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Yes, new maps help. This is probably the biggest way that PGI can (and does) keep gameplay fresh right now. More new maps are great, and refreshing old ones isn't bad either. It isn't the end of the discussion however, nor should it be.
Some folks say new mechs, and there is a tiny bit of truth there, but honestly, not much. New mechs don't really add anything we don't already have. Yes, the Clan side of the house definitely needs more variety. I don't think it's unreasonable to say they need about double the number of mechs they currently have. However, the chances that a new mech really adds something "new" to the game is pretty low.
Community Warfare was supposed to be that final "pillar" of the game that tied everything together, added stickiness and made MWO awesome. So far, that hasn't materialized. CW seems to be sitting in roughly the same place that end game raiding does in a typical MMO. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but so far, PGI hasn't managed to capitalize on that.
Sure, in the short term there are reasons to play. You level up mechs, earn Cbills for upgrades and that sort of thing. You buy more mechs to round out your stable and provide you with some options when you need to meet a requirement or tactical situation. But honestly, that isn't really something that takes all that long, and I'm certainly not one who likes a "grind".
Nevetheless, the bottom line is that PGI hasn't really defined or outlined a long term reason for any player to keep doing drops. People who aren't playing MWO aren't paying PGI any money. People who leave MWO aren't paying PGI any money. This is a Big Problem ™.
This line of thinking, along with a concept PGI has dangled in the past, seem to offer a solution.
Random Drops
This concept is probably not new to anyone, and it's so simple I can't believe it's not already in game. All of the necessary structures already exist, the only requirement that may cause a problem is the need for a much improved Inventory system. Even in this, the new Mechlab functionality seems to offer at least a partial solution.
In short, at the end of every drop, there is a small chance that you'll earn something. Accomplishing certain things in the match may alter that chance. If you've ever played an MMORPG, or a game like EVE or Star Trek Online, this will make sense to you.
The concept is that the weapons and mods we have now are the base item. Throughout this, I'll be talking about an IS medium laser, but the concept can apply to any weapon or module that exists in game right now.
For a medium laser, there are a few things that sort of define that weapon. Damage, range and heat are the primary ones. For other items, there may be fewer defining characteristics. A Siesmic Sensor for instance has only one, range. Some may not "fit" with this concept, for instance, a Radar Deprivation module. It just does something, with no math behind it.
Random drops should take one of the defining characteristics, and improve it. For the medium laser, perhaps it improves the range or damage or heat. Balance is key here. Improving more than one characteristic could lead to problems. Improving by too much could lead to problems. Caution is required.
It's also important that these drops no be a guarantee, but a possibility.
A Basic System
You start by tiering your items. Tier 1 items are what we have now, the base items - let's call them Common items. Tier 2 items, let's call them Uncommon items, and they have an increase / improvement of 5% to one of their defining characteristics. Tier 3 items, let's call them Rare items, and these have an increase / improvement of 10% to one of their defining characteristics. Finally, Tier 4 items, let's call these Exotic items, have an increase / improvement of 15% to one of their defining characteristics.
Acquiring these items happens in different places. Tier 2 / Uncommon items are dropped in solo queue matches and above. Tier 3 / Rare items are dropped in group queue matches and above. Tier 4 / Exotic items are dropped in Community Warfare matches. The best items / most loot are acquired in the toughest content, another common gaming convention.
We all know how PGI feels about introducing new sources of Cbills into the system. It makes sense. So, in order to implement a system like this, it will be important that all items in Tier 2 and greater have a sellback value of 1 Cbill. This prevents Cbill inflation where it's not wanted or needed.
As I'm sure you can imagine, all the different permutations of items that might occur could lead to a tangle of problems on the player side of the equation. A "simple" medium laser could have up to 10 different versions. If I'm trying to get the 15% range increased version, I really only have a one in nine chance of seeing that drop - if I get any drops at all. And that's just one item! Consider the possibilities in a CW match if all the items were on the table!
In order to introduce some sanity to the situation, the potential list of drops in any given match needs to be somehow vetted down. This is a simple fix. The only potential drops from a given match should be based on the items that were used by players in the match. Not what "I" used specifically, but what any player in the match used. So, if no one in the match used an SRM2, it wouldn't be a potential drop in that match. Etc. The converse also works. If I want to guarantee that an SRM2 is a potential drop, all I have to do is mount one. That won't mean I'll get one, it only means I have a *chance* to get one.
The Math
I'll start by explaining the workings at the lowest level, Tier 2 / Uncommon / Solo queue.
Every player in the match has a base 10% chance of receiving a random drop at the end of a given match. Nothing can decrease this number, but many things can increase it. I'm sure that other folks can come up with things that would make sense to add, but here are a few things I would like to see.
- Being on the winning team gives you an additional 5% chance.
- Highest match score in your weight class (per each team) gives an additional 5% chance. (In CW, top 4 match scores since weight class changes)
- Top 3 kill count (per each team) gain an additional 5% chance.
- Top 3 assist count (per each team) gain an additional 5% chance.
- Top 3 damage count (per each team) gain an additional 5% chance.
- Greatest number of scouting bonuses (per each team) gain an additional 5% chance.
- Greatest number of component destructions (per each team) gain an additional 5% chance.
Once your chance is established, the server rolls the dice. When you get back to the mechlab, if you've gotten a drop, it shows up in a pop up box just like achievement rewards do.
As you move up in Tier, things become slightly more involved. For Tier 3 / Rare / Group queue the same chances and modifiers apply and you roll for Tier 3 items. If you *fail* your roll, your chances are then doubled, and you roll for a *Tier 2* item.
For Tier 4 / Exotic / CW queue, once again, same chances and modifiers apply. Similar to Tier 3, if you fail your roll for a Tier 4 item, you double your chances and roll for a Tier 3 item. If you fail again, you triple the base chance and roll for a Tier 2 item.
The key to this is that no matter what happens, you can only get one item. As soon as your roll succeeds, or you fail a Tier 2 roll, you're done.
The End
That's really all there is to it. It gives everyone a reason to actually play the game. Even when you have your mechs mastered, even when you are in "The 1 percent". There is still a reason to play the game. It also adds more depth to the construction of mechs.
Yes, PGI will need to be careful to watch balance. These items in combination with quirks could be trouble, but frankly, that's what we pay them to do. If they want to continue to get paid, they need to add a reason for players to log in and, you know, play the game.
This system should be super easy and fast to set up. Creating the items might take a couple days, and programming the system a few weeks, but many of the systems they need are already in place. Yes, they'll need to be sure they work hard on the Inventory and Mechlab interfaces to accomodate a greatly increased number of items.
Nevertheless, I feel that the payoff should be worth the time both to PGI and the players.
