41 replies to this topic

[Water Bear]

I never even noticed before now.

I guess the reason is that most of this game's player base already has a book shelf full of lore about the universe. At least I do.

Also, like that other guy said, minimum viable product and all that. Game doesn't have the budget or dev team for someone to go around writing fluff text.

Elizander, on 15 June 2015 - 05:08 AM, said:

Rotating loading screen Fluff Text on map to explain short stories or quotes to give the map more history/personality/life. "The blah unit once held this place for a full three weeks before their lack of supplies finally caused their downfall."
Mech fluff text "This mech was used for blahblah"
Weapon quotes (randomized) "Forget about the armor repairs. Just make sure my AC/20 has full ammo"
- Mechwarrior X

Hero Mech fluff text (they should already have it or a "read story" button added to the UI to let players read about the mechs, can be applied to normal mechs too).

I can't tell if you're mocking the idea of fluff text or not.

[Zyrious Tyrel]

TWIAFU, on 15 June 2015 - 04:29 AM, said:

Need examples of fluff text you want to see.

Just want some Lore? What is happening in the BT Universe at this moment in time?

If that is what you are after, I cannot agree more. I really think some in-game Lore/History in the CW part of the game would be of some help. Might be enjoyable to the BT nerds out there, self included, to have that part of the game represented.

I still have hopes that when CW is out of Beta, we will have some of what we are looking for. Planet history, garrison, and whatever else can fit.

I would not even mind in MWO or on this site, a "This Day in History". Shows what, if anything, happened on this day in BattleTech. Marriages, skirmishes, losttech discoveries, new tech advances, etc.

For me at least, some Lore and History in CW would make it feel more 'alive'.

Honestly, i've always wanted the "Home" screen to be different from just another view in the mechlab. It should be like the equivalent in Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries, where you're either in an office or in the Outreach mercenary office lobby with newscreens for news on the game and Lore, like games like EvE do. It could also contain news on planets that were taken during the latest ceasefire, and a database with lore/Mech descriptions.

This game seriously needs more context and immersion. )

Edited by Zyrious Tyrel, 15 June 2015 - 08:03 AM.

[NephyrisX]

Does anyone know how hard it is to include an encyclopedia?

[Joseph Mallan]

nehebkau, on 15 June 2015 - 06:28 AM, said:

I don't think they have the resources or money to add fluff at this point.

.... What we should be asking is when is PGI going to implement some successful monetizing systems in this game...

What they can't call CatLabs and ask if they can use some of the fluff??? Or just a link to the Classic BattleTech website/forum!

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 15 June 2015 - 09:43 AM.

[Almond Brown]

It has all been NEW Fluff ever since the MWO I.S. version of the Map was unveiled. We are writing the Fluff as we go. They could add some Fluff about Mechs and their origins I guess but WRGAF right, we just fight in and kill em on sight. LOL!

Edited by Almond Brown, 15 June 2015 - 10:39 AM.

[Johnny Z]

So when did story somehow get translated to fluff text? Really?

That there is no story in Mechwarrior Online yet is pathetic to be honest.

Edited by Johnny Z, 15 June 2015 - 10:47 AM.

[Khobai]

In open beta, MWO used to do a 1:1 timeline with battletech events and they posted news events of what was going on in the inner sphere

But they stopped doing it because nobody cared about it lol.

Edited by Khobai, 15 June 2015 - 10:52 AM.

[FupDup]

Khobai, on 15 June 2015 - 10:52 AM, said:

In open beta, MWO used to do a 1:1 timeline with battletech events and they posted news events of what was going on in the inner sphere

But they stopped doing it because nobody cared about it lol.

And because of so many timeline resets...

[Burktross]

EvilCow, on 15 June 2015 - 04:19 AM, said:

Minimally Viable Game.

*Product.
Where's Vass when you need him to go on some sort of angry, perhaps even drunken, rant about the viability, or lacktherof, of MWO?

[Johnny Z]

Well I assumed the fact there is no setting or plot or all the elements that make up a story are not in game yet was because the game is under heavy construction and they wanted to stay lean. That or they have been working out the details.

Doesnt change the fact the omission of a story of some sort up to this point takes away from the game in a critical way and is just lame.

Edited by Johnny Z, 15 June 2015 - 10:58 AM.

[nehebkau]

Hit the Deck, on 15 June 2015 - 07:10 AM, said:

They can just copy-paste contents from SARNA....

Copy-right issues.

[Almond Brown]

Johnny Z, on 15 June 2015 - 10:57 AM, said:

Well I assumed the fact there is no setting or plot or all the elements that make up a story are not in game yet was because the game is under heavy construction and they wanted to stay lean. That or they have been working out the details.

Doesnt change the fact the omission of a story of some sort up to this point takes away from the game in a critical way and is just lame.

We could tell you a story Johnny Z. What kind of stories do you like. Big Stompy Robot stories perhaps? Here let's tuck you in first.

In a Sphere... far... far away....

It sound as if you are totally unfamiliar with "BattleTech Lore" Johnny Z? That can't be true right?

Edited by Almond Brown, 15 June 2015 - 11:11 AM.

[Elizander]

I'm thinking that adding a trivia database to flash small pieces of trivial on certain parts of the UI might work. You can start with some lines then add more with each update.

