39 replies to this topic

[Felbombling]

Forgive me if this has been brought up or confirmed already, but I was checking out the trailer and thought I was looking at an ammunition counter, but all the weapons on the Atlas had an empty bar and a '10' at the end of it. They were all listed with a set of numbers at the front that I can only assume would be for assigning weapon groups. So, given that information, I think the game will be very nicely paced. Another reason to get all excited!

[Doolie]

Weapon groupings? 10 seems kinda excessive to me, but then again I used to only have 3 or 4 weapons on a mech.

I think the 1 thru 5 at the front of the weapon name most likely are the grouping indicators. That would give us 5 weapon groups to create, which I think is more in line.

The 10 at the end? Initially I thought recycle/reload time. But it seems silly that everything would have the same rate. LRMs have to take longer to reload than a medium laser to recycle, don't they? Especially a 20 pack.

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

-D

[Orzorn]

Most likely placeholders.

However, I would personally enjoy canonical recycle times. A person on the Mektek forums released his fan-made "Blender Battletech" that is a real-time interpretation of the battletech rules, and the recycle times are canonical in that. Oh man can you feel the pain when you're waiting for that recycle. It makes every shot count for more, and also changes the pacing of battles.

Compare this to the insane speed of Mechwarrior 4. You'd be lucky to BREATHE faster than you'd die in that game.

[Stripes]

In my honest opinion, it is or weapons Hit Points (in the percentage ofcouse, 1 point equal to 10%), or, considering AC\20 have no ammo displayed with it, (and it will be strange from Developers to remake that part of interface - see previous games), just little oversight, like "All Systems Online".

[Orzorn]

Stripes, on 03 March 2012 - 01:18 PM, said:

In my honest opinion, it is or weapons Hit Points (in the percentage ofcouse, 1 point equal to 10%), or, considering AC\20 have no ammo displayed with it, (and it will be strange from Developers to remake that part of interface - see previous games), just little oversight, like "All Systems Online".

All Systems Online was on purpose, as it was a play on the name Mechwarrior Online.

However, I'd be willing to be that it is ammunition counts, but just placeholders.

Here's why: See those black bars on the far right of each weapon, just to the left of the 10? Those are most likely the recycle indicators. The bar goes all the way down when fired and restores itself as it recharges. When the bar is full, the weapon is recharged. Makes sense.

Edited by Orzorn, 03 March 2012 - 01:23 PM.

[Stripes]

Little pick about "oversight" was from one of the developers actually - they simply have no time for the right one, not quote, but close

I think for all 99% people around here, black bars go for recycle by default - it is goes with series from MW2 at least! But, this all leaves ammo question up in the air...

[Bryan Ekman]

Orzorn, on 03 March 2012 - 01:22 PM, said:

All Systems Online was on purpose, as it was a play on the name Mechwarrior Online.

However, I'd be willing to be that it is ammunition counts, but just placeholders.

Here's why: See those black bars on the far right of each weapon, just to the left of the 10? Those are most likely the recycle indicators. The bar goes all the way down when fired and restores itself as it recharges. When the bar is full, the weapon is recharged. Makes sense.

Online was a technical issue. It's supposed to be Nominal, and will be in the final version.

[Thorn Hallis]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

Online was a technical issue. It's supposed to be Nominal, and will be in the final version.

"Tehnical issue"? What is that supposed to mean? Did the voice actress failed to spell "nominal" correctly?

(Thinking about it...she probably always said "All systems nom-nom-nom" ^^)

Edited by Thorn Hallis, 03 March 2012 - 02:00 PM.

[Bryan Ekman]

As for the 10 - it's ammo. Yes we know lasers do not have ammo. Ammo is coming online this month. right now all of our gameplay tests have unlimited heat/ammo, which makes for some very unreleasitic and humorous mech combat. We had our first playtest with working heat yesterday and oh boy did it feel som much better.

[Bullet Magnet]

As already stated above, the 10's most likely do not represent recharge times. The bars next to the weapon names make much more sense, which would mean having a number and a bar is a bit redundant. As there are no ammo indicators anywhere else there, I'm assuming that the 10's are just ammo counter placeholders for the trailer.

