299 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

Greetings MechWarriors,

We know many of you are having a great time playing IS vs. IS and Clan vs. Clan. Unfortunately, players are having long wait times when searching for matches in Faction Play due to:

1. A large portion of players grabbing their 100 loot bags in Quick Play.
2. Too many simultaneous conflicts/matchmaking ‘buckets’ in Faction Play.

What are we doing?

We are working on a solution, but before I explain the solution it is important you know these points:

• Currently, we cannot have multiple sub-factions VS multiple sub-factions within a single Conflict, as many in the community have suggested. For example, three IS Factions can’t face off together in one Conflict against the other 3 IS Factions
• Reverting to just a single IS/IS Conflict, and initiating system-wide, automatic Contract Resets are not a solution due to a) some folks not wanting their Contracts reset and b) the potential for Unit leaders being away for the duration of the Event, with any other members of the Unit not having the necessary Unit permissions for adopting a new Contract. Resetting all Contracts would leave these players with no option but to leave their Unit.

What is the current solution?

The current solution is to return to the normal IS vs Clan Conflict, but have a rotation of IS vs IS and Clan VS Clan Conflicts throughout the event (one at a time) with reduced criteria for rewards looking something like this:

Oct 28th 12 AM UTC to Oct 30th 12 AM UTC	Oct 30th 12 AM UTC to Nov 1st 12 AM UTC	Nov 1st 12 AM UTC to Nov 3rd 12 AM UTC	Nov 3rd 12 AM UTC to Nov 5th 12 AM UTC	Nov 5th 12 AM UTC to Nov 7th 12 AM UTC	Nov 7th 12 AM UTC to Nov 9th 12 AM UTC	Nov 9th 12 AM UTC to Nov 11th 12 AM UTC
IS VS CLAN MAIN CONFLICT REMAINS ACTIVE FOR ENTIRE EVENT
Conflict Event Clan Wolf vs Clan Diamond Shark	Conflict Event Marik vs Liao	Conflict Event Nova Cat vs Ghost Bear	Conflict Event Steiner vs Davion	Conflict Event Steal Viper vs Jade Falcon	Conflict Event FRR vs Kurita	Conflict Event Smoke Jaguar vs Ghost Bear

The above solution will be in place today, and we will be monitoring your response on the forum.

The criteria for achieving the Faction Rewards would be lowered, and we would extend the loot bag event until to November 11th at 12 AM UTC.

What is the long-term solution for faction play events?

We identified some time ago that Faction Play needed to be 1 matchmaking bucket; which it typically now is with the single IS vs Clan Conflict. We either now need a way for Faction Play Loyalty Pledges and Merc Contracts to be less rigid, empowering players to participate in Faction Play Events outside of their Loyalty and Contract states, or the event system needs to be able to create a Conflict comprised of multiple Factions on each side. For example 3 Clans vs 4 Clans; 3 IS vs 3 IS; 3 Clan and 3 IS vs 4 Clan and 3 IS, or any other potential permutations.

Please be assured that this will be major a discussion we will be having internally in the coming weeks, and we will keep you informed as to the direction we are taking.

Regards,

MechWarrior Online Team

[JonDoeIowa]

Thanks for the update Matt. Hope we can come back to these types of is vs is events in the future when the kinks are worked out

[Rhialto]

Why not also replace the 150 value with 100 so everyone will have a chance for the Grand Prize, whatever their game type preference is?

[Commander A9]

I agree.

Well, at least that's some of my ideas...

Why not this?

Why not create a conflict (i.e., Refusal War), pick 2 Factions, (i.e., Wolf and Jade Falcon), reset everyone's contract (i.e., turn everyone into Freelancers without penalty, with the exception of the Loyalists on the respective chosen factions), and then let the REMAINING ACTIVE PLAYERS pick which side they want to fight for? And then just change the Factions as per conflict and proceed from there?

At this point, the map is completely irrelevant, so who the hell needs it anymore?

By the way...what does this new system do for the grabbags which are now in place? Are we still able to earn grabbags for prizes in Faction Warfare, or what? ...I'd like to earn my Warhorn, thank you...

Edited by Commander A9, 27 October 2017 - 01:57 PM.

[Marter]

If I understand this right, say I am a Liao loyalist and cannot play between 29th and 30th Oct then I would now miss the chance to obtain the Liao rewards in this event rewards? Even If I play all the other days during this event

[Commander A9]

Right...so...when the rotating schedule comes to my Faction's turn...what exactly happens?

Edited by Commander A9, 27 October 2017 - 02:04 PM.

[Nema Nabojiv]

Thanx for reacting so fast PGI. This means a lot.

[Matt Newman]

Marter, on 27 October 2017 - 01:54 PM, said:

If I understand this right, say I am a Liao loyalist and cannot play between 29th and 30th Oct then I would now miss the chance to obtain the Liao rewards in this event rewards? Even If I play all the other days during this event

I am lowering the criteria for earning those rewards. You can still participate in the Main IS vs Clans For loot bags.
but yes each faction will have set times to attempt to address the issue of too many simultaneous conflicts/matchmaking ‘buckets’ in Faction Play.

It's not a perfect solution and if you have any concerns over your current progress please contact Support.

Matt N

[Marter]

Thanks Matt Just wanted make sure that was how it was going to work

[tee5]

@ Matt Newman: That band aid doesn't help because nobody can switch to the faction wich needs players.

The next days is steel vipers vs wolf.. But if there are no wolfs this schedule does not help much. And nobody can switch to the wolfs because of penalty.

