Once the in game AI is improved to the point that it can lead with a projectile weapon, miss when firing some of the time, move following "rails" and even react in some basic way to the player, like retreating, ambushing, or just staying in it's own weapon sweetspot, hopefully they will be included in the live game.
I have some musings as to how PGI could do this.
Faction Play should become the go-to game mode, with NPCs on both sides reinforcing the players.
Current Quickplay gamemodes should find their way into FP.
Quick Play should be retooled into Solaris arena combat.
NPCs would comprise of all non-mech assets, from infantry bunkers, tanks, turrets to VTOLs.
They would be functionally equivalent to mobs in a MOBA type game, marching down fairly direct paths to the base, or patrolling base grounds.
The tonnage of NPC assets would be a direct function of the tonnage between the two sides, so if one side is significantly heavier, the tonnage of their support would be reduced accordingly.
Additionally, the AI "tier" is determined to best match the opposition players' tier.
This should mean all Faction games are as evenly balanced as possible, without forcing long matchmaking times.
It also means ghost drops would be guarded by a strong NPC presence, so are still fun.
Various NPC options could be:
Spoiler
Infantry Bunker. armed with the equivalent of 1 machinegun and 3 of either: small laser, machinegun or SRM2. Able to do little other than harass any but the lightest Mech, they fall quickly to machinegun or flamer fire. Doesn't show on sensors, but dies easily MG or Flamers
10 tons - Mechanised Infantry. Same as regular Infantry, and armed the same, However, operating from light APC’s. Infantry fire from ports in the vehicles, which are themselves armed with dual MG turrets, or single small lasers.
20 Tons – Scout Car. Lightly armoured scout, Armed with a BAP, and either a single medium laser, or an AC2. Some models are built on a hovercraft chassis.
25 Tons – Scout VTOL. Lightly armoured single rotor aircraft. Next to no armour, armed with a medium laser and TAG, and 2 SSRM2s
30 Tons – Attack VTOL. Better armoured than the scout, Quad-rotor Chassis, armed with 2 SSRM2s and either a large laser or a medium laser and 2 LRM5s
40 Tons – Light Tank. Substantially better armoured and armed with either: 3 medium lasers, a single large laser, or an AC5,
45 Tons - Same as above, but these tanks may also carry a pair of LRM5 or SSRM2.
60 Tons – Main Battle Tank. Solidly protected, these tanks are armed with either: an AC10, LB10X, PPC, dual large laser or Dual AC5.
70 Tons - MBT, as above, but they may also be armed with an LRM10 or SRM6, or be upgraded with dual pulse lasers or dual ultra AC5
80 Tons – Heavy Tank. Very well armoured and typically built to hold a position as well as move fast enough to keep up with a combat element, they may seem under-gunned for their size. Armed with a single gauss cannon, AC20, each with axial mounted medium laser, or dual ERPPC, AC10 or LB10X
90 Tons - Heavy Tank upgraded with either: 2 LRM10s or 2 SRM6s.
Getting NPC assets working right in-game also means we would be that much closer to a dedicated PvE Campaign, a valuable step in new player experience, and a great place to go for some casual mech-stomping.
Wouldn't it be great if a faction capital is ever under attack the faction leader and personal guard showed up in some of the battles to assist the players in the last stand? The Faction leader could be a tiny bit OP but be a bit of an aid to a nearly defeated faction.
Once the in game AI is improved to the point that it can lead with a projectile weapon, miss when firing some of the time, move following "rails" and even react in some basic way to the player, like retreating, ambushing, or just staying in it's own weapon sweetspot, hopefully they will be included in the live game.
I have some musings as to how PGI could do this.
Faction Play should become the go-to game mode, with NPCs on both sides reinforcing the players.
Current Quickplay gamemodes should find their way into FP.
Quick Play should be retooled into Solaris arena combat.
NPCs would comprise of all non-mech assets, from infantry bunkers, tanks, turrets to VTOLs.
They would be functionally equivalent to mobs in a MOBA type game, marching down fairly direct paths to the base, or patrolling base grounds.
The tonnage of NPC assets would be a direct function of the tonnage between the two sides, so if one side is significantly heavier, the tonnage of their support would be reduced accordingly.
Additionally, the AI "tier" is determined to best match the opposition players' tier.
