42 replies to this topic

[HappySpawn]

A few things:

1.) If you don't like how WoT's leveling system works then you're probably not gonna like MWO's, as from what I've read it will be similar. You're gonna run into this issue with every game. Making the grind as enjoyable as possible is what will make a game big. WoT's issue is that you have the same objective every single match, just on a different map with a new set of idiots on each team. Hopefully MWO will have enough variety to keep the battles from turning into a grind that no one enjoys.

Also, the whole point of F2P is to get people to play for a while and then start paying later. If you make it so that there are NO advantages to paying then no one will pay (and thus the company drops the project as there is no profit).

2.) A year is definitely a manageable goal in order to get the clans out. Look at what World of Tanks has managed to do in the year since they went live. Now imagine if they had the experienced crew that's working on MWO.

3.) Starting with Clan Tech would further imbalance the game at the start. I'm right there with ya in wanting to start with Clan tech. However, if they give everyone everything to begin with, then they won't have anything to hand out later. If you look at the games out now, unless they are consistently releasing DLC or expansions, they grow stagnant and the population wanders off to the latest big thing. Why do games seemingly die off? No new content to keep players interested. Knowing that some big addition/change is right around the corner will keep people playing. Once they start getting bored of that, release some info about the next big thing. Rinse and repeat. (*cough* WoW *cough*).

[Odins Reaver]

I would say that within that year we will also see stability upgrades, a few mechpacks, and maybe even a player limit increase on drops(hey I'm allowed to dream about Company vs Binary or bigger).

[Jaroth Corbett]

To answer your question, there are a LOT of players who enjoy the Clans & have not been able to play them in past MW games. As one year in game = one year in RL, it would have been agonising to have to wait 25+ years to get to play as a Clan Character if we were to start in 3025. PGI is making a smart decision as far as I am concerned.

Of course they would have been geniuses if we could have started as a Clansman while the dezgra IS surats killed each other.

[Meatball]

Yeah, I'm not saying you clan guys shouldn't get to play with your toys. (Please shift your invasion route a bit over towards the Dracs please, thanks!) I just think it's a shame to completely blow past the Succession Wars time frame of the BT universe as there's some awesome stuff there.

Eh, worst case, maybe they'll come out with 'Prequel' set in the Succession Wars.

[CCC Dober]

Meatball, on 07 March 2012 - 05:21 AM, said:

Yeah, I'm not saying you clan guys shouldn't get to play with your toys. (Please shift your invasion route a bit over towards the Dracs please, thanks!) I just think it's a shame to completely blow past the Succession Wars time frame of the BT universe as there's some awesome stuff there.

Eh, worst case, maybe they'll come out with 'Prequel' set in the Succession Wars.

It's not like there's been no fighting back home, you know? This whole invasion gig was just the culmination of boredom. You see there's this vision and there's a stupid amount of warriors that grows tired of wiping the snot of recruits in staged conflicts. They want a real fight and lo' and behold, there's light at the end of the tunnel: Vision + Crusaders + Invasion = Win!

And since the Dracs actually proved to be tough fighters with a sense of honor ... can you really blame the Clanners if they'd try to skip the FRR to get a better fight this time?

[Lorcan Lladd]

If it were up to me, we'd start with the rise of the Star League thorought the brutality of the war following the Amaris coup.
You get excellent 'Mech action without the ridiculousness of Omni boats.
Edit to stay on-topic.

The reason why this is starting barely one year before the invasion is that the Clans are just really popular with a segment of the player base and despised by another segment; if they're featured, their fans will be pleased, and their attrition with the Sphere players would make for a good player-versus-player experience.

My two cents.

Edited by Lorcan Lladd, 10 March 2012 - 06:12 AM.

[Alan Grant]

They could also, speed up the timeline a bit at the start.

One week equals one year, they'll have more than 50 years worth of content to fill in which they could go through the third and fourth succession wars easily. Although I don't expect them to change anything, drastically like that. Would be cool, going through the first part of the 31st Century, over first half a year or so. And then a few months before the clans arrive slow the pace down. Although then it would be a lot more work for them, having to deliver content for each period of the early 31st century, on time.

The way it is right now, we get to experience something of how the successions wars played out, by fighting amoungst the houses. There's only so much one can add to a game that would be indicative of the SW in a multiplayer only game. If there was single player and story, then the lack of succession war stuff would be a point. Here it's kind of moot, we have inner sphere mechs, and 80% of them were around during your favourite period. Besides the news feeds, grounding us to a date, use your imagination. You can be anywhere you want to be.

