78 replies to this topic

[John Clavell]

I think one thing to note is that. All the previous versions of MechWarrior were singleplayer games with a multiplayer component, but still very much designed as singleplayer games foremost. As such previous incarnations online where fragmented groups playing in different leagues and such. There where many groups playing as various units within the lore in these micro-communities. When cross overs happened, then that unit would need to take it into consideration. Moving to a new league might mean having to, on the face of things, from the league perspective, to take on a different faction than what your group actually played under.

MWO is going to be, I'd guess, the largest coming together of all MechWarrior and Battletech fans in the history of the franchise. And unlike previously, everyone will be in the same place. No external leagues, the zone, netmech or connection service. We're all going to be in one place, fighting alongside and against each other. It's exciting, but poses issues when suddenly every unit playing as a single faction is confronted by many other groups who have played under the same banner over the years in different communities and versions of the game.

[Joseph Calvert]

You're right John, we're going to be thrown all together. The heated discussion here may be a moot point. It will be a feeding frenzy when this is opened, and the dev's might not let certain unit names be used who knowns?!

Pick a unit name, Pray you can get it when the game starts. And I hope you can live up to the canon name if you take it. Because I'll be one of the players that is going to make sure you do on the battlefield. That's where we'll all find out if they deserve the name or not .

After all this is the battletech universe, put your mech out there and let's see if your skills can cover the check your mouths are writing.

[Jerous]

I must agree, whether it's your intention or not Kay Wolf, you are appearing a bit arrogant.

I understand you are a passionate fan and I respect that, but MWO will be a melting pot of people from all walks of fandom.

I've around a lot of incarnations of this game for close to 20 years. I have been a huge JF fan since release. But I have no right to a leadership position in the clan, well.... It'd be hard since they won't be out at launch. I think we are all going to need to be a bit flexible as the game grows, if you can't have canon then just move to the next best thing. I like your idea of registering the companies, just need to be tolerant of others with different opinions.

Whilst people are free to lobby and be vocal to shape the game to suit them. I am not sure I agree with your requests to the devs so far. Ultimately handing canon things out like this before alpha would seem exclusionary to the extreme and I'd be surprised if it garnered dev support. Remember we have a large player base on its way, the game success will depend upon be open and welcoming to all. This will not be an obscure tight knit group.

Edited by Jerous, 30 January 2012 - 04:48 AM.

[Dihm]

Out of curiosity, for those units taking a canon name (as we were going to do at one point), what are your backup plans? In the end, we decided it was too much of a hassle to try to work against the game mechanics and be a canon faction unit, so we went Merc and non-canon. With all the effort put in to the site/forums/repaints/insignia/etc... I can't imagine having to do that twice, especially not if we had to do it incredibly quickly after game launch if we found out we couldn't be the unit we'd planned.

[Threat Doc]

I've read a good deal of this, and I'm disappointed in every member of this community other than those who agree "it is what it is". You're calling these other commanders arrogant, you're calling me arrogant...

You know what? You're absolutely right, and that's exactly the sort of people we need in the places of leadership on these forums and in the game. Arrogant commanders -which, if you think about it, it is redundant to use those terms in the same sentence, because to be in command of anything you have to be arrogant enough to believe that you can command, and that you can make the changes and hard decisions necessary to move forward- will move this game forward, not those of you who are sitting on the back-burner ******** and complaining about something you can not change. We will push this community to greater heights, not the complaining yoinks who didn't have balls enough to do what you needed to do at the beginning to secure what you've had, or what you've wanted, as a legacy, and you didn't have brains enough when this forum was first launched to step up.

This is about lead, follow, or get out of the way. Harrow, and others who agree with him, you're in the way. Stop complaining, step up, or step away. 'Nuff said. I'm out (shakes head while walking away).

Edited by Kay Wolf, 30 January 2012 - 06:27 AM.

