413 replies to this topic

[Mystere]

Cathy, on 07 August 2016 - 03:15 AM, said:

I'm on record 18 months ago, saying that P.G.I won't make 2018 or at the best the oceanic, and maybe the european servers will be shut down, I still stand by that, as I firmly believe that when HBS bring out battletech next year, the money will dry up even more, because the only real BT fans that will still spend here in any meaningful way, will be the ones that can't stand turn based games.

Selling the arts licence to HBS might have seemed a good short term solution to cash drying up, but long term its done far more damage to this games survival.

Only chance this game has of making 2018 is to consolidate servers, to cut down out goings, and to have mechs that people love and want to play, that H.B.S don't have access to, and I can't see it being enough.

Of course all speculation, but I think my speculation is the most likely

Unfortunately, I think even players not fond of turn-based games like myself will move on to other things, especially if the player numbers significantly drop.

[SQW]

Mystere, on 07 August 2016 - 06:48 AM, said:

Not to detract from the point of your post, but ...

FYI, I think I recall seeing somewhere on the forums a copy of a twitter post in which Russ(?) brags(?) about selling 40,000+ Kodiak packs.

He wishes. Are there even a 10th of that number in player base never mind actually buying another mech pack? I used to work with a boss that like to pad his product's sales figure by at least 20 folds just to impress potential customers.

[martian]

Rakshasa, on 06 August 2016 - 11:37 PM, said:

Now now, let's not get hysterical. A stock JM6, viable? The only person who thought that was the engineer who designed the thing, and he was so drunk he thought spending 12 tons of payload space on a pair of long range machine guns was a great idea

I can just hear that first briefing now.

"So...is it tough?"
"No."
"Can it evade?"
"No."
"Can it do damage?"
"Eh...kind of? No, not really."
"...so what's the point of this thing?"
*engineer plays tape of dakka noises*

Satan n stuff, on 07 August 2016 - 03:02 AM, said:

The Jagermech is the kind of design that needs C3 to really work, it doesn't hit hard but with a C3 network and a good spotter it could hit consistently.
Opening fire for 2x5 and 2x2 damage with a ~30% hit chance is laughable, with a ~90% hit chance on the other hand...
You'd need overwhelming firepower or your own C3 network to be able to beat that.
Unfortunately the only variant with any kind of C3 module is a Jihad era design.

Personally I prefer JM6-A. If nothing else, it is better armored.

[Bishop Steiner]

martian, on 07 August 2016 - 08:09 AM, said:

Personally I prefer JM6-A. If nothing else, it is better armored.

my std TT Jagermech mod. Makes a solid fire support unit, and is a great Medium lance command mech, IMO.

SQW, on 07 August 2016 - 06:55 AM, said:

He wishes. Are there even a 10th of that number in player base never mind actually buying another mech pack? I used to work with a boss that like to pad his product's sales figure by at least 20 folds just to impress potential customers.

got any numbers to back it up? either he's bald face lying or 25k Marauder packs sold. It's possible he's lying, but unlike you, he does have access to the figures. *shrugs*

[martian]

Bishop Steiner, on 07 August 2016 - 08:20 AM, said:

my std TT Jagermech mod. Makes a solid fire support unit, and is a great Medium lance command mech, IMO.

Sorry, not interested in fan 'Mechs.

[JC Daxion]

Cathy, on 07 August 2016 - 03:15 AM, said:

I'm on record 18 months ago, saying that P.G.I won't make 2018 or at the best the oceanic, and maybe the european servers will be shut down, I still stand by that, as I firmly believe that when HBS bring out battletech next year, the money will dry up even more, because the only real BT fans that will still spend here in any meaningful way, will be the ones that can't stand turn based games.

I think you underestimate how many people actually play this game.. I played a bunch of matches right at the end of the first month of the new leader board page.. I forget exactly, but a good 20 games, and was playing a new light for the first time, and i had really bad matches to say the least.. I checked my leader board rating, and i was at 20k mark.. that means 20k other people had played better than me, and i was not at the back of the pack.. this was only a weeks time.. 20k people playing is a darn good amount of people, and revenue options. I then made it to 6k and did better, but hardly been doing well.. been playing clan and assaults, so so out of IS light practice.. just been terrible lol.. But still,, working a lot and still 6k people are rocking better than I.. thats a good amount of folks. That is why i always say the forums are such a bad indicator of a game.. How many regulars? 50? 100? and there are probably over 10k+ pretty active players..

