73 replies to this topic

[Captain Caveman DE]

I can't say that I liked how the mode played.

then again - it was one of the FEW games where teams MAYBE didn't nascar, because that fattie just didn't care.
so... guess it's left-turns, 24/7 from now on in QP.
"Yay"?

[Nightbird]

Useless mode, especially bad for light mechs

[- World Eater -]

Andres Gomez, on 13 December 2018 - 08:37 AM, said:

How about dropships start all who voted for domination in the circle to start the match

The game should go back to random map and mode i.e. remove voting.

[Bombast]

- World Eater -, on 13 December 2018 - 08:48 AM, said:

The game should go back to random map and mode i.e. remove voting.

Democracy was a mistake, comrade.



They really should get rid of map voting though. RNG is life, RNG is love.

[Jables McBarty]

Pain G0D, on 13 December 2018 - 05:57 AM, said:

I would have appreciated an official reason for removing it or if its going to be improved on and then reintroduced ?

I am 100% expecting a clarification post stating that there was a bug and they are looking to fix it and re-add it in a hotfix on Friday/Monday.

All this preliminary celebration is in vain.

The salt will flow once more!

[Koniving]

I wouldn't minded this, but it needed a few more things to actually make this mission fair. First off the mech of choice was an Atlas with a ridiculous amount of armor...and no ability to retaliate. Why not an Ambassador mech? Give it Cicada animations, and rather than have it be on the map immediately, have it appear a couple of minutes in with a map marker for lights/mediums, while the heavies and assaults stage a defensive line already knowing the Ambassador's planned path. If there's a lot of action along that route, have the Ambassador announce a route change. Give rewards for lights/mediums sticking with the Ambassador to help make up for the action they miss out on initially. Now have the Ambassador get to the other side and leave the bounds for mission success as a "hand off."

-----------

Alternatively, it could have been a vehicle. A Behemoth tank, Armored Variant for example. Its a 100 ton tank with more armor than any mech can hold as its norm, along with twin LBX-10s and 4 LRM-5s, meaning it could assist in combat with most of the danger going against those in front of it, making the decision to engage from its sides or rear much more preferable.


As one sided as this may sound for the attackers, even still, keep in mind this tank almost single-handedly (the escort Commando died in a single volley from the Atlas and did nothing to it) takes out an assault and destroys or completely cripples somwhere between 7 out of 8 Enforcers...and that's while immobile.

Hitting tracks should slow it down or stop it after a certain amount of damage is received and have it recover in due course, during which its retaliations could be more aggressive than when its focused on driving (adding a bit of "is it better to get it to stop moving or to engage it while its busy traveling and therefore less accurate?" strategy.)

Or a convoy of multiple vehicles in multiple directions ensuring that there's action divided across the map and that the "nascar" or "ball" strategy could not work, provided that the escort convoys had reasonable speed.

-----------------

But what we got was terrible and nonsensical. As such while there was potential in the idea, it ultimately was doomed from the start.

(So when is Conquest gonna get a revamp. Anyone heard of Herzog Zwei for the Sega master system, AirMech Strike f2p its spiritual successor in all but name? Both sides start out with a base and there are platforms that the Mechs cannot take themselves, what they do is they create and carry or escort or leave on their own little infantrymen [or in our case little vehicles] that will then take over and operate the little platforms. The only counter is to bring your own little guys to take over the base. Interception of them is paramount to protecting your platforms and each one you have can then spawn little guys to be sent to take another base. Understandably there are roles for every class though seeing role warfare natively take place is questionable.)

[Acersecomic]

Great news. It is completely unbalanced and not at all thought-through. It just slaps escort and horrible AI into any regular map.
It's like driving actual Nascar on a Formula 1 track.

I'd like Escort reintroduced one day, reworked. Hopefully with the 100+ tripods/quad mechs that also shoot back at multiple enemies with mixed ranged weapons on maps or paths better designed for escort.

I think that could be a lot of fun.

Edited by Acersecomic, 13 December 2018 - 09:13 AM.

[Jay Leon Hart]

Andres Gomez, on 13 December 2018 - 08:37 AM, said:

How about dropships start all who voted for domination in the circle to start the match

So I can get all the kills even quicker? YES PLEASE!

