9 replies to this topic

[DoctorGizmo]

Hello fellow Mechwarriors, I was told that if the developers were to see my criticism about the game that I should post it here, so I shall. Please do feel free to leave constructive feedback. I also hope the developers get a chance to see this review and see what they agree or disagree with. Thanks!

I love Battletech, I love the FPS Mechwarrior Games, I love it all, so how could I say no to this?


Well, as it turns out: This game is a watered-down MMO-arena style Mechwarrior title that isn't good at appealing to me. The gameplay becomes dull and tedious due to the meta nature and limited map choices, and also weapon mechanics.

I wasn't there for the beta, but it looks so much more fun than what it is now.

You're welcomed by the game by a cadet bonus that'll get you a couple mechs to start with. But once that bonus is gone it becomes a grind to the point where I'd want to gouge my eyes out from how long one could spend their time getting one single mech.

PROS:

- Graphics
- Social
- Fun for a while while things are still fresh
- Lots of ways to experiment in the mech lab
- Wide selection of mechs
- Active playerbase
- Modern interface
- Big stompy robots

Cons:


- Customization is hidden behind a paywall, fair enough...
- Lack of proper lore implamentation (Faction play tries this but fails. It's more of a place for "Units" to hang out.)
- Meta, expect the same repetitive cheesey loadouts, making for lack of variety in gameplay styles. This ruins Solaris VII to me.
- Too many mechs on a team (12 is too many if you ask me, maybe a 1-2 lance scenario instead of 4. Otherwise that's 24 mechs total in a game, do you see where this could seem unrealistic for a Mechwarrior game?)
- The scale of buildings and tunnels feels off.

Weapon mechanics:


- Lasers, instead of all the damage immediately hitting the target, is spread across a short period of time, and focusing the beam is more of the goal. This change comes as a suprise to seasoned players, and to me it doesn't sit right in my stomach. I wish they'd change this mechanic. To prevent it from being too harsh: Tweak the laser damages to go with the zap style.

- Autocannons lost the potential of being very deadly (Not that they aren't already deadly) because you can't knock down mechs, same goes for missiles. They had this feature before, but from what I hear it's been removed due to it being "abused" (Well of course that's going to happen when there are 12 ♥♥♥♥ing enemy mechs in a single match). But it's also because missiles are very good at tracking their opponent, almost impossible to outrun them regardlesss of speed. With that being said...

- Missiles: They're "OK", they could be potentially greater by allowing knockdown, and also jacking up the aim of mechs.

Look, I know it was once a feature in the game and got removed, but I love that kind of♥♥♥♥♥♥ I mean who wouldn't wanna hammer down a mech so hard they fall over? I'd love to see light mechs trip from getting shot from an AC20, you know? I mean look at this♥♥♥♥♥♥ That looks ♥♥♥♥ing awesome!



Showing just how effective ramming is in the Mechwarrior Online Beta.




Also, with the Solaris VII update. It was okay, and rather interesting to try for the first few rounds. Unfortunately after that the repetitive motion rolls back in, and it becomes, again, another grind to achieve the cool bolt-ons you can get in Solaris. I expect balancing sometime, but I'm not counting on it.

I don't have the solution to everything, clearly. Stuff like this should be talked about with groups. All I suggest is a way to slip in features from previous mechwarrior titles. So here I have them here, if anyone is interested:

- Make it harder to turn your mech the faster you are going
- Change the weapon mechanics to make lasers more pew pew instead of bzzzzzzzt (if you catch my drift)
- Make PPCs jack up the hud while also hindering targeting systems
- Make ramming more interesting (If melee is never coming to this game at least make that somewhat of a melee thing).
- Make missiles mess up your aim more, as if they actually had knockback, same goes for autocannons.
- Perhaps add IFF?
- Make death-from-above a feature. Say an assault mech falls down on top of a light mech? That light mech should die from being crushed to death. That would make for some fun value.
- The return of Knockdown
- Reduce quickplay players to lances of 1-2 instead of 4 (I've heard this would mess up matchmaking a little... but if you want the knockdown mechanic to not be abused this is the way to go)
- Make a salvage system. Winning team gets to take back to their mech bays some stuff (more than the losing team). Though I'm not sure what could be salvaged, that's up to PGI if they ever consider an idea like this.

