92 replies to this topic

[The Mysterious Fox]

cut everything down to QP timelengths of 15 minutes-ish and the health/score of all objectives accordingly. You get a faster rotation of the playerbase, less snowballing frustrations and hence less suicide quitters and also shorter queues

[Nightbird]

The Mysterious Fox, on 30 September 2017 - 03:41 AM, said:

cut everything down to QP timelengths of 15 minutes-ish and the health/score of all objectives accordingly. You get a faster rotation of the playerbase, less snowballing frustrations and hence less suicide quitters and also shorter queues

This would require only 1 wave of mechs, which would make it the same a quick play except with no Match Maker, no map voting, and more objectives (which people hate in QP).

[Nightbird]

naterist, on 29 September 2017 - 11:48 AM, said:

Thats always an inherit risk in tags. My unit a couple tags removed in 4.1 before it was milked dry, thats just part of it. Always has been, always will. We were just happy to be getting tags.

If you keep an eye on the units with the most tags though, they're usually on the same side. There is 0 risk in their approach to collect tags: 1. stream roll, 2. move the border, and 3. keep tagged planets out of the vote list.

[Nightbird]

Transplanting an idea from here: https://mwomercs.com...acts-for-mercs/

Rick T Dangerous, on 23 September 2017 - 05:08 AM, said:

Let's get rid of contracts for mercs entirely and use them to fill the teams on both sides. Mercs then would need two dropdecks, one for IS and one for clans, to get into matches. This would also break the heavy influence mercs currently have on FW. And it might make it more appealing to become a loyalist.

My own reformat:

Problem: Mercs flooding IS or Clan side contribute to population imbalances.

Suggestion: Remove Merc contracts that tie them to a faction. A pilot following the Merc career must drop with two valid drop decks, one for IS and one for Clan, and depending on population can be hired for either side for each drop. Depending on the position of tug-of-war, they will earn a c-bill bonus if fighting for the losing side. The bonus limit can be similar to current limits, i.e. 50%.

Discussion: The general population will be more balanced if this idea is implemented. Other changes, such as ensuring continued benefit in being a Merc after reaching max rank (indeed for loyalist as well) should be considered. If you only want to play IS or Clan, it become more appealing to become a loyalist. Another loophole is, if a Merc is in a group with Loyalists, obviously they can only be hired by that side.

[Nightbird]

Problem: Gate gens that fail open, also immune to FF so pugs can refuse to open gates.

Solution: replace with destructable walls from incursion (even more easily, turn on FF for those gens)

Other: cannon gens failing open also an issue, I would prefer just a 4th gen that's always shootable and destroying them simply disables the gauss cannon (provide power to it)

Edited by NlGHTBlRD, 05 October 2017 - 08:26 AM.

[Nightbird]

Nightbird, on 28 September 2017 - 07:03 AM, said:

Problem: Bad matches when teams of disproportionate skills meet in FP

Idea: Battle values in lobby and voluntary handicap (Bidding?)

Description: When a lobby is formed, the battle value of your team and that of your enemy team is displayed. The battle value of a pilot may be their (KDR + WLR)*100 from their last 100 FP matches. After viewing the respective BVs, the team with the higher BV may elect to take a handicap by having their drop deck compliance rules loosened, such as being able to take fewer than 4 mechs and having no minimum tonnage limit. To incentivize the taking of a handicap, some sort of bonus could be given, For example, mercs can get a cbill bonus and loyalists get a lp bonus for their performance in the match. A sample formula in is (tonnage limit - deck tonnage)/tonnage limit*100 in %. (Suppose limit is 250 tons and you take 110 tons, your handicap bonus is (250-110)/250*100=56% cbills or loyalty points depending on you're a merc or loyalist.) In the drop screen, the average handicap given is displayed to both teams, so both are aware of the degree of the handicap given.

Result: The stronger team is encouraged to optimize by taking the minimal tonnage needed to secure victory. The weaker team has a chance of taking advantage of the stronger team's overconfidence. Both sides will find the match challenging.

Discussion:
1) For experienced players and teams, the voluntary handicap would transform the FP experience. Instead of taking the same drop deck to every fight, there would be a new metagame as to how to minimize your drop deck based on each map and mode. There is an opportunity for great challenges and hilarity.