[Hellinabarrel]

i think he'd like to see the hardcore members of his particular little group(in respect to the whole world community) have a monopoly on the name that they have played for the last however many years he's played that corp/faction.

but when your talking about taking a famous clan name from the BT universe for youself and controlling it in MWO yes it's an arrogant view on things.

that's exactly why these unit names should be npc controlled so that anyone weather it be a hardcore 20 year fan or the noobiest of noobs can get a change to play and fight with that unit. If they have earnt the right. Not just a special select few that we're the first ones to register the name in a forum of a game that hasn't been released yet.

[AdamBaines]

Another Canon Unit Names thread? I know I'm passionate about the issue, but I think this is the 3rd thread of its type........

[John Clavell]

Dihm, on 30 January 2012 - 06:21 AM, said:

Out of curiosity, for those units taking a canon name (as we were going to do at one point), what are your backup plans? In the end, we decided it was too much of a hassle to try to work against the game mechanics and be a canon faction unit, so we went Merc and non-canon. With all the effort put in to the site/forums/repaints/insignia/etc... I can't imagine having to do that twice, especially not if we had to do it incredibly quickly after game launch if we found out we couldn't be the unit we'd planned.

Sorry to use this but....



There is no Plan-B

[Dihm]

So... "disband" and join another unit?

[John Clavell]

We wont join another unit. We'll continue to function as is. If it comes to it, we'll take another faction inside the game. But we'll continue to be the Wolf Spiders, and the same core group of people regardless.

[whiskey tango foxtrot]

Wow...............this is why im a lone wolf and plan to stay that way for quite a while

[Brakkyn]

...and a good reason for canon units to not be commanded or "taken" by players.

There's probably a dozen or two "Wolf's Dragoons" out there. Somebody's going to be disappointed if people start snatching up units on a first come, first serve basis.

Avoid it altogether, and make up your own, original unit.

[Dihm]

John Clavell, on 30 January 2012 - 08:49 AM, said:

We wont join another unit. We'll continue to function as is. If it comes to it, we'll take another faction inside the game. But we'll continue to be the Wolf Spiders, and the same core group of people regardless.

That's what I'm trying to understand. Say everything Wolf's Dragoons (including sub units) are locked out. Are you saying you'd form another Merc Unit under a different name from Wolf Spiders? Would you be Wolfe's Spiders? Wulf Spyders? Does that require you to change your website/forums since it would be under a different name and may cause confusion? Gotta have alternate plans! Heck, what if they make the huge merc units joinable at some point much like the factions are?

This goes even more for those people wanting to form/lead, say, the 2nd Davion Heavy Guards (just because that was on the top of my mind from reading the House Davion section), which will in all likelyhood be a game created faction unit that anyone with the proper Loyalty Points can join. I don't know if people just aren't thinking things through or what. How are they going to manage a unit in the game when they have zero gameplay mechanics in their favor? You can't gate access to the faction units and don't have any control over people in them. We couldn't figure it out, so I'm curious as to how other people are going to manage that. Even more so for people who want to "lead" the entire House.

[Outlaw2]

Im sure the game will lokcout custom merc units from taking well known cannon names as their own. "Wolf Dragoons" Im sure will be off-limits, but lesser known "Black Widow Company" might be up for grabs...but there is a chance its locked out too.

Edited by =Outlaw=, 30 January 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[Dihm]

Exactly my point. Black Widow Company is pretty iconic too, wouldn't surprise me at all if it was locked.

[Harrow]

Dihm, on 30 January 2012 - 10:43 AM, said:

Exactly my point. Black Widow Company is pretty iconic too, wouldn't surprise me at all if it was locked.

Thats why I think, if you're going to go with a canon affiliation and unit name, make sure its a less popularized sub unit. One with a canon name, but less of a canon history, and make it your own here.

[Joseph Calvert]

Why go for a canon unit name to begin with? I know many of you have used the names and have large gaming groups. But when this game starts, We get to change the history in this game.
If you start your own merc company, That name could become the next canon unit name with the same awe effect on the field.

