183 replies to this topic

[Sean Lang]

We are sitting down and chatting with Russ & Derek about the changes coming to Faction Play, as a result from the last Round Table, come join in live!

http://twitch.tv/ngngtv

[Johnny Z]

Hey cool thanks.

[Gentleman Reaper]

Can someone make a list of the topics after it's over?

Edited by Gentleman Reaper, 07 September 2016 - 06:22 PM.

[Wintersdark]

I only tuned in for half an hour or so, before screaming children made listening impossible, but my favourite is that they're looking to add Quick Play game modes and maps to FP. Note that Quick Play games are not changing in any way, but that there will be skirmish/domination/assault (w/ revamped assault mode)/conquest Faction Play matches with dropship (12x4 vs 12x4) gameplay, as with Invasion.

I think that's cool, and am quite interested in seeing how they play. I detest respawn PvP, but drop deck limited respawns are totally different and very cool - because you have a set number of mechs, every time a mech is destroyed that mech is gone; and bad zergy players can't just suck from some communal team wide ticket pool.

I think Conquest would be a very interesting and dynamic mode with 12x4 vs. 12x4, for example.

As much as I hate normal respawn, the respawn proponent guys are right that most game modes just work better with them. I'd love to try our existing game modes in FP, with drop decks, all the while not risking the Quick Play experience.

Good stuff.

[Johnny Z]

Wintersdark, on 07 September 2016 - 06:29 PM, said:

I only tuned in for half an hour or so, before screaming children made listening impossible, but my favourite is that they're looking to add Quick Play game modes and maps to FP. Note that Quick Play games are not changing in any way, but that there will be skirmish/domination/assault (w/ revamped assault mode)/conquest Faction Play matches with dropship (12x4 vs 12x4) gameplay, as with Invasion.

I think that's cool, and am quite interested in seeing how they play. I detest respawn PvP, but drop deck limited respawns are totally different and very cool - because you have a set number of mechs, every time a mech is destroyed that mech is gone; and bad zergy players can't just suck from some communal team wide ticket pool.

I think Conquest would be a very interesting and dynamic mode with 12x4 vs. 12x4, for example.

As much as I hate normal respawn, the respawn proponent guys are right that most game modes just work better with them. I'd love to try our existing game modes in FP, with drop decks, all the while not risking the Quick Play experience.

Good stuff.

I missed most of it until its on youtube but this sounds good.

[Archangel.84]

That does sound really cool actually!

[N0ni]

So far sounds like minimal effort.

[Wintersdark]

N0ni, on 07 September 2016 - 06:40 PM, said:

So far sounds like minimal effort.

There's a fairly substantial set of changes in the pipe. It's not like they've got an EA sized studio to overhaul things with.

There's a lot more than what I posted above; that's just part of it.

I also really liked the notion that they're replacing Long Tom with blanket ECM intermittently. So you'd be able to time a push while the entire OpFor's sensors are down.

THAT is the sort of bonus Scouting should get you. It doesn't do damage, it can't win the game for you, but it would give you powerful tools if you choose to use them (and use them correctly).

[Wintersdark]

(current long tom nerf being patched in now is to hold us over, so it's not dominating play in the mean time)

[N0ni]

Don't care what size studio/staff... new content.

FREE content. Not some "lets take this and put it over there" patrick meme bs.

[ScarecrowES]

Wait a sec.

Did you say rolling Quick Play matches into FP? With respawns?

Those are two things I've been advocating for for years. Is PGI suddenly following my various pieces of advice?

Can we expect Invasion to be replaced by Rush and ED replaced with the TT heat system in the near future?

[MechaBattler]

N0ni, on 07 September 2016 - 07:06 PM, said:

Don't care what size studio/staff... new content.

FREE content. Not some "lets take this and put it over there" patrick meme bs.

This sounds like their usual level of development. Shouldn't expect something unrealistic. They change existing things more than they add new things. If they add something new, it'll be months. At least 3 months for something new. There's just only so much they can do and so much they're willing to devote to doing.

[RestosIII]

ScarecrowES, on 07 September 2016 - 07:11 PM, said:

Wait a sec.

Did you say rolling Quick Play matches into FP? With respawns?

Those are two things I've been advocating for for years. Is PGI suddenly following my various pieces of advice?

