32 replies to this topic

[CK16]

So I got to wondering here this fine Mech_Con eve. There are many out there wishing and hoping on that their mech of choice gets announced tomorrow (among many other things). Then there is the "do you want to buy a mech pack!" Crowd satly over a mech a month and to many mechs ect.

It got me thinking, it is no secret that for my self am pro mech packs a month, I believe it benefits the game....but is it driven more from my desire to see My pet mech added to the game over the other? If I had my favorite mech added to MWO, would I still be pro mechpack? Or atleast, always super enthuastic about the announcement ever month?

So I have a question for you guys!
-Is your favorite mech from Battletech in MWO? And! Do you support/enjoy a new mech every month?-

Edited by CK16, 02 December 2016 - 11:03 AM.

[Juodas Varnas]

The answer to both questions is no.

[1453 R]

My old nostalgia machines are the Bushwacker and the Penetrator. One is in*, the other is not.

I didn't buy the Bushwacker, and will not be doing so, because of other factors surrounding the issue of the Bushwacker's thoroughly unsatisfactory inclusion in the game. I'm not particularly busted up one way or another over the "Wanna buy a 'Mech pack?" nonsense, but I am done spending until the FutureTech issue, at the very least, is sorted out.

It has little to do with the frequency of 'Mech packs, or even the frequency of 'Mech packs vs. non-MP content/features. It's a matter of the wrong decisions being made one time too many.

[Bombast]

Quote

-Is your favorite mech from Battletech in MWO?

My 'favorite' fluctuates, but the top three are the Catapult (Probably most often my favorite), the Zeus, and the Awesome. So... yes.

No. 4 and 5 aren't though (Champion, Dervish). No 6 (The Bushwacker) is coming soon.

Quote

And! Do you support/enjoy a new mech aevery month?-

Don't buy mechpacks, and the few mechs I'd like added are unlikely to make it, at least anytime soon.

But this thread is a bit of trap - No one's really against frequent mechpacks when you get down to it - People just feel like the rush for easy cash (Mech Packs) is having a detrimental affect on the game as things like poorly balanced maps, infrequent new maps and map fixes, and near non-existent FP improvements are strangling it.

I almost guarantee that if people felt like those things were being addressed, they wouldn't give two shits about the frequency of mech packs. But many feel they aren't, so they do.

[Metus regem]

CK16, on 02 December 2016 - 11:00 AM, said:

So I got to wondering here this fine Mech_Con eve. There are many out there wishing and hoping on that their mech of choice gets announced tomorrow (among many other things). Then there is the "do you want to buy a mech pack!" Crowd satly over a mech a month and to many mechs ect.

It got me thinking, it is no secret that for my self am pro mech packs a month, I believe it benefits the game....but is it driven more from my desire to see My pet mech added to the game over the other? If I had my favorite mech added to MWO, would I still be pro mechpack? Or atleast, always super enthuastic about the announcement ever month?

So I have a question for you guys!
-Is your favorite mech from Battletech in MWO? And! Do you support/enjoy a new mech every month?-

Is my absolute favorite mech from Battletech in MWO? No, and I am not likely to see it either as the game maps are too small and Russ fears their power....





"The Phoenix Hawk LAM was the largest Land-Air 'Mech produced during the Star League. Allied Aerospace reworked their designs for conversion equipment and the size of the LAM, learning from their mistake with the Shadow Hawk LAM and the success of the Stinger LAM. The resulting LAM was the largest LAM ever constructed capable of remaining in AirMech mode. Unfortunately, large Land-Air 'Mech conversion technology was not fully researched before the fall of the Star League, and the Phoenix Hawk LAM frequently met its end due to the occasional glitch. The end of the Star League and destruction of the Allied Aerospace facilities at the beginning of the First Succession War prevented further development and refinement."

PHX-HK1

• Developed for the Star League Defense Force Royal Divisions in 2692, this variant of the Phoenix Hawk LAM used four Medium Lasers and a single ER Large Laser as its main firepower. Twelve double heat sinks kept the heat curve low, but the limited fuel, armor, and maneuverability made the Phoenix Hawk LAM easy prey for AeroSpace Fighters of the same weight. It could maneuver fast enough to evade heavier foes however.

Do I get by with what is in, yes, yes I do.

[Morggo]

1. Marauder, so yes (It's what got me to finally download the game when it went on preorder)

2. Two part answer I guess.
a. yes, from the standpoint it is about the only revenue source to keep the lights on

b. BUT... I would prefer they do something to make all these mechs relevant per their Lore...there is generally a reason each of the chassis exist in TT/BT. So, go to hardpoints with size limits (like... no, you can't put that AC20 in what is supposed to be a torso MG mount.. etc) or make quirks on mechs strongly encourage Lore "correct" (like, say, PPC's on Warhammers, etc). I dunno something but if you are going to push out monthly mechs just seems there should be some sort of differentiating feature to make each one relevant/desirable.

