296 replies to this topic

[Mystere]

RussianWolf, on 14 January 2016 - 09:20 AM, said:

PGI has come to realize that the fallacy that they had from day one is they assumed there would be a population that wanted a one dimensional game and would pay enough to support it.

Just an alternative viewpoint ...

Maybe PGI has actually realized that the population is overflowing with players wanting nothing more than one-dimensional games. As such, everything, including CW, will just be arenas with little depth and immersion. Not bad for a goal to develop a minimally viable product. Just produce more Mech Packs for sale to keep the lights running.

Edited by Mystere, 14 January 2016 - 10:33 AM.

[sycocys]

Mystere, on 14 January 2016 - 10:12 AM, said:

Making CW eSports is one of the worst things PGI can do.

This is one thing I completely agree with you on - but Russ is determined to continue to follow that path so it would be better to just help him find a way to make it at least marginally approachable in that realm of gaming.

Without bringing some of that TT/BT/Lore flavor to the system there's just nothing that would give MWo its own niche place because it currently doesn't excel particularly well at anything. Introducing the campaign and lore flavors with a franchise with a huge backstory that is there just ready to take advantage of would be a pretty huge step in that direction - and it would also accomplish a lot towards player retention and gathering.

Edited by sycocys, 14 January 2016 - 10:37 AM.

[Mystere]

sycocys, on 14 January 2016 - 10:36 AM, said:

This is one thing I completely agree with you on - but Russ is determined to continue to follow that path so it would be better to just help him find a way to make it at least marginally approachable in that realm of gaming.

PGI can just() dress up the public queues to make it the eSports side of MWO, and make CW the lore side. But, don't mix them please. That is the worst approach.

Hell, if PGI insists on this eSports obsession, they can just drop CW altogether and let the chips fall where they may.

sycocys, on 14 January 2016 - 10:36 AM, said:

Without bringing some of that TT/BT/Lore flavor to the system there's just nothing that would give MWo its own niche place because it currently doesn't excel particularly well at anything. Introducing the campaign and lore flavors with a franchise with a huge backstory that is there just ready to take advantage of would be a pretty huge step in that direction - and it would also accomplish a lot towards player retention and gathering.

Unfortunately, this eSports obsession -- at least that is what things are looking to me -- is getting in the way.

Edited by Mystere, 14 January 2016 - 10:43 AM.

[MerryIguana]

Raubwurst, on 14 January 2016 - 02:11 AM, said:

Tschoo tschooo... Here comes the news train

[Mystere]

Flutterguy, on 14 January 2016 - 10:31 AM, said:

I have very mixed feelings about this. On one hand, splitting the queue will increase wait times and hurt CW as a whole. On the other side I don't see how CJF wouldn't absolutely dominate the PUG queue...

People should really be careful what they wish for.

[sycocys]

I just don't see any way MWo can hang with other fps if it's only approach is to use the quick drops. There's nothing particularly interesting about them, CW is marginally better for this already.

Plus its set up to deliver more interesting match-ups as it eventually develops out - though a lot could be done in a short time with some simple changes that would be basically a middle ground between your CW approach of node captures, mine of multiple drop scenarios, and what PGI already has planned with 4v4 "scouting" matches.

Either/any route they go though - in order for MWo to be any amount viable in the eSports world its going to have to take full advantage of its franchise history from TT, and books to past MW/BT games and deliver that experience both to the players and the people they want to watch these matches play out. It will have to take advantage of the franchise simply because there is nothing else that sets it apart from what other games are doing.

[Mystere]

sycocys, on 14 January 2016 - 10:54 AM, said:

I just don't see any way MWo can hang with other fps if it's only approach is to use the quick drops. There's nothing particularly interesting about them, CW is marginally better for this already.

Plus its set up to deliver more interesting match-ups as it eventually develops out - though a lot could be done in a short time with some simple changes that would be basically a middle ground between your CW approach of node captures, mine of multiple drop scenarios, and what PGI already has planned with 4v4 "scouting" matches.

Either/any route they go though - in order for MWo to be any amount viable in the eSports world its going to have to take full advantage of its franchise history from TT, and books to past MW/BT games and deliver that experience both to the players and the people they want to watch these matches play out. It will have to take advantage of the franchise simply because there is nothing else that sets it apart from what other games are doing.

Here's the rub. MWO has competition in Heavy Gear Assault, which unlike the former is 100% focused on eSports. And those folks just received $2M more in funding.

[sycocys]

Mystere, on 14 January 2016 - 10:58 AM, said:

Here's the rub. MWO has competition in Heavy Gear Assault, which unlike the former is 100% focused on eSports. And those folks just received $2M more in funding.

I follow that one as well, those MekTek guys are doing that franchise some proper justice. One thing that makes it easier for them to stick to the eSports only model is that franchise has a short/minimal history, and iirc the originals were pretty heavy on having the arena mode be the primary mode of play.

Basically its another reason for PGI to take advantage of all the good things the franchise they have offers to carve out their niche in the area.
--MWo really won't compete as an arcade competition is what I'm getting at. Where the franchise excels is its ability to create tension with campaign/story progressions. These things can be used to a great advantage, both for making a mode like CW more balanced with a huge amount of replay-ability as well as something that viewers would be far more inclined to actually get into because the campaigns would have an ability to create some actual drama and tension at the game play level - rather than trying to overlay fluff over matches that really have no differences between one another.

