6 replies to this topic

[Exilyth]

It would be nice if the academy would provide advanced courses which explain the different game modes.

In a similar vein, being able to select a game mode for testing grounds would also be great.

[Dave Forsey]

Gamemodes are modified far too frequently to make tutorials for each. Videos are better.

It takes a lot of time/money to make and test a tutorial. We're talking about way more effort than creating the gamemode itself.

As for running a game in the testing grounds - possible, unless you want enemies that do more than just stand around, then costs go through the roof.

[Thorqemada]

I still dont understand how Incursion works but it is my "best" gamemode

Simply go with the flow and kill...

[Exilyth]

Dave Forsey, on 21 September 2017 - 01:57 PM, said:

Gamemodes are modified far too frequently to make tutorials for each.

Surely, a tutorial could be made that paints the picture in broad strokes? Just have it play on one of the existing FP maps and add a generic capture objective that needs to be stood on, a generic destroy objective that needs to be taken out, a generic battery objective that needs to be collected and delivered somewhere else. That would at least prepare people with the absolute minimum required to play most modes. There is a lot of knowledge required to play MWO and unfortunably, only a marginally small part of that knowledge is available ingame. There are a lot of people who do not visit the forums or watch every guide on youtube.

I could reiterate about new player experience and the influence that has on new players staying, but there have already been loads of talk about that from way back in beta up until now.

Edited by Exilyth, 23 September 2017 - 11:25 AM.

[JD Wack]

"I still dont understand how Incursion works but it is my "best" gamemode
Simply go with the flow and kill... " @Thorqemada lol That actually can't go entirely wrong, all else being equal. Especially if remembering that the minimap is flow-indicator numero uno, and also obviously remembering to look at it every so often.

Anyway, on the topic in general. I'm convinced that the Academy-part of the game is invaluable in teaching players the ropes - and potentially far beyond the mere basics. In fact, I think the semi-ongoing gripe about lrmboats/pro and cons of using R to target enemies, is a well example of how a lack in the Academy teaching players the importance of targeting stuff as well as targeting the right stuff can snowball into a certain player-behaviour and from there supplanting into an experience of play that makes a player quit the game.

Put on edge, but still. I understand how there's a need to prioritze efforts due to ever not quite enough ressources to allocate to absolutely everything. My point then, in part, is that already there are some shooting-gallery courses and also the Captain's voice giving instructions. Between these elements it can't be that ressource consuming to create a move-and-shoot gallery where you'd have to target specific 'mechs out of a multitude and destroy them in instructed sequence? This doesn't hint at the real reason for target-calling, the concentration of firepower onto a tiny, tiny spot, but it do teach the fingers the necessary motions and intiates muscle-memory

At the very least I think the very rudementary Academy could do with some developing. Or maybe rethink the whole thing; leave it to the Units to teach their members and instead try and encourage that through various features. I don't know, but I think it actively is hurting the game that even the walk-and-talk of the game has a near vertical learning curve.

Edited by JD Whack, 24 September 2017 - 01:31 AM.

[Exilyth]

Remembering the tutorials from earlier mechwarrior games, they were rather simple too:
e.g. get dropped in a shadow cat, twist your torso, turn around, move a few steps forward and backward, run to a few designated waypoints, lock onto and fire at stationary targets (at different distances, requiring the use of different weapons) on the shooting range, play around with firing groups and chain fire, get back to base and shut down.

They weren't exactly what I would call elaborate, but they did teach you all the basics required to play the game.
TBH, it is great that we have the academy, but the academy leaves out some critical interactions, e.g. target locking, ecm, firing groups vs heat.

Something else earlier titles had was an encyclopedia explaining all the weapons, equipment, factions and other terms.

[JD Wack]

Yeah, I remember those well in mechwarrior and mechwarrior II (I think, very vectory type of grafics). They were challenging and actually prep'ed me well for the maingame. But those were also much different games on several levels, engine-complexity not being the least one.

I think, to be perfectly honerst, that the Academy is the most skeletal part of the game, hands down. There is so much going on, and all of it are just stubs. Or so it seems to me lol But it actually ties in very well with what Dave is saying; it's just not receiving that kind of attention, and likely for the reasons he give: Da Moneys, man. I don't know, there's a business-model in there somewhere that you could probably disagree with, and with severely good argumentation even. I don't know, I can just see a lot of potential for building an entire living, breathing universe here, that is left largely undeveloped for the time being.

Actually, and a little apropos -I can't wait till Solaris hits the game, too see what they've come up with. I hope there will be commentators lololol