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Player Population And Retention. Here Are Some Ideas.

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#141 Deathlike

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 09:48 AM

View PostZakerystrife, on 01 May 2016 - 09:00 AM, said:

Anyway I'm about done with this, because the forum warriors coming out and not helping or being constructive to the conversation at all. It just shows how blind this community really is.


It's only a conversation if you understand why it's happening, instead of thinking your solution will fix things.

I have zero problems wanting to improve the NPE (New Player Experience), because it's still dreadful and turns people away.

I don't have a problems with casuals existing... as they are needed or this game doesn't function properly (MM only works with what it is given - flawed as the current PSR system is).

The biggest problem is casuals attempting to dumb down the game. That's what most don't like. There is something to making life easier, but the choices you're trying to suggest only show you're not committed to learning the basic important aspects of the game in order to function and the bar is kinda high sometimes, but once you realize how easy (at times) it is to clear instead of complaining about it, then it makes life that much easier.


Trying to ingrain teamwork into players is probably the hardest to do, and people refusing to do that are more the problem in this game than anything else... like LRMs.

#142 Zakerystrife

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 12:16 PM

View PostDeathlike, on 01 May 2016 - 09:48 AM, said:


The biggest problem is casuals attempting to dumb down the game. That's what most don't like. There is something to making life easier, but the choices you're trying to suggest only show you're not committed to learning the basic important aspects of the game in order to function and the bar is kinda high sometimes, but once you realize how easy (at times) it is to clear instead of complaining about it, then it makes life that much easier.



What exactly was I suggesting here that would "dumb down the game" for the hardcore mechwarriors? A mech testing button? A "suggested loadout" button? A salvaging system that would keep the average player engaged, and focused on earning certain equipment? Dynamic Match sizes, so that you can drop faster / more evenly?

Oh wait, I know, the 4 man cap. That must be what you are mad about. Look, CW was the primary focus for the "hardcore" mechwarrior. So go take your 12 man's and play it, oh wait, you don't like it? Too bad. Play the game mode that you guys cried for, and let the casual player enjoy the game too, in QUICK PLAY.

QUICK PLAY should be designed for new players to get in quickly, with SMALL groups, and not going against super organized mega groups to smash in pugs all day long.

I don't see how any of my suggestions would be dumbing down the game, more than adding features that are in desperate need to help your newer player base. I do understand what's happening, I've been around since closed beta, I've seen all the changes that have happened to the game.

#143 Deathlike

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 06:44 PM

View PostZakerystrife, on 01 May 2016 - 12:16 PM, said:

Oh wait, I know, the 4 man cap. That must be what you are mad about. Look, CW was the primary focus for the "hardcore" mechwarrior. So go take your 12 man's and play it, oh wait, you don't like it? Too bad. Play the game mode that you guys cried for, and let the casual player enjoy the game too, in QUICK PLAY.


No... see, FW is what PGI made it, and much less about what the bigger units wanted. If FW was as attractive normally, then this would be less of a problem. Since that is NOT the case, Group Play is where it's at.

That's your mistake.

Besides, your problem in groups is probably teamwork... because that's still the #1 winning formula that most that complain fail to accomplish consistently.


Quote

QUICK PLAY should be designed for new players to get in quickly, with SMALL groups, and not going against super organized mega groups to smash in pugs all day long.


Quickplay is designed for quick matches, regardless. The question is whether or not you're reasonably efficient to accomplish this. FW Invasion mode requires closer to double of the average time spent in a Quick Play match, thus requiring time and effort to accomplish (and even then, people are wasting their time complaining instead).


Quote

I don't see how any of my suggestions would be dumbing down the game, more than adding features that are in desperate need to help your newer player base. I do understand what's happening, I've been around since closed beta, I've seen all the changes that have happened to the game.


If that were the case, you'd understand how 4-mans were instrumental in killing units.. or at least making it really hard to practice team play on a bigger scale.



Learning to play matters whether you are doing this in a 2-man, just as much as it is a 12-man... the difference is that most people have problems simply at working together and thus are here complaining about that.

#144 Roughneck Cobra

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 06:46 PM

Makes me snicker to some peoples responses when their units are abusing broken mechanics in FW.

Makes my day.

#145 Roughneck Cobra

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 07:04 PM

View PostImperius, on 01 May 2016 - 07:03 PM, said:

Please don't abuse the word abuse.

Utilizing is the word you should use. Teams utilize tools give to them, pug cry about abusing mechanics/tools they don't understand.


#WorkingasIntended

I know, frick me, right?

#146 Roughneck Cobra

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 07:12 PM

View PostImperius, on 01 May 2016 - 07:10 PM, said:

Yes that was the tone of the last town hall. PGI created phase 3 and accomplished what they set out to do. Our feedback is not needed or wanting to be heard. PGI will observe and fix what they think is broken. We don't get the right to tell them it's broken, we aren't developers, we are just the monkeys that pay them to test their ideas.


Last thing Im buying for money will be the Kodiak, then just wait for everything else hit shelves for C-bills, might just be ONE person drying their funding tank, but maybe the dominoes will start falling. c:

#147 Zakerystrife

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Posted 01 May 2016 - 09:54 PM

View PostDeathlike, on 01 May 2016 - 06:44 PM, said:


If that were the case, you'd understand how 4-mans were instrumental in killing units.. or at least making it really hard to practice team play on a bigger scale.

