78 replies to this topic

[FireStoat]

mogs01gt, on 02 August 2018 - 04:25 AM, said:

Umm no. The game has been dying since the introduction of Clan mechs. They inherently cannot be balanced.

I'm going to refute this part. Elements such as range, heat, cooldown, burn time, damage, etc, all could have been considered in having clan technology stack against Inner Sphere for asymmetrical balance. PGI considered doing this with some evidence we've seen, but didn't do the initial work and testing before the release because they half assed it and then left players with table top expectations as well as initial play expectations after the release of the first values.

Simple scenarios of "what alpha from X mech could be expected as reasonable? How does it compare vs mech Y? What does damage absorption look like for both? What sort of damage can be sustained within 6 seconds? 12 seconds? 18 seconds? 30 seconds?"
This sort of testing and balancing would have taken a LOT of work initially, but it could have been done. Just because PGI didn't do it at launch with Clans and still appears inept with what needs to be done doesn't mean that it isn't possible, or that a different company couldn't do it.

[Koniving]

0Carbon0, on 02 August 2018 - 01:05 AM, said:

Before the LURM patch, I used to get matches until 5AM EST constantly in the group queue. Now, I can wait an hour in the queue for nothing.

I don't really care about the LURM buff, but its obviously having a negative effect on the population. PGI needs to do something about this.

Because half the users are in the "Public Test" server, which does NOT count for MWO's metrics.

Although, the buff LRM craze has only started in the last 30 days, you can see the huge decline prior to that in the two months beforehand.

The dramatic drop at the end though came with the opening of both PTS one and PTS two for "alpha balance".

Isn't biggest drop closer to when the Piranha got released? (Joking).

Edited by Koniving, 02 August 2018 - 09:49 AM.

[Christophe Ivanov]

As some have expressed about the LRM Issue, I have avoided LRMs as to me, they represent somewhat of an lazy man's way to fight. After months and way too much frustrations, last night I fought in my MCII equipped with 2X20 LRM launchers and 2X Large Lasers and guess what? Remember, I mostly fight in Assaults.
Not only did I survive in more games, I also started ending the game with kills too. How's that? and before anyone makes a remark, I was fighting WITH the group and not somewhere at the edge (remember I got large lasers too). So yeah, a bittersweet test of how bad things are now from my point.

Edited by Christophe Ivanov, 02 August 2018 - 10:43 AM.

[DFM]

Appogee, on 02 August 2018 - 03:11 AM, said:

This is what happens to any business that over-promises, under-delivers, and focuses on gouging its customers instead of fulfilling their dreams.

[Peter2k]

Tetatae Squawkins, on 02 August 2018 - 04:48 AM, said:

PGI never really cared about this game. They wanted to make MW5 and this was a means to an end.

Too bad they didn't learn anything while getting there.

Appogee, on 02 August 2018 - 04:12 AM, said:

Yeah, I don't think it's the LRMs that are causing people to sign off. I think it's that this patch was so bone-headed, so much the opposite of what experienced players wanted, that many finally lost all hope and just walked away.

I'm as diehard a Mechwarrior as they come. I've sunk a four figure sum into this game. But I won't play QP at all now because the matchmaking is just so bad. I still like FP, but I have to force myself not to disconnect when I get stuck in a FP match on Polar with an enemy team intent on LRM-NARCing.

It's not the LRMs, per se. It's just awful, boring, low-skill gameplay.

Ditto
That's why I quit a while ago and have yet to find the energy to just double click the title in my steam library

It seems to me gameplay gets more boring over time.

Playing in a group of friends was fun, too bad do they left and team play doesn't seem to be the focus at all either.
Gotta keep those evil groups small.

Add a good amount of lack of vision, too long development time.
Sigh

Well I've come to look at it this way.

While I've spend over 1600$ on MWO, if I divide it by hours played I came off cheap compared to other hobbies.

Edited by Peter2k, 02 August 2018 - 11:21 AM.