Cathy, on 07 August 2016 - 03:15 AM, said:

I like this post, but two things, Sony closed down SWG early, because they sulked over losing the licence, it was a game I wanted to like, but at the end it was a sand box where nothing happened, I was in a 'clan' and nothing happened unless you were into star wars, painting and decorating online..we once camped some critter for four hours, because he dropped something that looked like an over head light for the guild leaders house.

The title as a growing concern was dead, for all but a select few, who wanted to play build a house, if that is what people find fun in there is nothing wrong with it, but it's not what Star wars is about. its like all games old that go to the great game god in the sky, there will always be a hard core of players that can make a game work if it's open source because they care more about it still being, than a practical down side of it having less than 200 people logging on at any one point.

To me, if only MWO had more of this.. I'd love to higher merc units to escort my resources through some pirate territory..



I can see how you could say that.. But i had to laugh while reading it.. and thought YES, that is exactly why i played!!! Me and my friends would collect things, decorate houses, make gear, go on hunts, go explore, harvest resources, survey planets make our own events, BS in cantinas all night.. ect..


A typical game play night could be..

I leave my house and start sampling resources and then launchs about 30 survey drones to go to other planets so i can get a report back to see where i need to go, and what i need to check.. I sample around my area a bit, hoping to find a good mineral or gas Score. I then travel to the local star port to travel from planet to planet exploring around searching for anything new that popped up, My Survey drones return by the time i get to the first star port, and i get to start digging through the data as i begin my journey.

I stop into the local cantina, and chat with the entertainers on my way out, tip um some coin and say, keep your ears open for any good deals.... Always good to tip the staff on your way out.. (other players playing entertainers to heal up others, and are a huge part of the social game) They of course return the favor and send some work your way, because someone is looking for new armor, or a droid or something. Ohh, and spreads the word that i am looking for hunters to harvest that new wooly hide on tattoine.. Paying 100 CPU, Hunterz got's to get paid too..

the night goes on, you run into palls at starports on there way into space, or hunts or headed to pvp, and maybe pick up some loot, or sell a score from their travels.. Eventually you find that great resource, and it is time to tend your harvesters, emptying those resources, and pulling up ones that are no longer mining, and then moving to some place better.. You explore that planet, and notice an ancient Krayt has spawned as you ran by on your quest too find a good spot to drop your harvesters..

You call out on the coms and let your friends know that it is hear, and get your gear and come meet up.. You set up camp, and call in the Calvary, and wait.. one by one, your crew shows up on speeder bikes, all decked out in imperial armor and you are in your custom gear.. Sure your a rebel.. but it's all good, No one knows.. Your entertainer friend had enough of the cantina and decides to follow.. besides why not buff up the crew, and make some coin while they are at it.. (always tip your traveling entertainers) finally everyone has shown up, and even a jedi for good measure to tank the bloody thing, as 3 traders, and an entertainer with some pets, still can use a good tank, and a medic to make sure we make it out alive..

It's go time, and the fight goes well, and in the end we triumph and get the loot.. And WOOT, a great drop, a nice pearl for that jedi, and some other nice loot that we roll for, or just let who ever really needs it, get it.. and after BSin after for a bit, we break off and go our ways, But all stay in group chat and talk for the next 2 hours while we do other crap..

I go back to finishing up placing harvesters and maybe doing some random hunting, or shoping at some local vender that looked interesting, and checked out someones well decorated home.. and searched around seeing all the cool items they have found over the years..

The night ends up like most nights.. hanging out in the canting till 2-3am.. and logging out after a great night of gaming with great friends.. and an adventure that could not have been done in any other game..


returning home from a resource run



I thought you repaired this harvester!




All those resources paid off.. Now something great to sell in the shop! (must of been some sorta food)





SWG was the game you made it.. and for some of us, we were never bored..

Edited by JC Daxion, 07 August 2016 - 09:02 AM.

[Ghostrider0067]

Finally something to carry the mantle for those of us who cut our teeth on table top and who appreciate that style.

[martian]

Ghostrider0067, on 07 August 2016 - 08:56 AM, said:

Finally something to carry the mantle for those of us who cut our teeth on table top and who appreciate that style.

