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Played MW2 & Ghost Bear Legacy plus a smattering of MW4 (free version) but not much.
Not sure if there's an appropriate thread for this - haven't seen one so I figure what the hell - here's my thoughts about how I see a few elements that have been discussed could realistically (IMHO) work.
Inner Sphere - Great Houses
You start the game and do your first 'levels' with a great house. If you want to you can stick with a great house and their standardised military forces.
Benefits -
The house essentially insures your ride. No matter what level of damage your mech sustains the house will cover the repairs. If your mech is destroyed then they will replace it. You're never without a ride.
Disadvantages -
Your salvage is minimal. The military has equiped your metal behind and it claims first dibs on all salvage you manage to secure. You will get salvage but it will be minimal and you will have great difficulty pulling together the spare parts to do anything serious to your mech re customisation - if you're allowed to at all. You will also most likely have limited options about customising your mech's paint job.
You get the mech you're given - you may get a say in class or a choice of models but they will be limited based on what your house offers. Federated Suns is not likely to give you a Grand Dragon.
Mercenaries
Once you have paid your dues to the military who've trained you then you can leave. There are perhaps ways of taking your mech with you either as a reward, buying it or possibly absconding. Ideally these would actually be RPable and have ongoing implications for your character in-game.
Benefits -
LOOT!!! As a mercencary your if you're fighting alongside house troops you and the house get comparable loot but of the loot that the house gets the house troops only get a fraction individually compared to what you get. Equally, if you're contracted to a house then you may well have financial benefits (or higher loot) as a result of a battle. Being a merc is how you can get RICH!
As a result you're more likely to have the chance to modify your mech, be it painting a portrait of your mother on the arm or swapping the right arm for an AC20.
Oh yeah, you might also get higher XP than house troops.
Disadvantages -
The main one has to be - whoops - your mech got banged up? House Steiner expresses it's regret about your problems but they have paid you and they have their own troops mechs to repair. If you break it you get to repair it and if you can't afford to repair it or if it gets litterally blown up then you're looking for a new ride. The mercenary life is dangerous and whilst it can be the quickest route to riches and possibly the best tech it's also the quickest way to end up without a ride.
For this record - this also includes damage you do yourself. You swap your right arm for the AC20 and because you do something really stupid you end up blowing the side of your mech out then you're up for the repair bill.
And finally
The Clans
Now it really hurts me to say this but based on what I've read (not much) and what I've heard in the podcasts I've listened to so far this game initially is likely to be pretty much PVP only with PVM being hinted at as something for the future.
There are many concerns about what introducing playable clan tech (omnimechs and so forth) might mean for the balance of the game. Not sure but I think the best thing that could ever happen for the game would be that the introduction of PVM is the clan invasion. The clans are initially non-playable but represent the enemy that the Inner Sphere house forces and mercenaries have to work together to defend against.
Benefits -
We get uber enemies and a slow introduction of clan or clan inspired tech. No one gets to pilot a captured Omni as most captured tech is instantly claimed by the house and slowly rolled out as improved tech. In a persistent world and if done right the actual story element of the invasion could be great - famous battles from the books can be refort and perhaps the outcomes change.
Disadvantages -
I WANNA BE A GHOST BEAR!!!
Honestly the only disadvantage I can see is for those of us who truly want to RP Clan. Hopefully the chance would come eventually but initially we're stuck in the Inner Sphere.
Apologies if all this has been covered a zillion times but this has been rattling around my head and I needed to get it written down.
Edited by MarauderDeuce, 01 December 2011 - 05:35 AM.
