Posted 19 January 2016 - 07:10 PM
I was writing in a notepad document what I personally would do to tweak things if I were to theoretically have control to the game source, and here are some of the changes I thought on implementing (Excuse incoherence or other mistakes as this is unrefined):
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Goals:
- Provide more Dynamic base gameplay to allow for more varied and intense combat scenarios. With the positive side effect of increasing interest to spectators, allowing for enjoyment even after match defeat.
- Tweak Mech handling systems to allow for variety of player interaction with their machines, increasing skill caps, playstyles, and create more engaging experiences for both combat and movement.
- Give Real meaning to command warfare, teamwork, information warfare and roles.
- Less artificial and arbitary gameplay mechanics.
- Mechanics and value tweaks to increase the length of matches, combat, while maintaining an increased pace of gameplay to keep things interest, and without compromising the important of situational awareness, positioning,
or information warfare.
- Potential overhaul to CW (depends on the outcome of Phasse 3)
Loadout Profiles:
A useful feature that could be added to Mech selection is a loadout profile box, that can be selected before a match. This essentially serves as a 'snapshot' of your loadout,
so that you may quickly reconfigure your Mech in the case of desiring a re-fitting. If the required components are not included in your inventory, an upgrade status is changed, or other hindernace is encountered,
the game would simply prompt the user for confirmation before charging their accounts Cbills), or in the case of insufficient funds or other ineligibility, simply return an error status the issue.
A similar feature could be implemented for Camo Specs, prompting for charge in the case of unowned colors or patterns.
Gamemodes/Maps:
First off, the main issue is gamemodes and their interaction with maps.
The old-era maps for MWO are absolutely atrocious, as they revolve around small areas and funnel-warfare. Gameplay was and still is extremely stale on these maps. The old Forest Colony, River City, Crimson Strait, etc.
were particular bad. We should strive as hard as possible to avoid repeating these designs and avoiding this era of gameplay, because it was absolutely horrendous.
The new map overhauls, and new maps, particularly Caustic Valley and Polar Highlands, are a step in the right direction, with Forest Colony bordering on acceptable levels of funnel-warfare, though it is fine for
it to occur occasionally. Maps should be open with varying densities of cover, but in the end, should always feature some flow of movement and options, rather than prompting peak-and-shoot or
head-on brawling in every single scenario. No arena maps, please. (HPG Manifold, ew.)
Skirmish:
The basic idea and currently implementation of Skirmish is mostly fine, however I have a few suggestions that can seriously improve this.
-Post-vote screen
After the map has been voted for and selected, players may choose from a loadout profile and camospec profile for their previously selected Mech, or reconfigure it themselves. Changes requiring purchases at this
stage may need to be prohibited at this stage to prevent potential technical issues during a time-sensitive situation. If a valid configuration is not confirmed by the user after a set time, lets say 20 seconds maybe,
then the configuration selected prior to joining a match should be used and the match is started. This simulates preparation for battle prior to deployment, and will users to actually select Camo patterns and loadouts that
accommodate that map being played.
-Pre-Match Screen/Ready screen
Players may assume lance and company command as usual, however, if every player is connected, only Company commanders are required to ready up, at which point the waiting time is instantly reduced to 10.
This prevents compound waiting times from previous screens or unnecessary waiting.
Additionally, during this time, Company Commanders may open up the battlegrid/map, quickview the list of Mechs on their team and respective loadouts, and re-arrange the starting position of Lances within a map-specified team deployment zone (akin to total war), as well as draw out
battleplans, such as objectives or movement routes for the respective lances. Lance Commanders may also choose the starting formation of points in a lance as well.
This allows actual battleplans to be formed rather than having the standard procedures of "Run towards the center and peak and shoot until match end", and prevents wasting the start of a match ordering players around.
Assault:
Assault is a completely pointless and arbitrary gamemode that only serves to frustrate players by pre-maturely ending a match due to artificial gameplay adjectives.
Perhaps an alternative to this is for a variant of skirmish that involes support NPCs or locations that rearm or resupply mechs with ammunition and limited repairs (perhaps such as armour patching that restores up to a max of 20% of max armor).
However, a better idea is to replace assault with a variety of objective-based modes, preferably of dynamic nature, and multiple re-spawns (with penalties or setbacks for being destroyed, of course) so that
the game doesn't devolve into destroy the enemy team, like conquest and assault often do.
Conquest: Again, like Assault, is completely arbitrary and pointless. However, rather than outright removing this gamemode, it could be redesigned, perhaps in the style of MWLL Terrain Control.
Though this is
The map will be laid out with capture points in strategic locations. Each team starts with an FOB camp. Each point held by a team will generate match funds per team, and will be distributed equally among players.
These funds can be used to purchase once of that players owned mech variants and loadout/camo profiles availible to them. If a player has insufficient funds to purchase a Mech, they will have to use a trial build.
Additionally, Company Commanders and Lance Commanders may be reassigned at any time if a player relinquished control or leaves the match.
