45 replies to this topic

[Lugh]

Greyhart, on 27 July 2015 - 02:08 AM, said:

I like the game a lot, I've been playing for about the last 3 months and it is fun.

I know that there are things that are problems in the game but clearly the core of the game is fun otherwise it would be dead.

However the game offers none of the usual hooks to keep you logging back in. i.e. overly complex crafting or grinding for uber stuff, levelling characters.

The game is strange on how you progress in your skills.

You start off doing barely any damage and then at some point you release that you have jumped up to doing 100 per match then a few weeks later you realise that you expect to average 300 per match.

You clearly get better but their is change in the Mechs or the other players.

Anyway this all got me thinking if you were able to obtain ranks (after completing the cadets bonus) i.e. private, lieutenant, captain etc. What would you measure to gain an increase in rank?


Clearly you don't want something like just total damage or number of matches on their own (as that would cause people to play to reach that target).

So lets assume there was ranking system and that you increase in rank by achieving certain land marks or by doing X etc.

What would you have as an achievement that would let you gain a new rank?

i.e. completing 25 matches takes you from cadet to private. Or averaging 200 damage in 10 matches makes you go up a rank.

Just interested in what people think are skills that might be tracked.

NB I considered where to post this. But consider it is not a feature suggestion.

*whispers* YOU CAN !! Play CW. That has rank rewards in it that are not easy to achieve. And you won't be doing enough until you are averaging 1200damage a match there (you have 4 mechs to do it in too).

[Greyhart]

yes but I wasn't actually interested in the ranking system. rather:

1. what do people think might be tracked that could show competency.

2. What keeps them coming back.

the young people these days like to get pings from games saying they are doing ok. (hell they do it for watching opening on some games on those modern gaming machines).

[Lugh]

Because there are a bajillion different styles of play possible. And learning to be the best at ALL of them takes time.

[Greyhart]

yes but what things might be tracked.

i.e. target and fire on a mech that is being targeted by another team mate.

[Sjorpha]

I like that there aren't so much grinding for power in MWO, you grind your mechs skills and optimise your build and then you're on technically equal terms with other players relatively quick. Meaning that the difference between their skill and yours is really there.

I really dislike "level up" type mechanics in competitive online games, IMO that kind of illusionary progress belongs in single player games and RPGs. (so I can just avoid playing them)

In competitive online games you should progress by stepping up your game, by increasing your actual performance. But the power of different players equipment etc should be as equal as possible between newbies and veterans.

Actually, the whole idea of giving newbies worse equipment/options/etc that veterans is completely backwards. The reasonable thing would be to do the opposite, give the weaker player more power so the match gets more interesting for the veteran. Many board games and sports do that, like GO for example has a handicap system that can be used to make matches between newbies and veterans interesting.

I'd love character progression/building, but it shouldn't be about becoming more powerful over time. There are very interesting P&P role playing systems where you progress by deepening and changing over time, just like in real life. I'd love that, you would learn but also forget, gain strength but also aquire permanent wounds that limit you and so on.

[Escef]

I keep playing because I enjoy the game. If I stop enjoying the game or get burnt out on it, I'll stop.

[Mister Blastman]

Want to know the truth, the real truth? I play Mechwarrior/Battletech because nobody has ever release a Macross/Robotech simulator that is worth a darn. The only games for those that exist are arcade shooters which is a crime.

[Greenjulius]

I'm not a founder, but I've been playing since 2013 and still enjoy the game. I'd say it's probably because it requires more skill than just about any FPS on the planet, and offers lots of variety in how to fight.

That, and it's the only Battletech/Mechwarrior game of note.

The key is pacing. Don't play so much that you get burned out; take time off if you're getting pissed off. I took 2 months off after the Resistance mechs were released, probably because of the Adder Up event. grinding those 80 matches left me very tired of the game, so I stopped playing, even though I burned 2 months of premium time by not playing.

I'm back now, and enjoying it again. I'm going to be careful however not to play as much as I used to; A few hours a day max I suppose.

Edited by Greenjulius, 27 July 2015 - 07:02 AM.

[InspectorG]

Greyhart, on 27 July 2015 - 02:22 AM, said:

and why people keep playing

The system is odd, but MWO has a odd history with IGP and all that.

I play for fun and pure nostalgia.

[FrontGuard]

The game is stringing me along really.
I play to have fun but also in the hope that the game improves.

I am looking forward to more immersive / eSport options that are built into the game like Solaris 1v1, 2v2, 3v3...
and an Ejection Seat Video sequence when your mech gets destroyed.
An in game bar would be great also where you could go and challenge other players to a duel.

Things like that keep me playing.

[Dracol]

I play for the same reason my father plays golf, I enjoy the experience and continue to improve my game.

Why is this the only game I have continually enjoyed for years? Its PvP, so each engagement plays out differently, there is no meaningless go here/ do this B.S., and with mech creation, there is more depth outside of the game play then a traditional FPS.

Why do I strive to improve my game? Unlike most FPS, MWO is more than twitch reaction and map knowledge. From understanding the enemy and how they are running their build, to reading the Pug doritos, there is a lot of variables based on human psychology that has kept me interested.

[Light-Speed]

Doing things out of the ordinary, with the extraordinary amount of possibilities MWO builds and matches provide.

