58 replies to this topic

[Methanoid]

El Bandito, on 07 September 2017 - 06:30 PM, said:

According to Russ (take that with a grain of salt), Steam users are the minority. And there are about 25000 players in Steam who play at least once every two weeks. That number is relatively stable for the last few months.

convenient that a masked/unknown representation apparantly takes the lions share, esp when you cant really feel it those hidden numbers when queuing for a match.

personally i take it as the concrete figures on steam and i just double that, but even thats hopeful.

[arcana75]

Methanoid, on 09 September 2017 - 05:16 PM, said:

convenient that a masked/unknown representation apparantly takes the lions share, esp when you cant really feel it those hidden numbers when queuing for a match.

personally i take it as the concrete figures on steam and i just double that, but even thats hopeful.

I joined MWO 11 days ago, and since then I've played 49 games. However I didn't play for the last 2 days. That's roughly 5 matches a day. I think for a new player to play 5 matches a day, isn't fantastic. In a sense, the BT IP is partly to blame. The subject matter appeals to an older audience and younger ones have no real recent media to consume that would pull them into this game. Not that young either. I myself haven't touched any BT-related material for maybe 20 years, until the HBS BT kickstarter happened, and even then it was in the backburner until the beta landed recently. I daresay based on the fanbase of the BT universe (books, TT, videogames, TCG, etc), the apex days were over a long time ago. The main challenge for PGI right now IMHO to keeping the hardcore base (by hardcore I don't mean those who eat, sleep, play MWO, but those people who like/love the BT Universe and are also playing MWO) interested in MWO enough to spend some money.

To drive interest in MWO, the entire BT collective needs a new strong media push. Folks like creator Jordan Weisman & Russ Bullock need to connect to media channels and do something to create awareness. Events like MechCon won't do it's just a circle-jerk. Events like the Paradox conference is a good start for BT, but it needs to be bigger. A new TV series or movie (damn you Harmony Gold), presence in E3, TV ads, etc. A long format BT series on one of the Succession Wars under a CW or SyFy banner would do wonders IMHO.

[KingCobra]

arcana75, on 09 September 2017 - 06:25 PM, said:

I joined MWO 11 days ago, and since then I've played 49 games. However I didn't play for the last 2 days. That's roughly 5 matches a day. I think for a new player to play 5 matches a day, isn't fantastic. In a sense, the BT IP is partly to blame. The subject matter appeals to an older audience and younger ones have no real recent media to consume that would pull them into this game. Not that young either. I myself haven't touched any BT-related material for maybe 20 years, until the HBS BT kickstarter happened, and even then it was in the backburner until the beta landed recently. I daresay based on the fanbase of the BT universe (books, TT, videogames, TCG, etc), the apex days were over a long time ago. The main challenge for PGI right now IMHO to keeping the hardcore base (by hardcore I don't mean those who eat, sleep, play MWO, but those people who like/love the BT Universe and are also playing MWO) interested in MWO enough to spend some money.

To drive interest in MWO, the entire BT collective needs a new strong media push. Folks like creator Jordan Weisman & Russ Bullock need to connect to media channels and do something to create awareness. Events like MechCon won't do it's just a circle-jerk. Events like the Paradox conference is a good start for BT, but it needs to be bigger. A new TV series or movie (damn you Harmony Gold), presence in E3, TV ads, etc. A long format BT series on one of the Succession Wars under a CW or SyFy banner would do wonders IMHO.

DUDE you don't have to SMURF to kick it on the forums ROFL.

Back day1- end of closed beta was MWO'S most populace time with 500,000 registered players and about 100,000 active players that was like the first year Then players figured out MWO was just another FPS rinse and repeat clone like WOT and 90% bailed the game.

Some of us stayed around and try to support the game but like all things PGI the game is going backward once again in a downward death spiral if I was to guess there might be 10,000 active players left that play a few times a month to a few hours a day in US prime time.

PGI forgot its players that pay for the games profits and have not really made a huge effort to gain players in 5 years this might be because PGI is subsidized by Canada just like farmers in the USA get yearly subsidies.

[arcana75]

KingCobra, on 09 September 2017 - 08:12 PM, said:

DUDE you don't have to SMURF to kick it on the forums ROFL.

Back day1- end of closed beta was MWO'S most populace time with 500,000 registered players and about 100,000 active players that was like the first year Then players figured out MWO was just another FPS rinse and repeat clone like WOT and 90% bailed the game.

Some of us stayed around and try to support the game but like all things PGI the game is going backward once again in a downward death spiral if I was to guess there might be 10,000 active players left that play a few times a month to a few hours a day in US prime time.