FOB and certain points on the map may feature respawning turrets, rearm points, or limited repair stations, repairing only damaged (not destroyed) equipment, and replenishing armor to a max of 20% of starting armor.
All players on a team may contribute to a team fund that can be used to order
NPC forces. Company Commanders may order NPC reinforcements and assign them objectives in real time, sort of like ArmA's high command module. NPC units do not respawn upon destruction and must be re-ordered by the
Company Commander. During the course of the game, each team receives 'support points' at a set rate, and caps at 100.
Lance and Company commanders may call in support operations at any time, with a team-wide cooldown for
airstrikes and artillery seperately. Airstrikes provide more accurate fire but can be shot down prior to strikes if detected by the enemy. Air units unleash their payload and then extract.
Each Air unit shot down during a strike will add a small amount to the airstrike cooldown. NPCs will only fire at them if a player on their team as targeted them. Artillery provide a wider
range of coverage and have a shorter response delay but are less accurate.
During the game, every minute and a half, dropships will drop pending NPC forces and/or respawning players (or if they have purchased a valid mech beforehand with match funds) at the team FOB.
The goal of the game is to capture points to increase team funds, and to capture and hold the enemy FOB.
Once the enemy FOB is captured, they will no longer receive reinforcements, and it is up to them to recapture it with existing deployed forces. If they fail to recapture the FOB after 3 minutes,
that team loses the match is ended. The game timelimit is 40 minutes, and if the time limit expires, the team holding more capture points wins the match (Unless one of the FOBs are captured,
in which case the capturing team instantly wins, bypassing FOB capture timeout)
Due to the increased length of this gametype, if a player disconnects and is gone for more than one minute, their current mech is destroyed the game will broadcast the void player slot to the match queues,
allowing new players to join in progress.
Community Warfare:
Rather than having just straight-up Attack&Defend, CW invasions could include Several gametypes, each playing during different stages and affecting factional influence to simulate different scenarios taking
place over the surface of a planet. For example, the initial invasion would consist of Attack&Defend, followed by a counterattack if the defending forces fail. If the counterattack fails, than battles will consist of
different field missions such as supply raids, conquest, and finally, skirmishes, as defending forces are mopped up.
General Mechanics:
-Double Armor: Armor is allocated in units of 2 for the same weight. This increases the length of engagements. This allows increased response time for neighbouring forces, allows the chance of withdrawal, and
allows more room for making mistakes, while still giving the edge to the first striker.
-Increased knocking: To counteract the effects of increased armor, increased knocking from ballistics, missiles, and PPCs will allow fire to disrupt enemy performance in battle, preventing a target from simply
ignoring fire while they whittle down a damaged ally or a mission objective. This also allows you to throw off the aim of someone out-gunning you by striking first. Additionally combined fire of a certain threshold may force torso-twist.
-+20% top speed(minimum clamp at +20kmph): This provides a more dynamic battlefield and increases aiming skill. The increased speed without increased manoeuvring or agility puts extra though into choosing your attack vectors.
-Slight aim rocking from sudden movement, collisions, landing, etc, adds a bit more feedback to the momentum of your mech as well increases damage distribution.
-Ramming, Damage = Mass * relativekmph / 1000 * chassis modifier. Minimum of (2000 / mass)relativekmph for ramming operation to occur. Mech with higher (Mass * relativekmph / 1000) receives 0.5x damage (As both mechs
take damage), damage applied to contacting components, with the following receive modifiers per component (Arms 0.5 damage, legs 0.5 damage, torsos 1.0 damage) upon successful ram both mechs have current velocity reduced
by 80% (To prevent recursive ramming). Serious knocking effects applied.
Heat Mechanics:
Remove Ghostheat. Instead, the higher a Mechs current heat% is, the lower its cooling efficiency AND heat is actively sinked even during weapons fire. (Sinking 50% faster at 0% compared to 100%) This puts emphasis on discipline and chain firing,
firing your weapons at opportune timings will increase your sustained DPS drastically. Group firing weapons will yield a higher heat%, thus sustained DPS drops drastically.
Weapon Mechanics:
-increased weapon ranges across the board (+20% range with a minimum of +100m) - Allows for higher engagement ranges, aiming skill, and damage distribution.
-Weapon recoil, All non-laser/MG weapons have slight recoil, takes effect instantly (E.g. firing two autocannons at the exact same time will send them flying in slightly different directions)
This will increase damage distribution from group firing weapons, as well as instantly obsolete ghost heat.
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As well as several other ideas, basically this game needs more dynamic, open-ended, larger scale gameplay, more sim, more things to pay attention to, and less "arenaism".
Right now it all comes down to funnel gameplay and numbers, and a very limited selection of tactics (maximizing hit and minimizing receive, pinpoint damage, DPSs, etc.) and limited maneuvering.
Something needs to change.
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TheArisen, on 17 April 2015 - 06:53 PM, said:
