37 replies to this topic

[arkanis]

Demote the tier of long inactive players. I've not played a single game in years, I'm basically a newb again but I won't touch it because being roflstomped is not fun, and sure not the best enviroment to learn the ropes again.

Profesionalism. Once casual players are mixed with premades, the interest of the former go down. Casual players love the romanticism of random games and not the uber-optimal mindset of professional gamers. They mix like water and oil, so find a way to separate them and let the pros have their games and let the casuals play in an un-stressful envinroment.

Edited by arkanis, 22 October 2020 - 01:24 PM.

[Angm4r]

Hey Buster, I appreciate the time you put into that post. There are a lot of great features but the one thing that is missing is content. The features list is nice - but without new and updated content, the game won't hold people just from feature sets.

The lack of content is what has kept the game from being sustainable. If the devs had latched onto using the community to develop maps and game modes - so devs only had to do QA - there would have been a constant stream of new content that would keep players coming back for more.

I could see the mechpack writing on the wall as a mechanism for revenue generation and suggested as much but was pooh-poohed at mech con. Selling additional maps/missions as value adds help generate interest and creates a new revenue stream. I suspect however, that the horse is out of the barn on that one - the community is just too small now.

[My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ]

arkanis, on 22 October 2020 - 01:23 PM, said:

Demote the tier of long inactive players. I've not played a single game in years, I'm basically a newb again but I won't touch it because being roflstomped is not fun, and sure not the best enviroment to learn the ropes again.

All new people start at T3, you are not getting an experience that is different from genuinely new people.

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Profesionalism. Once casual players are mixed with premades, the interest of the former go down. Casual players love the romanticism of random games and not the uber-optimal mindset of professional gamers. They mix like water and oil, so find a way to separate them and let the pros have their games and let the casuals play in an un-stressful envinroment.

The vast majority of groups are those casual players.

[arkanis]

Gloster-, on 22 October 2020 - 01:53 PM, said:

All new people start at T3, you are not getting an experience that is different from genuinely new people.

Didn't know, there were more than three tiers in my day.

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The vast majority of groups are those casual players.

As they always were, but just one pro team mixed with them is enough to ruin the fun. Like a wolf among a pack of sheep.
But It's just one of the problems, the main problem is perhaps that the game is old, not visually, but from the youtube videos I can tell that gameplay looks as stale as it was when I quitted.
It reminds me of trading card games (MTG). It's very fun for a time, but the lack of depth takes its toll in the long run. In contrast deep games like D&D are capable of keeping their player base for decades.

Edited by arkanis, 22 October 2020 - 02:29 PM.

[Heavy Money]

I'd be happy to see more game modes with objectives, bases, etc. A Capture the Flag mode sounds like it'd be lots of fun too.

[My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ]

arkanis, on 22 October 2020 - 02:19 PM, said:

As they always were, but just one pro team mixed with them is enough to ruin the fun.

This is an issue that just can't be fixed, even just two good players can tip the scales in the favour of one team and we're at the point where even if PGI did add a matchmaking system that tried to account for skill there just isn't enough players to strike a good balance most of the time.

arkanis, on 22 October 2020 - 02:19 PM, said:

But It's just one of the problems, the main problem is perhaps that the game is old, not visually, but from the youtube videos I can tell that gameplay looks as stale as it was when I quitted.
It reminds me of trading card games (MTG). It's very fun for a time, but the lack of depth takes its toll in the long run. In contrast deep games like D&D are capable of keeping their player base for decades.

I don't agree, you kind of imply that you need mechanically deep games to keep people interested but at the core regardless of complexity if a system is fun and engaging it will keep. Personally I think MWO's core gameplay as stood the test of time.

[arkanis]

Gloster-, on 22 October 2020 - 02:48 PM, said:

This is an issue that just can't be fixed, even just two good players can tip the scales in the favour of one team and we're at the point where even if PGI did add a matchmaking system that tried to account for skill there just isn't enough players to strike a good balance most of the time.



