Rampage, on 23 July 2016 - 09:21 AM, said:
OK, I have been thinking about this ever since I first experienced CW on a friends account several month ago. There did not seem to be a viable path to present it as a proposal for improving the MWO end game but perhaps now there is. See below:
Proposal To Improve MechWarrior Online Faction Play Game Mode
Faction Play is in deparate need of improvement. The game play is currently one dimensional and repetitive. It is also very difficult for new players to tansistion into faction play. The brief experiment with a solo queue for new or unaffiliated players was poorly executed and never had a chance to succeed before being pulled. I believe the following proposal would cure many of the problems that currently plague Faction Play while also allowing players to transition from Quick Play into Faction Play.
A. Leave Quick Play as it is except potentially adding the present Faction Play maps to Quick Play so new players can become familiar with playing on those maps.
B. Integrate all the game modes for Quick Play into Faction Play thus expanding the sequence of events necessary for conquering a planet. For example, the sequence could involve these steps:
1. Scouting Mission - Invading team attempts to gather information nodes. Defending team attempts to thwart. Successful scouting mission for invaders could provide full intel on other teams location and movements (something like full time UAV for entire map). Successful defense would mean no such advantage for invaders.
2. Invasion Mode -
a. Conquest - Invaders try to capture key resource points. Team that wins would gain an in game advantage during the final phase. One such advantage could be the placing of siesmic sensors that give the successful team intel on the location of enemy Mechs.
b. Domination - Invaders try to capture and control key strategic location or asset. A possible outcome could be that the team that wins could earn the Long Tom artillery (scaled back).
c. Invasion - Invaders try to neutralize orbital cannon to clear way for invasion. If orbital cannon not nuetralized then invasion does not happen or the tonnage for the invading team is decreased due to losses to the orbital cannon.
d. New Assault mode - Union DropShip drops on one side of map and defenders main base is on the other side. This is the actual battle for the planet. This could be one drop or a series of drops on different maps. The Long Tom could be placed on the map as a destroyable asset for the team that won it during Domination phase. Goals would be for the invaders to destroy the base and the defenders would try to destroy the DropShip.
e. In all phases destroying all the members of the other team should always be a seconday objective. Completing a primary objective while having opposing Mechs survive should result in increased rewards for salvage as those Mechs would be assumed to be captured and become spoils of war.
f. Maps for each planet should be chosen and paired up to reinforce the character of the planet. For example, Polar Highland, Frozen City and Alpine peaks for an ice world, Grim Portico, Grim Plexus and HPG for an arid moon, Emerald Taiga and Viridian Bog for a green, wet world and etc.
C. By incorporating the maps and modes from Quick Play into Faction Play, several goals are achieved.
1. It eases the transition form Quick Play into Faction Play because players are already familiar with maps and modes. Quick Play becomes a proper training ground for Faction Play.
2. It makes Faction Play more interesting with more maps and more modes that must be completed to achieve victory.
3. It gives each mode a meaning and reason for existing and provides a logoical and believable sequence of events for invading a planet. It also increases the immersion because the maps make sense and relate to a certain planet and the rewards for each mode have an impact on the next or final phase of the invasion.
4, It utilizes all the existing assets created by PGI into the end game for MWO.
I believe a game mode that is similar to what has been suggested here would generate much more interest than the present Faction Play game mode. It would raise the immersion factor and the variety of maps and objectives. It would also open the door to new players who want to experience Faction Play by allowing them to experience the basics of it before facing the grim reality of 12 man premades.
This is just the idea for the basic gameplay. I have an idea to address the imbalance created by the Merc units also but I will wait to see if this first part draws any interest before submitting the rest.
Woo Hoo. We just finished listening to the Podcast reporting the resulting changes based on the last Round Table and forum suggestions and they are making changes to faction play very similar to the above suggestions. They are using their already developed assets to make FP the ultimate end game mode and the most interesting game mode by rolling the QP game modes and maps into FP and making them mean something in the battle for the Inner Sphere. Domination, Conquest, Assault and Skirmish with Drop Decks on the Quick Play maps but as part of the FP battle for worlds!
Long Tom is going to be gone and Scouting will result in intel and sensor advantages!
These changes are projected to come out around December. I could not be happier. It will be a nice Christmas present!
Edited by Rampage, 07 September 2016 - 06:47 PM.
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