That terrain and scenery reminded me MechCommander 2.

[Koniving]

LordKnightFandragon, on 07 August 2016 - 06:37 AM, said:

I hope they make Coop PVE as well.

It's on the list. Do not know if it will be as story-oriented or if it would be simply the same story, but there is supposed to be this ability.

My personal hope is to have multiple players for campaign style PVP; it'll be fun for role playing and the like.

[Kirkland Langue]

Harper Steel, on 06 August 2016 - 11:58 PM, said:

so their attitude now is evident in their lack of anything except ways to make money....

Now?

It was evident when the devs rushed the Open beta launch date without first having CW implemented (which their initial plan was to go Open Beta at the same time as the first iteration of CW, then it got knocked back to 3 months after OB.... and history went from there.

But even if someone wants to give PGI a pass for their first 2 years, on account of IGP, that doesn't excuse the whole Transverse Fiasco - which was a very very very very clear money grab. But even worse than a money grab, it was PGI stating publicly that they were done with MWO.

Sure, the blowback was enough to get PGI to roll back their statements and put it a tiny effort into MWO - but their heart was gone from the game and it's clear that they were only trying to figure out how best to monetize the game.


Someone asked in another thread why PGI keeps launching mechs 6 months in advance. That's easy - it's so they can forecast when the servers will shut down. As soon as an "early adopter" quota isn't met for one of the new mechs, I bet they transition to an even more hands-off approach to MWO.

[Johnny Z]

Rampage, on 07 August 2016 - 05:36 AM, said:

I just hope the two games complement each other. I would like to see cross advertising between the two companies along with Catalyst games joining in to revive the BattleTech/Mechwarrior franchise. It would be a win/win/win situation as all three companies could work on their area of the IP, assisting each other where possible and all would profit from the increased exposure.

I believe a turn based campaign game and a real time FPS/Sim can co-exist and thrive.

I know it would rub a lot of old diehard BattleTech vets the wrong way but I would love to see a Star Trek-like total reboot of the BT IP to bring it into the 21st century of gaming and revitalize it. Presently it is based on a 1980s vision. Keep the core idea but bring some of the Tech in line with what has become believable in the last 30 years. Maybe if interest in the IP increases then something like that could happen.

Just making an peronal observation here, but the Total War series is stagnant to me at the moment. A Battletech Total War game would be awesome maybe. I always hoped MechWarrior Online faction play would be similar to the that game series, and it still may be. It looks similar.

Maybe the next Medieval Total War game will get my interest again. Medieval Total War 2 is still the best strategy game ever made as far as I am concerned.

MechWarrior and Battletech is such a great series and I am glad this game went exactly the way it did. Open world would have nerfed the ability to have awesome battles, just for starters. That's what has made the Mass Effect series so awesome. The game design and this game went that route. Smart move.

[LordKnightFandragon]

Koniving, on 07 August 2016 - 10:11 AM, said:

It's on the list. Do not know if it will be as story-oriented or if it would be simply the same story, but there is supposed to be this ability.

My personal hope is to have multiple players for campaign style PVP; it'll be fun for role playing and the like.

I hope there is the Singleplayer story, where we play through, it ends, its fun for a time or 2.

There is Coop, which is more or less randomly generated missions that never end

There is PVP, which is basically Solaris and maybe some PVPVE type stuff.

[Zordicron]

Alistair Winter, on 04 August 2016 - 05:31 AM, said:

Looks gorgeous. What blows my mind every time I hear HBS devs talk is that they sound like... people on the MWO forums. I know, I know, we're a vocal minority and we don't know how to make games and nobody cares about the stuff we care about. But when you listen to HBS devs talk, it's like they're actually making a game based off of... feedback from the MWO / Battletech community. Isn't that crazy?

• Different skill trees with different abilities
  
• Different classes of pilots
  
• "We wanted to make scouting important"
  
• Interesting missions with realistic objectives (take and hold this position while the dropship loads salvage)

It's been the same with previous videos from these guys, where they talk about lore and role warfare and many other grievances. For example, they want to build this game so that while you can take 4 atlases to battle, it's not generally a good idea, because you won't have the synergy of different classes working together. Whereas in MWO, this kind of synergy is nowhere to be seen and you regularly see waves of 12 heavy mechs attacking together in Invasion mode for maximum cheese power.