[Kubernetes]

Koniving, on 02 August 2018 - 09:49 AM, said:

Because half the users are in the "Public Test" server

What are you smoking?

[Imperius]

Koniving, on 02 August 2018 - 09:49 AM, said:

Because half the users are in the "Public Test" server, which does NOT count for MWO's metrics.

Although, the buff LRM craze has only started in the last 30 days, you can see the huge decline prior to that in the two months beforehand.

The dramatic drop at the end though came with the opening of both PTS one and PTS two for "alpha balance".

Isn't biggest drop closer to when the Piranha got released? (Joking).

That’s just pure BS. Those are dead too bud.

[Peter2k]

Kubernetes, on 02 August 2018 - 11:17 AM, said:

What are you smoking?

Imperius, on 02 August 2018 - 11:18 AM, said:

That’s just pure BS. Those are dead too bud.

Agreed

No need for forced 4vs4 on PTS of it where so.

Besides, all things considered, these changes are rather boring; as in predictable, for the outcome.

The other features tried on the PTS at least changed things around considerably, and those suffered from a lack of participation

[Imperius]

I mean I could be a complete *** and say yeah the 8 people playing the PTS is half of the community left.. even I know better though.

[Koniving]

Imperius, on 02 August 2018 - 11:18 AM, said:

That’s just pure BS. Those are dead too bud.

It's where they're supposed to be. But lets be honest.. Those that know better know that this game is never going to be what we hoped for.
Those that don't are crying because not only has the 360 no scope jump shots gone away with the jumpjet nerfs (one jumpjet was enough to get 20+ meters into the air and you could spin without having to press the gas), the constant changes in weapons (which seems to have little to actually do with balance) constantly pushes in favor of existing metas rather than deterring them and the few times it actually goes against such meta, a few tears has them flip the table and undo it all...

So uh.. "Surely" they're all playing on the test servers. Totally nothing going on with the game being nothing like what they described, its everything they said it would be...
.....Its not.

But hey, act now and there's another mech for sale.


Another mech for sale.
Another one for sale.
Another one for sale.
Maps?
Nope, another mech.
Content?
Nope, another mech.
Did you buy a mech lately? Maybe you want this one.
Did you buy a lot? Welp maybe you should buy some more, we got some rewards but only if you bought them in a certain way...
Did you know there's another mech?
Don't worry the animations are just getting worse and worse, at this point we've relegated the work to "professionals"...because amateurs could do it better.

Edited by Koniving, 02 August 2018 - 12:12 PM.

[Heavenward]

Its a 5+ year old game of course its not as popular as it used to be, time leads to entropy. (in most cases i think, I'm not a scientist)

Its just the natural order of things.

Edited by Heavenward, 02 August 2018 - 12:03 PM.

[SlippnGriff]

The chris lowrey effect in action

[Imperius]

Koniving, on 02 August 2018 - 11:51 AM, said:

It's where they're supposed to be. But lets be honest.. Those that know better know that this game is never going to be what we hoped for.
Those that don't are crying because not only has the 360 no scope jump shots gone away with the jumpjet nerfs (one jumpjet was enough to get 20+ meters into the air and you could spin without having to press the gas), the constant changes in weapons (which seems to have little to actually do with balance) constantly pushes in favor of existing metas rather than deterring them and the few times it actually goes against such meta, a few tears has them flip the table and undo it all...

So uh.. "Surely" they're all playing on the test servers. Totally nothing going on with the game being nothing like what they described, its everything they said it would be...

.....Its not.

Sorry thought you were seriously defending them.

[Khobai]

Game's dying because its bad. And its getting worse not better.

Because instead of building upon what the game does well they add useless new features like Solaris that actually detract from what the game does well (teambased play)

Heavenward, on 02 August 2018 - 12:03 PM, said:

Its a 5+ year old game of course its not as popular as it used to be, time leads to entropy

I dont believe thats true in the case of niche games. Because there are no other alternatives. Plenty of niche games have lasted longer than 5 years for that reason.