I don't agree, you kind of imply that you need mechanically deep games to keep people interested but at the core regardless of complexity if a system is fun and engaging it will keep. Personally I think MWO's core gameplay as stood the test of time.

Of course it's just my opinion, but I didn't imply that MWO don't catter some tastes and don't stand the test of time. I did imply that it relies on the Magic the Gathering model. Quick and easy pick up games, fun action, booster packs, and yes, lack of depth in the sense that nothing transpires after a game, nothing memorable.
Even the language is similar, I keep hearing words like "meta" that for me the first time I heard of it was in MTG competitive gameplay back in the 90's.
Magic the gathering is still going strong, but the rotation of players is very high, and so is in MWO.

[LordNothing]

only roadmap i want to see is from pgi. unfortunately its just directions to the liquor store.

[MW Waldorf Statler]

from PGI only Video Podcasts with NGNG and ..Yes folks ,we will make MWO great gain ,more Profit ,many Ideas , and ...yes we working hard for you ,and make it great again ...hollow Words, Visions thats later...sorry ,we not can do it ..and thats since years..no time for writing here ideas in here own Forum or the Future.

Edited by MW Waldorf Statler, 22 October 2020 - 06:34 PM.

[Buster Machine 0]

MW Waldorf Statler, on 22 October 2020 - 02:21 AM, said:

now we have MW5 for PvE Elements

Faction Play and incursion turrets are a form of PVE.

The6thMessenger, on 22 October 2020 - 04:08 AM, said:

I honestly didn't know that we had Anti-Cheat systems.

My point exactly.

Gloster-, on 22 October 2020 - 04:13 AM, said:

Even in games with visible anti-cheat you still see rampant hackusations.

The point isn't to eliminate all hackusations, that's impossible because of human nature. The goal is to reduce them.

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This is just straight up a bad idea. For one it seeks to put a bandaid on the actual issue of the game's stability, but who would be pulled in for these matches?

Tell me then, what's a better solution for fixing a match that has an AFK or DC player right at the start? This is the only long term solution for AFK or DC players in the queue causing stomps. The people that would be pulled in for these matches are light and medium mechs in the queue with the option box for backfill checked.

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Plus the whole issue of the amount of dev time this would take, time that could just be spent fixing the issue of crashes or server disconnects. I doubt we'll ever see new mechs being added to MWO again, I even doubt new variants to be honest. The dev time spent balancing new content like this would be better spent rebalancing the exist mechs so more can become viable.

For one, the concern of PGI right now is making this game profitable, balancing is not profitable unless it involves monetized power creep. Right now, time spent focusing on balancing alone would be wasted and is definitely not what the casual majority is interested in.

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If someone can't go "huh, kind of high sensitivity" and change it themselves, well. Its on them.

That's gatekeeping. Being unwelcome towards new players and blowing them off is part of the reason why this game is dying.

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Solaris was a failed experiment, putting more time into something that so few people regularly play would not result in a return on the investment. While I highly doubt PGI can fix this either due to manpower required or a lack of skill, it would be a welcome change. Though seeing how MW5 also has similar issues, I think its a lack of skill and less engine related.

I agree, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying to make this game better. Unless you want to wait for another 11 year drought between mechwarrior games... MW4-MWO

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Procedural generation would not suit MWO and would be a gross waste of resources.

Ever notice how Canyon Network and Hibernal Rift are very similar? Almost like it's a pallet swap?

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Of all the suggestions for FP this has to be one of the dumbest, why do people keep banging on about muh AI muh PvE in a competitive shooter? If I wanted this I could go play the new MW5 DLC when it comes out.

Because we want to see some actual new content and gameplay and don't want to fight only boring AI.

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The only time you'd need to use a rear view camera would be if you're in one of the big, slow assaults and want to avoid getting caught on stuff.

Or to see which allied mechs are behind you, or to keep running backwards perfectly as an urbie without bumping into obstacles, or to do some really cool canon quickdraw shooting behind itself shennanigans.etc.