Now, PGI is finally planning to get back to work with Information Warfare and Role Warfare (2 of the 4 pillars, if you remember the 2012 Devlogs). That's good. But it's nice to see that HBS is treating those things as actual pillars. The foundation of the game. Not expansion content you add after 3 years.

With this in mind, I have recently decided the best way to get MWO to be the Mechwarrior online game I would like, is to give my money to HBS and see if they can be convinced to buy the license off of PGI.

I have no hopes left for PGI to make the game I have wanted for years. I might buy some mechs here and there to mostly support Alex' wages, but thats about it.

[SQW]

Bishop Steiner, on 07 August 2016 - 08:20 AM, said:

got any numbers to back it up? either he's bald face lying or 25k Marauder packs sold. It's possible he's lying, but unlike you, he does have access to the figures. *shrugs*

Unlike me, Russ has a motive to lie.

1. Concurrent steam player and peak player for MWO sits at 1k and 2k respectively on average around the time Kodiak is released. Even if you double that number (unlikely) by including those using MWO's own launcher, the number is still pretty small.

2. The percentage of players who actually spends money in F2P games is pretty well documented at just a few percentages.

3. Add the fact that kodiak isn't exactly an iconic Warhammer or Atlas mech and that MWO player base isn't overjoyed at the direction of this game atm, I can't see an uncharacteristic rush to buy this mech pack.

4. There are no bosses in the world who would not pad his/her own sales figure if the said figure isn't public. Russ doesn't strike me as a boy scout of the gaming industry either.

I can be made to believe 10k packs sold. Maybe even 20k in a pinch but 40k units?! If that's true, every mobile gaming company will be paying Russ to speak at a seminar on how to get such a high percentage of player base to pony up.

[Bishop Steiner]

SQW, on 07 August 2016 - 05:50 PM, said:

Unlike me, Russ has a motive to lie.

1. Concurrent steam player and peak player for MWO sits at 1k and 2k respectively on average around the time Kodiak is released. Even if you double that number (unlikely) by including those using MWO's own launcher, the number is still pretty small.

2. The percentage of players who actually spends money in F2P games is pretty well documented at just a few percentages.

3. Add the fact that kodiak isn't exactly an iconic Warhammer or Atlas mech and that MWO player base isn't overjoyed at the direction of this game atm, I can't see an uncharacteristic rush to buy this mech pack.

4. There are no bosses in the world who would not pad his/her own sales figure if the said figure isn't public. Russ doesn't strike me as a boy scout of the gaming industry either.

I can be made to believe 10k packs sold. Maybe even 20k in a pinch but 40k units?! If that's true, every mobile gaming company will be paying Russ to speak at a seminar on how to get such a high percentage of player base to pony up.

So your proof is that Russ may have motive to be dishonest?

Let's see you use that as a legal defense.

Also, Kodiak is MASSIVELY iconic in MW circles, has been ever since MW2 GBL. Add in the "OMG ALEX DREW AN AWESOME CAREBEAR" factor... then the effect the Specs and Quirks had on the Comp Crowd?

He may well be full of hot air. Lord knows I'm not exactly earning brownie points with PGI these days. The thing is.... we don't know. And without ANY form of actual proof to the contrary it's pretty damn irresponsible to throw out accusations like that.

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 07 August 2016 - 05:54 PM.

[jss78]

SQW, on 07 August 2016 - 05:50 PM, said:

2. The percentage of players who actually spends money in F2P games is pretty well documented at just a few percentages.

Just to touch this one, I don't think this is true for MWO.

I'm not sure what % of total accounts have paid content, but in terms of people who actually sit on the servers, this is easily judged. Just look at the badges in the match screen: you don't get one of those without paid content. Looks something like 50%, maybe more to me.

One thing I've always genuinely liked about MWO is the pretty well thought out monetization scheme. It's essentially free of P2W, yet it seems surprisingly effective in getting people to pay. And the 'mechs aren't even that expensive (at least compared to the premium ships in WoWS).

The average player being a massive nerd in his 30's helps (speaking as one, not disparaging). Also it depends incredibly heavily on Alex's work for that "gotta have that NOW instead of in three months" factor.

Edited by jss78, 07 August 2016 - 06:09 PM.