[Last Of The Brunnen-G]

The major problem for escort was, that the VIP had NO WEAPONS! With the battletech rules it was possible to make VIP mech that would be devestating. It already had something similar to hardened armor. They could have given it ECM systems, Clan XL or XXL and some very cool weapons. Give it some proto heat sinks and heatbanks/exchangers for maximum cooling... combine all this with the presicion of the turrets and noone wants to attack this beast alone!

[The pessimistic optimist]

Hell yea! Just about no one likes this mode.

[Rhialto]

Pain G0D, on 13 December 2018 - 05:57 AM, said:

I would have appreciated an official reason for removing it or if its going to be improved on and then reintroduced ?

Same here so I've asked Russ and I've got a reply.
Had hope to see Escort back soon.

[The pessimistic optimist]

Rhialto, on 13 December 2018 - 10:07 AM, said:

Same here so I've asked Russ and I've got a reply.
Had hope to see Escort back soon.

They can bring it back when its a fun mode to play.

[jss78]

Rhialto, on 13 December 2018 - 10:07 AM, said:

Same here so I've asked Russ and I've got a reply.
Had hope to see Escort back soon.

Hah, that's a pretty frank and honest reply.

I didn't like Escort either, to be honest. Domination is OK IMO, and at least very slightly enriched Random queue. At worst it's a skirmish with a pre-determined fighting location, which isn't the worst thing to have. And every once in a while you get actual push and shove about who can stay in the area.

[Davegt27]

yet another victory for the cry babies

no wonder the game is a ghost town compared to what it used to be

[The pessimistic optimist]

Davegt27, on 13 December 2018 - 11:45 AM, said:

yet another victory for the cry babies

no wonder the game is a ghost town compared to what it used to be

Taking out a near universally hated mode is not listen to cry baby's. Now yea want to talk about cry baby's those are the people who got mad because pg wanted to make LRM a usable weapon system well worth using at all

[Prototelis]

So like... are they gonna release that VIP skin as a one shot now?

I want to be the crash test Atlas.

[Steel Raven]

Three things make Escort unpopular:

1.) the VIPs AI can be criminally stupid making the babysitting task frustrating

2.) to counter the VIPs stupid AI, the VIP gets Lurm friendly Beacons, Turrets and Buffs to make it harder to kill. Never had a game determined by Beacons or Turrets myself but people hate them and the Buff Atlas VIP shouldn't need it.

3.) Players love their NASCAR and the VIP gets in the way of running around in a circles.

Can Escort be fixed?
I don't know, Scripting better AI for the VIP seems like the easiest answer but I have my doubts after all this time with no change.
Maybe something like Scout Mode: one player is the VIP and must collect Intel and the enemy team needs to kill him before collecting X amount of Info. I know a Troll player getting the VIP designation would kill the match but at least it won't be bad AI killing the entire game mode.

[Phoolan Devi]

Bombast, on 13 December 2018 - 06:51 AM, said:

and a potato VIP who forced fights in weird locations .

...but that was exactly what made it fun! Not having those typical locations everybody runs senseless to but interesting fights in areas not usually used for engagement!

Edited by Phoolan Devi, 13 December 2018 - 01:44 PM.

[JC Daxion]

Kanil, on 12 December 2018 - 09:42 PM, said:

I hope this means we'll see maps that don't support escort more often.

that would totally blow.. I already play more Mining and HPG than any other map.. It's so often that i'm getting to the point i don't even wanna play any more. That is pretty sad.


Escort needs some simple fixes.. Making the path Known to the escort team.. Add some sort of path change option by either votes, or lights/meds capping points that would lead them in a specific direction. Those 2 changes could really help a ton.

Tweak the paths a bit on certain maps.


for Me polar escort was one of my favorite maps/modes. got to play in the very fun Northern part of the map.. I hope Russ follows through on the FIX part, and not just removes it. Last thing i want is more DOM

Edited by JC Daxion, 13 December 2018 - 02:02 PM.

[- World Eater -]

Davegt27, on 13 December 2018 - 11:45 AM, said:

yet another victory for the cry babies

no wonder the game is a ghost town compared to what it used to be

Or you know, lack of vision (made even more apparent this last MechCon) and inclination to increase quality.