2) If the BV values are considered reasonably accurate, there could even be a penalty to earnings when not taking a handicap based on the difference in the total BV. For example, if there is a 5:1 ratio in BV, the no bonus/no penalty balance point could be at 75% of total tonnage, and if a pilot elects to take the full drop deck they would drop with a -25% earnings penalty.

If only something like this existed to staunch the river of Kuritan blood that will flow during the battle of Luthian.

[50 50]

Going to chime in on the career paths.

I feel there are a couple of options that could be explored to give Loyalists some more incentives and options as well as make the that path unique when compared to the Mercenary path.

I feel the best option and the one that would last is turning the loyalty points into a currency. If we consider that once you have attained a rank with a faction, you never lose that rank (so you don't jump back and forth and earn the same rewards) but you do lose the loyalty points so you need to earn them back.
This suggests that part of the functionality we need to use the points as a currency is already there. So....

• Allow the points to be converted to MC.
  
• Allow the points to be spent to affect different variables.

If we can spend the points on both permanent and temporary items we instantly create a reason to earn them back which in turn provides a simple reason to stay with your faction.

A small note though to prevent faction hopping.
You cannot spend the points until you have reached a certain rank which needs to be a reasonable level.

So, what variables could we look at adjusting?

Right at the moment we need some more options, more features that we can then apply different effects and modifiers to.
The first option that comes to mind is a temporary change to drop deck minimum and/or maximum tonnage.
What if we could spend X loyalty points to increase the maximum drop deck tonnage by 10 for an Attack Phase?
Or, What if it was spend X*3 for a 24 hour period? Or X*21 for a week?

I would suggest a way to change earnings, but that's more a mercenary effect and if you could use LP to get MC you can buy Premium Time so that's not that interesting.

If we wanted to look at new stuff, pimping out the mech bay with Faction items comes to mind.
If there were repairs and logistics, then LP could be spent to either temporarily modify those costs or get items that will. A little tech in our mech bay for example? He/She can just stand there and provide a modifier.
That would be cool.
But we need some other features/values in the game that something new like that can work with and have a purpose.

Point being, if we want something lasting, we need to be able to spend those points.

Edited by 50 50, 13 October 2017 - 12:32 AM.

[Nightbird]

There is so many things that can be done with LP, they just take a lot more time to implement. Definitely not within 1 month

1. 25,000LP for one Long Tom strike, max 1 per match across all players. Auto target, you get to trigger when (w/ loud timer ofc) and get credit for all damage and kills.
2. 25,000LP for one Repair base, dropship drops a repair base that repairs damage at a rate of 150pts/min. Does not recover destroyed comps or equipment.
3. 1,000,000LP faction lends you a cruiser (jumpship), which you can move on the galaxy map, only worlds with orbiting JS can be voted on to attack. Meta game to put together fleets and defences.
All sorts of fun things can be done to affect the matches and also the galactic map...

[DevlinCognito]

'As we pass by the main hub that connects Piranha Games’ various workspaces, I spy a map of the Inner Sphere, the cluster of some 3,000 star systems that make up MechWarrior’s universe. Each one has a name and a history etched into the stone tablets of BattleTech lore. And for those who have grown up living in that universe, it’s these little details that matter. Fortunately, Russ Bullock is all about the little details.'

[naterist]

DevlinCognito, on 14 October 2017 - 01:34 PM, said:

'As we pass by the main hub that connects Piranha Games’ various workspaces, I spy a map of the Inner Sphere, the cluster of some 3,000 star systems that make up MechWarrior’s universe. Each one has a name and a history etched into the stone tablets of BattleTech lore. And for those who have grown up living in that universe, it’s these little details that matter. Fortunately, Russ Bullock is all about the little details.'

Ya, that made me laugh.

