29 replies to this topic

[SneeakyAsian]

Kinda bouncing of Guardian Wolf's idea of hot drops, I was thinking of the use of Drop Ships. Not limited to the standard Union-class you see in the background (or at least I think it is, someone confirm for me), but to all other types.

But there could be different uses. Not only as a spawner but also transport and fire support.

P.S. In general I'm totally up to the total warfare with not only mechs but artillery, airsupport and stuff.

Update 1: omg thought of pretty cool idea. If there are simultaneous games going on, there's the possibility of dropships can transfer units from one planet to another. Tell me what you think

Edited by SneeakyAsian, 31 January 2012 - 03:59 PM.

[Kenyon Burguess]

it would be great to be able to do hotdrops but getting them involved in the actual fight would complicate the game mechanics far beyone a 12 vrs 12 match

[SneeakyAsian]

Geist Null, on 30 January 2012 - 03:46 PM, said:

it would be great to be able to do hotdrops but getting them involved in the actual fight would complicate the game mechanics far beyone a 12 vrs 12 match

Eh. Like I said, I like to rev it to the max. Of course the game engine might have to be HUGE. Might work with the Xbox 360 even though Mechwarriors online listed on Wikipedia as a cancelled Xbox game. Good old wiki...

Check it http://en.wikipedia....Warrior_(reboot)

[Steel Talon]

Need some way to resupply!

[Sloth901]

If game with respawns have dropship defending spawn. I think the firepower is intimidating enough to stop any spawn ambushing XD

[Strum Wealh]

SneeakyAsian, on 30 January 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

Kinda bouncing of Guardian Wolf's idea of hot drops, I was thinking of the use of Drop Ships. Not limited to the standard Union-class you see in the background (or at least I think it is, someone confirm for me), but to all other types.

But there could be different uses. Not only as a spawner but also transport and fire support.

P.S. In general I'm totally up to the total warfare with not only mechs but artillery, airsupport and stuff.

I think, from what's left of it, that it looks like it would be taller than it is wide and tapers toward the top of the image - so I would guess that it's an Overlord rather than a Union... but that could be just me.

Personally, I think the Commander should be able to issue a limited set of orders to the DropShip to use it mainly as a transport and an information warfare tool, specifically:

• deploy scout drones (if/when implemented) from it to get a more detailed real-time bird's eye view of the map
  
• deploy Commander-directed NPC support vehicles (tanks, attack VTOLs, etc) if/when they are implemented
  
• load the lance/company (or some subset thereof) on-board and launch to move units to a distant location quickly
  
• scan for units (both friendly and potentially hostile) with better sensors than any BattleMech
  
• act as a relay point for non-LOS communications between lance/company-mates
  
• deploy overpowering ECM in short bursts
  
• limited/slow re-arming and armor (but not weapons/equipment/internals) repair

I don't think Commanders (or any player, for that matter) should be able to directly call on a DropShip's weapons (or be able to use the DropShip itself as a weapon, such as landing it on top of enemy mechs) - I see that as quickly turning into "fly the DropShip over the enemy or to the enemy spawn point and rain unmatchable death from above".
Perhaps DropShips' landing sites should be limited to each team's side of the map (say, 1/2 of the distance between the center of the map and the edge of the map on the team's side)?

And, of course, the DropShips (which tend to be fairly well-armored (though not as much as one might think!) and well-armed) should defend themselves if actively attacked by players...

Your thoughts?

[FinnMcKool]

I Really want to pilot a drop ship.
Dosnt mean they will be indestructable , but very very hard to kill, maybe even some space combat?
Make it hard to earn the right to have one, make it expensive, make me pay REAL dollars,make it a bonus. make it whatever but Please Please make them.



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Its a cruel universe out there.

Edited by FinnMcKool, 30 January 2012 - 07:54 PM.

[Alaric Wolf Kerensky]

FinnMcKool, on 30 January 2012 - 07:53 PM, said:

I Really want to pilot a drop ship.
Dosnt mean they will be indestructable , but very very hard to kill, maybe even some space combat?
Make it hard to earn the right to have one, make it expensive, make me pay REAL dollars,make it a bonus. make it whatever but Please Please make them.

