24 replies to this topic

[Jack Gallows]

Paladin1, on 04 November 2011 - 05:51 AM, said:

So under this system, you could have a Green Lieutenant who's just gotten out of OCS or a grizzled Veteran Sergeant who's been in more battles than he can remember.

Having a split system like that probably isn't a bad idea, if they can implement it correctly.

How you arrive at a players skill level to determine if their green or not might be a bit complicated, because just letting players apply that ranking could be disastrous.

[Corvus Antaka]

I wonder if instead of ranks perhaps a rating system could be created. I realize that ranks could be considered a rating system, however as another poster mentioned, ranks have the drawback of an entire star of generals. Plus the fact that as I understand it scout mech pilots will rank differnetly from assault pilots, and achieve points by scouting rather than by raw kills like an assault pilot would (which is a good thing)

So why not instead have a 0-10 (or 0-100) whatever would be acceptable) ranking system for that particular person in that particular mech.

Firstly this would enable the developer to balance drops to some degree based on the star rating of the pilot. Nothing is worse in PVP type games than constantly rolling over newbs. it distorts player skill ratings and makes for a boring game. by rating players and forcing them into matches against relatively equal rated players, you would end up with a system where the pilots get competition equal to their skill level making for the most balanced and fun matches possible.

Im not saying this should be the only option - obvious we all want to play with our clannamtes/unit mates and enjoy the game. However, from Team fortress 2 to WoW, balanced games are one of the biggest problems, and for the most part we all realize that the best games come from being as balanced as possible usually.

A pilots ratings system would go a long way to helping players avoid getting stomped on, and helping the devs to create balanced combat scenarios. it would also work inline with clans/units owns ranking systems and give independent players something to strive for. the ability to optionally convert your rating %/points to a rank could be a possibility too.

[Bishop L]

Barantor, on 03 November 2011 - 07:46 PM, said:

Reputation - You do work/missions/fights for X house and you get new mechs/repairs/gear from said faction, increasing as you gain more.

Pilot Skill - As you do any work in any mech you gain abilities for mechs overall, things like more precise aiming in your reticule and possibly easier time recovering from knockdowns or unexpected events.

Mech Specific Pilot Skill - As you work in a specific mech you get more familiar with that mech, making your aim cone slightly less and possibly pushing the limits of that mech a bit more.

That is how I think it should work rather than "Barantor is level 22". You could be a vet of a thousand battles, but throw you in a new mech and you could still get your toosh handed to you. A guy that has done nothing but piloting a commando might not have the heaviest hitter in the world but can scout and push that mech to the limit.

This is what I would like to see.

I agree with this. +1 to you. If I normally run around in a Centurion then getting into a Warhammer should pose some little difficulty for me to overcome. Otherwise you will have people switching roles right and left and messing with Lance dynamics.

[Neozero]

the only thing that should be grindable is mech qualifications. Ranks should be handled by the units internally.

[Threat Doc]

For my part, I would first have ranks build by membership. The unit commander sets up their basic structure (E-1 to E-10, O-1 to O-10, or similar), lining out how many positions are required for the next higher rank to be viable. For example, for someone to proceed to Brigadier General, they need to have 3 Colonels (and all of the ranks filled beneath each of those), 4 Command Sergeants Major (and all of the ranks filled beneath each of those). For someone to proceed to Sergeant from Corporal/Specialist, there must be three other Corporal's/Specialist's to take his place, each Cpl/Spec would need to have a mixture of 6 to 10 Private's First Class, Private's, and Recruit's.

Obviously, there needs to be an officer to run the team and, in BattleTech, there is usually a Lieutenant per lance, a Captain for three lances (+his two Lieutenants to form the Company), etc. Ranks do NOT work the same in a BattleMech unit as in real life, so of course there would need to be changes.

If there is little growth in the unit, then it becomes a time-in-service issue. Once the highest ranking member of the unit reaches the ability to move upwards, they do automatically, which opens a ton of slots beneath for promotion as well. If a vote to the highest rank is required, the unit may make that vote, which then also frees up the slots beneath.