54 replies to this topic

[Johnny Z]

MechaBattler, on 06 June 2015 - 09:05 PM, said:

The game is trying to be like World of Tanks. Trying to reach for the same success. But MWO has a higher learning curve in terms of what to know and how to play. It has way too many barriers in the way of a new player. If this wasn't a Battletech game. It would have died. Because of all the stumbling they did in the early development of this game.

PGI isn't ambitious enough to see a fully realized Battletech game. And they've yet to show signs of wanting to be a Mechwarrior game in the vain of it's predecessors. As in PvE content. I know they said they were interested, but saying and actually doing, are two different things.

They would rather this be more like World of Tanks. And keep to a development similar to that. But this isn't WW2 Tank game. There's a whole damn universe. There are distinct factions with die hard fans of those factions. And all we have is CW. Which is a map with names and flags.

Rather than make new variants or items that you can earn from a specific faction. They would rather give us frivolous titles, C-bills, and the occasional mechbay. And rather put new variants behind a paywall for a while. Hell they could still do that, but make it available as a faction reward. But it doesn't seem to interest them.

If it were up to me. I'd add PvE as part of CW. And make it more about the pug queue. Have modes like "Convoy Hunt" where they have to hunt down some convoys that are on a large map. But they're well protected, by tanks and vehicles, so you can't just roll all lights. But you would still want lights to find the things. Tie the outcomes into some kind of resource system that affects CW.

Honestly I could go on with ideas. But it's all a pipe dream as I don't have any say in the game's direction.

By years end players will know the direction of this game without a doubt. I think the game is in early development still.

-This is stuff everyone knows they have nearly complete or at least in by end of year.

Decals
4 v 4
Galaxy map logistics
Tutorial
More new maps
Map overhauls
Mechs
Steam Launch
UI updates


-Stuff they should add by end of year that nothing or very little has been said about

Pilot character
Pilot character development
Solaris
Mech collisions
New title screen (current one always sucked in my opinion.)
Repair and rearm
start up intro
eject animation



-This should be in game but isnt

Pilot quarters for a proper place to check ranks and everything about the pilot character as opposed to everything about the mechs which is the mechbay.

Game is called Mechwarrior and all thats in the game is Mech. (Which sounds funny but its really not.)


-Stuff I and maybe others want in game but isnt

Aerotech
Lostech
Mechbay mechanics to level up. (I think they are called Astech's?)
PVE
Jumpships and other ships (Which falls under Aerotech but still )
NPC lance mates like in the other Mechwarrior titles
Cap ship with NPC crew. (Big dream)
Missions and quests
Exploration
Lots and lots of other stuff

Edited by Johnny Z, 07 June 2015 - 09:51 AM.

[Soulscour]

I was expecting hawt mech on mech action in a deathmatch arena. Thats pretty much what I got.

[LordKnightFandragon]

Axeface, on 06 June 2015 - 08:01 PM, said:

Honestly I think PGI originally promised one thing, delivered something completely different, and slowly improved it enough for people to accept it. Yet, it still isn't battletech.

Actually, that was Jordan, and the original MW crew from Smith and Tinker...then I guess somewhere along the way PGI got ahold of the game and turned into COD: Robot Wars.

[Joseph Mallan]

Shiroi Tsuki, on 06 June 2015 - 06:52 PM, said:

What were your expectations like before you signed up for MWO?

That I would be fighting the Clans to stop the invasion.

I thought the game would actually be less flexible in the Lab cause "LOL 20 Medium laser right!"
I expected the game to have features I would not like and that I would like
I also expected to be the absolute worst player in the history of On Line MechWarrior games.

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 07 June 2015 - 02:40 AM.

[ColdHeat]

I think we're past the point of no return with the development of the game and what you're describing Op may be beyond reach by now. The course is set. Right now it appears like all there is to do is to make the best out of it and maximize profits by releasing mechs and tightening the grind so people buy premium.

Actual gamechanging steps which significantly improve the gaming experience would require in depth changes of the overall concept which appears utopian to me by now. There was enough time for that during the time of the "community wars". As someone wrote before: They improved the game so far that it is acceptable to the current players while those who got heavily disappointed possibly left during the age of the mentioned communtiy wars. My personal opinion on MWO is that the art department did an amazing job while the game concept department somewhat failed by attempting to reduce MWO to nothing but a more complex CoD. That's about as much depth and immersion as we can expect for a long time I'm afraid.

