Posted 14 July 2012 - 08:58 PM
A few things I would be willing to pay for:
User-made mech textures. A utility such as a 'mech painter' would be necessary, which would allow the user to make their own custom paintjob. These would probably need to be mech-specific. Why, you ask? An Atlas' arm most likely uses a different texture file than a Jenner's arm. In fact, from what I have seen, editing the weapon configuration in the mechlab alters the configuration of the mech, so there is a distinct possibility that changes in the mechlab would render a custom skin unusable, even on the same mech. Obviously, these would have to be sent off for approval before being implemented into the game.
The ability to make a dedicated glowmap to go along with this would be awesome.
Also, from a game monetization standpoint, this is something people could conceivably pay for repeatedly. No player needs more than one logo, but players are going to want multiple mech retextures.
Another good one would be different styles of weapon hardpoints. With three lasers on one arm, perhaps have an option for them mounted in a triangle-configuration, or horizontally, or vertically. The sky is the limit here, as there are almost limitless permutations for this. Does the user prefer long-barrel lasers, or short ones? Or lens holes in a box? Maybe the player wants to ditch the forearm-mounted cannons on the Atlas in favor of a physical weapon held in the mech's hand. How about a Thor with a square missile rack? I would most certainly spend a few dollars to customize my mechs and make them look unique.
Another idea: Various permutations of weapon hardpoint configurations. Maybe an Atlas with missile racks on the shoulders instead of the torso, or a giant gun for one arm, instead of the waist-mounted main gun. Keep the number of permutations high, and allow us to view and modify them before purchasing (so we can determine which Atlas looks the coolest to us). Or maybe something awesome, such as a Hollander with a mech-size sniper rifle in both hands!
Finally, I'd like to see variable mech loadout options. I remember this was a problem in Mechwarrior 4 Mercenaries. I loaded out an absolute monster of a Kodiak (100 ton clan mech) with loads of SRM's and four Ultra AC 5's. But, I was very disappointed that the Atlas (a mech of identical tonnage) could not be loaded out with the same weapons, because it lacked the missile slots. In this instance, I would have really, really liked an Atlas with its hardpoint configuration copied from the Kodiak.
I would pay money to drive a mech that I like the look and style of, but that has stats and configuration identical to a mech of similar tonnage. I would be very skeptical of allowing this sort of thing between mechs of different tonnages. While plus or minus 5 tons may be okay, plus or minus ten (or more) would allow mechs with a smaller target profile to have the same firepower as a heavier, bulkier, easier-to-hit chassis.
But perhaps most importantly: I want to be able to configure my HUD. And I want to do more than just change the colors. I want to be able to move things around, resize readouts, and change the readout styles. While resize and HUD element movement should be free, I don't mind paying for readout style changes.
3