Annnd you just passed the point where F2P becomes P2W. Face it, dropships would cause more headaches than pleasure. If you put a bastion of firepower like that on the field, do you know where 50% of players are going to stay? No more than 100 meters away from that dropship. Also, what role would they possibly have? I am not a fan of the idea of dropships occasionally spewing out fresh 'Mechs, ironically at the same time your Lance got decimated. There should NOT BE RESPAWNS. You get yourself killed, that is your problem, considering you just lost one of the most valuable machines mankind possesses, and in the canon, losing a 'Mech hurts... a LOT. You should be rightfully penalized for it. In addition, it does not make much sense to have people constantly running back to their safety net to repair, resupply, and switch into a different 'Mech.

Now I do not really care how opposing forces deploy onto the battlefield, as long as it is abuse-proof. Some people seem obsessed with the idea of "Hot dropping," but for what reason? Because they think it is cool? OR is there a real purpose to it in mind? The way I see it, it is simply a waste of time waiting to hit ground, and a waste of Developer resources for an unnecessary feature that will very quickly become quite lack-luster after the hundredth time. I would much rather see other content instead, such as more 'Mechs, modes, and player support.

[Harrow]

The more immersive the game and the more detailed the better in the long run...

[Durant Carlyle]

Dropship should be background item only -- drops you at beginning of mission and picks you up once you've won or lost. That's it.

[guardian wolf]

Alaric Wolf Kerensky, on 30 January 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

Annnd you just passed the point where F2P becomes P2W. Face it, dropships would cause more headaches than pleasure. If you put a bastion of firepower like that on the field, do you know where 50% of players are going to stay? No more than 100 meters away from that dropship. Also, what role would they possibly have? I am not a fan of the idea of dropships occasionally spewing out fresh 'Mechs, ironically at the same time your Lance got decimated. There should NOT BE RESPAWNS. You get yourself killed, that is your problem, considering you just lost one of the most valuable machines mankind possesses, and in the canon, losing a 'Mech hurts... a LOT. You should be rightfully penalized for it. In addition, it does not make much sense to have people constantly running back to their safety net to repair, resupply, and switch into a different 'Mech.

Now I do not really care how opposing forces deploy onto the battlefield, as long as it is abuse-proof. Some people seem obsessed with the idea of "Hot dropping," but for what reason? Because they think it is cool? OR is there a real purpose to it in mind? The way I see it, it is simply a waste of time waiting to hit ground, and a waste of Developer resources for an unnecessary feature that will very quickly become quite lack-luster after the hundredth time. I would much rather see other content instead, such as more 'Mechs, modes, and player support.

I would like to see it, as hot dropping mechs is another tactic in the commander's arsenal, just like paratroopers in WWII

[MaddMaxx]

The M.V.P. tag given to the Launch day product level would indicate no Dropships. Having them appear some time in the future may not be totally out of the realm of possibility. It will always come down to the same thing for all requested game play items.... Dev Priority Lists.

[AlanEsh]

Alaric Wolf Kerensky, on 30 January 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

Now I do not really care how opposing forces deploy onto the battlefield, as long as it is abuse-proof. Some people seem obsessed with the idea of "Hot dropping," but for what reason? Because they think it is cool? OR is there a real purpose to it in mind? The way I see it, it is simply a waste of time waiting to hit ground, and a waste of Developer resources for an unnecessary feature that will very quickly become quite lack-luster after the hundredth time. I would much rather see other content instead, such as more 'Mechs, modes, and player support.

I don't think real, modeled dropships should be in the game, aside from maybe objectives or defensive units in certain game modes.

But I have to disagree with your dismissal of the Hot Drop idea. It's tactically sound to keep some of your mechs in reserve for a few minutes, then deploy them withing LOS of one of your scouts, rather than dropping assaults at the spawn point way off in the corner of the map.

Of course the hot drop slots on any team would have to be voluntarily filled.

[SneeakyAsian]

Thinking of adding the smaller jump ships into the game as an idea

[Strum Wealh]

SneeakyAsian, on 31 January 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

Thinking of adding the smaller jump ships into the game as an idea

What would it add?

Players play the game from the perspective of Mechwarriors.

Normal JumpShips are unarmed and very poorly armored - they are not built for combat.
Normal JumpShips typically stay at jump points (the zenith and nadir of a star's gravity well - the points above the star's north and south poles) - going into the planetary system is what DropShips are for.
Normal JumpShips can jump into a system via a planet's Lagrangian points (used as so-called "pirate jump points"), but at great risk of self-destruction (or worse fates).

