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[Deathlike]

I've made it know multiple times that CW as currently designed is bad. It doesn't do what it intends to do, and as such needs a serious foundation rework. There's no way around it.

However, instead of just "saying" that it should be fixed, I have to actually offer suggestions on how it should be fixed.

While I do not have all the answers (even if I sound like I do), I don't believe every suggestion I have will be a good one, but I'm trying to do the best I can as CW needs to be reworked on a more serious manner instead of "thinking there's a panacea around the corner". It hasn't worked since day 1 of CW, as even then, I got burned out from the newness of it and it never really got better mechanic-wise. So.. instead, I'll just suggest stuff, and maybe someday I can fill in the other blanks.

So, I'll try to break this down into like 5-6 sections, since there's a lot to get through...


1) The New/Solo Player - Teamwork is OP

I don't think it is honestly possible to have two separate queues. The problem is that when you look at the solo queue for non-CW matches, you tend to find people who really don't know how to play the game. Lumping all of them together in CW gives them the wrong picture of how CW SHOULD function. It's a team game. Working like 12 rambos on a team is going to produce drastically different results, and people will cling to it because "they'll have their fun" while resembling like low level play that currently exists in MWO in the first place. That is woefully unacceptable, and blaming large units/premades only reinforces the notion for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, solos will have to play with premades. It would resemble something along the lines of the older 4-man max premades plus solos. This is not optimal, but I'd have to explain it further..

All groups bigger than 6 would have to be "spliced" into 2 groups. For instance, a 7-man team may have to be a 2-man and 5-man or 3-man and 4-man. If the queues are healthy, no splicing would be needed... but let's be honest, trying to match a 10-man with another 10-man in the queues would be difficult to construct on their own merits. So, the MM would essentially tell the game and team that needs to be split up to do that, in order to "balance" out the premade sizes on both ends. Mind you, this is still NOT FACTORING Elo at all, so this needs to be done as necessary (within a minute) in order to get the match relatively even. This indirectly will require the game revealing either/both pre and post match so that no solo/PUG can claim otherwise.

The thing is, I don't see this any other way as the only way to "mitigate" a good group is reducing their actual size. It still won't stop roflstomps, but it wouldn't make them straight out ggclose as they can be at times.

How solos fit into this is that the MM will try to create a "collective" 8 or 9-man premade, while the rest are 3 or 4 solos. This has an intended purpose.. The first is to make sure someone from one of the premades attempts to direct players. It is incumbent for both premades and solos to work together as results themselves will be on the shoulders of those that don't do their part. Usually those that do not follow the will of the team will get crushed and the numbers will reflect it (not always, but that tends to happen a lot). To play as a team, you'll have to learn teamwork... so having a premade on your side (relatively equal on both sides, barring skill/Elo that isn't being factored at all) would allow good solo PUGs to commit properly.. instead of not trusting the other players (you don't trust other solo PUGs generally).

This won't be perfect at all, but it needs some work.


2) Before CW - Requirements for the New Player to get into CW

I hadn't thought about this too much, but there's actually a simpler solution.

The requirement should be that a player must have 4 mechs elited out. The way of accomplishing this requires an NPE (New Player Experience) revamp of sorts.

For instance, a pack of 4 Medium Mechs... both Clan and IS are offered. They would be all of the same chassis, but different variants. Providing a set should not be an issue, although there should be a different caveat if one were to pick a Clan mech chassis and one were pick an IS Mech Chassis (like a MC bonus for a player that picks IS, something like 1800MC - the cost of 6 mechbays). The numbers can be fudged and the cadet bonus sorely needs expanding (due to experimentation). Anyways, the whole point is to get players "on par" with others on the field, instead of laboring in trial mechs. Of course their builds won't be optimized, but that is still supposed to be part of a NPE improvement.

The 4 mech eliting requirement may sound extreme, but it provides a "perfect" initial CW dropdeck and valuable understanding at what must be accomplished when grinding out in the non-CW queues.


3) Control of Fate - Groups Controlling Attacks/Defenses, Solos Getting Matches

Instead of having solos totally guess where they need to go (and be prompted), the groups dictate where the matches are going to be held on whatever planet is being designated for attack. Seeing that "one person" attacking/defending a planet that noone will show up for is essentially problematic with CW's current designs. Groups are going to make the plans, and the solos will fill in. It's shouldn't be that complicated.


4) Unit Coffers - Something To Do with that Money...

I've kinda put together a few ideas based things are already doable, but not actually done.