This should mean all Faction games are as evenly balanced as possible, without forcing long matchmaking times.
It also means ghost drops would be guarded by a strong NPC presence, so are still fun.
Various NPC options could be:
Spoiler
Infantry Bunker. armed with the equivalent of 1 machinegun and 3 of either: small laser, machinegun or SRM2. Able to do little other than harass any but the lightest Mech, they fall quickly to machinegun or flamer fire. Doesn't show on sensors, but dies easily MG or Flamers
10 tons - Mechanised Infantry. Same as regular Infantry, and armed the same, However, operating from light APC’s. Infantry fire from ports in the vehicles, which are themselves armed with dual MG turrets, or single small lasers.
20 Tons – Scout Car. Lightly armoured scout, Armed with a BAP, and either a single medium laser, or an AC2. Some models are built on a hovercraft chassis.
25 Tons – Scout VTOL. Lightly armoured single rotor aircraft. Next to no armour, armed with a medium laser and TAG, and 2 SSRM2s
30 Tons – Attack VTOL. Better armoured than the scout, Quad-rotor Chassis, armed with 2 SSRM2s and either a large laser or a medium laser and 2 LRM5s
40 Tons – Light Tank. Substantially better armoured and armed with either: 3 medium lasers, a single large laser, or an AC5,
45 Tons - Same as above, but these tanks may also carry a pair of LRM5 or SSRM2.
60 Tons – Main Battle Tank. Solidly protected, these tanks are armed with either: an AC10, LB10X, PPC, dual large laser or Dual AC5.
70 Tons - MBT, as above, but they may also be armed with an LRM10 or SRM6, or be upgraded with dual pulse lasers or dual ultra AC5
80 Tons – Heavy Tank. Very well armoured and typically built to hold a position as well as move fast enough to keep up with a combat element, they may seem under-gunned for their size. Armed with a single gauss cannon, AC20, each with axial mounted medium laser, or dual ERPPC, AC10 or LB10X
90 Tons - Heavy Tank upgraded with either: 2 LRM10s or 2 SRM6s.
Getting NPC assets working right in-game also means we would be that much closer to a dedicated PvE Campaign, a valuable step in new player experience, and a great place to go for some casual mech-stomping.
Good ideas here. Lorists like myself would refer you to sarna.net for the NPC vehicles, which go from 20 tons up to 100. Those weapons you proposed would be way overweight for each class.
NPCs would comprise of all non-mech assets, from infantry bunkers, tanks, turrets to VTOLs.
They would be functionally equivalent to mobs in a MOBA type game, marching down fairly direct paths to the base, or patrolling base grounds.
I agree strongly with this point specifically. As with games like War Thunder and WoT, MWO draws from a source material, whether it be WWII or Battletech. Not everything in the game was made for 1:1 combat with the same type of vehicles. Making many assets besides other mechs would allow a lot of the "role warfare" that people find severely lacking in MWO. Maybe your killer Black Knight is severely limited in its anti-infantry or what-have-you capabilities, while something "inferior" by today's standards in 12v12 deathmatch would actually be very useful in filling those gaps.
I agree strongly with this point specifically. As with games like War Thunder and WoT, MWO draws from a source material, whether it be WWII or Battletech. Not everything in the game was made for 1:1 combat with the same type of vehicles. Making many assets besides other mechs would allow a lot of the "role warfare" that people find severely lacking in MWO. Maybe your killer Black Knight is severely limited in its anti-infantry or what-have-you capabilities, while something "inferior" by today's standards in 12v12 deathmatch would actually be very useful in filling those gaps.
MG'S OP vs Infantry. It is the single reason they are put on mechs.
Afuldan McKronik, on 14 June 2016 - 05:38 PM, said:
Good ideas here. Lorists like myself would refer you to sarna.net for the NPC vehicles, which go from 20 tons up to 100. Those weapons you proposed would be way overweight for each class.
I tried to base weapons on what would fit by vehicle construction rules, and be at each tonnage a nod to vehicles from the TROs. 60T tank was loosely based on the Po for example.
I just feel that a procedural armament system on some basic chassis would fill out the range of platforms quicker IMHO.
But, absolutely, if lore accurate vehicles are do-able and still balanced, I would support that.
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