24 replies to this topic

[ArchSight]

Dear MechWarriors,

Aren't you all bored of just shooting other mechs? Why not some other unit's of the battlefield to destroy? Is it not fun to step on infantry, tanks, battle armor? Is the AI controlling them too dumb? Why do we need machine guns mounted on our mech if were shooting only mechs? Are other units a pointless hazard to your mech?

Having a simulated battlefield with all the units that pose a threat to your mech would be very enjoyable. I think it would add that final detail to how powerful mechs are when you sweep a platoon of infantry away with your machine gun array. That pesky battle armor shot off your cockpit by a friends medium laser. A jet or drop ship shot out of the sky by your gauss rifle. The friendly salvage or repair units coming to aid the battle worn mechs on the field. All these things are extra to the experience of piloting a mech. I'm not surprised that its not coded into multiplayer.

I'm hoping with this topic I can start discussion on having other units aid MechWarriors in multiplayer. Maybe some kind of earned air strike for killing three foes like they have in COD4. I don't know, I'm no expert, I can only imagine how cool it would be to not feel so alone riding in my mech to my inevitable doom.

Edited by ArchSight, 19 December 2011 - 12:42 PM.

[Ghost73]

Careful with the bias on the poll options (especially because it is a public poll), a simple yes, no, or maybe will suffice We don't want to start polarizing people too early.

[Mchawkeye]

Hmmm...Well combined arms are a consideration, and no doubt fun, but the devs have already said they won't be featured at launch.

I would love to get into an aerospace fighter, though. The only problem I can see with any kind of tank/aircraft piloting is that mechs are significantly more powerful than even the largest tank; finding a place for them, as player controlled, might be tough. As NPC support, there might be a place for it, and I expect that something you would have to buy/hire or would be specific to a given mission.

As for your kill streak rewards, that's a big negatory. This is a simulator, not an arcade FPS like COD. the bonus should come at the end, as monetary reward or salvage or whatever.
That and taking out a mech would possibly be the result of several peoples efforts, so who gets the reward?

[Ghost73]

I believe the devs mentioned offmap support could be called in by the commanders of each team. I do not know the rules and requirements for being able to however...

[pied]

Living legends has the other units you're seeking. I would prefer to only face other mechs.

[Havoc2]

No, I prefer picking apart other 'Mechs, not 1 shoting tanks and infantry.

[The Basilisk]

As Mchawkeye said.
But i would love to encounter other units (NPC?) than Battlemechs. Espetialy in town it could be funny to encounter an Onthos or a Challenger X Tank. There are some city Tanks that got nearly double the weapons loadout of an averange Mech of this era.
Considering what the devs said about Maps (mostly city) Aircraft won't be funny.

[Karn Evil]

If they pull off a battlefield something like the Overlord mission in MW4:Mercs, that'll be fine. Keep the focus of it PvP, Mech-v-Mech, but have enough support units on both sides to make it interesting.

I also think that allowing players to control these support units could be a lot of fun, if the players are more intelligent about it than the computer in any previous MechWarrior game.

That being said, I don't expect any of this to be available at launch, or soon after.

[Petroff Northrup]

Mchawkeye, on 19 December 2011 - 03:00 AM, said:

I would love to get into an aerospace fighter, though. The only problem I can see with any kind of tank/aircraft piloting is that mechs are significantly more powerful than even the largest tank; finding a place for them, as player controlled, might be tough. As NPC support, there might be a place for it, and I expect that something you would have to buy/hire or would be specific to a given mission.

I have to strongly disagree with you many tanks wield firepower far greater than most mechs and in fact almost all mechs due to the design rules for tanks.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Alacorn
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Challenger
http://www.sarna.net...Combat_Vehicle)

}{avoc, on 19 December 2011 - 07:51 AM, said:

No, I prefer picking apart other 'Mechs, not 1 shoting tanks and infantry.

There are very few tanks that can be one-shot.

[Tweaks]

Ghost73, on 19 December 2011 - 03:03 AM, said:

I believe the devs mentioned offmap support could be called in by the commanders of each team. I do not know the rules and requirements for being able to however...