We're improving but at a pace that I think maybe in 4-5 years MWO will have a gameplay of what comes somewhat close to the hopes/expectations some here like Johnny Z voiced.

Edited by ColdHeat, 07 June 2015 - 03:40 AM.

[Ovion]

Bobzilla, on 06 June 2015 - 07:59 PM, said:

HoundOfCullan, why so buthurt?

That isn't butthurt, that's using sarcasm to make a point.

As to the game - yeah, I'm happy with it.

Edited by Ovion, 07 June 2015 - 03:36 AM.

[C E Dwyer]

My expectations were.

OMFG MECHS! got to have, I'll explain to the wife, about the bank account later.

Then I read about it and I thought wow that's going to be the best game of this franchise ever, a cross between battle tech table top campaigns and Mech warrior 3 without the PvE element.

Then the disappointment, set in as it was clear that PGI are not capable of producing the game they talked up, and had e-sport as the final goal all along.

I'd have bought in, had they been more honest about their capabilities, but there would have been far less bitterness and resentment, and the feeling I have been lied to.

This and that 'wonderful' creation Mechwarrior Tactic's which I bought into, in the hopes of better, company level tactical play, have ensured I'll never help crowd fund another software project.

[Hit the Deck]

I actually had a pretty low expectation after reading both gaming journalist reviews and people's opinions but I had to try it after some time pondering because I played every MW games except the first one. My current opinion about MWO is, I think it's pretty decent despite lacking content. Alex's involvement is pretty big for me and it's what keeps me playing.

[Mudhutwarrior]

You all got CW so I don't want to hear any tryhard expectations. Most of them did their level best to suppress anything that would bring in new players. Splitting the ques into solo and group, VOIP all that was fought tooth and nail by the originals with a cross to bear for Battletech.

Constant complaints about ELO and MM when the simplest solution is population. Instead we get non stop put downs about pugs and the underhive and anything to help new players resisted.

Sorry you all got what you paid for and you created what you have now.

When I see founders tags complaining I just laugh. Its yours, you own it.

Edited by Mudhutwarrior, 07 June 2015 - 03:52 AM.

[masCh]

PGI screwed up the game when they chose to go for e-Sports. I mean I have no problems with that, but they should have just created Solaris V for that, and they'd be tens of thousands queuing up for Solaris. They can have all tournament based tools on that planet, and they can encourage cbill spending just for a player to travel to Solaris V. Heck they can charge 2000 cbills just for every hour a player stays on Solaris V instead of leaving the planet before logging off.

PGI does not know what to do. The top management does not even play the game, they are looking around to look at the other games and how those games are making money. First they dreamed about having a Star Citizen of their own getting 50 mil dollars in the bank so they spent weeks or months to build Transverse assets. But because of all the negativity they put that idea aside and looked around for other ideas.. and that happens to be Starcraft, League of Legends, Dota2, etc so now they want the game to be based around eSports.

I think the gist is PGI needs money.

If PGI would hold a fundraiser to build Solaris V with all its tools I think PGI should just do that, and a lot of us especially Founders would invest in that.. hire new people to build Solaris V and spend on Solaris V with the funds from that account, but please leave the metagame alone and keep on building the BT universe instead of just piggybacking on it. Anything PGI wanted to do in Transverse can be done in MWO (pilot centric, dropships, jumpships, interstellar travel, mining, politics, hijacking.. the InnerSphere map stretches all the way to Strana Mechty, there's a lot of space, PGI can even add new content smaller unimportant planets around the main planets in the InnerSphere map - notice it is 2D so PGI could have added even more planets in a 3D galactic map).

Let Clans be more powerful than InnerSphere. Let 10v12 happen and if IS is thought to be too powerful for 10v12 then give Clan mechs the necessary quirks or double their armour.

What I expect:

1) Pilot being able to walk around the 'mechbay. The 3D assets are already there!
2) Mechs go missing from the 'Mechbay when they're in battle.
3) InnerSphere-only battles 12 v 12 with optional 13th player (The MechCommander) who can command lances around (whether pilost obey commands is a different matter) and deploying air strikes and artilleries depending on how many of those his team brought to the battle.
4) Clan vs Clan-only 10v10 matches
5) Rework Assault mode : 2 starting bases at North and South. On the West side of the map is a capturable power grid, capturing it activates Mech Repair Bay in your base. On the far East side of the map is a capturable building, capturing it activates Mech ammunition resupply building back at your base. Do you send a couple of lights to capture these points? What if the enemy mounts a base assault right then?