Edited by Alan Grant, 10 March 2012 - 06:31 AM.

[CCC Dober]

Lorcan Lladd, on 10 March 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

If it were up to me, we'd start with the rise of the Star League thorought the brutality of the war following the Amaris coup.
You get excellent 'Mech action without the ridiculousness of Omni boats.
Edit to stay on-topic.

The reason why this is starting barely one year before the invasion is that the Clans are just really popular with a segment of the player base and despised by another segment; if they're featured, their fans will be pleased, and their attrition with the Sphere players would make for a good player-versus-player experience.

My two cents.

Can't really say that beating Clanners on their own terms with their own weapons is a bad thing. Especially when it disproves the supposed superiority of the eugenics program and misplaced code of honor on a real battlefield. But I understand where the hate is coming from. If you have childish people represent the Clans with their I-can-win Mechs and poor sense of sportsmanship, then there is really not much to look forward to. Not sure if this is a Clan-only problem. I already see people trying to divide the cake in the IS with supposed exclusive Mechs. It's the same thing, just on another level. At the end of the day I see all of this boil down to options as far as Mechs and customization goes. Clans offer way more in that regard and this doesn't change at all when BT history disallowes the IS to catch up quick enough. 'This is not your father's Mechwarrior' is a notion that sound promising in terms of balance and fair play =)

[Bouncin]

Truth be told, I am glad they are starting so close to the Invasion. I look forward to trying my hand at fighting AGAINST the clans in inferior machines. When you manage to win against that kind of handicap, it is a real rush. Of course, if you lose, you can always delude yourself with "they had better tech."
Back to the question posed by the poster, The timing gives us IS Succession Wars people a taste of what we like, the clanners something to look forward to, and the Devs time to work the kinks out. Win-win-win IMHO. I could be wrong, though.

[CCC Dober]

Timothy MacBrian, on 10 March 2012 - 06:50 AM, said:

Truth be told, I am glad they are starting so close to the Invasion. I look forward to trying my hand at fighting AGAINST the clans in inferior machines. When you manage to win against that kind of handicap, it is a real rush. Of course, if you lose, you can always delude yourself with "they had better tech."
Back to the question posed by the poster, The timing gives us IS Succession Wars people a taste of what we like, the clanners something to look forward to, and the Devs time to work the kinks out. Win-win-win IMHO. I could be wrong, though.

IIRC the victories I read about in the novels had a lot to do with attrition and the Clans average lack of tactical flexibility (notable exception: Clan Wolf). It certainly helped IS victories that 'supply lines' were rather stretched to put it lightly. I can't really imagine to keep a Mech going, let alone whole armies, without ready access to ammunition and spare parts on a prolonged campaign such as the invasion. They had to limit their usage and constantly ran out of it during engagements. From what I read and remember, the IS had similar problems, but their supply lines were shorter on average. I can't pinpoint the exact novel***, but there was this siege of a planet that formerly belonged to the Draconis Combine, where jumpships would pop up, let the docked dropships run the gauntlet against the besieging Clan forces and vanish immediately. Even though the Clan(s?) had a tight grip on the planet, the resistance was stiff and kept alive.

This is something that I believe is worth mentioning. The IS didn't just win straight fights on the battlefield (although they did when technology and tactics caught up), but more so through active resistance on conquered planets. That being said, I wouldn't mind the IS catching up faster because Mechwarrior is primarily Mech warfare and not so much an interstellar conflict manager. Fights really need to be fair in that sense. I'm curious how the devs gonna tackle that when it comes to pass.

*** found it: Black Thorns, Planet Wolcott
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/D.R.T.


Man, I'm getting to old for this LOL

Edited by CCC_Dober, 10 March 2012 - 08:34 AM.

[Jack Gallows]

I'm fine with the Invasion being so close, it'll be fun to experience it as an IS pilot. That said, I'd also have preferred basing the game in 3025 era, but I understand PGI wanting to get all the different type of Battletech/Mechwarrior players by including the Clans. Don't want those who REALLY enjoy them to be left out, I want them to have their fun to as it will make Mechwarrior: Online that much better of an experience for everyone.

Also, we can probably still take contracts out against the other Houses while the Invasion is going on, so you'll really just see warfare on all sides of you when the Clans hit.

[Highlander 1]

where do i get the beta version?????????????????????????????????

[Thorn Hallis]

Highlander 1, on 10 March 2012 - 08:31 AM, said:

where do i get the beta version?????????????????????????????????