PGI forgot its players that pay for the games profits and have not really made a huge effort to gain players in 5 years this might be because PGI is subsidized by Canada just like farmers in the USA get yearly subsidies.

I actually had to google "smurf" to know what you meant. If you're implying I'm a clone account you only needed to google "arcana75" to know I've been on the 'net longer than millennials have been alive. I'm no clone and really did start playing MWO only just.

It's interesting to note that MWO had 500k players and its gradual decline over the years. It's normal for any game to experience this, with the early players living through the changes. While it matters how these changes impacted the early adopters/fans, it's equally important how attractive the new version is to people who aren't in MWO yet and what aspects would entice someone to make an account and install the client: 2 distinct & separate actions PGI needs true and deep understanding of.

It's important to remember that the veteran fanbase isn't the only group giving PGI money: there's an untapped pool of wallets from new players. I'm new and I see something special here. However this special feeling is boosted by my background in the BT Universe; what about those who never even heard of BT? I also see problems within MWO that may hinder MWO's progress eg the community and how it treats its members, stretch goals for players (buying mech after mech isn't a real gamer-oriented goal imho: being able to influence the Inner Sphere's landscape is) and others.

The word BattleTech doesn't even hint at giant robots. The magic sauce in any long-term F2P or online game is figuring out how to retain the vets and still attract new money: the answer to retaining the vets isn't to stay back in the past or hanker for the "good ole days", but rather use advocacy and social media to move more vets into the present; the answer to attracting new players is a fun and shallow/simple initial experience that hints at a much deeper mechanic.

[Anjian]

KingCobra, on 09 September 2017 - 08:12 PM, said:

DUDE you don't have to SMURF to kick it on the forums ROFL. Back day1- end of closed beta was MWO'S most populace time with 500,000 registered players and about 100,000 active players that was like the first year Then players figured out MWO was just another FPS rinse and repeat clone like WOT and 90% bailed the game. Some of us stayed around and try to support the game but like all things PGI the game is going backward once again in a downward death spiral if I was to guess there might be 10,000 active players left that play a few times a month to a few hours a day in US prime time. PGI forgot its players that pay for the games profits and have not really made a huge effort to gain players in 5 years this might be because PGI is subsidized by Canada just like farmers in the USA get yearly subsidies.

Nails it. That WoT clone thing, or copying WoT thing, is the killer. Especially with the 12 vs. 12 or 16 vs 16 format with no respawn on an arena map, rinse and repeat. Armored Warfare did exactly the same thing, and the biggest difference between AW and MWO is that one is on tracks, and the other is on legs.

What happened to AW's PvP? Pretty much evaporated on the North American side, leaving the EU and RU, and all the PvPers migrating to those servers. But still leaves AW's successful PvE modes, which is the one big thing AW differentiates itself from WoT.

War Thunder's Ground Forces is thriving in comparison, in fact, now moving into the modern era, because it simply isn't WoT. There is a dramatically different damage model, game modes that involved limited respawns, no artillery mechanics, though there is an air strike, joint arms mechanic that WoT doesn't have, complete with AA, bombers and fighters.

Differentiation is what makes and breaks a game.

[Anjian]

arcana75, on 09 September 2017 - 09:49 PM, said:

I actually had to google "smurf" to know what you meant. If you're implying I'm a clone account you only needed to google "arcana75" to know I've been on the 'net longer than millennials have been alive. I'm no clone and really did start playing MWO only just.

It's interesting to note that MWO had 500k players and its gradual decline over the years. It's normal for any game to experience this, with the early players living through the changes. While it matters how these changes impacted the early adopters/fans, it's equally important how attractive the new version is to people who aren't in MWO yet and what aspects would entice someone to make an account and install the client: 2 distinct & separate actions PGI needs true and deep understanding of.

It's important to remember that the veteran fanbase isn't the only group giving PGI money: there's an untapped pool of wallets from new players. I'm new and I see something special here. However this special feeling is boosted by my background in the BT Universe; what about those who never even heard of BT? I also see problems within MWO that may hinder MWO's progress eg the community and how it treats its members, stretch goals for players (buying mech after mech isn't a real gamer-oriented goal imho: being able to influence the Inner Sphere's landscape is) and others.

The word BattleTech doesn't even hint at giant robots. The magic sauce in any long-term F2P or online game is figuring out how to retain the vets and still attract new money: the answer to retaining the vets isn't to stay back in the past or hanker for the "good ole days", but rather use advocacy and social media to move more vets into the present; the answer to attracting new players is a fun and shallow/simple initial experience that hints at a much deeper mechanic.