[Popcat]

Some thoughts, some quicker than others obviously:

1) give clans 3 mechs in a FP deck. or 4 mechs but 2 lances. so 36 or 32. Just see how it goes if it gets a 50% win rate on both sides. heck even a 20:80 ratio would be great at this point.
2) Make planets give bonuses to their factions. I.E. Kurita planets give bonuses to all Kurita loyalist players that stack So that it's even harder to initiate the attacks Basically home court advantage for loyalists, more of your planets you own more advantage when fighting in Kurita territory. Turrets stronger harder hitting per loyalist on map, more of them, heat % decrease, faster weapon cycling. What ever just go crazy. Captured planets give no bonus to any one, just financial for owning team. Tweak to taste.
3) More effective matching to pilot rating. but I guess when no body plays can't be picky. Maybe bots when timer get really long. So I can actually just play and some day achieve my loyalty points
4) Loyalty costs lowered so they might someday be achievable with current population when the game goes big. If game gains momentum you can redo later.
5) Loyalty should be rewarded with unique unit insignia decals.
6) The higher the rep your rewards should increase after all your kind of the lore hero. max out your faction rep an get bonuses in FP that effect you and those in your lance. When fighting in your territory.
7) Drop ships should strafe any enemy mechs inside the drop zones. there should never be drop site camping. Put a time limit on how long defenders can camp drop zone with no one out side before they forfeit if you must.

[50 50]

Nightbird, on 13 October 2017 - 01:15 PM, said:

There is so many things that can be done with LP, they just take a lot more time to implement. Definitely not within 1 month

1. 25,000LP for one Long Tom strike, max 1 per match across all players. Auto target, you get to trigger when (w/ loud timer ofc) and get credit for all damage and kills.
2. 25,000LP for one Repair base, dropship drops a repair base that repairs damage at a rate of 150pts/min. Does not recover destroyed comps or equipment.
3. 1,000,000LP faction lends you a cruiser (jumpship), which you can move on the galaxy map, only worlds with orbiting JS can be voted on to attack. Meta game to put together fleets and defences.
All sorts of fun things can be done to affect the matches and also the galactic map...

Agreed.
I think right at the moment, if Loyalists could convert LP into MC, that would do a lot.

Re the Long Tom.
It would have been much better to have that as an effect for the attacking team that blew open the gates and destroyed the nearby turrets right at the start of the match.
Do it with a cinematic with a bit of narration for effect but that's it.
For the defenders, have the Orbital Cannon shoot down some attacking dropships (not actually killing any mechs... just as a cinematic effect) so that the attackers are delayed giving more time for the defending team to get into positions.

If the idea of the Long Tom was to tilt the battle in one team's advantage, then having a cool little intro at the start of the battle that gives one team a head start would do it and adds a little bit of immersion and variation to the battles at the same time.
The fighting is then down to us.

Edited by 50 50, 15 October 2017 - 07:31 PM.

[Jman5]

Good stuff mentioned so far. My thoughts on some small stuff I'd like improved.

1. Damage to turrets, generators, and UAVs are added either to your damage total or to a separate stat that is visible on Team Stat page. (excluding base walls in Incursion)

2. More of the Quickplay maps are added.

3. The three new Clan factions added to Leaderboard filter list

4. Scouting and Invasion get two separate Leaderboards

5. Loyalist Contracts get reset Bi-Annually.

6. The position of all generators are adjusted in Siege mode to allow defenders to body block the doors if they choose.

7. Faction Play Leaderboards are added to the website. They are reset and archived every 6 months.

8. Boreal Vault gate generator is raised for easier shooting by attackers and more cover is added by the entrance.

9. Terrain is cleaned up by Boreal Vault entrance so that it stops warping and disappearing when you go back a few hundred meters.

10. More cover is added in the open hills of Boreal Vault.

11. Matchscore is no longer divided by mechs you used. Instead you just get 10-20 points docked for every death.

12. Siege mode auto-ends as soon as the attackers get 48 kills.

13. Disconnected players get a 5 minute grace period to reconnect. After that matchmaker issues a call to arms and pulls in a person to play that player's remaining mechs. Anyone who accepts inherits whatever rewards that player had already accumulated prior to disconnecting.

Edited by Jman5, 16 October 2017 - 10:41 AM.

[BlackDeathLegion]

Honestly . . . there is NO HOPE!

Save your ideas and breath. Move on!

