18 replies to this topic

[Yogge Mothi]

I'm apparently a rarity in this game, in that I have no prior experience with the mechwarrior universe. Neither space-fantasy nor fps games are usually my cup of tea, but my friends introduced me to MWO earlier this year and I've really enjoyed it (I'm just about to reach tier 2). I usually play QM (sometimes Scouting, but never CW) and I find it fun in 5-8 game stretches.

From an outsider's perspective, this game isn't all that bad. It offers a more tactical shooter than twitch-head-shot bore fests and I can appreciate that. I know there's a lot of things the developers promised back in the day and I can see why fans are leaving out of frustration. It's kind of a shame though, because this game still outclasses A LOT of bad ones I've dabbled with and left. I hope the exodus doesn't completely shut down MWO; I think it's kind of nifty.

My opinions as an outsider:
1. CW needs to be made worthwhile, in terms of reward-to-time-played. It simply isn't right now and usually turns into 1-sided slaughters that aren't fun for anyone.
2. Increasing time-to-kill would make this game a lot more fun and strategic. These are giant stompy robots; they should take more than 1 alpha to crit out.
3. Making mech colors cost either exorbitant amounts of C-bills or even MC is ridiculous. I can understand it for patterns and cockpit items, but color cosmetics just aren't worth that much imo.
4. Related to 3, costs for almost everything in this game are outrageous, especially when compared to other games out there. I have only bought 1 thing with real money, the kodiak basic pack +hero. Probably gonna buy the MADiic basic pack +hero because it looks like a fun mech, but I'd never pay that money for non-assault mechs. Again, just not worth it imo.

Anywho, that's my take on MWO at this moment. Not a spectacular game, but definitely not a bad one.

Edited by Yogge Mothi, 09 August 2016 - 03:17 PM.

[Zoeff]

Ah somebody else that had MWO introduce them to the BattleTech universe? I was in that boat myself in 2012.

1. Well honestly, FP was and still is to a lesser degree meant to be a much more hardcore no match making gamemode where you have to play as a cohesive team preferably using 3rd party VOIP and such.
2. TTK will probably be increased by the "power-draw" feature that's actively being worked on right now.
3. This is something I agree with as does pretty much everybody I speak to... So much money for cosmetic items.
4. Packs are also quite expensive, I just see them as early buyer mechs because you can pay for them with in-game money some time after. If you count in the premium time and such it's not that bad of a deal, but still a lot of money.

[InspectorG]

Welcome aboard.

Is MWO a 'bad' game? IMO, no, its fun enough for me.

Is MWO under-delivering on promises made to hardcore IP fans thirsty for the greatest most super MW/BT game to come along in ten years? Yes.

is MWO decently balanced? IMO, no but not too far off.

Does MWO take player perspective and feedback into account for said balance? Apparently not, at least not on any reasonable manner.

Is MWO a decent game from an at-best average developer? I think its decent enough.

Is MWO a 3 year long Beta test? Why, yes it is!

Could MWO really deliver a unique gaming experience? I think so if the stars align. Many have lost hope.

Does MWO have cool people playing it? IMO, yes.

Have fun.

[MechWarrior319348]

If you get a chance, play MW4 mercs. Its a fun game, and you can easily find it on an abondonedware site.

It will make you wonder whether or not Mechwarrior was meant to be a single player game.

[Davers]

Mech packs are quite reasonable compared to similar games. For $50 in most games you get one vehicle or ship compared to the 3 or 4 you get here.

[jss78]

I also came to this game with zero MechWarrior experience, when I started in Feb 2015. I'd played some 2nd ed. tabletop in my early teens, but then I did a 20+ year time-skip straight to MWO. I had also not played any online shooter in about 15 years (since Quake 1 or 2).

I can still recall my first impressions:

- There's a weird thing called Clans in the game now

- The BattleMaster looks all wrong (blocky, crude, wrong canopy).

- Loved the basic controls from the get-go. Felt like sitting in a 'mech.

- Sounds were extremely impressive and immersive, graphics mostly also.

- I was flabbergasted by the expense of all the "premium" content. I compared against normal games you'd buy for 40 EUR max, and couldn't believe people would spend hundreds-to-thousands on MWO. I later learned MWO premium content is actually pretty decently prized compared to lots of other F2P games. With the exception of camo unlocks which I still think are a ripoff. I have since adopted semi-cetacean spending habits myself...

- I was astonished by the harshness of the NPE, with no truly segregated "kiddie pool" or co-op against AI. I still think this is the biggest missed opportunity in MWO development, should've been focused much more.

Overall impression was, and still is, that MWO is a really good "arena deathmatch" game with 'mechs. I later learned that the Founders were promised a lot more, and I can understand that they're disappointed.

[El Bandito]

Yogge Mothi, on 09 August 2016 - 03:15 PM, said:

4. Related to 3, costs for almost everything in this game are outrageous, especially when compared to other games out there. I have only bought 1 thing with real money, the kodiak basic pack +hero. Probably gonna buy the MADiic basic pack +hero because it looks like a fun mech, but I'd never pay that money for non-assault mechs. Again, just not worth it imo.