My experience is that there are Battletech fans out there that don't play MWO for reasons:

1. They are strategy and tactics turn based players also at heart. Lore is not strong enough to bring them to play MWO, because tactics players are tactics players, FPS players are FPS players and RTS players are RTS players. These are people who would rather end up playing games like XCOM. This is why the HBS game needs to exist.

2. They heard of MWO but simply don't like or don't buy into this F2P ecosystem thing.

3. They heard of MWO but also heard bad things about it.

The traditional BT player base finds the modern F2P world of modern gaming to be foreign and weird. They grew up after all in a much different era. MWO's F2P ecosystem is actually rather fair compared to other F2P games, but to these people, it still feels too money grubby.

Those F2P players of the world on the other hand, grew up in a world where Battletech and Mechwarrior are non existent in their consciousness. Giant robots is something they have seen on TV as anime.

Edited by Anjian, 09 September 2017 - 11:05 PM.

[KingCobra]

arcana75, on 09 September 2017 - 09:49 PM, said:

I actually had to google "smurf" to know what you meant. If you're implying I'm a clone account you only needed to google "arcana75" to know I've been on the 'net longer than millennials have been alive. I'm no clone and really did start playing MWO only just.

It's interesting to note that MWO had 500k players and its gradual decline over the years. It's normal for any game to experience this, with the early players living through the changes. While it matters how these changes impacted the early adopters/fans, it's equally important how attractive the new version is to people who aren't in MWO yet and what aspects would entice someone to make an account and install the client: 2 distinct & separate actions PGI needs true and deep understanding of.

It's important to remember that the veteran fanbase isn't the only group giving PGI money: there's an untapped pool of wallets from new players. I'm new and I see something special here. However this special feeling is boosted by my background in the BT Universe; what about those who never even heard of BT? I also see problems within MWO that may hinder MWO's progress eg the community and how it treats its members, stretch goals for players (buying mech after mech isn't a real gamer-oriented goal imho: being able to influence the Inner Sphere's landscape is) and others.

The word BattleTech doesn't even hint at giant robots. The magic sauce in any long-term F2P or online game is figuring out how to retain the vets and still attract new money: the answer to retaining the vets isn't to stay back in the past or hanker for the "good ole days", but rather use advocacy and social media to move more vets into the present; the answer to attracting new players is a fun and shallow/simple initial experience that hints at a much deeper mechanic.

I can tell you MWO strayed to far from its roots that's why it was not as popular as past MechWarrior IP titles I can prove how much more fun these games still are today by just 1 link http://www.moddb.com...ds/mercsdltrial .

After playing this game even though its graphics and sound are subpar you will start to understand how fun MechWarrior and Battletech once was compared to MWO then add a 1,000.000 crazy active pilots worldwide playing on the MSN gamming Zone 24/7 7 days a week for almost 15 years and you start to see why MWO is not that popular with the old guard fan base.

[Brain Cancer]

KodiakGW, on 09 September 2017 - 08:27 AM, said:

I've heard a number saying they were made so they have an Inner Spere and Clan account. Could be what you said. Could be some are seal clubbing accounts. Most of the ones near the bottom look to be that they logged into 10 games, and didn't play. Testing connection issues? 60 games or more is a good metric for real player count. 80 games or more are the ones that are most likely spending money on the game (playing and leveling their new mechs every month).

This is absolutely true. I know for a fact that there's a lot of players in my unit who have IS accounts so they can either keep things sorted, or simply farm on the side that's ahead at the moment.

[RussianWolf]

Using a base of 60 games as an "active player"

Season Pop
1____________23639 inflated season
2____________21111
3____________19492
4____________22635
5____________20031
6____________21155
7____________19273
8____________18429
9____________18560
10___________18237
11___________18087
12___________18007
13___________18474
14___________17358

Now you can debate if 60 matches per month is really "active", but there are some real numbers from the leaderboards.

[Methanoid]

arcana75, on 09 September 2017 - 06:25 PM, said:

I joined MWO 11 days ago, and since then I've played 49 games. However I didn't play for the last 2 days. That's roughly 5 matches a day. I think for a new player to play 5 matches a day, isn't fantastic. In a sense, the BT IP is partly to blame.

To drive interest in MWO, the entire BT collective needs a new strong media push.

im my case i dont know squat about battletech or tabletop and also dont care to, what i like is a fun game, doesnt matter if that means giant mechs, spaceships, heavily armed people, aliens, cars, doesnt matter, what counts is an enjoyable game.

Trying to apportion blame for a severe lack of players onto battletech or tabletop is just plain nonesense, simply if a game sucks people leave, if its good they stay and what we have here is a game that is needlessly confusing, things that should be simple are difficult or impossible, therefore people lose interest quick and just walk.