[Nightbird]

Jman5, on 16 October 2017 - 10:30 AM, said:

6. The position of all generators are adjusted in Siege mode to allow defenders to body block the doors if they choose.

8. Boreal Vault gate generator is raised for easier shooting by attackers and more cover is added by the

13. Disconnected players get a 5 minute grace period to reconnect. After that matchmaker issues a call to arms and pulls in a person to play that player's remaining mechs. Anyone who accepts inherits whatever rewards that player had already accumulated prior to disconnecting.

I like and agree with most of your suggestions Jman, I would propose the following modifications to a few that I think would achieve the same goals:

6. Make the gens small domination zones instead of destroying them. This prevents gen rushing as damage stops count down. Incursion can be the base rushing mode. The space gauss installation is fortified against capital ship weapons anyways, mechs can't scratch them

8. Make gates shootable, fail open gates terribad

13. DC player's mechs are usually bad, would hurt anyone forced to use them. Just let any player that uses up all 4 mech take over, and adds earnings to theirs. This is a win for the pilot that chooses to do so.

[Wizywig]

Here's an idea:

FW invasion is a HUGE time investment. If you lose, you get **** pay, but still spent 30 minutes. If you win, you can get 4-6x what the losers got.

This is true in all matches.

Please make FW a fixed amount for playing. Like say $700,000 cbills on win, $350,000 on loss. +50% for premium time. This will encourage a lot more people.

This encouragement will lead to Phase 2:

Phase 2: Enough people play FW for the matchmater to actually work. Once we have that, start doing for realsies matchmaking.

Phase 2 alt:

Stop quick-play. QP Should be called "practice" and it should be say 4 games a day for pay, the rest should be FW. FW should also allow you to blacklist certain game modes.

Phase 3:

Figure out some reason to FW. FW is just quickplay without a matchmaker today, make it worthwhile!

[50 50]

Wouldn't mind seeing some new Siege maps.
However, having the base as a central location on the map would be an interesting twist on the layout.

[naterist]

Add the maps IS stands a chance on, like canyon, or viridian.

[slide]

I think we need to redefine the career paths and offer incentives to play those roles like they should be. Any mentions of rewards includes Cbills, XP and LP. I think MC should remain as part of the loyalty trees only or as special rewards. As it currently stands MC only benefits an elite few and is no incentive for the majority to even try for it.

Lone Wolf. (main focus getting games)
-drop any mech any where any time (yes mixed tech)
-no LP
- +10% rewards
- Match Maker main use, filler

Mercs. (main focus, money and rewards)
-no contracts
-cannot take planets
-can drop anywhere any time in faction specific drop deck
-2 xtra free drop decks (4 for free can buy more) this allows 2 clan +2 IS decks minimum
- Flat +25% rewards
-MM use, go where needed to get fastest games, could play clan one match and IS the next. If units are stacking one side then mercs will predominantly play the other side. No choice. Drop screen will default to first appropriate drop deck.
-Merc units capped at 64 members (approx)

Loyalists. (main focus Planetary conquest)
-drop, faction specific mechs
-loyalty contract bonus/deduction based on pop (calculated correctly)
-standard match rewards + bonus's
-loyalty contracts renew each month, continuous renewals grant 10% bonus/month (max 50%?)
-choose what planets to attack.
-planet ownership grants faction loyalists (all of them) a bonus as well ie 1%/planet above starting point.
-MM uses loyalist units then loyalists to seed matches, failing any available loyalists MM will match Mercs against each other. (yes this means a merc unit fielding 2 teams could fight each other)
-Loyalist units capped at 128 (or double merc units)
-LP or Cbills can be used in some way to bolster planetary defenses (I have other ideas on this but it is another topic)

Units. (Encouraging group play)
-anybody grouping up into 4 or more get +10% rewards
-If tagged in the same unit another +5%
-8 man +5%
-12 man +5%
(so a unit dropping a 12 man group gets +25% on match earnings, a mixed group of 12 gets 20%)

Additional (because this pissed me off over the current event as nobody uses it) 10k Cbills to anybody who gets picked up from the LFG (max 2 per day to stop farmers).

Edited by slide, 16 October 2017 - 10:17 PM.

[Sunstruck]

Bud Crue, on 28 September 2017 - 12:41 PM, said:

Reset to phase 2.

This is the best answer, though it will never happen as the population is so low that nobody would get any games, like ever.