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My best memories of playing the mechwarrior games is probably MW2:Mercenaries. I guess the most fun feature was the option to hire lacemates. You hire your guys, equip them with spare mechs and go blasting. I wonder if the upcoming MWO will have this hiring AIs(NPCs) feature.
Off the bat, Mercs and lone wolfs can hire out-of-contract pilots at Galatea or that elitist wolf's dragoons homebase. Maximum a player can hire at any one time is 3 pilots, so making up a lance (player included). The mechs the hired NPC pilots ride are any spare the player has in his garage. But all this dont come cheap. Yes the great C-bills rules and the paying the NPC pilots' wages (whether per mission or weekly or monthly), costs of repairs and maintence for more then just your mech will definately, definately, burn your wallet through. So the feature of having NPC lancemates would not be feasible until you have a fat bank account. (something for you to work towards to)
The cool thing is NPC pilots CAN DIE! That'll put an edge in your missions. And depanding how well (or badly) your NPC lacemates pilot your spare mechs, your spare mechs could get totally scapped after a mission. A 3 million C-bills value mech could become nothing more then salvage parts thanks to a rookie pilot you just hired. Yea! NPC pilots come with their own pregenerated strengths and weakness, their own piloting style (AI scripts) But depanding on what type of mech you put your NPC lancemates in and how you play them, their AI style can change over time. And over time, as your NPC lancemate survive missions, they gain experince and level up. But this leveling up is totally automatic and outside your control. The good news is you would have better pilots over time. The bad news is you have to pay them more. Yup. Everything cost C-bills. Still it is much cheaper to nuture a rookie pilot over time then to hire an elite grade pilot off the bat. You would still have to pay more as your rookie gets better but still much cheaper. If for whatever reason you cant hold onto your NPC pilots, whether you cant afford them anymore, or its just not happening, you can auction off their contracts. (Hey, you did nurture them. Why not get some C-bills out of it. Not a lot though. If you want C-bills then go to Solaris)
For House Players, it will be kind of different. You cant be hiring out-of-contract pilots now. But, depanding on your House Rank, you can 'indent'/request/be assigned NPC pilots. When you're rank is high enough you would have up to 3 pilots under you. The bad part is they will always start as rookies. The good part is they come with their own mechs. Yes! They're very own mech. Though they will be basic and on the weak side. Any improvement you would like would come from your own resources. (Its call personal initiative. Your House cant be providing everything. We've been at war for hundreds of years. Everything's on the low) And the very best part is unlike mercs and lone wolf players, house players dont have to worry about NPC wages and repair and maintaince of their mechs. Yup, everything paid for by your House! The bad news is how well (or badly) you command your lance will have an affect on your House Rank. If you keep coming back from missions with your lancemates barely hobbling back on their mechs and forking the bill to the House... Well the brass would frown on that, earning yourself demerit points, delaying your advancemen in your House, and you may even have your small command be strip off you. Not to mention if your NPC lancemates, entrusted by your House, dies under you... or that their mechs get reduced to scraps... Forget instant replacement if you lose pilots and mechs. Fill out a requestition form like everyone else. Again having NPC lancemate(s) is a high perk in House Ranks, so something for you to work towards.
Oh yea. I forget. NPC lancemates, be they assigned to you by your House or hired in the outback of Galatea, have personalities. They are not mindless zombies where you order to go and shoot. Depanding on their personality type and how you play them during a mission, you'll receive emails from your NPC lancemates. How about a "nice shooting back there" or have a hot firery red head be on your back for ordering her to charge an Atlas as you stay behind shooting LRMS. Or how about a "thanks for the memories" email as you cant afford your lancemates wages and have to auction off their contracts. NPC lancemates could be your NPC friends you come back to in MWO.
Anway these are all suggestions. Having an NPC buddy option would put a nice flavour in what will be an awesome experience. Thanks.
Edited by Nor Azman, 07 February 2012 - 07:57 AM.