Learning to play matters whether you are doing this in a 2-man, just as much as it is a 12-man... the difference is that most people have problems simply at working together and thus are here complaining about that.


I will not sit here and deny that fact, teamwork is OP, always will be. The difference here, is the size of the groups. If I'm in a group of 3, and consistently hitting a 6-10 man group against us, that's more than DOUBLE the focus / teamwork in communication alone. Which is why I am standing by the group limits, for quick play.

You are right, people need to learn to communicate, it sucks, but its not changing. I often see many users with voip simply turned off. The "command wheel" may help if it includes voice over so people can hear it, because I sure as hell am not staring at the text chat in game when I'm in a fire fight. Most stuff in text chat is just completely ignored. Here's to hoping you can designate a damn target to shoot at.

If you are a unit using quick play to practice team play you are completely doing it wrong. You need to be practicing doing skirmishes vs other units or team building against your own unit in PRIVATE matches. Not running around in a mega group stomping your feet over smaller groups. The unit wouldn't be learning anything about tactics or position against a bunch of smaller groups.


View PostStryker Ezekiel, on 01 May 2016 - 07:12 PM, said:


Last thing Im buying for money will be the Kodiak, then just wait for everything else hit shelves for C-bills, might just be ONE person drying their funding tank, but maybe the dominoes will start falling. c:


Why give them money for the Kodiak, just wait for cbill release. If you are going to make a point, you might as well start now.

Edited by Zakerystrife, 01 May 2016 - 09:55 PM.


#148 Blitxll

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 11:13 AM

Getting **** stomped is apart of the learning curve of most any game. How can you learn if you don't play. The mechanics in this game take, maybe, 2 weeks to get a handle on. The real learning curve is teamwork and no game has ever figured this out. The community of players is the only way this is going to happen.

Unfortunately teaching newbies isn't exactly the most fun anyone has ever had. So people resort to simple tactics like death ball and death ball. Who has time to teach and expect a random to execute a slightly more complex plan, no one that's who. Also because games are so expendable these days how many players are going to stay long enough to get involved in a group and actually play the game. Moral of the story MWO is not for casual players. MWO is meant for the long term dedicated player who doesn't want to invest to heavily in new games.

The issue with this conclusion how long can the whales supporting this game last? Maybe that's why the game is going the direction of E-sports. The game needs another source of income and with the current mechbay payment model they need long term spending players. Turn MWO into a highly tactical skill base E-sport hopefully you attract more long term players. This game is not geared for casuals partially cause they don't get enough people walking through there door so they are left milking the large amount of their funds from the current player base. Also if the switched their model now there would be many a butt hurt founder and 4+ year veteran who have invested heaps of cash into this game. So its too little to late for the casuals.

All that is left for this game is to streamline the mechanics and maps so that it actually can be an E-sport that anyone can respect. So the best way to get casuals to stay in this game is to make the game so awesome they can't help but want to play it. Teamwork and money will follow and everyone will be happy.

#149 DarkBazerker

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 08:28 PM

View PostBlitxll, on 02 May 2016 - 11:13 AM, said:

. Moral of the story MWO is not for casual players. MWO is meant for the long term dedicated player who doesn't want to invest to heavily in new games.

The issue with this conclusion how long can the whales supporting this game last? Maybe that's why the game is going the direction of E-sports. The game needs another source of income and with the current mechbay payment model they need long term spending players. Turn MWO into a highly tactical skill base E-sport hopefully you attract more long term players. This game is not geared for casuals partially cause they don't get enough people walking through there door so they are left milking the large amount of their funds from the current player base. Also if the switched their model now there would be many a butt hurt founder and 4+ year veteran who have invested heaps of cash into this game. So its too little to late for the casuals.

All that is left for this game is to streamline the mechanics and maps so that it actually can be an E-sport that anyone can respect. So the best way to get casuals to stay in this game is to make the game so awesome they can't help but want to play it. Teamwork and money will follow and everyone will be happy.


I get where your coming from and why you might think that, how ever I think your missing a few key points. I'll start with E sports. Do you know where the money comes from to run any E sports? The sponsors is basically what fuels the whole thing. And the reason sponsors do this is for exposer/advertising to the crowd. Guess who the crowd is. A large chuck of the crowd in this case would be other mwo players or as we been calling them in this topic the "casuals". Now PGI could get lucky and get a ton of viewers with the up coming event, but what is more likely is the event will flop as far as viewers go, and such things will go back to the way they were pre event. I have to be honest I don't like using the term "casual" in this topic because casual to be is someone that jumps from game to game because its hot at the time. "Casual" as we're using it is in relation to a player that does everything in this game, but tournament and leagues. And when I put it that way, I'm a casual player, but I'm also a founder that has been here since the start.


The biggest problem I have with this game (as awesome of a game as it is) is how hard it is for new players to set root in this game with out spending money. There are other small issues that I think need to be addressed, but they need to fix this one first and foremost.

My $.02

Edited by DarkBazerker, 02 May 2016 - 10:49 PM.


#150 Mechwarrior Buddah

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Posted 08 May 2016 - 05:32 PM

View PostFarix, on 27 April 2016 - 03:55 PM, said:

I'm going to call BS on this one. No one was leaving because group size was limited to 4 players. In fact, matches were far more dynamic—and fun—back then. If players left, it was entirely because of other factors and never over the group size being limited to 4.


Since I cant find the exact quote of the guy who said there were never 4 mans...

https://www.themitta...nt-russ-bullock

there u go





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