WarShips (armed and armored JumpShips) have many of the same capabilities and limitations as normal JumpShips, are for all intents and purposes non-existant in the Inner Sphere (outside of the Com Guards) until after the initial Clan invasion, and are themselves incapable of atmospheric flight - that's what DropShips are for.
What they would add is the ability to deploy NPC AeroSpace assets for air cover and air superiority purposes, and orbital bombardment.
The first (deploy NPC AeroSpace assets) can be done with DropShips, and the second (orbital bombardment) would make them overpowered weapons for whichever side commands them.

What would having normal (not combat-worthy) JumpShips or Warships add to a game centered around Mechwarriors that isn't better (and likely in a more balanced manner) filled by DropShips?

[aDuck]

I think that you're recommendations are making the dropship a little too important. I see them as more of objectives in specific game mods, and even there, all they do is hang around and shoot anything that gets too close

And they arent exactly manoeuvrable (as far as I can tell, anyway), so having it hang around in the sky providing aerial support (aggressive or otherwise) makes it just a big turret that enemies can waste.

[TheRulesLawyer]

I'm hoping for a couple missions that center around drops ships complete with active weapons. Though they should be emplacements or "land here" at most. No players driving them around.

[Alaric Wolf Kerensky]

TheRulesLawyer, on 01 February 2012 - 01:02 PM, said:

I'm hoping for a couple missions that center around drops ships complete with active weapons. Though they should be emplacements or "land here" at most. No players driving them around.

"missions"?!??? This is not like a single player game. You probably meant game mode though. Basing off of that, I would say drop ships should be avoided in any incarnation. Virtually a single hole in a drop ship's armor means it cannot take off, because hull integrity is compromised. In most cases, cornered drop ships would surrender, or have their weapon ports shot if they resisted, as losing a drop ship is far more costly than the incredibly painful loss of a 'Mech.

[SneeakyAsian]

Strum Wealh, on 31 January 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

What would it add?

Players play the game from the perspective of Mechwarriors.

Normal JumpShips are unarmed and very poorly armored - they are not built for combat.
Normal JumpShips typically stay at jump points (the zenith and nadir of a star's gravity well - the points above the star's north and south poles) - going into the planetary system is what DropShips are for.
Normal JumpShips can jump into a system via a planet's Lagrangian points (used as so-called "pirate jump points"), but at great risk of self-destruction (or worse fates).

WarShips (armed and armored JumpShips) have many of the same capabilities and limitations as normal JumpShips, are for all intents and purposes non-existant in the Inner Sphere (outside of the Com Guards) until after the initial Clan invasion, and are themselves incapable of atmospheric flight - that's what DropShips are for.
What they would add is the ability to deploy NPC AeroSpace assets for air cover and air superiority purposes, and orbital bombardment.
The first (deploy NPC AeroSpace assets) can be done with DropShips, and the second (orbital bombardment) would make them overpowered weapons for whichever side commands them.

What would having normal (not combat-worthy) JumpShips or Warships add to a game centered around Mechwarriors that isn't better (and likely in a more balanced manner) filled by DropShips?

If you read teh update I put recently, I suggested moving reinforcements from one planet to another during simultaious battles.

[FinnMcKool]

I hear you Alaric and i agree with you mostly, but I think you can make dropships destructible maybe not EZ but can die and nerf the weapons systems, also if the team just hangs around they wont complete the objectives or ? say the dropship has leave after a set amount of time? Or can only spend a certain amount of time on planet.If they are player controlled that it self would be a nerf, cause humans make mistakes , if the computer controled the weapons systems, well they would be killer.
The Dropships have been mention more than once by the DEVs but they made no promises, So they do play some kind of role even if its just a place you start the match from
or think of it as a type of trans port, Tribes2 did that very good I think.
think of it as the defenders objective , if they find and destroy your only way home you lose the match??

I think respawns NO
Dropping out from space NO
by the way will some one please explain that a Hotdrop=droping troops in a hot zone, fire fight peps are shooting nearby or you may even land in the badguys sights, This idea of falling out of the sky is making me crazy, its just a way to reword respawn.

I really want to have a dropship please daddy???





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Remember its a cruel universe out there.