandoned farm, or in a cave that turned out to be a lostech cache.

I sure hope Mechwarrior steps up their game play experience and quick. Also I hope that even existing players can play through this as well for fun because this game is lacking alot of that in alot of areas for alot to long


Great original post.

Edited by Johnny Z, 19 July 2015 - 08:28 AM.

[Kristov Kerensky]

From the way Russ didn't give any information on the Steam release at the last Town Hall, only saying 'it's still on the table', I'm starting to think PGI may be rethinking the Steam release totally. Either they don't want to do it OR they want to seriously revamp so many of the issues that we, the players, have pointed out would totally screw them on a Steam release.

Here's hoping it's the second and they are actually going to fix the things we said need fixing, in a REAL way, not more Paulconomy ways.

[Johnny Z]

Kristov Kerensky, on 19 July 2015 - 08:30 AM, said:

From the way Russ didn't give any information on the Steam release at the last Town Hall, only saying 'it's still on the table', I'm starting to think PGI may be rethinking the Steam release totally. Either they don't want to do it OR they want to seriously revamp so many of the issues that we, the players, have pointed out would totally screw them on a Steam release.

Here's hoping it's the second and they are actually going to fix the things we said need fixing, in a REAL way, not more Paulconomy ways.

There has been a big change on Steam. One that wasnt made public outright and would only be know through sublte hints and an incident or two. For one, there is a new refund policy, they have pulled a few games lately from sale, also they pulled the sale of player made mods, also other more subtle changes. Something changed, and as much as I really think this game is going to be among the best, Steam itself may have said this game isnt ready for going live yet and thats taking into account I think Steam needs this game as much or more than this game needs Steam....

Steam abosolutely needs a next gen online game game that isnt 1 of 100 MMO's pushing the same lvl grind and stale combat...

The changes on Steam were likely a result of threats of fraud charges for pushing garbage and making a fortune doing it. Or something like that.

Edited by Johnny Z, 19 July 2015 - 08:37 AM.

[S13gtastic]

I actually like the idea of a Bounty Hunting system, it would need some work to go right like so many team kills = Bounty Alert to players on the other team. Really wouldn't want it to notify teammates or we'd see abuse left and right with people killing each other.

Almost kind of think that it would be best if that was only in a 4v4 setting just so only your lance got the bennies from it, and would add a cool dynamic to the game for pure Merc groups that make a living souly of a bounty system.

Plus some people (myself included) get off on being villainous.

[Sjorpha]

Sarlic, on 19 July 2015 - 02:55 AM, said:

I don't think it's enough. We need a better reward system who rewards actual teamwork related things; not not some shanby system we have now. 2.0 is better. But it's still lacking. Big time.

Sure, improved rewards would be nice, it also needs to reward completing the objectives more than damage and kills in the objective based game modes, but all that is not so much specifically about new player experiece, I'd imagine a new player would care mostly about getting enough cbills and not so much about what the exact rewards are.

For a reward system to be nicer for new players, the only way really is to raise the basic payout per match. Let's face it, new players usually play very badly, it doesn't really matter what you reward because the new player is going to be pretty bad at doing it whatever it is. So nicer reward for new players basically means higher rewards that are easier to get.

I think it's way more cruical to make sure new players don't get instakilled and stomped their first 20 games, they need a kiddie pool of some kind where derping around a bit isn't an immediate death sentence.

[Kristov Kerensky]

Johnny Z, on 19 July 2015 - 08:35 AM, said:

There has been a big change on Steam. One that wasnt made public outright and would only be know through sublte hints and an incident or two. For one, there is a new refund policy, they have pulled a few games lately from sale, also they pulled the sale of player made mods, also other more subtle changes. Something changed, and as much as I really think this game is going to be among the best, Steam itself may have said this game isnt ready for going live yet and thats taking into account I think Steam needs this game as much or more than this game needs Steam....

Steam abosolutely needs a next gen online game game that isnt 1 of 100 MMO's pushing the same lvl grind and stale combat...

The changes on Steam were likely a result of threats of fraud charges for pushing garbage and making a fortune doing it. Or something like that.

Yeah, I'm aware of the changes on Steam, and I'll wager that had a big impact on PGI's outlook in regards to going on Steam.

I don't know about Steam needing MWO however, Steam has been around for a while and it's not in any danger of failing suddenly. I'm not really sure MWO NEEDS Steam either, it needs work done on the game, from CW to balance to rewards, as we've discussed in this thread. And it REALLY needs PR, there isn't any, hasn't been any for a few years now. I've seen a few 'recent' reviews, you know the type, 'revisiting MWO' stuff, and it's usually been from people who gave the game a bad review originally and they are just reconfirming their own bad reviews. One of them actually mentioned that X needed to be fixed, without realizing that X HAD been fixed 6 months prior to the review date, so I have to wonder if that reviewer even looked at MWO at all for the 're-review'.

[Summon3r]

great post Sarlic its a bloody shame it will never be seen, or did you send it out to the twitterverse as well?

[Weeny Machine]

A Large Infant, on 29 March 2015 - 10:20 AM, said:

Without getting too heavyhanded with my opinion, I disagree. There is evidence this game is hemorrhaging players pretty hard. Retention of players should be a major focus. Some of it will require a better experience for newbies. Some of it will require charming the founders back with legitimately addressing longtime concerns.

I think so, too. Unfortunately I think they move too slow. Just take ECM changes...a reduction to 90 m. With the advent of even more ECM capable mech this will solve...nothing.

The velocity buff is nice to make them slowly into a viable choice to the laser spam. However, the hitscan still rules surpreme - alone with those huge laser alphas.

