34 replies to this topic

[Mighty Mutley]

I see another boat load of mechs, weapons, etc coming soon. I understand this is most likely to do with revenue stream generation, but the game remains the same more or less, basically since the beta many moons ago.

Is there any ongoing work to look at things like more game modes, more interesting objectives, perhaps bigger games with more players per side. etc?
There's so much that could be done with the system, but the vast majority of the effort seems to go into tweaking this and that and creating new mechs.

I've been 'into' battletech for many years now and whilst this game does what it does very well - the combat is brutal, looks great, feels like battletech, looks like battletech - it misses a lot of the rest. I like to drop and play a few games but they often play out very similar and after a days playing many of my group lose interest for a week or longer, simply because the game is just a 'drop and fight' game, there's nothing further to keep the interest.

Maybe I'm wishing for things that will never happen, but with more interesting game types, better roles for lighter mechs, scenarios, uneven sided games, clan specific sides. etc etc.
This is all stuff that would keep people playing longer, keep them more interested, and ultimately generate revenue as well.

[El Bandito]

Siege mode is coming, but dunno when. As for maps, no news on that.

[Tarogato]

No.

This is a game that's about shooting stompy robots. Therefore every game mode will revolve around or reduce to shooting the enemy stompy robots. When PGI introduces objectives that don't involve shooting stompy robots, people complain. Particularly because of economy and stats - you don't get the good stuff unless you shoot stompy robots.

Better roles for light mechs require larger maps. Larger maps mean people playing slow mechs will complain that there is too much idle walking. So we can't have larger maps. Go play Living Legends.

Scenarios are for single player or third party leagues. If you want them, go play a Mechwarrior single player game, or wait for NBT or Proxis to start up again.

Uneven sided games are uneven. I don't know why you'd want this, it's not as enjoyable.


For the record, there is a new game mode coming out soon - called Incursion. I believe it will be similar to Assault mode. But it still be team deathmatch, because if it's anything else, people will complain.

El Bandito, on 16 March 2017 - 02:20 AM, said:

Siege mode is coming, but dunno when. As for maps, no news on that.

Siege is the new name for Invasion mode. You're thinking of Incursion, whatever that is. =P

Edited by Tarogato, 16 March 2017 - 02:24 AM.

[DovisKhan]

Tarogato, on 16 March 2017 - 02:21 AM, said:

No.

This is a game that's about shooting stompy robots. Therefore every game mode will revolve around or reduce to shooting the enemy stompy robots.

Exactly this, even in a mode with a huge green circle on a minimap most people fail to go into it, so offering anything more would boggle their tiny brains and explode their heads.

This is a shooter with robots, so ROBOTS AND NEW WEAPONS to shoot them with ARE THE CONTENT we want.

Edited by DovisKhan, 16 March 2017 - 02:27 AM.

[Jingseng]

Balance cries - pgi nerfs/buffs/changes - people rant and hate it.

New map cries - pgi redoes maps or makes a new one - people rant and hate it.

New game mode cries - pgi introduces new mode or revamps old ones - people rant and hate it.

New game mechanics - pgi beta tests changes - people rant and hate it.

New mech cries - pgi introduces new mechs - no one complains except to say it isnt the specific one they wanted, but they might buy it anyway.

[Tarogato]

DovisKhan, on 16 March 2017 - 02:27 AM, said:

This is a shooter with robots, so ROBOTS AND NEW WEAPONS to shoot them with ARE THE CONTENT we want.

Well, maybe for you. But for me the #1 content is maps to play on. In the past THREE YEARS we've gone from 12 maps to 14...

[NextGame]

Mighty Mutley, on 16 March 2017 - 02:11 AM, said:

I see another boat load of mechs, weapons, etc coming soon. I understand this is most likely to do with revenue stream generation, but the game remains the same more or less, basically since the beta many moons ago.

Is there any ongoing work to look at things like more game modes, more interesting objectives, perhaps bigger games with more players per side. etc?
There's so much that could be done with the system, but the vast majority of the effort seems to go into tweaking this and that and creating new mechs.