[Navid A1]

Let me put it in this way PGI,

Faction play being unpopular is not because how many buckets you have or what conflict is in effect, or how fancy the UI is or what are the rewards.

The problem is more fundamental. Its the actual mode and maps and the way it plays. Its bland!
If you want to help faction play, you need to take a look at re-doing maps and modes.... I know, I know you auto-ignore when you see the word re-do... but at least listen to these suggestions.

• 1(a) - design maps with the base in the center in an OPEN terrain, while giving attackers a vote on multiple drop zones around the base. Design capturable drop zones near the base. Design a base with multiple target objectives (kinda like the incursion mode)

• 1(b ) - If you absolutely have to do corridor maps, then make it a progressive map, with multiple objectives that become available after the previous is destroyed/captured. to put it simply, design a tug-of-war system IN THE ACTUAL GAMEPLAY, not in the UI.

• 2- Design a feature in which loyalist mechwarriors can donate their mechs to a faction-wide mechbay system for a limited amount of time. Then allow all loyalists within that faction to "borrow" those mechs and play, but receive reduced rewards. The lender loses access to his mech for that time but receives a small amount of cbills every time his mech is used. Create some sort of economy!

• 3- Implement different rewards for using certain chassis in a specific faction.

• 4- Implement a salvage system for each faction through a free market feature.

DEPTH, PGI. create DEPTH!!!!

Edited by Navid A1, 27 October 2017 - 02:09 PM.

[ForceUser]

tee5, on 27 October 2017 - 02:05 PM, said:

@ Matt Newman: That band aid doesn't help because nobody can switch to the faction wich needs players.

The next days is steel vipers vs wolf.. But if there are no wolfs this schedule does not help much. And nobody can switch to the wolfs because of penalty.

There will always be Wolves

Unfortunately

(it's a joke)

[Commander A9]

Wolf isn't playing. I had to arrange a match between us and another Wolf team last night.

There hasn't been a match between Wolf and Steel Vipers for almost 24 hours!

Edited by Commander A9, 27 October 2017 - 02:08 PM.

[Ibrandul Mike]

First I like reducing the requirements. That is always good

Second... I don't get it, as long as they are for playing matches as that faction, it does not matter against whom you play.

Third:
For the system as is it seems like you have something like this:
1. Factions (the basis)
2. Groups (IS and Clan) in which you get Factions together.

For some reason you can not add new groups, which wouldn't even need to have any UI stuff in them.

Perhaps that part would be better in suggestions... but I think it might be read here too

Your event system could probably profit from an option to add and edit groups (for PGI only obviously). That way you could just make those groups, activate the conflict between those groups and deactivate the other conflicts as necessary.

While the grouping might be an internal thing with every faction needing a group, adding more groups to factions might be possible. In that case one fixed group (IS or Clan) and the possibility to add temporary groups.

Just something to think about

[Jman5]

Quote

a) some folks not wanting their Contracts reset and the potential for Unit leaders being away for the duration of the Event, with any other members of the Unit not having the necessary Unit permissions for adopting a new Contract. Resetting all Contracts would leave these players with no option but to leave their Unit.

Who is telling you this? Because I've never heard anyone saying they don't want the contracts to reset semi-regularly.

Everyone I have talked to are in favor of some sort of Seasonal Contract resets. You're screwing up the entire mercenary contract system and balance of power because of some allegedly active loyalist units with allegedly innactive leadership and no alleged active players with contract assigning powers. Innactive and non-FP players is why the Luthien player numbers were so wildly different than what the in-game population alleges.

This is dysfunctional.

I'm not saying to reset the contracts now in the middle of an event, but you need to do it some time in the near future and keep it a regular thing. These alleged edge-case units can drop freelance until they figure something out. Or you can just tell them to email support if their leadership has abandoned the game.

Edited by Jman5, 27 October 2017 - 02:12 PM.

[Questar]

So, let me get this straight. Because PGI didn't understand what people have been saying for years about FW, and that planned on using the entire 10 days as was originally intended. People that for one reason or another now can't fit the NEW PGI schedule of events now lose out?

REALLY? That's how you solve issues? If that is the best you can come up with, you need some new people making these decisions. I would toss my name in the ring but you can't afford me.

Q

[Dee Eight]

So... you're essentially screwing everyone who cannot play their loyalist/contract reward matches in the 2-day period that their turn comes up....instead of just letting it continue as it is thru the first weekend...when there are more people playing and then seeing what the actual results were for matches?! Talk about taking the lazy way out.

[Chound]

Marter, on 27 October 2017 - 01:54 PM, said:

If I understand this right, say I am a Liao loyalist and cannot play between 29th and 30th Oct then I would now miss the chance to obtain the Liao rewards in this event rewards? Even If I play all the other days during this event

No, you would still be able to drop in the IS vs Clan event and HOPEFULLY those matches will count in your score. 50 matches in three days is a bit much

[Tarogato]

Matt Newman, on 27 October 2017 - 02:00 PM, said:

Hiya Matt,

Do you guys have any systems in place for monitoring the active population of each faction?

I am under the impression that the numbers we players see that indicate faction population (this screen) include all members of all units that are aligned with each faction. That is, it includes players who are in those units but haven't played the game in months and don't plan to, thus skewing the numbers and throwing wrenches into your planned events. Ideally, only players active in the past couple weeks should be counted as being part of a faction, regardless of contract.

[Paradox42]

@Matt How about instead of just discussing internally, you start co-creating with the community and change your methods to something more solution oriented. A good Design Thinking Process wouldn't be a bad start instead of drawing conclusions already again considering the mistake happend out of wrong or missing assumptions/data.