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You're basically saying "No true scottsman", and applying your own definition of tactical to dismiss features that do not fall under your definition of this game.

This game has

• Tactical use of overrides
  
• Tactical opening of weapon bay doors
  
• Tactical engagement of stealth
  
• Tactical use of jump jets
  
• Tactical use of visual filters
  
• Tactical mech weapon profiles
  
• Tactical use of ECM
  
• etc.

And just because it's tactical doesn't mean it has to be ugly or have incomplete animations. Ever play Rainbow Six Siege? That's the most tactical shooter in the purest form of the sense and it has plenty of character animations.

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I doubt an engine port is on PGI's list of priorities

That's why this is listed in long term.

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keeping MWO alive and kicking is going to prove to be a much better investment then making MWO 2.0 off the back of MW5.

agreed.

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No melee

DFA is not the same as melee mechanics. I do not think there's a way to implement a balanced and functional Melee into MWO. It would spoil the core mechanics of the game. Now Death from above on the other hand.....

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Why would there be in a competitive PvP shooter?

Why don't you ask valve why there are chickens in counterstrike. (For developing the atmosphere and immersing the player)

Also, there already exists birds that flee trees when mechs brush up against it and the giant Centipede in Viridian Bog.

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I don't trust your opinions on balancing, but this would be an urgent issue.

As you shouldn't, just as you shouldn't trust anyone else that doesn't have direct access to the metrics on balancing.

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If possible and doesn't take too much effort, not a bad way to monetise. We all want bugs to be fixed but temper your expectations. The core code is basically lostech now, I fully expect PGI to not be able to fix a lot of stuff because they just don't have the knowhow.

I'm aware, but a Mechwarrior can dream.

Bud Crue, on 22 October 2020 - 04:24 AM, said:

Started writing a section by section response to each of your proposals, and then just said "screw it". Long story made short: only item 2 of your "urgent" items, would appear to be within the realm of things PGI could/would be capable of instituting. The rest are either impossible, impractical, ill advised, or contrary to PGI's goals. But I gotta give props to "fix all bugs" item at the end. Made me lol.

I'm aware of that, but these are the rough steps that I believe need to be taken for the game to become profitable again.

Angm4r, on 22 October 2020 - 01:30 PM, said:

Hey Buster, I appreciate the time you put into that post. There are a lot of great features but the one thing that is missing is content. The features list is nice - but without new and updated content, the game won't hold people just from feature sets.

I believe the procedurally generated map, the addition of more mech functions, and unique mech playstyles would fix these issues.

This is because at its core Mechwarrior is about piloting complicated simulated mechs and is what all diehard fans love about the series. And since the only space we can directly interact with in this game is the interior of our cockpits, so why not add more content in the form of additional buttons and mech functions?

LordNothing, on 22 October 2020 - 03:52 PM, said:

only roadmap i want to see is from pgi. unfortunately its just directions to the liquor store.

I don't mind helping them stumble there as long as we get our desserts along the way.

MW Waldorf Statler, on 22 October 2020 - 06:31 PM, said:

from PGI only Video Podcasts with NGNG and ..Yes folks ,we will make MWO great gain ,more Profit ,many Ideas , and ...yes we working hard for you ,and make it great again ...hollow Words, Visions thats later...sorry ,we not can do it ..and thats since years..no time for writing here ideas in here own Forum or the Future.

It's up to PGI to sort out the sustainable suggestions from the non-knee jerk / white noise ones.

Edited by Buster Machine 0, 23 October 2020 - 02:10 PM.

[MW Waldorf Statler]

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https://static.mwomercs.com/forums//public/style_images/master/snapback.pngMW Waldorf Statler, on 22 October 2020 - 11:21 AM, said:
now we have MW5 for PvE Elements
Faction Play and incursion turrets are a form of PVE.

of Course https://static.mwomercs.com/forums//public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png and the Escort AI not to forget

Edited by MW Waldorf Statler, 23 October 2020 - 11:36 PM.