Besides you could design your own cool unit camo and insignia, then sweet talk Hayden or one of the other guys to make the skins for your Mechs

[Harrow]

Joseph Calvert, on 30 January 2012 - 11:31 AM, said:

Why go for a canon unit name to begin with? I know many of you have used the names and have large gaming groups. But when this game starts, We get to change the history in this game.
If you start your own merc company, That name could become the next canon unit name with the same awe effect on the field.

Besides you could design your own cool unit camo and insignia, then sweet talk Hayden or one of the other guys to make the skins for your Mechs

That my friend is a revolutionary concept and such forward thought will not be tolerated in these here forums!

[John Clavell]

Dihm, on 30 January 2012 - 09:48 AM, said:

That's what I'm trying to understand. Say everything Wolf's Dragoons (including sub units) are locked out. Are you saying you'd form another Merc Unit under a different name from Wolf Spiders? Would you be Wolfe's Spiders? Wulf Spyders? Does that require you to change your website/forums since it would be under a different name and may cause confusion? Gotta have alternate plans! Heck, what if they make the huge merc units joinable at some point much like the factions are?

This goes even more for those people wanting to form/lead, say, the 2nd Davion Heavy Guards (just because that was on the top of my mind from reading the House Davion section), which will in all likelyhood be a game created faction unit that anyone with the proper Loyalty Points can join. I don't know if people just aren't thinking things through or what. How are they going to manage a unit in the game when they have zero gameplay mechanics in their favor? You can't gate access to the faction units and don't have any control over people in them. We couldn't figure it out, so I'm curious as to how other people are going to manage that. Even more so for people who want to "lead" the entire House.

Personally I'm not so worried about it. The name was picked for specific reason, which gives us options. And like I have stated in this thread already, from a community perspective, the developers nor the community can force people to be or not be any group of have any affiliation to any said units, sub-units or factions. The developers can certainly deny groups and individuals the access to certain names which go against their terms and agreements, in which case it's up to said groups to adapt and change. Personally I don't have a Plan B, the reason I don't have a Plan B is because I feel confident in that our Plan A is flexible enough to adapt to change.

But ultimately, we're dealing with speculation outside a single known phrase. How far reaching will it be? Your asking what others will do in response to unknown conditions and what ifs? How can anyone make suitable plans to cover all eventualities? When one does not know the parameters? The only suitable options would be to 1) Do nothing, and don't setup your Merc Corp until the game launches. 2) take a random name that has zero connections to Battletech. But this is up to the players to decide.

To sum up. I don't know what will be in the EULA, I don't know what names will be allowed, not be allowed, or who burnt my chocolate chip cookies when I was 15 years old. But sure, I got over it, life goes on. Our name was picked for historical reasons, but also to be as adaptable as possible, reading our websites gives some hints to this. At worst case we'll get a new domain and set it up to forward to our website and forums, I'm not going to lose sleep over it though.

Edited by John Clavell, 30 January 2012 - 01:22 PM.

[Dihm]

John Clavell, on 30 January 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

To sum up. I don't know what will be in the EULA, I don't know what names will be allowed, not be allowed, or who burnt my chocolate chip cookies when I was 15 years old. But sure, I got over it, life goes on. Our name was picked for historical reasons, but also to be as adaptable as possible, reading our websites gives some hints to this. At worst case we'll get a new domain and set it up to forward to our website and forums, I'm not going to lose sleep over it though.

This last bit was exactly what I was trying to understand from the different units. You're in a better position than, say, the Northwind Highlanders or Grey Death Legion. Even if you won't admit it, it sounds like your Plan A takes these issues into consideration. Just trying to commiserate with other people who might be in the situation I was when we first started forming as the 3rd Drakons (canon FRR unit) and the PITA it was trying to plan for the future as we found out more info. Being Merc you already have the leg up on faction units for flexibility, that's for sure.