MWO certainly couldve been more successful had it gone a different direction... and it would still be successful at the 5 year mark.

Honestly with how badly MWO has been mishandled since the beginning its amazing the game has made it this far... that clearly shows the devotion of the players to the battletech franchise.

Edited by Khobai, 02 August 2018 - 12:46 PM.

[Heavenward]

Khobai, on 02 August 2018 - 12:41 PM, said:

I dont believe thats true in the case of niche games. Because there are no other alternatives. Plenty of niche games have lasted longer than 5 years for that reason.

MWO certainly couldve been more successful had it gone a different direction... and it would still be successful at the 5 year mark.

To be honest some players have been saying the game has been dying for years, its probably got at least a few more left. I agree that if it had gone a different direction it may have been more successful than it already has, but all in all I reckon ive got what ive paid for(admittedly just $70) and five years isn't half bad for a mech' game. The games we compare it too in terms of longevity probably have much, much bigger budgets.

[MechaBattler]

Perhaps if they had pursued a PVE angle. But then I imagine it would become as grindy as Star Trek Online in. With their blasted reputation grinds. Doing daily missions day after day.

Still if they bothered to create an immersive universe people would have reason to stick around beyond stompy robot action. Which to be fair is the best stompy robot action I can find. But after years of playing. It just feels like it lacks purpose. It is fun. But needs a sense of immersion and purpose. :/

[n8d0g]

MechaBattler, on 02 August 2018 - 01:24 PM, said:

Perhaps if they had pursued a PVE angle.

Sub-dividing a community further is usually not healthy for the population.

But your point on stompy robat action is important, because thats what Mechwarrior is and what it does best. A declining player base overtime may just be because its not a popular genre. I tried to introduce some of my friends to it, and it just didnt click with them.

Same thing with space sims, they were all the rage in the mid-late 90s, then disppeared. Same genres just don't make it.

[Khobai]

n8d0g, on 02 August 2018 - 01:41 PM, said:

Same thing with space sims, they were all the rage in the mid-late 90s, then disppeared. Same genres just don't make it.

I think star citizen hitting 100 million in crowdfunding disproves that

just because no one was making space sims doesnt mean people didnt want to play space sims

the 90s had technological barriers too. the computing power didnt exist to create entire procedurally generated universes back then. thats what helped revitalize space sims.

Edited by Khobai, 02 August 2018 - 02:00 PM.

[VitriolicViolet]

yeah i cant see this lasting much more than another year, i dont play much at all any more, started playing BT instead.

Im assuming the fact that we have been in non-stop mech-pack sales for all of July and now August im thinking they might need money lol.

There were many times when things could have been improved, the community has had some pretty great ideas over time but they all get ignored things are getting stale. even balance attempts are becoming predictable in that they are generally bizarre and dont really address anything.

Eh, im still playing occasionally, but ive definitely noticed a huge increase in wait times even for QP unless i try play US prime time, Oceania is kinda dead during the day

[Pain G0D]

Tetatae Squawkins, on 02 August 2018 - 06:03 AM, said:

Yeah why would a company keep taking peoples money if things are going badly. That's absurd.

Umm yeah , you cough up real cash for some wierd and wonderful mech in 4 months and PGI closes shop a week later , you get to give em a lawsuit that harmony gold can only dream about . Feel free to cry or have a party when no mech is announced for early adoption

Oh wow now the game is dying because pros and noobs alike are being lurmed on polar highlands I wish you would make up your minds Every second week lurms are either over powered or under powered .

I love polar highlands and been happily lurming since I joined two years ago . It's not my fault your armless weapon of mass destruction with no range or back armour somehow has no space for AMS and lambs . Why not do something constructive and go lurm somebody XD .

I will tell you what's dying . Forum threads with intelligent topics and conversation .

Edited by Pain G0D, 02 August 2018 - 02:19 PM.