Turret "upgrades":

Standard - 2 LL (default, no cost)

LRM "upgrade" - 2 ML+LRM10

Laser "upgrade" - 1ERLL+3ML

The idea behind this is to expand the variety of the turrets. These upgrades would ONLY apply around the base turrets (those aren't the ones around the gates). I'm unsure whether it makes sense to buy them in packs (upgrade them all at the same time, or just buy 1 to be placed at random, unless all the base turrets are upgraded)

You can kinda see the usage of some of the turrets, as some favor long range (think Boreal) and others favor close quarters. So, getting to choose what you want could be worthwhile (or not, numbers would have to be tweaked).


Generator "upgrades":

Standard - The older version (unprotected) but these have double the HP of the usual generators

Protected - The current version (could still be tweaked as necessary)

"Gate Gen upgrade" - Upgrades the gate gens to "protected" level but have half the HP of the usual gen

Note: Most of the Omega generators in the current CW environment need to be moved back to their original spots as the current version doesn't have a real purpose anymore (kinda like the MFB in Counter Attack in a limited sense).


Global Scanning (available for both sides):

Every 90 to 120 seconds, a random scanner sweep is run across the field, and "all the doritos" appears on the radar/command map for like 5 to 10 seconds. The times will be randomized though (so you can't plan for it).


Orbital Airstrikes/Arty (available only for Attackers on Invasion - available for both sides on Counter Attack)

Every 90 to 120 seconds (randomized timing @ a fixed frequency), Airstrikes or Arty (can only pick one or the other, but not both) will bomb the biggest cluster of mechs of the opfor. The strength will be half of what we have for Airstrikes and Arty, but will occur over a longer duration (in the case of the Airstrike, there will be a double sweep at a delay)

I don't think it should be a total money sink (perhaps a handicap for teams with a higher Elo disparity will have more options disabled)


6) Rewards/Contracts - Paying for My Time

To begin with... the rewards in CW (whether LP or C-bills) needs to be increased by 20-25%. LP bonuses from certain things need to increase (loyalty medallions need to actually give 5% LP each and Phoenix Pack specific variants need to give 10% each, 20-25% Loyalty point bonus for Premium TIme).

For time spent in the queue - every 2 or 3 minutes spent waiting in the queue, a 5% increase in rewards should be provided. More time spent waiting is not productive... and it doesn't entirely help that it's tough enough to see the other queues w/o quitting out (not sure why it isn't easily accessible).


Dynamic contacts need to exist. While I'd rather have the "faction" pay for your services (it's strange when it's not the case), it's easier to balance around unit and faction activity (and probably success).

Faction contract rewards (per successful match) should really start @ 100k C-bills+100LP. Adjustments needs to be made around activity (more activity+success means the contract stays put, less success means more rewards until the success "evens out"). One would have to keep record of the unit's success in CW (some form or Elo or even just a rudimentary CW W-L ratio)

Part of this will entail a CW reset, but it kinda requires a more modified scenario (like, something creative and not the stock 3050 map repeatedly).


Rewards for winning a planet should be kind of randomized, but given to all involved after ceasefire. Anything ranging from MC (starting @ 100MC) to bonus C-bills (1m C-bills) would be sufficient. For something more long term, perhaps a short term LP/C-bill boost would also help.

With respect to contracts...

Loyalty point boosts for permanent contracts would increase 10% every time every 28-days would be helpful. For example, you will get a 100% LP bonus (which is the cap) after 5 months with a perma contract (the perma contract base is 50% for reference). Of course, other benefits should be added (like "loyalty mechs/variants"). This would also apply to temporary contracts... particularly consecutive 28-day contracts (or multiple consecutive 7 or 14 day contracts that total 28-days) and would cap @ 80% (similar to perma-contracts) and that would carry over to a perma contract if desired (the bonus is carried over).

This is an idea to build loyalty on the whole for a faction and Merc units leaning to stay on a more permanent basis.

Also, for contracts have the added loyalty bonus, these can be used to reduce the cost for cancelling the contract (for the purposes of CW events) as that will void the loyalty bonus (after the mandatory 3 days).

I'm sure there are other things that I haven't thought of though.


Alright... end of the mind dump, because it's too long there's other stuff to write.

I'm sure I have some holes in the ideas and unpopular ideas, but the reality is that CW needs to be reworked.. and while maps and modes honestly need more revising, the stuff that is more reasonably doable shouldn't be so complicated.

Whatever I guess...

