19 replies to this topic

[Star Dust]

Understand most development efforts are in support of MW5. It's possible MW5 (if marketed well) will bring some players to MWO. I'm asking developers to implement some simple changes to the new player experience in MWO so that if/when new players try the game they have a more encouraging experience.

There are must be over 500 or so mechs in the game now but a new player may only get enough cbills for 1 or 2 initially, and that's not counting skill costs.

Please increase the initial match rewards and Academy rewards so that players can buy and fit up to 2 drop decks worth of mechs. This way even if the beginner makes some purchase decisions they regret the effect will be less detrimental. I know with the weekly events its easier now than in the past to get MC and mechs, but I feel like this simple improvement will increase the chances of retaining more players.

It would also be nice if the in-game news / patch notes window also had links to some popular beginner resources like videos or some of the nice PDF guides out there.

Thank you for considering.

Additional Suggestions:
- Provide trial mechs with generic skill trees. MechaBattler

Edited by raarz, 17 June 2019 - 11:47 AM.

[Khobai]

PGI needs to redo the skill system too. Get rid of skill points and just make everything cost XP.

Skills shouldnt cost cbills thats too oppressive to new players that are already struggling playing catchup.

[Mystere]

Khobai, on 13 June 2019 - 03:39 PM, said:

PGI needs to redo the skill system too. Get rid of skill points and just make everything cost XP.

Skills shouldnt cost cbills thats too oppressive to new players that are already struggling playing catchup.

Just junk the skill system. Done.

[Khobai]

id be okay with junking it entirely too

the old skill/module system was so much better

[Monkey Lover]

Someone has to pay the bills. If new people like the game they can buy more mechs.

[Apache1990]

Khobai, on 13 June 2019 - 05:50 PM, said:

id be okay with junking it entirely too

the old skill/module system was so much better

Having to buy 3/4 of the same mech type to max out one was not at all better.

[w4ldO]

remove mech-bound XP, reward only GXP.
boom, system fixed.

[Khobai]

Apache1990, on 13 June 2019 - 09:27 PM, said:

Having to buy 3/4 of the same mech type to max out one was not at all better.

everything else was better. and having to level up 3 variants of the same mech couldve been removed without changing how the old system worked.

the current skill system is an absolute mess and still doesnt give players any real choices. its still just a progression unlock tree since you take the same exact skills on virtually every mech.

but its also very unintuitive and unfriendly for new players. ive seen people quit the game literally just because of the skill tree because they didnt know what to do with it lol.

Edited by Khobai, 13 June 2019 - 10:40 PM.

[vonJerg]

rule of 3 kept mech packs selling

[M R T]

Khobai, on 13 June 2019 - 10:38 PM, said:

the current skill system is an absolute mess and still doesnt give players any real choices. its still just a progression unlock tree since you take the same exact skills on virtually every mech.

I could never understand why they would take a linear skill system and force it into a tree structure. It makes no sense at all, and the result is as you say, no real variance and virtually every mech has the same skills with little variation. It would be much better if they reorganized the skill system into a linear model, then at least it would make more sense.

[LordNothing]

leveling is completely out of place in an arena shooter. the learning curve is steep enough to keep new players under the club for awhile, they don't need the further disadvantage of an unleveled mech. and having to invest time in leveling mech to see if its worth using kind of sucks, especially if it turns out to be an underperformer (and many are).

Edited by LordNothing, 14 June 2019 - 04:05 AM.

[Phoolan Devi]

Khobai, on 13 June 2019 - 10:38 PM, said:

everything else was better. and having to level up 3 variants of the same mech couldve been removed without changing how the old system worked.

the current skill system is an absolute mess and still doesnt give players any real choices. its still just a progression unlock tree since you take the same exact skills on virtually every mech.

but its also very unintuitive and unfriendly for new players. ive seen people quit the game literally just because of the skill tree because they didnt know what to do with it lol.

Oh really, everything else was better?

Having to search through this voluntary amassed amount of tiles just to find your SRM6 range and having to pay about 3000 some gxp to unlock it.......just to find out you needed the cSRM6?

Being able to only get a max modules of around three.....I know, some had more but that were mostly lights where you didn't need it.

Having to pay 15,000 gxp just to get advanced zoom?

Etc pp

The old system was way more unintuitive and hindered new players much much more and I guess more new players left the game back then because of the skill mess than today of the tree.