[Ghostrider0067]

I'm somewhat reluctant to pony up anymore given that the last F2P game in which I did so went belly up. While I don't see that as being the case here, I am still somewhat reluctant. I did, however, but the Cyclops full pack because I simply wanted it.

With this new game though, I may be more inclined to drop some coin.

[Bill Lumbar]

I have read through up till about page 5 of the comments here.

When I was active on this forum, and actively playing last year...year and a half ago, I used to pour what seemed like days into this game. Not anymore, not any longer. Its not that PGI is the devil or anything, MWO can be fun at times, but as many of us have longed for more depth then a twitch shooter for so long now, I have just given up hopes of it ever happening in MWO. In 3 years, I am in only about $90 bucks into this game and I feel for what content has been given at this point by PGI, the price I have paid is fair.

For whatever faults the dev's in MWO have, for whatever they haven't done with this game, its just whatever for me now. I sat in on 2 town halls and even got Russ to address one question under my name, to bad it wasn't the question I asked, and was reworded by the mod's. I pretty much knew right then and there what's up. One thing I can say that is positive about PGI's support, They have always addressed any issues I have had with a purchase, problems with rewards not showing after events, and they are extremely helpful and professional while they resolved my issues. Its not that I have given up on MWO, its just that I see it for what it is at this point and what its always been. Where PGI takes this game will be their choice just as it always has been.

As for HBS, I said way back when the first thread showed up about them picking up BT and bringing us this new game. Good things, nothing but good things ahead. While just turn base is not really what I want to see them make, whatever they bring us, as I said long ago, it will be good. I am a huge shadowrun fan, loved the sega version the most out of all of them, but I bought Shadow returns, and all the series that HBS made after it. Anytime they made a better version of it, guess what guys, It was free to download if you bought the original game. I knew they wouldn't be having "micro trans" as soon as the word came out they was making a BT game. Seriously, they are way to classy for that pile of "micro" crap.

I said it long ago, when after the last BT turn base game flopped and took peoples cash, when many heard of HBS picking BT up and making a game, they said they wasn't trusting HBS to deliver, and they wasn't getting ripped off again.

HBS Dev's have integrity, and I believe they will follow through with making a very decent if not kick @ss BT game, even if it is just turn based. I see depth, I see real missions ahead, pilot building, advancement, etc. with this game, and I seriously believe they will get it right. Not only that, they have a passion for the game of BT, just like Shadowrun, and whatever they don't get right, I am guessing they will release a updated version just like they did for Shadowrun, more depth, fixes, more missions, and FREE!

I am only about an 1 and 30 minutes from Gen Con, I haven't been there since I was like 16, back in the 90's, makes me wish I would of headed up there and seen Jordan and the team. I would love to talk to them, they seem very committed to putting out quality games. Good times ahead guys, good times!

Edited by Bill Lumbar, 07 August 2016 - 06:17 PM.

[JC Daxion]

SQW, on 07 August 2016 - 05:50 PM, said:

Unlike me, Russ has a motive to lie.

1. Concurrent steam player and peak player for MWO sits at 1k and 2k respectively on average around the time Kodiak is released. Even if you double that number (unlikely) by including those using MWO's own launcher, the number is still pretty small.

And again using steam numbers as some sorta fact following the actual number of people playing.. This is not a game that people play daily.. Its a game with a pretty decent sized player base that plays semi casually.. They play maybe a couple nights a week, or weekend warriors.. or events and such.. People take short breaks and return as well..

Just looking at daily peaks, is about the worst way you can judge this games population.. If i had to guess, i would put the population over 50k people easy.. and being an older crowd for the most part, people don't mind spending a few bucks here and there.. heck just a few days into the leader boards, there are well over 20k unique accounts, and go back to the other months, and over 40k.. and thats not counting all the people that didn't log in for the month,, which lots of people do fairly often, because as i stated its an older crowd that has other obligations outside of spending 5 hours a day dropping in matches like the DOTA crowd

Not to mention a large part of that population doesn't even use steam in the first place. This is hardly a daily player type of game..

if you really think only 4k people are playing this game, you are delusional..

Edited by JC Daxion, 07 August 2016 - 06:57 PM.

[Bill Lumbar]

Well I just dropped $50 and am a late backer now. Looks like I will see some of you when Beta hits us