

Why you should have to start with a light.
#41
Posted 10 May 2012 - 06:30 PM
All the other mechwarrior games did:
MW3 - started off with a Bushwacker
MW4V - started off with a Shadowcat
And why specifically the Centurion;
Because of its loadout which are the 3 weapons.
LRM10 which covers off the missile and long-range firepower
Autocannon10 which covers off the ballistic and medium-range
Lasers which covers the beam and short-range
The Centurion has the mix of all weapons that a rookie mechwarrior should be familiar with.
#42
Posted 10 May 2012 - 10:47 PM
The second is what others have said, you dont want to create a false progression. Third is mechanical. Simply put you earn XP against the type of mech you are driving. Dont force people who want to pilot heavy/assualt mechs to waste time getting XP in mechs they have no intention of playing once they "level" out of them. Fourth is also mechanical, Roles. People might envision their role. One guy might see his role as a defender, jump into an assult mech and throw on as much armor as possible, the other person might make a quicker medium mech that allows him to do a bit of run and gun and engage the enemy furthur from the base.
As for me im going to stick with a light. When i saw those jenners running around in the videos...yeah thats what i want. Also there is this. I mean who cares if an atlas kills a light mech, its a 100 ton death machine against something a quarter or a third of its tonnage. I however will be embarassing every heavy/assualt driver i can find (provided i dont suck majorly of course) by trying to destroy ones i find foolish enough to wander about alone.
Edited by Tehbob, 10 May 2012 - 10:47 PM.
#44
Posted 11 May 2012 - 06:29 AM
#45
Posted 11 May 2012 - 06:35 AM
It seems as a good system, but it may have changed.

#46
Posted 11 May 2012 - 06:37 PM
Edited by Jericho917, 11 May 2012 - 06:38 PM.
#47
Posted 11 May 2012 - 07:28 PM
#49
Posted 12 May 2012 - 04:13 AM
Based on the screenshots of the Mechlab this week, I guess we will start with a certain amount of C-Bills to spend on 'Mechs and customization. If you want to have an Atlas, you'll be stuck with its stock variant at the beginning. If you want to pilot a Commando, you'll be able to change its config as you please. This gives credit to the difficulty of mastering a light and highly mobile 'Mech like a Jenner... you'll have to find your perfect set up in terms of speed and weapon systems and that might take a while.
#50
Posted 12 May 2012 - 05:53 AM
Quote
This is a falsity. It is perfectly possible with today's technology to design a game that involves both linear progression in a traditional "advancement tree" and, and diversification of different capabilities of Mechs of all sizes that entice individual players to want to use different sized Mechs depending on their immediate gamestyle cravings. BF3 is an easily recognizable and popular example of this; despite the plethora of weapon and equipment upgrades available to every class unlocked in more or less linear fashion, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to what equipment they take. The M27 IAR, despite being the default weapon of the MG class, is one of the most popular. It isn't the fastest firing, isn't the longest ranged, has a small clip size, etc, but a lot of people prefer it because fine-tuned with various kit options it provides good all-round capability.
Ask yourself, if all Mech sizes are immediately available, what is MWO providing for the "carrot-on-a-stick" motivation? I like the feeling I get when I finally unlock something new and powerful, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and reward. Seeing my wallet slowly creep upwards until I finally have enough money to buy something does not give this sense of reward, quite the opposite in fact.
#51
Posted 12 May 2012 - 06:56 AM
#52
Posted 12 May 2012 - 07:56 AM
#53
Posted 13 May 2012 - 03:45 AM
#54
Posted 13 May 2012 - 03:55 AM
#55
Posted 13 May 2012 - 04:30 AM

#56
Posted 21 May 2012 - 03:24 AM
warner__, on 30 March 2012 - 02:06 AM, said:
I think Piranha are trying to find ways to make all weight classes relevant with the role stuff, pilot abilities and so on.
Drop tonnage restrictions are also another tool for keeping all classes relevant but I'm not sure how they fit into a game where players have a garage of limited size to place their mechs.
In my experience with previous MW games, there were always players who given a free choice would take mechs of all tonnages. Personally I would take lights and assaults occasionally, liked mediums, but preferred heavies.
I feel like you, as a burgeoning mechwarrior should be given a rundown of the tactical purpose of every mech via maybe a tooltip, and be given the choice to pick, say, an atlas as your starting mech, BUT there should be also a warning saying something like "this is not a fast attack skirmishing mech" on assault mechs.
also, it might be a good idea to try and work out some kind of poll/test ingame for mechwarriors to determine which type of roll they would be best suited to (recon, fire support etc) and then once that result is in, some suggested mechs to pilot within that roll (from all weight classes)
#57
Posted 21 May 2012 - 03:44 AM
Garth Erlam, on 17 May 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:
This isn't to say Assaults take no skill, merely that heavier 'Mechs allow mistakes where lights don't.
Imagine you are a new player, not just new to MWO but new to all of Battletech (there will be lots). Imagine how disheartened you would feel if you must take a lighter mech, and then in your first match *kapow* you're smeared by an Assault. It would be a huge turn-off to a lot of people. This game is getting a lot of press, and will attract a lot of brand new virgin mechwarriors, and their introduction needs to be as smooth as possible.
Mediums are great, and should be able to stand up on their own as a solid weight class, and PGI is doing a lot to make that true, if they do everything right starting with an Assault is not going to marginalize mediums .
#58
Posted 21 May 2012 - 06:55 AM
Muhahahah!
#59
Posted 22 May 2012 - 02:54 AM
I like to see a _recommendation_ for newbies to start with an upper medium-to-lower heavy 'mech as a "default" choice, though, since there are bound to be some who don't already know what they want to invest in first. Others have brought up that heavier chassis will probably help slow things down to a manageable pace for better learning and enjoyment, but I'd like to point out a couple of likely advantages for the mid-weight 'mechs. We can't know either way until the game goes live, of course, but... First, mid-to-heavy 'mechs will probably be less specialised and more tactically flexible, which should be better for finding one's calling. Second, they'll also probably be less powerful fire magnets due to that same lack of a very powerful specialisation.
A general-purpose "filler type" trooper generally doesn't carry the same threat value since its specialty is simply resistance to being completely out of its element, as opposed to being able to help deliver a decisive blow when just the right opening presents. In other words, which is the higher-priority target most of the time: the Atlas at the core of the formation presumably intent on doing what it's excels at, or a Vindicator that's just trying to lend an amateur hand wherever it can? Which is better for sampling a little candy of each broad tactical type before deciding which to buy your first bagfull of? It might mesh very nicely, with the "even" blend of attributes that makes for a good generalist also making for the lowest-priority target; it's neither super-easy to wail on nor weak enough to only need a few good hits nor especially threatening in any particular way.
edit: I forgot to mention, if the game encourages some weight classes over others, it should recommend Medium most highly, then Heavy or Light, and Assault last, to hopefully pull the population toward a canonical distribution of weight classes, which is mostly flexible "work horse" designs- affordable medium ones and long-lived heavy ones.
Gun Bear, on 13 May 2012 - 04:30 AM, said:

Edited by Owl Cutter, 22 May 2012 - 03:04 AM.
#60
Posted 24 November 2012 - 04:15 AM
Garth Erlam, on 10 May 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:
Imagine your first 'Mech, in your first game, being a 118 km/h light with Jumpjets.
Lights get into trouble easy but they get themselves out easy too. An assualt mech will have to live with each decision much more comitantly. Backing out is almost a non option often times, and larger weapons penalize much more severely for missing. You wait as your enemy gets free shots at something larger than the broad side of a barn.
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