93 replies to this topic

[Alistair Winter]

Let me preface this post by saying that a lot of positive things are happening with the Public Test Server.

DPS is being reduced and TTK is being increased. They're also doing a lot of important minor stuff, like buffing single heat sinks, increasing gauss rifle cooldown, removing override damage to the head component, increasing SRM missile spread, reducing skill tree heat bonuses, etc. Who knows, they may even actually do something with MGs. (I also dislike ED as a concept and I'm very worried that all the new changes will temporarily or permanently ruin the game, but that's a different discussion)

That being said... I don't understand why and how this is happening. You have to understand, this is a relatively small test involving a relatively small portion of the player population, and it's going to effectively have hundreds of changes (both major and minor) implemented in one huge swoop when this thing hits the live server. How is it possible for PGI to do this, when the game has only seen relatively tiny changes every 4-12 weeks for years now? I don't get it.

Suddenly they're making dozens of changes in every iteration of the PTS build, adjusting cooldowns, ranges, durations, charge mechanics, almost every universal factor you can think of. Before the ED testing, players would ask for constant iterative balancing with tiny tweaking every 2-4 weeks, instead of nerfing jump jets and MGs and not touching them again for 2 years. But the counter-argument was that PGI had to make small changes, monitor the results for a long time, and avoid making multiple changes at the same time that would make it harder to draw conclusions about the results.

Well?

Why is it suddenly now a viable approach to look at the numbers from a public test server where 10-20 people are playing every day (out of a ~50,000 total population, probably) and use this data to make so many vast, rapid changes?

I don't understand this new approach. Why is this happening now, and why didn't it happen before? And when is the PTS jump jet edition starting? Because I'd like to participate in that.

Edited by Alistair Winter, 13 September 2016 - 05:07 PM.

[FupDup]

The only explanation I can think of is that they simply never cared about these things until the "Energy Draw" system was in testing. Then all of a sudden they decided to start actually doing things.

Regardless, there are a lot of weapon and item changes that I hope really don't stick. Namely, having heat dissipation get nerfed in conjunction with the heat capacity getting nerfed results in many sadmechs.

[dervishx5]

[Johnny Z]

FupDup, on 13 September 2016 - 05:21 PM, said:

The only explanation I can think of is that they simply never cared about these things until the "Energy Draw" system was in testing. Then all of a sudden they decided to start actually doing things.

Regardless, there are a lot of weapon and item changes that I hope really don't stick. Namely, having heat dissipation get nerfed in conjunction with the heat capacity getting nerfed results in many sadmechs.

Well there is a gauge now. Everyone complained there was no way to see ghost heat. if other improvements are made then its all win.

[RussianWolf]

Simple answer....

It's PGI

When has ANYTHING they've done made sense?

[BarHaid]

[Wintersdark]

Well, I choose to believe for my own sanity they're not looking at implementing a huge swaft of changes, but are using this as an exploratory venture to try out various things. Not to give extensive testing to particular ideas so much as just making various changes that they've considered over the years and see what can happen as a result.

I think it's important to not take the PTS setup as "This is what we're thinking of putting live" and instead "We want to see how you break this."

[Imperius]

[N0ni]

I'm fairly certain this is just a stockpile of changes they already had over the years, but only recently come to a point where they can pass it as a 'major patch' so they can say, "Hey, we're doing something big! Are you guys proud of us? Buy a mechpack to fund further changes!".

But that's me.

[Imperius]

Ammo per ton needs fixed
Gauss charge needs to be removed
12 v 12 needs to go back to 8 v 8

As for TTK
Cut all weapon damage in half and increase all CT armor by weight class a smal percent.
Remove ghost heat 1.0 and 2.0

Not shooting in a shooter is not fun
Feeling like paper in a mech is not fun

[Khobai]

Quote

I Don't Understand How Pgi Is Balancing The Game

then let me enlighten you

[Imperius]

Khobai, on 13 September 2016 - 07:22 PM, said:

then let me enlighten you

You need to put the MechPacks on the easier to hit targets. Remember the dart is just thrown at the board . There is no attempt to hit the center or effort put forth in caring. So 90% of the board should be would you like a mech pack and the hardest smallest spot to hit would be listen to feedback and push ego aside for 10 seconds.

[Khobai]

Quote

You need to put the MechPacks on the easier to hit targets

if the dart misses the board entirely its a new mechpack too

[Robot Kenshiro]

Did you not see Russ's tweet? The community wanted it apparently..... .. Apparently there is another forum and he reads that instead.

[Imperius]

Khobai, on 13 September 2016 - 07:27 PM, said:

if the dart misses the board entirely its a new mechpack too

Wallpaper of "Would you like to buy a mech pack?" lol I wouldn't doubt it. I will say there for sure was never much testing.

[Khobai]

Quote

Apparently there is another forum and he reads that instead.

yeah its called twitter lol

[Robot Kenshiro]

And plus you dont have to go far....the Dev Vlogs havent even been updated..... so tight lipped hey.....

Khobai, on 13 September 2016 - 07:35 PM, said:

yeah its called twitter lol

Oh no no.....its the super secret spec ops community MWO thread he reads.

Edited by Robot Kenshiro, 13 September 2016 - 07:36 PM.

[Imperius]

Robot Kenshiro, on 13 September 2016 - 07:34 PM, said:

Did you not see Russ's tweet? The community wanted it apparently..... .. Apparently there is another forum and he reads that instead.

Maybe he's reading the closed beta forums. Cause the majority of mechs added to MWO I hardly see a request thread on, and the ones requested you must get boarder line banned to get the soon™ 90 days promise which means next year obviously.

[Khobai]

Quote

Oh no no.....its the super secret spec ops community MWO thread he reads.

oh right the one with all the "top competitive players"

because it makes total sense to let less than 1% of the player base dictate what the other 99% should get out of the game

[Imperius]

Robot Kenshiro, on 13 September 2016 - 07:36 PM, said:

And plus you dont have to go far....the Dev Vlogs havent even been updated..... so tight lipped hey.....


Oh no no.....its the super secret spec ops community MWO thread he reads.

Hey but the VLOG room was updated. Don't know why when it's not used.