Can we expect Invasion to be replaced by Rush and ED replaced with the TT heat system in the near future?

Not replacing quickplay. Just making FW have quickplay style matches. For reasons.

[Johnny Z]

MechaBattler, on 07 September 2016 - 07:14 PM, said:

This sounds like their usual level of development. Shouldn't expect something unrealistic. They change existing things more than they add new things. If they add something new, it'll be months. At least 3 months for something new. There's just only so much they can do and so much they're willing to devote to doing.

Its true new additions features or content would be better but this change sounds really good. Looks like it will be done in a small sort of step at first to see how it goes sounds even better.

Maybe some new feature or additions will be announced at Mech Con is my hope.

Edited by Johnny Z, 07 September 2016 - 07:18 PM.

[ScarecrowES]

RestosIII, on 07 September 2016 - 07:15 PM, said:

Not replacing quickplay. Just making FW have quickplay style matches. For reasons.

Well, the reasons are pretty simple... first, all of the modes PGI uses for quick play are designed around respawns. Even limited respawns would make those modes play better. And, realistically, ALL modes should fall under the FP umbrella. Quick Play shouldn't be a separate entity. Rolling those modes into FP even as its own thing lets us test and see if that's the way to go. I think it is already.

[Glaive-]

N0ni, on 07 September 2016 - 07:06 PM, said:

Don't care what size studio/staff... new content.

FREE content. Not some "lets take this and put it over there" patrick meme bs.

They are literally in the process of remaking assault right now, give them a break.

[ScarecrowES]

armyunit, on 07 September 2016 - 07:23 PM, said:

They are literally in the process of remaking assault right now, give them a break.

And a perfect example of a mode that really won't work without some sort of respawn system. Too much going on for elimination-style gameplay.

[N0ni]

armyunit, on 07 September 2016 - 07:23 PM, said:

They are literally in the process of remaking assault right now, give them a break.

And we'll still only have 4 game modes to choose from in QP.

[MischiefSC]

So they're admitting total failure on FW and closing it up. Cool.

Just put the maps/modes in QP, split pug/premade and put in the MM. That'll get the QP population involved.

Removing the relevance of faction membership, merc/loyalist et al and putting it into a QP environment but still keeping 'planets' is pointless. You've eliminated factions, why keep the trappings of FP at all?

Just post up 'Yeah, we promised a bunch of stuff we just couldn't deliver on. Then we made a bunch of decisions from LT to recruitment prices and such that drove away a huge swath of those who did play it but we can't roll those back because then we would have been wrong. So we're just shutting it down and admitting a QP environment is really all we've got the ability to provide so we're just putting it all there. Good luck, and please buy a mech pack'.

That would have been the most honest thing we've ever gotten in the Announcements forum.

Eliminating the relevance of factions, merc, loyalist et al isn't a 'fix' for FW. It's admitting total failure. It happens, sometimes we try things that are beyond our ability or willingness to execute on. Just own it and move forward at least.

[Johnny Z]

MischiefSC, on 07 September 2016 - 07:47 PM, said:

So they're admitting total failure on FW and closing it up. Cool.

Just put the maps/modes in QP, split pug/premade and put in the MM. That'll get the QP population involved.

Removing the relevance of faction membership, merc/loyalist et al and putting it into a QP environment but still keeping 'planets' is pointless. You've eliminated factions, why keep the trappings of FP at all?

Just post up 'Yeah, we promised a bunch of stuff we just couldn't deliver on. Then we made a bunch of decisions from LT to recruitment prices and such that drove away a huge swath of those who did play it but we can't roll those back because then we would have been wrong. So we're just shutting it down and admitting a QP environment is really all we've got the ability to provide so we're just putting it all there. Good luck, and please buy a mech pack'.

That would have been the most honest thing we've ever gotten in the Announcements forum.

Eliminating the relevance of factions, merc, loyalist et al isn't a 'fix' for FW. It's admitting total failure. It happens, sometimes we try things that are beyond our ability or willingness to execute on. Just own it and move forward at least.

I have not heard the entire thing but it seems like they are preserving the quick play environment as they go. Smart move since quick play is doing well. Have to see how it all plays out.

Edited by Johnny Z, 07 September 2016 - 07:49 PM.