Just yesterday I was cornered unintentionally by the enemy team. I shut down in My Cicada 3M in plain sight... and no one noticed. It was, what, ~300 meters? Then I got up and started to snipe away at them. And no one noticed. XD

A majority of this love of weird stuff goes to lights. It is quite satisfying when you bring down a larger mech, then running away laughing as they try to figure out what happened whether because I killed them before they noticed or why I, a light with little armor and firepower, was able to show up and destroy machines of war twice my tonnage.
Being responsible for the destruction of the enemy team thorough squirreling or scouting are awesome too.

Of course, there's failures. Tons and tons of failures .
But that's what makes my victories even more satisfying and hard earned, and it also means I can keep improving and becoming better.

And that's what I keep coming back for, those amazing and humorous scenarios "Cicada is still undetected sitting next to the entire enemy team for the last 160 seconds" "Jenner cores and kills 2 Jagers after being legged" "Jenner destroyed an assault... and that guy's teammate ~200 meters away still haven't noticed..."
"Mad Cat (not mine) is the last man standing in a 2-11 scenario... and splits up, isolates, and destroys 8 before time out prevents him from taking the life of a cored Atlas... because the other team was told that the Cat is AFK"

[Lorian Sunrider]

Because I'm the idiot who did a happy dance because I found a good condition copy of "Decision at Thunder Rift" at a used book store on Saturday (for only $5!!!) and had a **** eating grin on my face (My original copy was read until it fell to pieces). I own all of the books and a good chunk of the source books despite being born in '89.

Because I remember trying to fit as many damn ER PPC's as I could on the Mad Cat you had to meticulously salvage in the third mission of Mech Commander (unless you had the cheater patch to "salvage" the one from the opening cinematic).

Because I am the idiot who bought Mechwarrior 3050 both on the SNES and Genesis to make sure there weren't any differences.

Because I can still see the Kodiak burst out of the snow.

Because I actually loved the FMV in the Mechwarrior 4 games.

Because I can still hear Spector scornfully berating the idiot shipyard owners for not hiring enough protection.

This game could literally slap me in the face every time I played it and I would still come back.

[Chuck Jager]

Its fun

I am in my mid 40s now and a long ways and 50lbs past my competitive cycling days. I still aim for the highest hill with the nastiest downhill I can find. The ribbons I used to win are on the wall, but that is never why I did it to begin with.

[Xmith]

I have several reasons. One reason is that it is not a role playing game. We have mechs to level and master, not characters.

[MarineTech]

I still play because I'm still having fun shooting up big, stompy, giunt robbits.

[Escef]

MarineTech, on 27 July 2015 - 12:06 PM, said:

I still play because I'm still having fun shooting up big, stompy, giunt robbits.

I've heard rumor you did it all for the cookie.

Edited by Escef, 27 July 2015 - 01:17 PM.

[MarineTech]

Escef, on 27 July 2015 - 01:17 PM, said:

I've heard rumor you did it all for the cookie.

It's ALL about the cookies.

[GRiPSViGiL]

Greyhart

I play because I like the gameplay. It is very different from a typical FPSer. I do not play as much as I used to because they haven't gave me a reason to once CW was a failure. I have definitely stopped buying anything PGI is selling.

You touch on the very core issue that MWO suffers from. There is no reason to play unless you like mindless mech play. No skill allocation. No economy. Nothing at stake concerning CW. No bounty contracts. No repair and rearm. Nothing at all that would keep anyone looking for some depth in a game such as this. Mind you they they sold some of these things to us with their initial pitch. Over promised and under delivered.

I am glad you have identified the learning curve of the game as something that is not astronomically high. People have been making excellent suggestion after excellent suggestion over the years and quite frankly PGI is not the company that can do any of this. one thing is for sure....they will not fail to get the mech packs out every so often to milk those who will buy them.

Edited by GRiPSViGiL, 27 July 2015 - 01:40 PM.

[Arle Vox]

Greyhart, on 27 July 2015 - 02:08 AM, said:

(1) ...the game offers none of the usual hooks to keep you logging back in. i.e. overly complex crafting or grinding for uber stuff, levelling characters...

(2) ...this all got me thinking if you were able to obtain ranks (after completing the cadets bonus) i.e. private, lieutenant, captain etc. What would you measure to gain an increase in rank?

(1) - you level each of your mechs, and when you have all the baasic levels on three of the same mech type you unlock higher level skills, and then one more level after that. There are also mech-specific perks you can install that range from weapon range/damage to zero camera shake from damage.

(2) - In CW matches you rank up for whichever Faction/Clan you pledged to. There was also talk of unlockable mercenary groups to pledge to after receiving top ranks in multiple Factions or Clans. There are also several titles that you can win with achievements in the game. "Little Helper", "Big Daddy", and "Death Star" are only a few of the unlockable titles.


What you're proposing seems to exist already. I also don't need perks to keep me playing. I play the game because it's fun and I've always loved the MechWarrior series of games, and will continue playing because of these reasons. More perks and achievements, in my experience, just bring kids that think they're hot sh*t because they have all of the heavy 'cheevos and use this as an excuse to not play with the team. These children are also the most likely players to rage or ragequit or rage-teamkill...