[Johnny Z]

Kristov Kerensky, on 19 July 2015 - 08:47 AM, said:

Yeah, I'm aware of the changes on Steam, and I'll wager that had a big impact on PGI's outlook in regards to going on Steam.

I don't know about Steam needing MWO however, Steam has been around for a while and it's not in any danger of failing suddenly. I'm not really sure MWO NEEDS Steam either, it needs work done on the game, from CW to balance to rewards, as we've discussed in this thread. And it REALLY needs PR, there isn't any, hasn't been any for a few years now. I've seen a few 'recent' reviews, you know the type, 'revisiting MWO' stuff, and it's usually been from people who gave the game a bad review originally and they are just reconfirming their own bad reviews. One of them actually mentioned that X needed to be fixed, without realizing that X HAD been fixed 6 months prior to the review date, so I have to wonder if that reviewer even looked at MWO at all for the 're-review'.

Well I think Mechwarrior Online has been on the down low for a while intentionally. Gearing up for advertising more or Steam or what ever. There is a ton of content in the works, didnt someone say big things in august??

Oh and about Steam, they have some extremely serious quality and content issues. Really. The whole venue has a ton of money floating around it and they have to do some serious sales or I assume it just gets ugly fast. This is from an idle player that knows next to nothing about sales though.

Edited by Johnny Z, 19 July 2015 - 09:18 AM.

[Sarlic]

Summon3r, on 19 July 2015 - 08:51 AM, said:

great post Sarlic its a bloody shame it will never be seen, or did you send it out to the twitterverse as well?

Thanks.

No, i haven't. I tried contacting (both PM and Twitter) Russ with my raising Atlas concerns for both new players and vets. Unfortunately he didnt replied.

I don't bother anymore. The only thing i keep updating is the guide about the Atlas in the Guide section.

[Phashe]

+1 something needs done about new player experience.

Anyone else a little nervous about a Steam launch being a last chance cash grab before MWO circles the drain? Otherwise, why have they NOT done any work on the new player experience in the last 2 years?

Love my MWO, but a little nervous...

[TLBFestus]

90% of what you are suggesting has been brought up at least a dozen times. That doesn't mean it's not a good idea, matter of fact I like and support many of those suggestions, but in 2 years PGI has done NOTHING to improve the new player experience since the introduction of the cadet bonus and the static training grounds.

Evidently they think that's all that's needed because one of the Devs kids said, "Dat's pwenty gud Daddy, I no need more".

Think of that.... 2 years almost, and nothing new in the NPE. Ton's of good, solid suggestions from players. Players who want the game to succeed, grow even, and nothing.

I keep trying to understand why PGI does nothing, especially with talk of a STEAM release in the Fall, and I can only come up with;

- They don't care, they think the NPE is fine

- They don't have the resources (which is mind boggling since growth means profits)

- They don't have the skills or intelligence (which I know is insulting to them but it has to be said)

- They have a top secret master plan to invoke many of the good suggestions but are keeping it under wraps to avoid criticism


I sincerely hope it's the last one, and heck I don't even care for any big details, just some acknowledgement that "Yes we have a plan for improving the NPE before STEAM release and it's going to use some of the suggestions from the community, but for now we are keeping it under wraps". That would be great and all most of us would want to hear.

As for the rest of your proposal, I can't say I like the reward system you propose because no matter how you try to figure it out, player to player rewards will be abused.

Edited by TLBFestus, 19 July 2015 - 09:21 AM.

[Deathpactt]

Novakaine, on 29 March 2015 - 10:13 AM, said:

The best training aide would be to allow new players to drop in the training ground with a friend.
That's the only real way to train someone.
After the cadet period is over toss em to the sharks.
Experience is the best teacher.

Yea throwing them to sharks works perfectly here for years. Thats why MWO has so little population. People quit because there is no possible way to learn the game and hard grind. MWO staff afraid they will not be able to sell anything if they reduce the farmfest mentality because of so low population. nice loop there...

and I want to add if there will be no AI mod or any solid means for new and/also free players before Steam, MWO will die so fast, you will feel dizzy.

Edited by Deathpactt, 19 July 2015 - 09:29 AM.

[Dimento Graven]

The lack of NPE should foster communication between the players.

If you've got no resource within the game, your only other place to turn to are the current players.

Ask the Vets...

Not an ideal situation, but, considering how horribad a LOT of game's tutorials really are, and considering the amount of time and effort it requires just to create a BAD tutorial... I dunno, you would invest resources in something that may end up just being this side of useless, OR, take that same investment in something that improves the game.

I can see this double-edged sword.

Y'know as concerned as many of us seem to be, why the hell don't we start making some basic tutorials and putting 'em on YouTube? Seriously, think about it folks, while PGI has absolute dominate 'technical' knowledge on their game, when it comes to PRACTICAL knowledge... You ever fight against PGI employees? LOL, talk about 'noobs'. They may have BUILT the 'mechs, but piloting 'em WELL is not a skill a lot of 'em have attained yet.

>>WE<< should be making the tutorials, not PGI... For god's sake think of all the other things they've inadvertently got wrong and now you want THEM to be responsible for indoctrinating the NEW players?!?!?!

ARE WE CRAZY?!?!?

[Phashe]

Tutorials are not enough.

Some skill-selectable AI enemy training grounds would be nice.

More C-Bill (MC?) cash to new players.

Allow 2-mans in PUGs.

A 'dummy shield' incoming damage NERF your first 30 games? :-)

So much COULD have been done, so little done...

I'm telling ya: I doubt there is a plan. Hope they prove me wrong!

Edited by Phashe, 19 July 2015 - 09:42 AM.