3 replies to this topic

[Wikikomoto]

You want to draw in new players? Bring back players that you lost? Attack a huge market that has been starving for a new game for decades?

Depth. More depth. Equipment failures from damage, Ability to knock out sensors and actuators. Bring back knockdown (obviously) Shrink the amount of players per match. Make it more focused. Add more systems. Different radar and scanning modes. individual systems overheating. Engine failure, spot lights. Armor penetration. Different ammo types. Deflection. Much more in-depth damage model.

Of course, melee combat.

I'm obviously not asking for all of this. Literally any single one of these things would drastically impact gameplay, change the whole scene.

My problem with mechwarrior online is that its boring. Its world of tanks with a heat scale. I can spend months learning every system in an aircraft in DCS, and 90% of the fun is just that, learning. Even war thunder, as shallow as that game is, has a beautiful ballistics and armor model that makes the game interesting, and gives the player something to learn and think about.

Even the older mechwarrior games had so much more substance. Deformable terrain, knockdown, passive and active radar. HEADLIGHTS.

Depth, depth, depth. Give us more to learn, give us more to think about on the battlefield. Turn the game from a shallow arcade style shooter into something fun and original.

Until then, you can find me playing steel battalion online through Xlink Kai. The last original and fun giant robot game to hit the market. (seriously though, if you have the money steel battalion is a freaking blast to play, been doing it for months and still can't wrap my head around the controls. Its everything a true mech pilot could ever want out of robot combat, hop on!)

[KursedVixen]

we could use ACTUAL RADAR!!!

[GuardDogg]

Yeah, the cockpit needs a lift to more realism. Even the graphics is off, but nothing much can be done about it. Have you seen DCS (flight sim) graphics/cockpit? And then resorting to the future of Battletech is missing lots, that can do better. As well, missing DFA, falldown some other weapons. Waiting for those 4 legged mechs. In December MWO will sorta fall, due to Mech5. Furthermore, to use VR glasses.

[Livaria]

Yeah, sure, it all sounds nice to have. But Y'know Wiki... If we don't explain ourselves, none of this matters. We've got to be practical. There's still many unanswered questions that so many seem to forget to think about when posting stuff like this.

How will any of this work exactly?
How will it increase the mastery skill ceiling?
If it does work, will it contribute to fair game play?

So let's talk about arm actuator destruction.

The penalties would likely be a reduction to aiming mobility. This can probably happen, but the player base has to be comfortable with the idea that their own accuracy will be penalized just for taking damage. This is a new penalty for the entire community, not to mention a potentially controversial one, evidenced by past reluctance to introduce a cone of fire to weapons.

Next, leg actuator destruction.

There are two options; A reduction to speed and acceleration/deceleration. We might want to be careful about this, since light 'mechs are obviously the most dependent on these stats. So, there's a big question going towards component health as well as how big the penalties are.

Sensor destruction

Sensor destruction is hardly ever going to happen in the current gamestate. Head component damage is often a minuscule thing. If we want this sort of thing to be of regular concern. We're going to have to change how 'mechs receive head damage.

The hitboxes have to be bigger, but to counteract the obvious weak spot, a large portion of damage will still have to transfer to center torso. The head will take only 35% damage while center torso takes 65% for example. Some mechs may also need head structure quirks. The penalties could be an increase to lock-on time, sensor range, Info gathering. that sort of stuff. This is all so head components can take more damage for crits to happen.

Knockdowns.

This is the least likely thing to happen, since it's been tried already.The problem with knockdowns is that their have been problems with hit registration. there have been too many issues.

So I'm going to opt for introducing a *stagger* instead of a knockdown. It'd show 'mechs stumbling a little bit on their legs, but not fall over on the ground. During stagger, the 'mech will have to spend time to regain balance. But how will staggering happen? The most probable answer is a stability health bar. When it reaches 0, a stagger period occurs. Players will take stability damage from specific weapons like PPC's, Missiles, and Cannons.

Active/Passive Radar, Armor Deflection, Ammo types.

I see a lot of players suggesting stuff like this, but I'm going to have to call it quits on things that are going to cause so many complications. it's going to be a lot of work to make something like this balanced, or even worthwhile justifying. I don't like it, and while I have ideas for and solutions; all of the solutions are difficult ones.

Everything else...

I have no comment on everything else mentioned. Mostly because these ideas are new concepts that have very little development behind them . Or... they are minuscule but possible changes to the game, such as headlights.

Edited by Livaria, 10 August 2018 - 10:53 AM.