FRAGTAST1C, on 04 September 2019 - 04:22 AM, said:
Sure, but if you can allow Solos to drop into GQ, then we won't need separate action groups at all. We'll have a full on battle all the time and this time, we can play with friends.
I agree to that to a certain degree. To big groups against a group of solo players gives a lot of power to the group. In the extreme there would be 12group vs 12 solo players. If the group is halfway compentent they will most likely mop the floor with the solo players.
So while I don't mind solo and group players in one bucket, that bucket should or better said needs a size limit where groups don't overpower the solo players. 4v4 or at max 8v8 also I think 8v8 is allready problematic. When I see games where 3-4 people can carrie 12man battles then they would crush smaller groups or groups of solos completly. In 4v4 I don't see it as problematic as such small battles would be over quite fast so there isn't much lost.
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See, there's a difference between making an action game and turning that action game into a "thinking man's game". But if you go overboard, then it becomes a chore. I guarantee you, if you put even a tiny bit of what you've said into practise in this game, it'll be worse than grinding XP for Skill Points.
Well I have quite some fun with that kind of modding my equipment with Warframe and that is one fast playing, twitchy shooter. Definitly not the "thinking man" kind. Its also one of the more successfull F2P titles out there and its grindy as hell...and its fun.
They managed to turn the "I need more XYZ" grind into something one likes to do and tinkering around with all the mods to upgrade your weapons and frame us fun. I think it could be fun in MWO too.
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What makes a successful multi-player action game? It allows people to team up with friends and go do the "Action-y" part without boundaries i.e., artificial barriers in the name of progression. Take a look throughout gaming history of action FPS multiplayer games. They all allowed you to get into the game quick and have a blast. The tweaking of equipment was mostly to personalise parts of the game to your liking. It was never one of the core components.
CoD has a progression system where you don't get everything at the beginning.
Battlefield has pretty much the same progression where you don't start with everything.
Just to name the two biggest MP franchises that come to my mind.
BR games are not directly gated as you can use whatever you find but finding the stuff is in itself a progression system, just faster.
MWO is more the exception then the norm with dropping everything on the player right from the start. Also I wouldn't restrict anyone with the salvage system. You can still buy the basic version of everything. What you have is a progression afterwards that is not an artifical system of stats increase but to actual equipment.
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The ideas you've put forth are fantastic and I'd love to do all of that but in a singleplayer game. Maybe MW5's modding scene will implement your ideas soon and we can have a Roguetech-like mod for it.
Thanks. I also hope that MW5 has an interesting mechanic for progression other then just buying new mechs or equipment.
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But for MWO, the sheer grind just to level up a straight up skill mechanic is a chore. Just imagine your ideas of upgrading components and weapons through salvage as a core part of progression when there is literally NO GUARANTEE that people will flock to the game again to try this out.
I think the grinding throught the current skilltree is a chore because its allways the same. I hardly change a lot from mech to mech and its something thats in the background. Its more like a "okay another round to finaly, finaly get that ONE freaking last point and then I am done"
Its not like "Okay lets see what I collected this mission, mh okay I can use that to upgrade my laser on mech X and oh those AC parts I can use to upgrade the other mech and that heatsinkpart, well I can sell it on the market."
During combat you would be more like "That guy has an AC, I want that, now how do I get into position?"
Yes it would be more of a "thinking mans" shooter in that regard but you could still play it as the "just shoot everything that moves" kinda way and will have some progression
As for garantee that people will return to try that out...I doubt that there will be big numbers at the current point. Maybe in a few month when things have calmed down or when MW5 is a success and proves that PGI can make a good game.
Beside a rework of lots of stuff to bring MWO up to the quality people want and bringing in the game mechanics needed to atrackt new players MWO would need a massive PR campaign to draw attention to itself.
One that show the new elements, what changed and why people should try it over the other MP shooters out there. I think just haveing stompy robots isn't enough and fast paste shooters are out there in masses.
I think the "thinking mans" shooter could realy be a niche that is worth catering to but you have to put a lot of effort into that.
Not only the progression system would need a rework, combat itself would need a heavy rework and maybe we even have to brake the lore on more then one point.
Overall it needs a clear vision and people that can pull it off and then do some very good PR.
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What MWO needs is less buckets and the population combined to keep the matches going and allow friends to team up with each other. Then, as an end-game sort of a mode, the FW should become a great incentive for experienced players to play there all the time while the newcomers should progress to it naturally after they've bought enough specialised mechs.
Focusing on group play, yes that should be done as a quick fix. The longterm survival of MWO...well you just read what I think about it. Clear vision, lots of rework and heavy PR.