21 replies to this topic

[Vellron2005]

Faction Play Changes:

• Players will no longer be penalized for breaking Loyalty pledges or Mercenary Contracts.
  
• Contracts will now remain active until manually cancelled, and the cancellation of a Mercenary Contract will not incur a penalty.
  
• As a result, Unit Leaders and members with sufficient permissions can take new Faction Contracts or Loyalist pledges for the Unit at any time.
  
• There are no Desertion phases after breaking Contracts or Loyalty. However, the Loyalist Probationary period starting from the initial pledge remains in place.
  
• Freelancers will now be able to respond to standard Call To Arms. They are no longer restricted to the last-minute Emergency Call To Arms.

So, after reading the above stated, as much as I figure, as a merc, I can break and sign contracts more-less on a drop-by-drop basis now?

Like I do one drop as a filthy clanner, and the next one as IS freebirth, and then the next as clanner again? No cost, no penalty no nothing?

But Loyalists have to get that probationary period?

So tell me guys.. what in-game reason do you have for being a loyalist? (Other than pure roleplay / nostalgia)

It seems to me that loyalism simply doesn't pay anymore?

Discuss.

[Kaeb Odellas]

C-Bill bonuses and faction rep.

[Alexander of Macedon]

Because I'm not treacherous scum willing to plant a dagger in the backs of even House Lords, much less my own people.

[The Basilisk]

Only as loyalist you can level your faction rep.
Mercs can only level merc rep.

[K O Z A K]

This patch actually makes life much easier for loyalists by removing the 7 day cooldown period after breaking loyalty

everyone above already noted as to why you'd play loyalist, separate rep/reward paths for each faction vs one path for merc

there is absolutely no reason to stay on the same loyalist faction after you've completed it's reward path

[ccrider]

Obviously you become a loyalist to serve Dear Coordinator and help his benevolent light shine on all people of the Inner Sphere. You also do it to send dirty wet dog clanners to the turnip fields where they belong.

[Khobai]

Quote

Why Would You Ever Be A Loyalist?

you wouldnt

thats why mercs shouldnt be able to switch factions whenever they want

and loyalists should get the best bonuses since they never switch factions

Edited by Khobai, 20 March 2018 - 06:46 AM.

[Cato Phoenix]

I did it! Successfully avoided losing all of my CJF loyalty points by not being a CJF loyalist for ~1.5 years.
Now I can finally return. Love that the changes to loyalist actually makes me more likely to -play- a long term loyalist. Previously the cost for switching to do mech bay tours or whatever was so unreasonably high.

[Nightbird]

To get mech bays and MC from each faction's ranks.

[El Bandito]

Vellron2005, on 20 March 2018 - 04:05 AM, said:

WHY WOULD YOU EVER BE A LOYALIST?

Why would you ever be a Merc after this change? Faction switch is now easy as pie post patch.

[Mystere]

What's the point of all of this when factions mean absolutely nothing other than rep and trinkets?

[K O Z A K]

Mystere, on 20 March 2018 - 10:05 AM, said:

What's the point of all of this when factions mean absolutely nothing other than rep and trinkets?

to appease the 2 dozen lore players still in the game because they buy every mech pack that comes out

[Pain G0D]

Unless i am wrong . Last time i checked you need to be part of a unit to become a merc . A bunch of buddies with strong hardware can be a wee bit difficult for I dunno 85 percent players ? Your other choices are minimal rewards and leashed drop freelancer ? For an anti social and practical nerd that might never had any MW experience until now pledging loyalty seems the most logical .

Personally , I would have joined a faction anyway . The awesome rewards and rank are just a cherry on the chocolate cake for me . Explain whats so attractive about being a merc ?

[MechaBattler]

If they made faction rep something that we could use to get goodies that can only be used while in that faction. Then maybe I would consider going back. But as it stands, it's just kinda shrug worthy. Feels like loyalty players got the big snub for being fans of their faction. Keep in mind I'm not a huge Liao fan, but the people in the unit were. My favorite CW moment was Driftwood saying over coms "It's not murder if they're Davions." xD

We could have things like faction huds, faction sounds, faction decals exclusive to loyalists. Oh shet, we got little faction peoples.

[Exilyth]

Pain G0D, on 20 March 2018 - 10:43 AM, said:

Explain whats so attractive about being a merc ?