MWO prices wouldn't be so outrageous if only this "Must buy three to elite the one mech you like" skill tree system was not there.

[DJMarine]

Personally I think the gameplay is great, but unfortunately it has been managed terribly. For that, I haven't put another dime into it since purchasing a founders pack. The economy and grinding is insulting and if you complain about it, they delete your posts. That's not how you treat your customers.

Davers, on 09 August 2016 - 04:44 PM, said:

Mech packs are quite reasonable compared to similar games. For $50 in most games you get one vehicle or ship compared to the 3 or 4 you get here.

Please show me one game that backs this claim.

[JediPanther]

The game is fun in short bursts. Taking breaks and playing other games is good. Mwo is really fun when you don't care about wining. My previous experience with mech warrior was the abysmal sub par game for sega genesis. It wasn't till I got into closed beta here that I found out how big mech warrior is. The past mw games are extremely hard when you are use to mwo's control scheme and have no joy stick.

Mech packs are alright for when you must have mechs but it is far often better to wait for the c-bill release. Personally I tell people the best thing money wise people can get are a hero mech of a mech they really enjoy playing. The c bill boost adds up a lot over time and it stacks onto any premium time you get either from winning it from events or bought.

[Davers]

JayTac, on 09 August 2016 - 06:54 PM, said:

Please show me one game that backs this claim.

I would invite you to check out World of Tanks, where a Tier 8 tank costs about $50. There are some very nicely priced single tanks in the low tiers for about 7 dollars, and mid tier tanks for about $17. of course those tanks are worthless in their end game of Community Warfare.

Should I mention Star Citizen? I'll leave out all the single ships worth over $400 (since they are all sold out) and redirect you to the ships from $20-$275. Now the $20 ships are referred to as "starter ships", so I can only assume that you aren't meant to be using them too long before you will want to upgrade. But their $15,000 ship combo pack is, luckily, still available.

Now for War Thunder, I did find a pack for $23 that included 2 relatively low tier (1&3) tanks, but most of their packs (4 tanks tiers 1-4) cost between $60 and $80, usually with about 15 days of Premium Time per tank. Seems like some good deals to me.

In League of Legends, you can buy a very nice skin with new animation, particle effects, voice work, etc for about $22 worth of Riot Points (assuming you buy your RP in $100 blocks), but if you just want very minor changes you can get cheap skins for a little over $4. (Champion not included).

Now for Hawken, they have a nice looking bundle for $60 that includes 9 mechs (I thought they were actually called something else, but they use the term mech in the Store). But it only mentions 1 weapon unlock for each, while their 'Complete Sharpshooter' package (for $20) seems to include a lot more things that I assume you would have to upgrade in game, such as Items, Internals, and Weapons).

So, in summary, I can say that WoT and WoW (World of Warships) have $50 for single vehicles, and that MWO's multiple customizable mechs for $20-$40 seems to be pretty reasonable.

[DJMarine]

I never got into WoT or Star Citizen mainly because of what you just laid out. Star Citizen is on a level of absurdity that I'll never be able to wrap my head around. But, it's also an extreme outlier. That being said, is it great that MWO is following a similar formula as WoT, one that only hardcore mw fans would find value in at the current prices.

WoT can get away with their prices as their game is thriving. They also, to my knowledge anyway, don't have a history of screwing over their customers (money wasted on MechWarrior Tactics for example) or being 2 years behind development schedule. I think it's hard to ask for a similar premium given their past issues. Also, when you have a smaller community, you may want to make it more financially accessible for those not hardcore into it. Plus, let's be honest unless you're competitive with WoT you don't ever need the high price tanks. So I could probably argue being a casual player in WoT would be cheaper than playing casually in MWO.</p>

WT I think offers better value as does LoL even though it's an entirely different game. In League you could get by without ever spending any or very little money and not be missing out on anything substantial. An even better example would be Dota 2. Everything is available and accessible for free, outside of cosmetics.</p>

MW just needs to loosen the reigns on one aspect of the economy. If you're going to charge a decent premium for mechs then at least make life easier for players elsewhere. Right now their approach is just too greedy and aggressive imo.

Edited by JayTac, 09 August 2016 - 09:30 PM.

[Navid A1]

I tried to introduce one of my friends into MWO and BT franchise earlier this year:

His reaction to BT universe was all amazement and awe... He was like: " How the hell there is no TV series or movies on this truck load of lore? "

However, his first reaction to MWO was: " what idiot pays 40 dollars for just a mech in this game? "... and then after he experienced some roflstomps, he left the game when he realized that he needs to quit his job and play 8 hours a day just to be able to buy enough mechs for a good drop deck.

[jss78]

JayTac, on 09 August 2016 - 06:54 PM, said:

Please show me one game that backs this claim.

