218 replies to this topic

[DragonClaw]

the only way this gits better is to add melee. hatchetman! hatchetman!

[Terminatio]

Oh my, oh my!

I will be building one bamf scout mech, as an advanced scout specializing in IDF/ECM/ECCM.

Oh joy!

[Elizander]

Orzorn, on 03 February 2012 - 05:37 PM, said:

Nope, its because you aren't thinking of the skills in the correct light.

If a mech is wailing on your ally, as a defensive orriented mech, you can charge them and kncok them off of your ally, giving your ally time to escape and also forcing the enemy to focus on you instead. In addition, each vision mode can be extremely useful for a defensive styled mech, allowing you to spot danger before it can ambush your group and take out key mechs.

I'm aware that there are no specifics or gameplay yet to back up either conclusion. There is a possibility that they make the game in such a way that these can be used as defensive abilities but I'm giving feedback on what's presented as I see it.

I really do like the MW/BT games but I'm trying to give objective feedback based on my first impression on the trees they presented along with what information I know about the game. There are not a lot of useful defensive maneuvers in MW/BT outside of changing your armor type, using AMS/ECM, terrain usage and movement so it's hard to make skills that represent those because mechs don't dodge stuff.

Perhaps the modules will have the bulk of the defenses in the form of increased armor and such (if those exist). I just think that the Attack/Defense tree would be better called a Combat tree (again based on my initial impression of the information presented) or something similar because calling it an Attack/Defense tree makes me think that it is like a Feral Druid in World of Warcraft where I can pick to be one of two roles (tank or dps) within one tree.

I won't try too hard to guess how these things work with all the unknown theoretical systems that we have yet to hear about. As much as I like MWO already, I think that giving (my personal) biased feedback won't really help them improve it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not ranting. I believe that this system is an important part of the game so I'm trying to give my honest first impression. If my first look tells me that it doesn't look much of a defensive tree, then I am sure others think the same.

Edited by Elizander, 04 February 2012 - 12:28 AM.

[Odin]

Great! Looking forward to this.

[Tarmok II]

still some little things i dislike but in general sounds pretty good.

[Philipe von Rohrs]

This is sounding better and better with each update!

I'm loving the skill/mech customization and the like, but it seems to me that attributes for 2nd line/fire support may be a little thin on the ground..?

[renegade mitchell]

MWO is becoming more RPGish after each update. Not liking what I am seeing here.

[Harrow]

So does this mean we'll be seeing the Cyclops in game?

[John Clavell]

Reallocation of Pilot Skill Points for real money maybe? only time will tell.

[Harrow]

Philipe von Rohrs, on 04 February 2012 - 01:59 AM, said:

This is sounding better and better with each update!

I'm loving the skill/mech customization and the like, but it seems to me that attributes for 2nd line/fire support may be a little thin on the ground..?

I would think that the defense role would pretty much fall in line with 2nd line and the commander with fire support. Obviously they aren't showing everything. Just an example...

[Omigir]

Just got done reading Dev Blog 4 - Role Warfare (Cont.) after getting home from work.. and i'm going to have to read that again in the morning, too tired to figure out what its trying to tell me.

[Dragorath]

DFA: YEAH!!!
Charging: Yeah!!!

Love it so far.

Will Scouts have magnetic, etc. from the start? That would be good, Why would Assult have it and Scouts not? Would be kind of redicolous so far the Radar doen't make it unnecessary.

The BT skill trees are looking good on the first view. I get it to be elite you have to know your Mech in every Detail, but if Mechs with no jj don't have to take this additional step I hope it't want take to long to learn all the Jump jet issues, even if it is kind of fair.

One thing is critical just now. Can every Mech be a good scout Mech in points of modules? Is there no benefit if you take a Raven instead of an Wolfhound? That would be a real shame!!!!

PS: What is AMS?

Edited by Dragorath, 04 February 2012 - 04:52 AM.

[Liam]

looking good

[DarkTreader]

Dragorath, on 04 February 2012 - 04:17 AM, said:

DFA: YEAH!!!
Charging: Yeah!!!

Love it so far.

Will Scouts have magnetic, etc. from the start? That would be good, Why would Assult have it and Scouts not? Would be kind of redicolous so far the Radar doen't make it unnecessary.

The BT skill trees are looking good on the first view. I get it to be elite you have to know your Mech in every Detail, but if Mechs with no jj don't have to take this additional step I hope it't want take to long to learn all the Jump jet issues, even if it is kind of fair.