I've been 'into' battletech for many years now and whilst this game does what it does very well - the combat is brutal, looks great, feels like battletech, looks like battletech - it misses a lot of the rest. I like to drop and play a few games but they often play out very similar and after a days playing many of my group lose interest for a week or longer, simply because the game is just a 'drop and fight' game, there's nothing further to keep the interest.

Maybe I'm wishing for things that will never happen, but with more interesting game types, better roles for lighter mechs, scenarios, uneven sided games, clan specific sides. etc etc.
This is all stuff that would keep people playing longer, keep them more interested, and ultimately generate revenue as well.

The reality is that they are either too comfortable with the current model, or else lack the creativity to take this game beyond team deathmatch. It is most likely the former, unless they live in a cupboard under the stairs and are never allowed out to play other titles and see what other companies are doing.

Hopefully at some point they will move MWO over the unreal engine after the single player game comes out, rebrand it as MWO2 and apply a bit of vigor to improving the depth of the multiplayer game.

[Black Ivan]

Their rework of Assault mode will hit sometimes this year. Anything else: Wanna buy a Mechpack?

[Poptimus Rhyme Wallace]

Back when we regularly got actual content updates, I spent roughly 1000$ on this game...

I have spent roughly 20$ in the past 3 years..

guess why...

I guess as long as I still show up and let the whales shoot me with their shiny new toys PGI dont care.

Edited by Poptimus Rhyme Wallace, 16 March 2017 - 02:44 AM.

[MW Waldorf Statler]

its a simple Pokemonwarrior Online (or Cybersled 2017)...is not a MMO (War/Space)Game like Star Conflict or War Thunder

Edited by Old MW4 Ranger, 16 March 2017 - 03:15 AM.

[Stone Wall]

Old MW4 Ranger, on 16 March 2017 - 03:12 AM, said:

its a simple Pokemonwarrior Online (or Cybersled 2017)...is not a MMO (War/Space)Game like Star Conflict or War Thunder

I wanna be the very best,
Like no one ever was.
To buy them all is my real test,
To collect them is my cause,

I will travel across the forums,
Posting far and wide.
Teach Potatoes to understand
The paywall that's inside!

PokeMech, (gotta buy them all) it's you and me
I know it's my money
PokeMech, oh, you're my best friend
On a forum we must defend

PokeMech, (gotta buy them all) a price so true
Our money will pull us through
You buy that and I'll buy this
(Po-ke-Mech)
(Gotta buy 'em all)
(Gotta buy 'em all)

PokeMech!

Edited by Stone Wall, 16 March 2017 - 03:33 AM.

[DovisKhan]

Tarogato, on 16 March 2017 - 02:33 AM, said:

Well, maybe for you. But for me the #1 content is maps to play on. In the past THREE YEARS we've gone from 12 maps to 14...

Quantity of maps are pretty much the least important thing in a fps.


1-2 Maps get voted for 90% of the time and another 2 get 9%, all the rest share the last 1%


Take CS for example, It's been Dust 2 for years for the vast majority of the time

[Stone Wall]

DovisKhan, on 16 March 2017 - 03:38 AM, said:

Quantity of maps are pretty much the least important thing in a fps.


1-2 Maps get voted for 90% of the time and another 2 get 9%, all the rest share the last 1%


Take CS for example, It's been Dust 2 for years for the vast majority of the time

That talks about a bigger problem. Map voting is the cause of not being able to host our games which causes some maps to never be played.

More stagnation.

[RedDragon]

Jingseng, on 16 March 2017 - 02:28 AM, said:

Balance cries - pgi nerfs/buffs/changes - people rant and hate it.

New map cries - pgi redoes maps or makes a new one - people rant and hate it.

New game mode cries - pgi introduces new mode or revamps old ones - people rant and hate it.

New game mechanics - pgi beta tests changes - people rant and hate it.

New mech cries - pgi introduces new mechs - no one complains except to say it isnt the specific one they wanted, but they might buy it anyway.

Maybe, juuust maybe this has to do with the fact that PGI is just really bad at developing any content apart from new mechs? It's over 5 years now and they still haven't balanced the game, they still haven't introduced a meaningful and different game mode, they produce maps a a glacial pace, and when they introduce something new, it's either a convoluted band-aid that ignores underlying problems (hello, ghost heat) or is done with the least effort possible (skill tree rework, which basically is just the same placeholder that has been around for 5 years (!), now with nodes and monetized).
People pay a lot of money for this game, so they rightfully expect quality work. And what they get is only work, and most of the time not even that.