World of Warhips is happy to sell you a top-tier ship for 50 EUR, a mid-tier ship for 20-30 EUR.

One thing I've grown to respect about MWO is the fair monetization system and lack of P2W. The grind for new 'mechs isn't that bad, most 'mechs can be bought with c-bills, and the Heroes generally aren't really any better. And the c-bill consumables can be made as good as the MC consumables by using GXP on consumable skills.

In World of Warhips, I'm not sure if it's even possible to grind a Tier 10 ship without spending $/€. With repair and rearmament costs I seem reach the break-even point at Tier 7 ships, though I'm not a great player.

[Alistair Winter]

So... you admit to being a filthy casual?

Just kidding. Good post!

[AmazingOnionMan]

I've been a fan of BattleTech since it came in a box with dice and a proper Warhammer on the cover, and I enjoy MWO for what it is; a fairly decent teambased arenashooter with a BattleTech skin. And considering the fact that you can enjoy this game to its fullest without spending a single monetary unit of your choice on it, that's pretty good.
I won't stop hoping that PGI will some day turn it into an actual BattleTech-game and polish away the gamemechanical bugs, introduce deeper tactics, working factions, campaign play, and the rich lore of the franchise.
I'm not a member of the hardcore founders-club, so I'm perhaps not as bitter as I should be about the game as it is.

[RAM]

Yogge Mothi, on 09 August 2016 - 03:15 PM, said:

These are giant stompy robots

No, they are not.


RAM
ELH

[Davers]

AmazingOnionMan, on 10 August 2016 - 02:14 AM, said:

I've been a fan of BattleTech since it came in a box with dice and a proper Warhammer on the cover, and I enjoy MWO for what it is; a fairly decent teambased arenashooter with a BattleTech skin. And considering the fact that you can enjoy this game to its fullest without spending a single monetary unit of your choice on it, that's pretty good.
I won't stop hoping that PGI will some day turn it into an actual BattleTech-game and polish away the gamemechanical bugs, introduce deeper tactics, working factions, campaign play, and the rich lore of the franchise.
I'm not a member of the hardcore founders-club, so I'm perhaps not as bitter as I should be about the game as it is.

What you hope for was what PGI told us they were making. That's why we're bitter.

C'est la vie.

[jjm1]

Davers, on 09 August 2016 - 09:03 PM, said:

Now for Hawken, they have a nice looking bundle for $60 that includes 9 mechs (I thought they were actually called something else, but they use the term mech in the Store). But it only mentions 1 weapon unlock for each, while their 'Complete Sharpshooter' package (for $20) seems to include a lot more things that I assume you would have to upgrade in game, such as Items, Internals, and Weapons).

Hawken is a lot like MWO. Cosmetics are the only thing you have to pay for. There are no hero mechs. You can pay to skip the grind like MWO, but it doesn't take that long to unlock everything anyway.

[Johnny Z]

JayTac, on 09 August 2016 - 09:29 PM, said:

I never got into WoT or Star Citizen mainly because of what you just laid out. Star Citizen is on a level of absurdity that I'll never be able to wrap my head around. But, it's also an extreme outlier. That being said, is it great that MWO is following a similar formula as WoT, one that only hardcore mw fans would find value in at the current prices.

WoT can get away with their prices as their game is thriving. They also, to my knowledge anyway, don't have a history of screwing over their customers (money wasted on MechWarrior Tactics for example) or being 2 years behind development schedule. I think it's hard to ask for a similar premium given their past issues. Also, when you have a smaller community, you may want to make it more financially accessible for those not hardcore into it. Plus, let's be honest unless you're competitive with WoT you don't ever need the high price tanks. So I could probably argue being a casual player in WoT would be cheaper than playing casually in MWO.&lt;/p&gt;

WT I think offers better value as does LoL even though it's an entirely different game. In League you could get by without ever spending any or very little money and not be missing out on anything substantial. An even better example would be Dota 2. Everything is available and accessible for free, outside of cosmetics.&lt;/p&gt;

MW just needs to loosen the reigns on one aspect of the economy. If you're going to charge a decent premium for mechs then at least make life easier for players elsewhere. Right now their approach is just too greedy and aggressive imo.

Star Citizen proves how much players have wanted a space sim. As simple as that. Many were willing to finance it to be basically what a lot of players dreamed of. I have said it wont offer the amazing battles that Aerotech in MechWarrior Online can and its true, but maybe it can be an awesome game anyway.

World of Tanks was grilliant because it offered free to play persistant online game in a time when MMO's were failing in an epic way. Failing really hard. World of Tanks enjoys their being ahead of everyone else even now and excellent sales strategy. They also enjoy a kind of customer loyalty few other games can get under any circumstances anyway.

MechWarrior Online? If anything the mechs should remain same price or higher. The basis of Battltech is how vauable mechs are and that each one is special. Read up on story and lore for details of this. Anyway the result is current mech prices are low if anything.