That I wouldn't mind seeing to some extent. For example:

- ASF airstrikes or bomb runs
- Artillery
- "Call in the tanks" thing which would call in 1 or 2 tanks that would be NPC controlled.
- "Call in the hovercrafts" thing that would call a few canon-mounted hovercrafts (just like Decision at Thunder Rift)
- "Call in the militia" thing that would call a squadron of militia men, with inferno launchers or rocket launchers...

Without giving control of those units to any player (they'd be completely autonomous), and by limiting what you can call depending on the map and environment, it'd be fair.

[guardian wolf]

If you ask me, I would actually like to see this type of addition implemented, as off map support and NPC support, in the form of Tanks, Aircraft, Infantry, and even calling in a hot drop of reinforcements, would be a definite help to the game. As it would go from a WoT type FPS, to an actual FPS/Strategy game that would require commanders to take in more than just what the enemy has, but his supply lines, his resources, including reinforcements, and I would not rest until I was sure that the dropship that flew over, was actually delivering ammo, and not hot dropping some tangos right behind me. That and turrets also controlled by NPCs would also be great, but they have to have control towers or APCs, not to mention the heavier ones require a generator.

[VYCanis]

I like the idea of calling in npc support units, but i would definitely like to also drive conventional armor myself, They'd play a little different, but many are still perfectly viable choices to take against a mech or to support their respective team.

they can be every bit as interesting and engaging to drive as a mech if implemented correctly.

see this thing?


60 SRMs per barrage, paper for armor, 60 tons, only slightly more expensive than an urbanmech, and faster than one

out in the open it is dead meat to anyone that can range it, but hiding in a city? absolutely horrifying.

Edited by VYCanis, 19 December 2011 - 06:38 PM.

[Riptor]

Later on in the game.. surething... along with PvE and Coop missions...

But it was allready stated that currently there exist no plans to introduce any other vehicle types other then mechs.

So iguess it goes right into the "Would be nice to have" drawer

[Seth]

I would definitely love to be able to shoot at some infantry or squish them MW3 style (what does that say about me?). It would give machine guns a place to shine on the battlefield. I don't want to pilot anything other than a 'Mech though, this is MechWarrior after all.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

"The battlefield commander will be able to call in air strikes, artillery strikes and other support unit requests." - it woud be interesting to know what the other support units are.

[Orayn]

It'd be nice to see other vehicles and such as map-specific features, perhaps in a vaguely DOTA-ish vein for certain maps. I.E., bases would spawn certain amounts of tanks, planes, etc. and destroying them would alter the flow of battle.

[Ghost]

I see where you're coming from. I'd prefer a "living battlefield" myself. It's somewhat off-putting in a Twilight Zone kind of way when I roll onto a battlefield in World of Tanks -- no infantry or other supporting units, no civilians, and certainly no crewmen in the tank I'm driving. Obviously you can't have the NPCs actually doing anything with any impact on the game, but just having them ups the immersion considerably.

[Hayden]

Tweaks, on 19 December 2011 - 09:51 AM, said:

That I wouldn't mind seeing to some extent. For example:

- ASF airstrikes or bomb runs
- Artillery
- "Call in the tanks" thing which would call in 1 or 2 tanks that would be NPC controlled.
- "Call in the hovercrafts" thing that would call a few canon-mounted hovercrafts (just like Decision at Thunder Rift)
- "Call in the militia" thing that would call a squadron of militia men, with inferno launchers or rocket launchers...

Without giving control of those units to any player (they'd be completely autonomous), and by limiting what you can call depending on the map and environment, it'd be fair.

I think on and off map artillery and airstrikes (targetable strafing fighters) would be best. Not really feeling the others, but I appreciate the sentiment.

[Ironchild]

Without a doubt, MWO would benefit greatly from some non mech units scattered on the battle field. Weapon flashes off in the distance can be a big help for spotting enemy movements. Destroyed tanks still smoking, enemy must have just passed through this grid. Time for an ambush, let them come over that ridge and hit them when they come under fire from these weapon turrets.

Chromehounds (The last great strategic real time strategy mech game) placed somewhat random turrets and vehicles for both sides on each map. Little more then tin cans with pee shooters, those bots helped strong strategic players get ahead if they knew how to use them.

[Foxfire]

I would like to eventually see combined arms play a role(and not just NPC non mech units).. but I understand why that aspect is on the backburner for now.