We shouldnt be making lame excuses to try and feel good about ourselves in this terrible position we are in, we quite rightly should be pointing at proper flaws, like an archaic aged ingame gfx engine which is not seeing any attempt to improve, we have a small portion of the community communicating with the devs and we end up with FP/CP which have been a colossal waste of time and a tiny player interest, same with the upcoming solaris, this is also a waste of time that will appease the few and wont do squat for the massses or new players.

We should also be looking at the near useless new player experience, the academy we have does almost nothing to try and rope people in and keep them interested, esp when after they are dumped into the unhelpful main menu ui, we dont even have what should have been implimented in the first year of the game, which is shop filters to find eactly what you want or might be interested in, instead everything is just dumped in there and the player is left to fumble through everything, expected to know what their after.

There are far too many problems with the game that have not been addressed, instead focus remains on releasing more mech packs, tweaking/adding stuff that a mere minority of the playerbase wants leaving the majority either frustrated or walking, all the while hoping the cash rolls in while ignoring valid complaints or giving the age old response of "cryengine3 cant do that so we will just leave things as they are".

Things dont magically get better by sticking your head in the sand and believing that all is well.

Edited by Methanoid, 12 September 2017 - 12:44 AM.

[Roadbuster]

[LowSubmarino]

Fact: There's definitely one person playing the game as I myself play mwo.

Does that help?

[Mechfan909]

At this point i believe we need to make the game more new player friendly before advertising more players to join in but to make the game more new player friendly we need more suggestions from new players as to how to improve the game. any good suggestions??

[Burke IV]

How do people feel about the skill tree? Has it been good for MWO? Is it a barrier on entry? Everytime i feel like playing this game i remember that tree and suddenly lose the urge to play. If it does that to me then there are probably others aswell. Such things dont belong in "serious" shooters anyway. Is thre any hope of it vanishing as suddenly as it arrived? It killed this game dead to me and im salty about that cause i bought in and played for years and suddenly they spring that on me. This game was fine just before they messed with the mini map, it was still decent just before the skill tree patch. Now its just inaccessable.

[TLBFestus]

With the acknowledgement that the link below is primarily for mobile game apps, I'd love to know the following information about MWO;


http://www.gameanaly...hould-know.html

[rook]

I'm not sure I get that people don't know how to dig into the leaderboards. Just adjust the URL a different page number to quickly jump pages...


As a note, I consider myself an active player, but I don't always get 100 games a month, or even 60 a month.

[Thorqemada]

Yeah, with ~70 matches played i rank ~4600 so that is not hat much activity and it would already help the game immensely if they could crank up the activity level of the Players!

[Athom83]

Anjian, on 09 September 2017 - 10:51 PM, said:

Nails it. That WoT clone thing, or copying WoT thing, is the killer. Especially with the 12 vs. 12 or 16 vs 16 format with no respawn on an arena map, rinse and repeat. Armored Warfare did exactly the same thing, and the biggest difference between AW and MWO is that one is on tracks, and the other is on legs.

What happened to AW's PvP? Pretty much evaporated on the North American side, leaving the EU and RU, and all the PvPers migrating to those servers. But still leaves AW's successful PvE modes, which is the one big thing AW differentiates itself from WoT.

Yah, MailRU screwed the pooch there. I would have gone back and started playing on the EU server for the PvP, except for the fact that you lose ALL of your progress when you play on another server (coupled with the fact they locked you into the server nearest your location for the longest time) so bye bye all my T6 vehicles and all my special gold vehicles.

Anjian, on 09 September 2017 - 10:51 PM, said:

War Thunder's Ground Forces is thriving in comparison, in fact, now moving into the modern era, because it simply isn't WoT. There is a dramatically different damage model, game modes that involved limited respawns, no artillery mechanics, though there is an air strike, joint arms mechanic that WoT doesn't have, complete with AA, bombers and fighters.

Differentiation is what makes and breaks a game.

If only the US tree late game grind wasn't so bad. They still haven't scaled back the cost requirements from when they added them into the game. It is not cool that a US tank with paper thin armor and a 90mm gun at 6.7 costs more RP and SL to get than a RU or GE tank with thicker armor and a bigger gun while going a similar speed at 7.3 and 7.7.

[Methanoid]

Anjian, on 09 September 2017 - 10:51 PM, said:

Armored Warfare did exactly the same thing, and the biggest difference between AW and MWO is that one is on tracks, and the other is on legs.

well in my case i gave up armoured warfare because it keeps on spamming malware alerts from dodgey connections and has done since day 1 and its not been addressed once, gameplaywise i found it ok, more enjoyable than wot at least and certainly more enjoyable than dreadn0ught which tried to copy wot and ruined their game, but not as fun as something like fractured space.