What do you guys think of these suggestions? Let me know please.


EDIT: Aaaand I realized I just posted in the wrong topic, most likely... I apologize for that. Hopefully it will be moved to a more appropriate category if that's the case.

Edited by DoctorGizmo, 27 April 2018 - 09:44 PM.

[El Bandito]

If you wish to show off ramming, show the entertaining clip.




But yeah ramming, and knockdowns mess with hit-reg.

[Requiemking]

The problem is that PGI are obsessed with balancing everything around combat, and since they seem to have no interest in changing things anytime soon(much to many people's annoyance) we have to work around that. As such, stuff like duration based Lasers and ACs that aren't IS standard or LBXs are here to stay. Ramming and knockdown mess with hitreg, not to mention Paul's PTSD, and while 8v8 was floated about, it was canned due to "lack of player input". Also, as per lore formations, 12 mechs is 3 lances, and that is a pretty common number as it gives you the flexibility to do almost anything.

[DoctorGizmo]

Requiemking, on 27 April 2018 - 10:32 PM, said:

The problem is that PGI are obsessed with balancing everything around combat, and since they seem to have no interest in changing things anytime soon(much to many people's annoyance) we have to work around that. As such, stuff like duration based Lasers and ACs that aren't IS standard or LBXs are here to stay. Ramming and knockdown mess with hitreg, not to mention Paul's PTSD, and while 8v8 was floated about, it was canned due to "lack of player input". Also, as per lore formations, 12 mechs is 3 lances

****, I dunno where I got the 4 lances from then-

Well then what do you suggest to improve the game since change isn't something people favor?

[Requiemking]

DoctorGizmo, on 27 April 2018 - 10:43 PM, said:

****, I dunno where I got the 4 lances from then-

Well then what do you suggest to improve the game since change isn't something people favor?

Don't misunderstand me. Plenty of us want change. It's that PGI has no intention of making the changes we actually want them to make, as such, we need to work with what we have got. For example, the reason we don't have speed affecting turning is because that mechanic only serves to screw over Light mechs specifically, and pretty much nothing else.

Edited by Requiemking, 27 April 2018 - 10:53 PM.

[DoctorGizmo]

Requiemking, on 27 April 2018 - 10:53 PM, said:

Plenty of us want change. It's that PGI has no intention of making the changes we actually want them to make, as such, we need to work with what we have got. For example, the reason we don't have speed affecting turning is because that mechanic only serves to screw over Light mechs specifically, and pretty much nothing else.

I don't know, I think it would hinder fast mediums too-

Well anyway... I dunno... The multiplayer and socialization is fun as it is but... I guess it's time for me to "Wait and See" what happens then, since it seems like PGI (based on what you said) doesn't plan on making too much change.

[BurningDesire]

Want to buy a Mech pack

[Dogstar]

DoctorGizmo, on 27 April 2018 - 09:38 PM, said:

Hello fellow Mechwarriors, I was told that if the developers were to see my criticism about the game that I should post it here, so I shall.

PGI don't read the forums.

If you want them to listen to you you need to post a scathing viral video

but their response will always be a big FU

[sycocys]

DoctorGizmo, on 27 April 2018 - 10:43 PM, said:

Well then what do you suggest to improve the game since change isn't something people favor?

My suggestion is that you gather up a few graphics artists and coders and make a competing mech game in a better game engine.

This game has become basically just a digital art factory.

[Asym]

OP, good assessment.

Balance is the wrong direction for this game because the entire game's premise is about the imbalance between warring cultures.... The arms race between them; the diametrically opposed philosophical and tactical doctrines; the manifest destinies of opposite cultures; and, the vastness of space and whom should rule.... All that conflicts with any discussion of balance.... This game is a game about the "cold war"; just revisited in another universe...one side having practical, simple mechanics (machine design, tactics, strategy) in large numbers and the other side, technically superior, vastly smaller numbers and sometimes illogical mechanics (strategically, tactical doctrine and machine design)...opposites... no balance....who would prevail....???

Op good assessment.