Jumping to whichever faction gives the highest low pop bonus. Merc rewards. The ability to go loyalist after being done with mercs.

[Vellron2005]

What I've learned so far from this is:

1) Yada yada, roleplay yada yada

2) More money if you're loyalist - which is wrong. You get about the same cose' merc contracts pay more money than loyalist bonuses, but the rep tree gives less, so it kinda evens out. The rewards are almost the same, but mercs need more points to get them, but again, they get more money / drop, so it's basically all the same.

3) Extra mechbays - you got me there, I should probably do a "tour de sphere" to get all the mechbays, after I'm done with merc-ing out..

4) No desertion and breaking loyalty penalties anymore - yeah.. not cool that I broke loyalty with Clan Wolf and then two weeks later they announce removing all penalties.. and I lost 1/4 of my loyalty progress with Clan Wolf.. :/

5) About the requirement of being in a unit to be a merc.. you know you can start your own 1-man unit right? If not, ALRM is always willing to expand.. as long as you're not a LRM hater

6) The ability to jump factions on a drop-by-drop basis means that everyone will simply sign the biggest cbill bonus contracts, so the game will continue to be Clan Nova cat and Clan Diamond Shark VS Liao and Marik.. or whoever starts paying more..

7) Factions don't matter - that's my point! If you take roleplay and nostalgia out of the picture, there is no reason to choose a particular clan or IS house - other than beeing a merc, cose' some factions pay more?

So why be a loyalist? There is literally no benefit to this? Cbill and loyalty rewards mostly even out in the grand scheme of things - the only difference is that Mercs get cbills faster?

Edited by Vellron2005, 21 March 2018 - 12:38 AM.

[El Bandito]

Vellron2005, on 21 March 2018 - 12:37 AM, said:

So why be a loyalist? There is literally no benefit to this? Cbill and loyalty rewards mostly even out in the grand scheme of things - the only difference is that Mercs get cbills faster?

Loyalist hopping gets you faster mechbays, as well as MC. Who cares about C-Bills?

Merc maxxes out at rank 10, and then what are you gonna do? Stay merc like a fool?

Edited by El Bandito, 21 March 2018 - 12:55 AM.

[Vellron2005]

El Bandito, on 21 March 2018 - 12:53 AM, said:

Loyalist hopping gets you faster mechbays, as well as MC. Who cares about C-Bills?

Merc maxxes out at rank 10, and then what are you gonna do? Stay merc like a fool?

Yes, mercs max out at level 10.. but you need the same ammount of LP to get there as a loyalist to get to lvl 20..

So loyalist get more "in-between rewards" which are mostly some GXP and cbills.. which mercs get after every match because of the higher contract pay-outs.. so it's basically the same.. only mercs get it sooner, while loyalists have to wait to get the next level..

As far as MC and mechbay rewards, if you're a Wolf your whole career or a Merc your whole career, you get the exact same amount of MC and mech bays..

The game forces you to hop factions in order to keep it interesting.. making you basically.. a merc.

When I reach lvl 10 merc, I'll probably go loyalist, yes.. cose' there will be nothing better to do.. I hope they change that though..

They should have kept the old system where a merc would gain reputation with each individual faction based on amount of jobs they did for that faction..

Edited by Vellron2005, 21 March 2018 - 01:09 AM.

[El Bandito]

Vellron2005, on 21 March 2018 - 01:04 AM, said:

Yes, mercs max out at level 10.. but you need the same ammount of LP to get there as a loyalist to get to lvl 20..

So loyalist get more "in-between rewards" which are mostly some GXP and cbills.. which mercvs get after every match because of the higher contract pay-outs.. so it's basically the same.. only mercs get it sooner, while loyalists have to wait to get the next level..

When I reach lvl 10 merc, I'll probably go loyalist, yes.. cose' there will be nothing better to do.. I hope they change that though..

Except Loyalist hopping gets you far more mechbays, so it is not advised for players to go merc if they are tight on mechbays.

[Vellron2005]

El Bandito, on 21 March 2018 - 01:06 AM, said:

Except Loyalist hopping gets you far more mechbays, so it is not advised for players to go merc if they are tight on mechbays.

True. But then again, if you're loyalist hopping, doesn't that kinda make you a merc? Isn't that the very definition of mercs? Switching to whatever side pays you the best at the moment, be it cbills or mechbays?