Unless ammo count is displayed at the top, as seen in this screenshot at letter G:



And of course I could be wrong. I guess we'll find out soon.

EDIT: I guess we already found out now... Bryan posted before I could finish my thoughts.

Edited by Bullet Magnet, 03 March 2012 - 02:10 PM.

[Capt Cole 117]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

As for the 10 - it's ammo. Yes we know lasers do not have ammo. Ammo is coming online this month. right now all of our gameplay tests have unlimited heat/ammo, which makes for some very unreleasitic and humours mech combat. We had our first playtest with working heat yesterday and oh boy did it feel som much better.

So you just started balance/fairness testing?

[GuntherK]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

As for the 10 - it's ammo. Yes we know lasers do not have ammo. Ammo is coming online this month.

Sweet, but how are you going to be able to put "Lasts foreva" instead of that "10" i front of my Hunchie Swayback lazors ?

[Stripes]

Well, in MW 3 energy weapons just have empty space on the place of ammo. N/A also used for that kind of situation in different games.

[GuntherK]

Aegis Kleais™, on 03 March 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

Usually they use the infinity symbol (∞) or dashes (— — —)

Whats the fun of that ? I will have "Lasts foreva" or "Loves you long time",
Thank you !

[Mautty the Bobcat]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

Online was a technical issue. It's supposed to be Nominal, and will be in the final version.

...Well now I'm just disappointed. I thought the All System Online bit was a pretty cool play on the Mechwarrior Online theme. Now you say it was an accident and its got me making this face.

[GuntherK]

Mautty the Bobcat, on 03 March 2012 - 02:55 PM, said:

...Well now I'm just disappointed. I thought the All System Online bit was a pretty cool play on the Mechwarrior Online theme. Now you say it was an accident and its got me making this face.

Dont say that in here. There are rumors that a pitchfork and torch mob was gathering at PGI offices because of that unfortunate "nominal" accident.
The average Battletech fan is a fierce canon rivet counter.

[TheUncle]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

As for the 10 - it's ammo. Yes we know lasers do not have ammo. Ammo is coming online this month. right now all of our gameplay tests have unlimited heat/ammo, which makes for some very unreleasitic and humorous mech combat. We had our first playtest with working heat yesterday and oh boy did it feel som much better.

I thought the development status was more advanced. But on a second thought ammo and heat are not as critical as I thought if there is no base like for instance in MechWarrior Living Legends. Still leaves me wondering how far they are actually and how they can manage to "complete" the game so they can launch Beta in a few months (without possibly causing bad press because of the stadium of the game).
Everyone knows the game will be beta but people will still judge. And first screens will stay around forever (in every future article of un-informed articles and minds of people)

Edited by TheUncle, 03 March 2012 - 03:19 PM.

[KaiserSoze]

I love a longbow with 6 LRM20 all group in pairs... cycle through 1, 2 , 3 and back to 1.. no one left standing

[Arnold Carns]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 March 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

As for the 10 - it's ammo. Yes we know lasers do not have ammo. Ammo is coming online this month. right now all of our gameplay tests have unlimited heat/ammo, which makes for some very unreleasitic and humorous mech combat. We had our first playtest with working heat yesterday and oh boy did it feel som much better.

Ummm....
If there's an ammo counter on the HUD, what for are the Ammunition Display Monitors? And there are two, one on the left and on the overhead panel. Just Dummies?

[Orzorn]

Arnold Carns, on 03 March 2012 - 03:47 PM, said:

Ummm....
If there's an ammo counter on the HUD, what for are the Ammunition Display Monitors? And there are two, one on the left and on the overhead panel. Just Dummies?

Well, ammunition count isn't quite all the information one could gather about ammunition. Those monitors not only told you the count, but also the location of ammunition, and most likely the type (if you look at the hunchback cockpit art, you can see that it is carrying HEAP rounds). I expect MWO will include different ammunition types (at least, I hope). Perhaps if you're in danger of an ammunition explosion, or currently experiencing one, the read outs will also tell you where the explosion happened.

As for the other display monitor, it seemed to be an MFD (Multi-Funciton Display, meaning you can change it to display whatever you'd like to). That, or yes, it was a dummy.