Edited by sycocys, 14 January 2016 - 11:09 AM.

[RussianWolf]

Mystere, on 14 January 2016 - 10:32 AM, said:

Just an alternative viewpoint ...

Maybe PGI has actually realized that the population is overflowing with players wanting nothing more than one-dimensional games. As such, everything, including CW, will just be arenas with little depth and immersion. Not bad for a goal to develop a minimally viable product. Just produce more Mech Packs for sale to keep the lights running.

When I say "one dimensional" I mean "team based only" when they decided to do everything "team based" they closed their minds and revenue stream to others who want some individual modes. Be those FFA mode with a Solaris VII theme or the PVE crowd. They put blinder on and only recently have they realized that some people will gladly pay for them to expand their concept.

The higher percentage of people playing Solo regularly is just one example of the data that has led them to this realization.

Now, are they capable of building a game that has something for everyone?????? that remains to be seen.

Edit: By the way. I've seen the term "special snowflake" thrown around a bit about the solo queue players. If they do in fact out number the group players as PGI has alluded. Wouldn't that in fact make the Group/Team players the "special snowflakes"?

Edited by RussianWolf, 14 January 2016 - 11:23 AM.

[Saint Scarlett Johan]

Mystere, on 14 January 2016 - 10:58 AM, said:

Here's the rub. MWO has competition in Heavy Gear Assault, which unlike the former is 100% focused on eSports. And those folks just received $2M more in funding.

I love eSports... but PGI doesn't have the talent or community to turn this into an eSport. I'd much rather they simply nix the eSport want. I don't want full simulation either, because I find those boring; but they really need to take a book out of the way PS2 handles itself since it's literally nothing but faction warfare.

[Raubwurst]

MerryIguana, on 14 January 2016 - 10:44 AM, said:

Translation: "The video you are requesting is blocked in germany for music right things, that are not decided yet."
I hate GEMA :/

[MerryIguana]

Raubwurst, on 14 January 2016 - 11:35 AM, said:

Translation: "The video you are requesting is blocked in germany for music right things, that are not decided yet."
I hate GEMA :/

[KahnWongFuChung]

Assuming we get a solo queue in CW, the next thing on the whine list will be a PSR-style matchmaker. Next would be a whole lot of draconian sticks to prevent sync dropping.
=============================================================================================
Sync dropping in the solo MM queues was one of the worst things PGI has done and if it is still being done should be eliminated except in the private mm system period and never should be allowed in a pug/casual drop rather its solo mm or a pug/casual CW drop.

[Sandpit]

KahnWongFuChung, on 14 January 2016 - 11:41 AM, said:

Assuming we get a solo queue in CW, the next thing on the whine list will be a PSR-style matchmaker. Next would be a whole lot of draconian sticks to prevent sync dropping.
=============================================================================================
Sync dropping in the solo MM queues was one of the worst things PGI has done and if it is still being done should be eliminated except in the private mm system period and never should be allowed in a pug/casual drop rather its solo mm or a pug/casual CW drop.

NO assuming
Russ confirmed via Twitter
Sep queues in CW

Lord Scarlett Johan, on 14 January 2016 - 11:20 AM, said:

I love eSports... but PGI doesn't have the talent or community to turn this into an eSport. I'd much rather they simply nix the eSport want. I don't want full simulation either, because I find those boring; but they really need to take a book out of the way PS2 handles itself since it's literally nothing but faction warfare.

Feels like the only use PGi has for groups is to support their esports idea.

I was honestly considering sponsoring a team to compete in the championship through my company but, meh, if Esports is truly at the basis for PGI's attitude in this regard I'll pass because I'm not going to support what I feel is a bad decision.

[dario03]

KahnWongFuChung, on 14 January 2016 - 11:41 AM, said:

Assuming we get a solo queue in CW, the next thing on the whine list will be a PSR-style matchmaker. Next would be a whole lot of draconian sticks to prevent sync dropping.
=============================================================================================
Sync dropping in the solo MM queues was one of the worst things PGI has done and if it is still being done should be eliminated except in the private mm system period and never should be allowed in a pug/casual drop rather its solo mm or a pug/casual CW drop.

Its easy to accidentally sync drop though. I remember one time I was playing and so were 4 other players in my unit. We weren't using TS but I kept getting some of them on my team. 2 on a team not a big deal, 3- people start to think your sync dropping, 4- even I thought something was up. And we really did end up with 4 on a team a couple of times. And like I said that was with 5 people dropping, I would imagine bigger teams have that happen fairly often, especially during low population times.

[Raubwurst]

Russ Bullock said, that there will be incentives for unit to fight over in the group queue. E.g. rewards like MCs, which will be only achievable there.

[LordJops]

Constantly dropping into pug teams vs organized clannars is such an excersize in futility and frustration that I find it hard to get any sort of meaningful practice on the CW maps. Mixing the que up a little would be a blessing. I can understand the draw of fighting in a clan since the skill curve favors newer players that can just opt pilot skill in exchange for far more powerful mechs (compared to the inner sphere). I refuse to cave and go clan just because it's an easier win.. I'd rather die with some shred of honor, or alternately play less CW maps because it's not as much fun