Over there. *points somewhere outside of the topic*

[Jaroth Corbett]

Come on now. Highlander 1 there is no beta out as yet.

[Bluey]

For most simple reason
You wont let your son drive your Jaguar Sport Car in his first ride so as a father you will give a volkswagen beetle to him to destroy till your son learns

I think they are giving us volkswagen beetle first, before Timber Wolf Jaguar.

But who cares LETS BLAME Paul
I bet Paul said it would be a nice trolling game.

[Bouncin]

CCC_Dober, on 10 March 2012 - 07:27 AM, said:

IIRC the victories I read about in the novels had a lot to do with attrition and the Clans average lack of tactical flexibility (notable exception: Clan Wolf). It certainly helped IS victories that 'supply lines' were rather stretched to put it lightly. I can't really imagine to keep a Mech going, let alone whole armies, without ready access to ammunition and spare parts on a prolonged campaign such as the invasion. They had to limit their usage and constantly ran out of it during engagements. From what I read and remember, the IS had similar problems, but their supply lines were shorter on average. I can't pinpoint the exact novel***, but there was this siege of a planet that formerly belonged to the Draconis Combine, where jumpships would pop up, let the docked dropships run the gauntlet against the besieging Clan forces and vanish immediately. Even though the Clan(s?) had a tight grip on the planet, the resistance was stiff and kept alive.

This is something that I believe is worth mentioning. The IS didn't just win straight fights on the battlefield (although they did when technology and tactics caught up), but more so through active resistance on conquered planets. That being said, I wouldn't mind the IS catching up faster because Mechwarrior is primarily Mech warfare and not so much an interstellar conflict manager. Fights really need to be fair in that sense. I'm curious how the devs gonna tackle that when it comes to pass.

*** found it: Black Thorns, Planet Wolcott
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/D.R.T.


Man, I'm getting to old for this LOL

Very true about the IS tactics. I'll have to read that novel, as it is one of the few I missed. That being said, my post was more about what I personally would like, plus some joking at my own expense. Thanks for the info, and keep the Lore coming!

[Gremlich Johns]

Highlander 1, on 10 March 2012 - 08:31 AM, said:

where do i get the beta version?????????????????????????????????

New players start here, pretty please

[geck0 icaza]

I am happy for those of you that get to play as your chosen faction. And I realize you can't please everyone but Imagine NOT being able to play as your faction. Try to empathize with me for just a second. If they were to place the time line two years back (which they wont), that's two years of "you know that faction that you know and love? The main draw for you into this universe, with all the characters and stories that you are hyper obsess about? Yeah you can't play them. But you can play a game that will constantly leave you wanting for the next ohhh 2 years."

Face it, you wouldn't like it either. 6 months before the clan invasion is a great buffer.

Just an outside thought that popped up. Because of the nature of this game/universe they're going to be 3rd party leagues and planetary campaigns. Certainly less than previous games. If I were partial to a time before the clans, I'd make a planetary league to mirror it. This will be perfect opportunities for specialty leagues to emerge. Heck, even a Clan home worlds league would do well. Well, maybe not but I'd enjoy it while playing the in game one. Just my two cents.

[Gremlich Johns]

@geck0 icaza

Because of the nature of this game/universe they're going to be 3rd party leagues and planetary campaigns.

do not hold your breath for planetary leagues (real ones), I am not. A home Worlds server would be great once the devs decide to present the Clans, but I will wait and see for that. In the meantime, I am just gonna play.

Edited by Gremlich Johns, 10 March 2012 - 03:13 PM.

[Jaroth Corbett]

geck0 icaza, on 10 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

I am happy for those of you that get to play as your chosen faction. And I realize you can't please everyone but Imagine NOT being able to play as your faction. Try to empathize with me for just a second. If they were to place the time line two years back (which they wont), that's two years of "you know that faction that you know and love? The main draw for you into this universe, with all the characters and stories that you are hyper obsess about? Yeah you can't play them. But you can play a game that will constantly leave you wanting for the next ohhh 2 years."

Face it, you wouldn't like it either. 6 months before the clan invasion is a great buffer.

Just an outside thought that popped up. Because of the nature of this game/universe they're going to be 3rd party leagues and planetary campaigns. Certainly less than previous games. If I were partial to a time before the clans, I'd make a planetary league to mirror it. This will be perfect opportunities for specialty leagues to emerge. Heck, even a Clan home worlds league would do well. Well, maybe not but I'd enjoy it while playing the in game one. Just my two cents.

I get you & it could have worked if they were not having one day in game as one day in RL.