[Mighty Mutley]

Interesting comments, I have to say though that the idea that the game has to be exactly what is it and nothing else will work is a nonsense to me, it's in the power of the creators to make content that is engaging and fun whilst adding entertainment value and profitability for themselves (by keeping players playing).

This is a game which is about shooting robots yes, but that doesn't mean that a given game mode couldn't have multiple objectives running concurrently all adding *game* for the relevant classes. The lights need to go scout a distant objective. The assaults need to assault something. Rescue a VIP. Steal some technology. I could come up with 30 ideas in an hour..
Add until satisfied. Seriously doesn't that sound so much more engaging than 'shoot the enemy' ?

That's a scenario right there which would have much fighting but also some interesting objectives to achieve. It doesn't have to have characters, a story arc etc. But 'shoot the other guys' isn't an objective, it's lazy design.
You could add in static defences, artillery, all sorts of stuff and that means the defenders only get two lances whilst the attackers get 4. This stuff is really basic scenario design for anyone who's ever run a game of battletech, and on top of that there is so much source material they don't need to make up anything, they can simply read through and take the good ideas.

I have to say that IMHO they royally screwed the clans up right from the beginning. They fight in 5's not 4's and they had a *significant* technical advantage over inner sphere not seen in this game. They could have balanced that very easily by allowing 10 clan mechs to fight 14 inner sphere (or 16 tech allowing). Or a tonnage cap. Or so many other ways that it makes me sad that they didn't do anything. "lets just stick with 12v12 and throw out mechs as fast as possible" because we're devoid of ideas.

[RestosIII]

Mighty Mutley, on 16 March 2017 - 02:11 AM, said:

I see another boat load of mechs, weapons, etc coming soon.

We just gonna ignore that bit? We're finally getting new tech to the game. That's a huge deal. We haven't had that in YEARS.

[Coolant]

we had a new skill tree to look forward to, so my advice to those that complained would be that next time something is released on the PTS that you provide constructive criticism along with gratefulness. Consider the ramifications of your actions not looking only at your selfish wants but also those of others. Put yourself in others shoes, see other viewpoints and not only your own.

[The Unstoppable Puggernaut]

They don't even need to add more modes to the game, there is plenty as it stands.

They just need to fix them.

Skirmish for example, you could reduce the timer and let people battle it out, who ever had more kills wins. (Or just get rid of this mode !).

Conquest, make it worth while to cap the points, and provide an infield benefit. One conquest point delivers 'x' benefit to the team, 'y' provides another benefit.

Domination. Increase the circle and have objectives that can be blown up to reduce the timer (not add to it ffs). Lights suddenly become more powerful/useful.

Assault. Put the bloody mini base back in. The replacement's gonna probably arrive late this year anyways.

Escort...............

Hahahahahaha. I won't even bother with this one. Just start it again from scratch. It never gets picked anyways.

[Anjian]

This happens.

Introduce new maps ---
But because of map voting system, you don't get to play these new maps often, since people will vote for the map that is favorable for their current mech build.

Introduce new game modes ---
Objective based game modes simply don't work as well when you only have a single spawn system, which turns every game into the same team death match. Subjecting the game mode to a vote also means you don't get to play much of it.

People resist change and only play what's favorable and familiar to them.

[Jingseng]

RedDragon, on 16 March 2017 - 03:40 AM, said:

Maybe, juuust maybe this has to do with the fact that PGI is just really bad at developing any content apart from new mechs? It's over 5 years now and they still haven't balanced the game, they still haven't introduced a meaningful and different game mode, they produce maps a a glacial pace, and when they introduce something new, it's either a convoluted band-aid that ignores underlying problems (hello, ghost heat) or is done with the least effort possible (skill tree rework, which basically is just the same placeholder that has been around for 5 years (!), now with nodes and monetized).
People pay a lot of money for this game, so they rightfully expect quality work. And what they get is only work, and most of the time not even that.

chicken or egg?