[Hunka Junk]

I'm not against monthly mech packs, but I'm very much against the we-can-do-mech-packs-but-everything-else-is-like-we-can't-tie-our-own-shoelaces state of everything else.

I'm not buying any more mech packs until the rest of that gets sorted.

Based on a very extensive track record, it seems I won't be buying any more mech packs.

I guess we'll see in short order.

[FupDup]

CK16, on 02 December 2016 - 11:00 AM, said:

So I have a question for you guys!
-Is your favorite mech from Battletech in MWO? And! Do you support/enjoy a new mech aevery month?-

You mean two questions.

CK16, on 02 December 2016 - 11:00 AM, said:

-Is your favorite mech from Battletech in MWO?

I have a hard time picking a "one true favorite" mech, but I would say that many of my top picks are not here.

However, a number of those top picks might not be that great or might be replicatable in MWO already, so I don't place much priority on them.

CK16, on 02 December 2016 - 11:00 AM, said:

And! Do you support/enjoy a new mech aevery month?-

The one per month thing by itself is relatively in-line with the rate of "new shinies" one can expect to see in a F2P game.

However, there are some issues beneath the surface here...

1. The mechs getting added aren't always chosen very well in terms of what roles they could fill. It seems like drawing names from a hat. What this means is that the impact of each mech release can either add something relatively tame/moderate to the gameplay, add extreme power creep, or add absolutely nothing.

2. As an extension of the above, PGI doesn't seem to invest much time into evening out the OP/UP mechs being released. Things just get left in their release state for a looooong time, which amplifies the issue.

3. There is an overwhelming feeling that mechpack money is mostly spent on future mechpacks, rather than investing into the game in other ways. Technically wages and infrastructure are also paid with this cash, but we the players don't see or feel this ourselves while playing the game. We only see/feel the mechs being added...and hardly anything else.

If that money WAS being spent on substantial other in-game features, then I don't think the "Do you wanna buy a Mech Pack?" meme would be as popular as it is now.

Despite being listed as #3, this is probably the most important point.

Edited by FupDup, 02 December 2016 - 11:21 AM.

[1453 R]

Bombast, on 02 December 2016 - 11:07 AM, said:

But this thread is a bit of trap - No one's really against frequent mechpacks when you get down to it - People just feel like the rush for easy cash (Mech Packs) is having a detrimental affect on the game as things like poorly balanced maps, infrequent new maps and map fixes, and near non-existent FP improvements are strangling it.

I almost guarantee that if people felt like those things were being addressed, they wouldn't give two shits about the frequency of mech packs. But many feel they aren't, so they do.

This is mostly the deal, really.

Yeah, the "Wanna Buy a 'Mech Pack?" guys are annoying as hell, but recall that in those brief lulls when people thought the game was going somewhere, they've proven perfectly excitable over new machines.

It's when Piranha does nothing but increasingly sketchy, sabotaged-FutureTech 'Mech packs, a crap-assed "World" tournament no one supports, and "Wait Till MechCon!" for most of a year that people start ragging on them harder than usual.

[C E Dwyer]

Yes and Yes

Yes the Victor is in the game I'll also mention the Battle Master as a mech, because there are days when the BM shades the Vic

However both models are pretty bad, and when they redid the Catapult could have easily resized them and changed the style of them, but didn't.

Yes I support the mech a month.

People complained about not being able to afford the Resistance, the clan packs the Phoenix pack etc etc, so P.G.I went a single monthly mech, which is the best system.

However, the extreme bias to Heavy, and Assault mechs is beginning to bug me, and the power creep is getting stupid, not so much in the mechs being created, each month but Ale'x's designs throwing the hard points up high, many hard points being the highest of any design of the mechs in question, further breaking balance and requiring even more quirks on older mechs to compensate.

[Peter2k]

Bombast, on 02 December 2016 - 11:07 AM, said:

No one's really against frequent mechpacks when you get down to it - People just feel like the rush for easy cash (Mech Packs) is having a detrimental affect on the game as things like poorly balanced maps, infrequent new maps and map fixes, and near non-existent FP improvements are strangling it.

I almost guarantee that if people felt like those things were being addressed, they wouldn't give two shits about the frequency of mech packs. But many feel they aren't, so they do.

Exactly this

If pgi can bring out a map every month or so and something new at least once in a while then PGI can bring out 3 mech packs a month

It's just the lack of features for months that we have to wait for (mechcon) that triggered the response to the
"Always on time" mechpacks

[Gas Guzzler]

I support the additional mechs added at a rate of 1 mech a month. Variety is good. That doesn't mean that is the only thing I want coming out of the pipes though.

[TercieI]

Gas Guzzler, on 02 December 2016 - 11:25 AM, said:

I support the additional mechs added at a rate of 1 mech a month. Variety is good. That doesn't mean that is the only thing I want coming out of the pipes though.

This.