[Johnny Z]

Almond Brown, on 15 June 2015 - 11:09 AM, said:

We could tell you a story Johnny Z. What kind of stories do you like. Big Stompy Robot stories perhaps? Here let's tuck you in first.

In a Sphere... far... far away....

It sound as if you are totally unfamiliar with "BattleTech Lore" Johnny Z? That can't be true right?

This blatant trolling attempt begins at a 7 out of 10 for getting half hearted attempt at a humourous reply. The Star Wars reference was also a plus, but the royal "we" takes away from the over all form and execution. Playing the "Your a Battletech Noob" card was also weak in execution.

Troll attempt review, a solid 6/10

[Kristov Kerensky]

As pointed out, PGI was doing a 1:1 timeline with history and news of the day, and it was stopped because no one gave a surat's rear end about it, NOT due to them putting a hold on the timeline, it was stopped before that happened.

Seriously, no one gives a damn what the fluff, why we're doing what we're doing, why Mechs, why Clans and Inner Shere, what the Houses are and what they mean, they just don't care. The people who DO care, well, we already know the history and lore, so we're the ones who notice it's lack, and we bring it up on occasion and that's about it.

When we hit Steam, do you REALLY think the vast majority of that playerbase is going to give a damn that Stefan Amaris killed the Star Lord and started the Amaris Civil War that led the to Exodus which led the to the Succession Wars and the formation of the Clans and brought us to where we are now in the game? Do you think they'll care about how the F-K Jump drive works, myomer fibers, or anything else that's lore/fluff for the BTech universe? No, they won't, they'll just see giant stompy robots, kinda like that failed twice over game, whatsitcalled, like the skateboard dude, oh, yeah Hawken, it's like that, only more stuff! That's all they'll care about at first, and for most of them, it'll never get any deeper than that.

Some will be interested in the history and backstory, and they'll find out about Sarna and the novels and the TT game and they'll investigate deeper, but that won't be many of them. Hells just look at the MW2-4 playerbase, how many of them STILL know jack about the BTech universe?

[CycKath]

nehebkau, on 15 June 2015 - 11:05 AM, said:

Copy-right issues.

Yeah, Sarna already has enough issues with people thinking its an official wiki without being used by MWO officially. Additionally, the ISN updates back in the day were all written by Catalyst so it seems that PGI can get official information/writers when they need to, why borrow from a fan-wiki?

Ideally I'd love for all this to be in client, and come Steam it really needs to be, but I'd settle for it being on the website

[DaZur]

Your wish is my command...

[RedDragon]

Kristov Kerensky, on 15 June 2015 - 02:23 PM, said:

When we hit Steam, do you REALLY think the vast majority of that playerbase is going to give a damn that Stefan Amaris killed the Star Lord and started the Amaris Civil War that led the to Exodus which led the to the Succession Wars and the formation of the Clans and brought us to where we are now in the game?

Nah, they will ask "Why isn't there a proper tutorial?" And then they will ask why nothing in the Mechlab is explained. Then they will ask why they get pitted against pro gamers in fully leveled mechs. Then why the game runs on CryEngine and looks like a relict from 2005. And then, maybe, if they are still interested in playing, they may ask what the heck a Clan is and why they use other equipment. That's when they ask on the forums, get redirected to Sarna and learn that the Clans field superior equipment. And at that point they are finally completely lost because their Clan mechs get annihilated by ancient IS-designs

[Mavairo]

Kristov Kerensky, on 15 June 2015 - 02:23 PM, said:

As pointed out, PGI was doing a 1:1 timeline with history and news of the day, and it was stopped because no one gave a surat's rear end about it, NOT due to them putting a hold on the timeline, it was stopped before that happened.

Seriously, no one gives a damn what the fluff, why we're doing what we're doing, why Mechs, why Clans and Inner Shere, what the Houses are and what they mean, they just don't care. The people who DO care, well, we already know the history and lore, so we're the ones who notice it's lack, and we bring it up on occasion and that's about it.

When we hit Steam, do you REALLY think the vast majority of that playerbase is going to give a damn that Stefan Amaris killed the Star Lord and started the Amaris Civil War that led the to Exodus which led the to the Succession Wars and the formation of the Clans and brought us to where we are now in the game? Do you think they'll care about how the F-K Jump drive works, myomer fibers, or anything else that's lore/fluff for the BTech universe? No, they won't, they'll just see giant stompy robots, kinda like that failed twice over game, whatsitcalled, like the skateboard dude, oh, yeah Hawken, it's like that, only more stuff! That's all they'll care about at first, and for most of them, it'll never get any deeper than that.

Some will be interested in the history and backstory, and they'll find out about Sarna and the novels and the TT game and they'll investigate deeper, but that won't be many of them. Hells just look at the MW2-4 playerbase, how many of them STILL know jack about the BTech universe?

You'd be surprised at the detail that games go to on Steam in background, and backstory.

MWO.... minimally viable product. and it shows in many glaring ways.

[aniviron]

TWIAFU, on 15 June 2015 - 04:29 AM, said:

I would not even mind in MWO or on this site, a "This Day in History". Shows what, if anything, happened on this day in BattleTech. Marriages, skirmishes, losttech discoveries, new tech advances, etc.

For me at least, some Lore and History in CW would make it feel more 'alive'.

Inner Sphere News used to post pretty much every single day with bits of fluff like this that were linked in the launcher. One day, the posts just... stopped. We asked for months and months, what happened, can you bring these back, but never heard a word about it.