Edited by Phoolan Devi, 15 June 2019 - 12:54 AM.

[Kaeb Odellas]

The old system was bad. The current system is bad too. Giving players straight upgrades over others for spending more time in the game is a bad system.

I feel like the skill system should, instead of giving straight upgrades, provide more avenues of customization with some give or take. Use XP to unlock options for tuning mech performance with some degree of give and take. Maybe increase top speed at the expense of agility? Reduce weapon cooldown at the cost of increased heat? Reducr sensor range in favor of faster target info? Things of that nature.

And if you're satisfied with performance, allow us to buy cosmetics with XP instead.

[Star Dust]

Reworking the skill system would not be a simple fix, editing cbill rewards for initial matches and Academy as well as providing mech bays would be. The proposal is for a simple change that requires minimal developer effort because it's understood most development resources are going towards a project that will probably determine whether people keep their jobs or not.

In general I vastly prefer the skill system to the previous 3 mech situation, my only gripe with the skill system are the relatively slow XP/GXP gains.

[TLBFestus]

I haven't logged in on the website more than a few times in the past year and my only observation is that I'm reading all the same complaints (many of which are good critiques or suggestions) that are still being ignored years later.

While I love the franchise, with patience and deliberate non-action and fumbling PGI has pretty much killed my interest in MWO.
Will buy the new MW5 strictly for the single player if it reviews decently. Russy Poo and his decision making process killed the multi-player aspect of the game for me a long time ago.

[LTC Kilgore]

raarz, on 13 June 2019 - 03:20 PM, said:

Understand most development efforts are in support of MW5. It's possible MW5 (if marketed well) will bring some players to MWO. I'm asking developers to implement some simple changes to the new player experience in MWO so that if/when new players try the game they have a more encouraging experience.

There are must be over 500 or so mechs in the game now but a new player may only get enough cbills for 1 or 2 initially, and that's not counting skill costs.

Please increase the initial match rewards and Academy rewards so that players can buy and fit up to 2 drop decks worth of mechs. This way even if the beginner makes some purchase decisions they regret the effect will be less detrimental. I know with the weekly events its easier now than in the past to get MC and mechs, but I feel like this simple improvement will increase the chances of retaining more players.

It would also be nice if the in-game news / patch notes window also had links to some popular beginner resources like videos or some of the nice PDF guides out there.

Thank you for considering.

PGI has a lot of weaknesses, but that might be the biggest one...

[Khobai]

Phoolan Devi, on 14 June 2019 - 11:35 PM, said:

Oh really, everything else was better?

Having to search through this voluntary amassed amount of tiles just to find your SRM6 range and having to pay about 3000 some gxp to unlock it.......just to find out you needed the cSRM6?

Being able to only get a max modules of around three.....I know, some had more but that were mostly lights where you didn't need it.

Having to pay 15,000 gxp just to get advanced zoom?

Etc pp

The old system was way more unintuitive and hindered new players much much more and I guess more new players left the game back then because of the skill mess than today of the tree.

youre getting way too hung up on specifics that could easily have been changed.

like the cost of advanced zoom couldve been set to anything. it didnt have to be 15000.

but the module system in general was way better.

an expanded module system similar to what warframe has with its mod system wouldve been the way to go for MWO.

not the hexa skill maze with 6 different currencies we have now...

Edited by Khobai, 15 June 2019 - 03:29 PM.

[MechaBattler]

It'd probably help if trial mechs had some kind of 'generic' skill tree filled out.

[dwwolf]

Kaeb Odellas, on 15 June 2019 - 03:52 AM, said:

The old system was bad. The current system is bad too. Giving players straight upgrades over others for spending more time in the game is a bad system.

I feel like the skill system should, instead of giving straight upgrades, provide more avenues of customization with some give or take. Use XP to unlock options for tuning mech performance with some degree of give and take. Maybe increase top speed at the expense of agility? Reduce weapon cooldown at the cost of increased heat? Reducr sensor range in favor of faster target info? Things of that nature.

And if you're satisfied with performance, allow us to buy cosmetics with XP instead.

Improving units is the core of online gaming.

[Star Dust]

MechaBattler, on 15 June 2019 - 08:43 PM, said:

It'd probably help if trial mechs had some kind of 'generic' skill tree filled out.

Good idea, added to the initial post in the topic, thanks.