One thing is critical just now. Can every Mech be a good scout Mech in points of modules? Is there no benefit if you take a Raven instead of an Wolfhound? That would be a real shame!!!!

PS: What is AMS?

IIRC, Paul said earlier that mechs with no JJ will have that tier removed/replaced/something done to it, presumably because... well, knowing how to work JJs on a 'Mech that doesn't have them? Seems kinda pointless.

And AMS is Anti-Missile System.

[Commraid]

"In order to access Elite I, the player needs to not only unlock all upgrades on tiers 1-4 of this model, but they have to do the same for every initial variant."

This is the one thing that will really annoy me...I can tell. What if I dont like the variant but I am forced to spend general XP on something im never gonna use, just so I can earn Elite. No doubt this is where I will be offered a choice to either pay £X or grind my way through...

Aside from this, they have got some well made ideas.

Edited by Commraid, 04 February 2012 - 09:18 AM.

[sabotssnake]

Just some thoughts, maybe a little silly but I'll ask anyway.

How will the attacks from UAVs and airstrikes be handled in game with specific emphasis on what does the player actually see when it happens? Does the player see a flight of fighters straff the battlefield or a drone swoop down from the sky and unload its payload, or does the player simply see the end result of an explosion? If these assets are indeed visible when used, they likely will have some sort of travel distance from "off map" to point of delivery, will they be targetable so as to destroy the drone or reduce damage from an airstrike roughly like what can be found in CoD Black Ops? I'm assuming satelite runs and arty/orbital bombardments will occur well beyond visual range and therefore un-counterable. This line of thought could allow for possible anti-aircraft defensive perks such as advanced warning of incoming aerial attacks and allow mechs such as the rifleman (if playablea) to actually be played in a more cannonical sense doing what the mech was actually designed to do. This could also mitigate some poster's comments on the potential of commander units dominating the field or an entire force that boats nothing but predator drone modules (for example).

Also will smoke / chaff / flares be implemented in the game for concealment and temporary spoofing of various sensor packages? Could these be deliverable by artillery strike since it has always mystified me why battlemechs have never had defensive dischargers like modern fighting vehicles? (Maybe chaff could be a potential defensive unlock that would give benefits of defense against NARCs or sensor ghosts on mag scans / flares would give resistance to missle locks and ir scans / smoke to obscure generic visibilty? Of course very dependant on how the targeting mechanics of the game are handled for any of this to be of any use and restricted by a limited quantity of uses if mech based.) Will users of arty strikes have a choice of what can be delivered ie, thunder minefields and cluster munitions potentially as sub-unlocks of the arty strike ability?

[benwarrior]

i hope the game for one has nothing/very little to do with C.O.D in way of perks and kill streak rewards. mechs can have long toms (artillery very very long range) arrow V batteries( big missle very long range) so any kind of strikes are restrict to a mechs loadout capacity - equipable tonnage and vacant slots. if its like C.O.D then it has to barebones. also i hope mech customization is like MW2 and 3, didn't like being so restricted on 4

Edited by benwarrior, 04 February 2012 - 11:28 AM.

[Alistair Steiner]

Well... at least charging and DFA are confirmed now. Having had my Osiris' arms shot off in MWLL, then being unable to ram or DFA, I'm happy to see these brought back. Now they just need to confirm the Highlander, which will make a lot of people happy.

[Pht]

InnerSphereNews, on 03 February 2012 - 11:00 AM, said:

Assault/Defense Skills:

• • DFA Damage Reduction – Reduces the amount of damage caused by performing a Death From Above attack

The thinking of how this is rational in relation to the lore I would be very interested to hear...

Otherwise, an interesting article.

[Strum Wealh]

Pht, on 04 February 2012 - 04:21 PM, said:

[/list]The thinking of how this is rational in relation to the lore I would be very interested to hear...

Otherwise, an interesting article.

As with ramming vs charging, I would imagine that there is an element of technique to it.

Much like how skydivers and other parachutists eventually learn to execute proper parachute landing falls, there would be some correct vs incorrect technique to executing a "good" DFA attack that relies on controlling the angle and velocity of the attacking 'Mech before the attack hits and the balance afterward such that the attacking 'Mech remains upright and the attack maximizes potential damage to the target 'Mech while also minimizing potential damage to the attacking 'Mech.

Your thoughts?