[Buster Machine 0]

Gloster-, on 22 October 2020 - 02:48 PM, said:

I don't agree, you kind of imply that you need mechanically deep games to keep people interested but at the core regardless of complexity if a system is fun and engaging it will keep. Personally I think MWO's core gameplay as stood the test of time.

Yes, the gameplay and control over the mech is the primary content of MWO. The mechs need to have more functions and features for players to explore to increase the depth of gameplay and content.

MW Waldorf Statler, on 23 October 2020 - 11:29 PM, said:

of Course and the Escort AI not to forget

Escort AI VIP is a bad idea and impossible to balance. Now if the heaviest mech on the VIP team was the VIP with durability boosts then...

[Kryptonize]

I really like how they offered a free mech for this event id like to see more of that. i personally think it would improve player count if free mechs and colors are offered monthly

[PocketYoda]

I @#$% hate Mobas with a passion.. Turning MWO into one would kill this for me overnight..

[MW Waldorf Statler]

By EG7 its sounds very idealistic for the holders

https://www.enadglob...1645C48E654694/

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[color=#252525][font=****, sans-serif]Piranha Games is one of Canada's oldest independent game developers. The company has solid experience of developing AAA titles. Titles that Piranha Games has worked on include Medal of Honor, Transformers and Need for Speed.[/font][/color]

How many Games studios its give in Canada? and by the 3 Titles , PGI was Co-worker for porting to consoles.

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[color=#252525][font=****, sans-serif]For the past ten years, Piranha Games has focused on developing games within the MechWarrior franchise. The first title the company launched was MechWarrior Online which has generated over CAD 75 million in revenue with its tens of thousands of daily players and F2P (free-to-play) business model.[/font][/color]
[color=#252525][font=****, sans-serif]The latest title to be launched was MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries which was awarded 81/100 points by IGN and 85/100 by GamingTrend, two game reviewing websites. The title was launched in 2019 and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies on the Epic Games Store alone. In 2021, the title will be launched on other platforms such as Steam and GOG.[/font][/color]

the First was MWO and the Last was MW5 sounds better as 2 Titles in 10 Years and one Title more or less since 2016 in Maintance Mode and no Crew for it

[The6thMessenger]

MW Waldorf Statler, on 29 March 2021 - 02:35 AM, said:

By EG7 its sounds very idealistic for the holders

https://www.enadglob...1645C48E654694/

Eh well they have to fool the shareholders somehow. Even PGI isn't confident with their base game, they have it on Epic Exclusivity, and even and after a year then it's still a half-baked game that relies on mods, and is still not released to other platforms beyond 1 year. Hopefully PGI is being paid for that extra 5 months, cause I'm not going to pay them for more than 25$.

[GuavaPastry]

I don't find any of the urgent column that urgent. Any changes should be focused on making the core game better.

The only change I really agree with and think is super urgent is this one:

Buster Machine 0, on 21 October 2020 - 04:17 PM, said:

• Targeting Allies, this will let you know their armor condition and if you should in the front of them or behind them. Has been in all non PGI Mechwarrior games since MW1

The best matches I have are when the team I am on communicates and works together to achieve their objective. From my experience so far, the community in this game is great and wants to work together. It's just very hard to do this. Unless you are a ultra-super-duper veteran player, you cannot look at a teams mech list and know what weapons everyone is running. Unless you have godlike experience, you cannot look at the dents/smoke on a friendly mech not in your lance and tell how much armor he has and where. This is a ridiculous barrier to having great games that should not exist. Imagine if when you dropped into a game, instead of seeing a list of names and mechs, you saw a set of paper dolls with a weapons loadout for each ally. Imagine the match quality improvement from being able to look at your team and being able to determine what it is good at (poke, skirmish, brawl, etc) as an average player. Imagine if instead of seeing a little blue diamond over an allys head, you saw an indicator that let you know how much armor they had and where. This would facilitate on the fly tactical plays where you take inventory of your resources, formulate a strategy and attempt to execute it with your teammates (aka fun). Players just need the tools to let this happen.

[General Solo]

Q button tells you allied armour levels