And no, no Stinger in game.

[Cementi]

The issue is not the fact that they are releasing mechpacks every month. I think everyone knows that mechpacks are there bread and butter and honestly even the base 20 dollar packs are the best way to get your premium time as you also get mechs. The real problem is the fact that they are cranking out mechpacks but nothing else.

PGI considered mechs content but most players look upon them as not much more than a cosmetic. Great to have especially if it is your personal favorite but honestly there are not alot of unique mechs. Alot of good builds can be accomplished by another mech of the same weight and similar hardpoints. There are some exceptions where geometry makes a big difference but for many it is about which mech they like the look of.

The "Wanna buy a mechpack?" crowd will go silent very fast if PGI would just introduce some meaningful things to game. Things that players would actually consider content.

I am part of the "Wanna buy a mechpack?" crowd and will be until such time as PGI introduces some real content. I am also saying this when they have put out a preorder for the Assassin which at this point with the 200 or so mechbays I have is literally the only mechpack they could have introduced that would make me buy it. There are alot of reasons as to why I am not spending as much money on this game as I was. I disagree with alot of their balance decisions, but that is not the end of the world. It is not a problem with their pricing. Heck it is not even entirely a problem with the lack of content (sorry I do not consider mechpacks content, they are cosmetics to me). It has gotten to the point that I simply do not need any more mechs. I have far more than I could ever play. Why buy more other than just being impatient and wanting to pilot something now. PGI must find a way to monetize something else. Mechpacks are great but there will come a time in even the most devoted whale's eyes that they look at a new mechpack and think "Looks cool but I have a mech that allready does that."

So as some one from the "Wanna buy a mechpack?" crowd I say this. Keep them coming. Just add in some other revenue generators. Lots have been suggested and these are the ones that come to mind I am sure there are others.

Co-op pve that is premium gated. (and give's cbill rewards)
Mech equipment with non combat boost ie variants of a weapon that either give an xp boost, gxp boost, or cbill increase.
Stock mech que that is premium gated. (that gives cbill rewards, I could care less about private lobbys as most of the people I know have given up on the game so kinda hard to find 24 people to play and manual matchmaking blows)
Premium players get to generate faction points even when in quickplay.

Since I mentioned ques why can you not que for both CW and QP at the same time? Many other games allow you to que up for multiple game modes at the same time and you get put into whatever pops up first. Im not a fan of the current CW implementation myself but I am sure there are plenty of players that would check off any game mode and go from there.

Find ways to make money other than just mechpacks. But keep the mechpacks coming for those that like them (and hey its money). Then use that money to develop other features for the game that players will actually consider content.

[ChapeL]

I must say I really don't have a favorite chassis as far as lore is concerned and so I don't really care either way. Monthly mech pack is something necessary for developement to continue apace at PGI central ( glacial a pace though it may be ). Hell I'd be in favor of two mech packs a month if it sped things up ! It's far better than say charging for new maps or game types ( that would lock the "havenots" out of content altogether ).

[Gas Guzzler]

Cementi, on 02 December 2016 - 11:32 AM, said:

PGI considered mechs content

I see this comes up alot, people get upset with Russ's word choice.

To PGI, mechs and maps are "content".

"Features" are things like game modes, FP functionality, spectator tool, etc. The big things that people want are "features" not "content".

Whether or not that is the correct word choice or not, I don't know or care to know, but I have picked this up from watching what people say. So really, the masses want PGI to focus on "features" where mechs, hero mechs, maps are content.

[Bud Crue]

Make CW not suck and I will buy every mech pack they can throw at me. One per month? I'll take two. Make the game immersive and even remotely like what they advertised and I will buy them all. It's that easy.

[jss78]

I'm not against monthly 'mech packs. I get that they fund the (pretty much) the entire development of the game, and this is OK, but I am incrasingly dismayed by how slow that other development progresses. But I'm not sure that would be solved by releasing fewer 'mech packs, so whatever.

One of my absolute favourites, the Crusader, is still not in the game. I will pre-order that, otherwise it's unlikely that I'd preorder anything. Maybe a quad or a LAM, as they'd offer different gameplay mechanics.

[MrJeffers]

I remember in closed Beta when the plan was to release a mech a month. And then I remember all the rage threads when they went to the large pack models (Phoenix) and not releasing a mech a month, which actually wasn't entirely true because the Pack->MC->C-Bills release of the packs still ended up as a mech a month after the initial exclusive window.
And then they went to the individual mech pack model and it was met with rage on both sides. Yet it's still a mech a month, like they always said it was going to be. #cantPleaseAnyone

Edited by MrJeffers, 02 December 2016 - 03:02 PM.

[Alteran]

Answers: Yes and Yes

But I am a salty dogged bittervet with added saltiness. With over 120 Mechbays, I can pick and choose which Mechs I want for Cbills now as they come up. I have no desire to purchase for cash or MC another Mech.