Have so many more. If only Founders really owned the game as the above guy said.

Edited by masCh, 07 June 2015 - 05:03 AM.

[Kenoshi]

A lot of what people are asking for needs Mechwarrior to transform to Battletech. Lore, storied missions and warfare, real economies, a real merc system, supply chain management and logistics, a real battlefield commander that has assets instead of just marking X is the spot, drop ships, etc etc. (btw didn't most command units have additional electronics in BT).

I would love to see elementals on the battlefield running around with manpack PPCs...Now that's a scary thought.

Personally they should bring back repair and rearm. Right now there isn't any penalties to peeps playing like jackasses.

[Leiska]

There's really nothing wrong with having an e-sports focus. All it requires are decent balance, high enough skill ceiling and depth as well as being spectator friendly. These are all positive attributes for any multiplayer game.

No, PGI's faults lie elsewhere. The issues are mostly game design and business model related, IMO.

[AlexEss]

I expected a mechwarrior game with better graphic.

Can´t say PGI failed on that.

After all seeing how most previous MW games had rahter lacklustre multiplayer i had no doubt it would at least reach the same level and even more lilkey excel.

[Johnny Z]

masCh, on 07 June 2015 - 05:01 AM, said:

PGI screwed up the game when they chose to go for e-Sports. I mean I have no problems with that, but they should have just created Solaris V for that, and they'd be tens of thousands queuing up for Solaris. They can have all tournament based tools on that planet, and they can encourage cbill spending just for a player to travel to Solaris V. Heck they can charge 2000 cbills just for every hour a player stays on Solaris V instead of leaving the planet before logging off.

PGI does not know what to do. The top management does not even play the game, they are looking around to look at the other games and how those games are making money. First they dreamed about having a Star Citizen of their own getting 50 mil dollars in the bank so they spent weeks or months to build Transverse assets. But because of all the negativity they put that idea aside and looked around for other ideas.. and that happens to be Starcraft, League of Legends, Dota2, etc so now they want the game to be based around eSports.

I think the gist is PGI needs money.

If PGI would hold a fundraiser to build Solaris V with all its tools I think PGI should just do that, and a lot of us especially Founders would invest in that.. hire new people to build Solaris V and spend on Solaris V with the funds from that account, but please leave the metagame alone and keep on building the BT universe instead of just piggybacking on it. Anything PGI wanted to do in Transverse can be done in MWO (pilot centric, dropships, jumpships, interstellar travel, mining, politics, hijacking.. the InnerSphere map stretches all the way to Strana Mechty, there's a lot of space, PGI can even add new content smaller unimportant planets around the main planets in the InnerSphere map - notice it is 2D so PGI could have added even more planets in a 3D galactic map).

Let Clans be more powerful than InnerSphere. Let 10v12 happen and if IS is thought to be too powerful for 10v12 then give Clan mechs the necessary quirks or double their armour.

What I expect:

1) Pilot being able to walk around the 'mechbay. The 3D assets are already there!
2) Mechs go missing from the 'Mechbay when they're in battle.
3) InnerSphere-only battles 12 v 12 with optional 13th player (The MechCommander) who can command lances around (whether pilost obey commands is a different matter) and deploying air strikes and artilleries depending on how many of those his team brought to the battle.
4) Clan vs Clan-only 10v10 matches
5) Rework Assault mode : 2 starting bases at North and South. On the West side of the map is a capturable power grid, capturing it activates Mech Repair Bay in your base. On the far East side of the map is a capturable building, capturing it activates Mech ammunition resupply building back at your base. Do you send a couple of lights to capture these points? What if the enemy mounts a base assault right then?

Have so many more. If only Founders really owned the game as the above guy said.

A Solaris expansion and ability for the pilot to leave the mech are musts long term. Adding the pilot ability to leave mech and walk around mech bay and maybe some other areas and add Aerotech and this game is truly a 3d game. Its 1d now I think although its getting more in depth. Aerotech should be huge much like the mech based combat once thats finally more complete, but the Pilot ability to walk around could be alot more limited but still a really great addition to the game.

Its not a sim until players can virtually climb in and out of those mechs.

Edited by Johnny Z, 07 June 2015 - 10:03 AM.

[Gut]

I'm admittedly in the I want this to be esport crowd.

However, lol at all the people who think that this game anywhere near its current state is ideal for esports, or that developing a galactic map, and an algorithm for matches is developing for the esports crowd.