[Dirk Le Daring]

Deathlike, on 03 August 2015 - 06:19 PM, said:

1) The New/Solo Player - Teamwork is OP

I don't think it is honestly possible to have two separate queues. The problem is that when you look at the solo queue for non-CW matches, you tend to find people who really don't know how to play the game. Lumping all of them together in CW gives them the wrong picture of how CW SHOULD function. It's a team game. Working like 12 rambos on a team is going to produce drastically different results, and people will cling to it because "they'll have their fun" while resembling like low level play that currently exists in MWO in the first place. That is woefully unacceptable, and blaming large units/premades only reinforces the notion for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, solos will have to play with premades. It would resemble something along the lines of the older 4-man max premades plus solos. This is not optimal, but I'd have to explain it further..

All groups bigger than 6 would have to be "spliced" into 2 groups. For instance, a 7-man team may have to be a 2-man and 5-man or 3-man and 4-man. If the queues are healthy, no splicing would be needed... but let's be honest, trying to match a 10-man with another 10-man in the queues would be difficult to construct on their own merits. So, the MM would essentially tell the game and team that needs to be split up to do that, in order to "balance" out the premade sizes on both ends. Mind you, this is still NOT FACTORING Elo at all, so this needs to be done as necessary (within a minute) in order to get the match relatively even. This indirectly will require the game revealing either/both pre and post match so that no solo/PUG can claim otherwise.

The thing is, I don't see this any other way as the only way to "mitigate" a good group is reducing their actual size. It still won't stop roflstomps, but it wouldn't make them straight out ggclose as they can be at times.

How solos fit into this is that the MM will try to create a "collective" 8 or 9-man premade, while the rest are 3 or 4 solos. This has an intended purpose.. The first is to make sure someone from one of the premades attempts to direct players. It is incumbent for both premades and solos to work together as results themselves will be on the shoulders of those that don't do their part. Usually those that do not follow the will of the team will get crushed and the numbers will reflect it (not always, but that tends to happen a lot). To play as a team, you'll have to learn teamwork... so having a premade on your side (relatively equal on both sides, barring skill/Elo that isn't being factored at all) would allow good solo PUGs to commit properly.. instead of not trusting the other players (you don't trust other solo PUGs generally).

This won't be perfect at all, but it needs some work.

I do not know if you have seen it , but it would seem that this could mesh well with the link in my sig......

Dunno about splitting up the larger groups though.

I think it may benefit those new to CW if they filled as solo into a 10 man. Then they could be more effectively guided in the ways of community warfare by said group.

Deathlike, on 03 August 2015 - 06:19 PM, said:

2) Before CW - Requirements for the New Player to get into CW

I hadn't thought about this too much, but there's actually a simpler solution.

The requirement should be that a player must have 4 mechs elited out. The way of accomplishing this requires an NPE (New Player Experience) revamp of sorts.

For instance, a pack of 4 Medium Mechs... both Clan and IS are offered. They would be all of the same chassis, but different variants. Providing a set should not be an issue, although there should be a different caveat if one were to pick a Clan mech chassis and one were pick an IS Mech Chassis (like a MC bonus for a player that picks IS, something like 1800MC - the cost of 6 mechbays). The numbers can be fudged and the cadet bonus sorely needs expanding (due to experimentation). Anyways, the whole point is to get players "on par" with others on the field, instead of laboring in trial mechs. Of course their builds won't be optimized, but that is still supposed to be part of a NPE improvement.

The 4 mech eliting requirement may sound extreme, but it provides a "perfect" initial CW dropdeck and valuable understanding at what must be accomplished when grinding out in the non-CW queues.

I have seen something akin to this before. It is an interesting thought. One that should not be swept under the carpet.

It would be very important to have the player acknowledge the requirement though. (at least I imagine so, ya know ...forum rage)

Deathlike, on 03 August 2015 - 06:19 PM, said:

3) Control of Fate - Groups Controlling Attacks/Defenses, Solos Getting Matches

Instead of having solos totally guess where they need to go (and be prompted), the groups dictate where the matches are going to be held on whatever planet is being designated for attack. Seeing that "one person" attacking/defending a planet that noone will show up for is essentially problematic with CW's current designs. Groups are going to make the plans, and the solos will fill in. It's shouldn't be that complicated.

No it should not be complicated, and this is in my sig link too.....

As for the rest, I am unable to form an opinion. But interesting ideas.

Edited by Dirk Le Daring, 03 August 2015 - 06:51 PM.