Here's the two (three) things they've actually developed for competitive play since early closed beta: respawns. Private lobbies. And (spectator mode).

I think the more pressing issue rather than blaming competitive players is blaming the lack of development as a whole and an extreme focus on getting mechs out to "gutta catch em all" folk.

[Rebas Kradd]

ColdHeat, on 07 June 2015 - 03:13 AM, said:

I think we're past the point of no return with the development of the game and what you're describing Op may be beyond reach by now. The course is set.

I don't see why that has to be true. The focus of PGI since open beta has been three-fold:

* Improve things from minimum viable state (mechlab, maps, VOIP, matchmaker, performance);

* Feed the e-sport community (spectator tools improvements, Solaris);

* and oh, yeah, finish the game. Basic infrastructure like internal telemetry tools, test server, non-rendering game version, code branches intended for UI2.0, took up a lot of 2013.

They haven't just been ignoring deeper gameplay; they've been finishing the game. Like someone else said, this game is still early in development, and for a game to still be there after 3.5 years really is perfectly common in the games industry. You were all psychotic to be expecting a brand-new, revolutionary AAA title after twelve months, regardless of what PGI told you.

I don't exactly like the e-sport mentality, but I understand where it's coming from: a desire for longevity, like Counterstrike. Enable the players to run tournaments and generate events effectively and the community will carry itself (and development costs) forward for quite a while. That's a good foundation to build from.

The current priorities are still going to take us up through the end of this year, which is a bummer. There probably won't be any enormous new gameplay shifts until then. But the fact that Tina recently created an open forum for "most wanted features" does suggest that they're finally looking at the end of the backlog and the future of the game, where we'll have our e-sports and "quick action" mentality completed and can start working on the original vision of the game again. That's my optimistic take.

Edited by Rebas Kradd, 07 June 2015 - 10:40 AM.

[Jaeger Gonzo]

You guys underestimate the game. It can be far more tactical and be like "thinking man shoter" then CoD just right now, but in STOCK MODE.

[LordBraxton]

AlexEss, on 07 June 2015 - 09:43 AM, said:

After all seeing how most previous MW games had rahter lacklustre multiplayer i had no doubt it would at least reach the same level and even more lilkey excel.

MW4 Mercs Missionplay mode is by far the best multiplayer of any MW game. If you found the right server...

The issue with MW4Mercs is that since they GAVE PEOPLE THE OPTION, to use unlimited heat and no ammo, tons of scrubs used that and it became a standard way to play the game. Kill me. Also not many servers forces 1st person.

Really though, everyone should go and check out that gamemode to see what CW SHOULD have been.

[Lyoto Machida]

Mudhutwarrior, on 07 June 2015 - 03:52 AM, said:

You all got CW so I don't want to hear any tryhard expectations. Most of them did their level best to suppress anything that would bring in new players. Splitting the ques into solo and group, VOIP all that was fought tooth and nail by the originals with a cross to bear for Battletech.

Constant complaints about ELO and MM when the simplest solution is population. Instead we get non stop put downs about pugs and the underhive and anything to help new players resisted.

Sorry you all got what you paid for and you created what you have now.

When I see founders tags complaining I just laugh. Its yours, you own it.

LordBraxton, on 07 June 2015 - 11:40 AM, said:

MW4 Mercs Missionplay mode is by far the best multiplayer of any MW game. If you found the right server...

The issue with MW4Mercs is that since they GAVE PEOPLE THE OPTION, to use unlimited heat and no ammo, tons of scrubs used that and it became a standard way to play the game. Kill me. Also not many servers forces 1st person.

Really though, everyone should go and check out that gamemode to see what CW SHOULD have been.

Unlimited heat/ammo sounds terrible. Why would you want CW to be that?

[Burktross]

GreyNovember, on 06 June 2015 - 07:27 PM, said:

the vast majority of my Mechwarrior was spent in MW4 instant actions.

As far as I'm concerned, this is better than that because I now have a valid reason to take lighter weapons and mechs out, as opposed to a Gauss/PPC Dire.

Yeah 'ats about right.

I love MWO as it is-- it has much room for improvement, but I'm not dissapointed per say. I'd love for it to play more like a Battletech campaign though in CW.

Lyoto Machida, on 07 June 2015 - 11:51 AM, said:

Unlimited heat/ammo sounds terrible. Why would you want CW to be that?

He's saying those servers were bad, but it had gems.