113 replies to this topic

[MonkeyDCecil]

Now before you cut into me. I love the clans as much as the next guy. The whole idea of them is cool.
But they are not going to be in game for a while. So please let it go. I already see recruitment for the Clans. Come on guys lets slow down a bit. Anyway that all I saying. Lets slow it down.

[CoffiNail]

So, My MWLL unit, 304th Assault Cluster should just not bother trying to get any members in my unit until a whole year from now when the Clans are launched?

There are a lot of actual Fans of the Clans, people who care about their Lore and history, not just their Clantech. Most of us keep it in the Clan section of the fourm (even though most IS fans seem to think it is necessarily to come to our section to tell us how much they hate us. In fact this thread will probably end up in the Clan section

A lot of the Clans that are recruiting already have been established for some time, most are either already playing MW4 or MWLL, or were units that played MW2, MW3 or MW4 and are trying to reform themselves. I think it is fair for them to do so, as many would rather play with each other than find a new unit to run with.

Clans are just as much BattleTech as the IS houses, and some players, Myself included have little interest in the Inner sphere Houses.

[verybad]

MonkeyDCecil, on 06 April 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

Now before you cut into me. I love the clans as much as the next guy. The whole idea of them is cool.
But they are not going to be in game for a while. So please let it go. I already see recruitment for the Clans. Come on guys lets slow down a bit. Anyway that all I saying. Lets slow it down.

Bless you!

The only thing I want from the Clans are ears.

[Motionless]

MonkeyDCecil, on 06 April 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

Now before you cut into me. I love the clans as much as the next guy. The whole idea of them is cool.
But they are not going to be in game for a while. So please let it go. I already see recruitment for the Clans. Come on guys lets slow down a bit. Anyway that all I saying. Lets slow it down.

The clans invade in four months and the game isn't even released yet, meaning the amount of 'game time' before clan invasion will be even less. In your view how much time should clanners have to recruit?

[verybad]

I'm sure the Clanners will have a horrible time picking up recruits. NOBODY will abandon their merc or House factions in order to join the OP league...

[Mason Grimm]

Motionless, on 06 April 2012 - 11:37 AM, said:

In your view how much time should clanners have to recruit?

4 hrs. No more!!!

[verybad]

Mason Grimm, on 06 April 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

4 hrs. No more!!!

That's increadibly biased towards the Clans.

They should have to cut their ranks through contests, and send the Dregs back to us non genetically bred tube baby Inner Spherers.

After all, not everyone raised in an Iron Womb gets to be a Clanner. Why should the hordes of people that will abandon their orignal faction (something the Clan Warriors would regard as an dishonorable act btw) get to either

[CoffiNail]

verybad, on 06 April 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

That's increadibly biased towards the Clans.

They should have to cut their ranks through contests, and send the Dregs back to us non genetically bred tube baby Inner Spherers.

After all, not everyone raised in an Iron Womb gets to be a Clanner. Why should the hordes of people that will abandon their orignal faction (something the Clan Warriors would regard as an dishonorable act btw) get to either

TBH this is not a horrible idea.

[Tronchaser]

It would be amusing (to me at least!) if we didn't get to play as the clans.... AT ALL! What would the clanners do then?!

[Fiachdubh]

I think there is generally very little mention of the Clans outside of the 'Clans' section of the forum. I do think the Clan invasion should be put back by at least several months but preferably a year.

[verybad]

Tronchaser, on 06 April 2012 - 12:14 PM, said:

It would be amusing (to me at least!) if we didn't get to play as the clans.... AT ALL! What would the clanners do then?!

AI-Laugh at people crying that they didn't get to use the Ubermechs

Honestly, I think a skill system for the clans could be implemented where if you didn't do really well, you don't get clan stuff, maybe you can still play on a clan faction team, but are limited to solahma (second line (IS tech level stuff dragged out of caches)) toys.

This would make fighting a first line clan unit a big challenge, because not only are they using high tech, but the players you're facing are skilled also.

My problem with the clans is that you get everyone and their momma running to get a MadCat (sorry, Timberwolf) and there's no real difference with fighting any other unit, IS or Clan.

Now if you're guarding a planet and you hear it's getting invaded by a Clan unit that you know is filled with skilled players rather than shinytechers, it's a more fulfilling experience for both sides. The IS players know that if they beat the Clans, then they did something pretty badass, and the Clanner players know that they're badass to begin with.

In addition, maintaining your position within a clan becomes more like how it's described. They're a dueling culture, you gan rank through fighting other clanners, you fight over possession of mechs. If, rather when clans are brought into the game, make it something that you have to really earn through experience.

I'll have a lot more respect for Clan Players if I know that they got there through beating other players, that they have to fight for posession of their uber mechs, and that they're the best of the best.

Perhaps make players that regularly win duels with other clan players get cheaper repairs, and so on. Simulate their culture.

Maybe I might even have a little fear while I'm trying to survive in my Dragon as they roll over our planets then...

Just don't want to see them come in and have half the playres in other factions switch out overnight.

The Clans are a fascinating aspect of the Battletech universe, if their economic system simulates their warrior culture where honor/efficiency/and skill are the things that matter, then I'll be pleased.

Edited by verybad, 06 April 2012 - 12:32 PM.

[Diomed]

I love my warhammer. I love my madcat. I guess I'm happy with either.

[IceSerpent]

Fiachdubh, on 06 April 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

I think there is generally very little mention of the Clans outside of the 'Clans' section of the forum. I do think the Clan invasion should be put back by at least several months but preferably a year.

Why? I think it would considerably decrease the number of players. For some of us it's not "we might switch to clans later because of clantech", but more like "all right, we'll play IS for a bit if we absolutely have to, even though it's not something we ever wanted to do".

[Vexgrave Lars]

Gotta go with Coffinail on this one. Recruiting now is the thing to do. I know a lot of them are using this to time to trial out the best drivers. When the Clans do arrive, the players who go Clans should raise the bar of difficulty significantly, and that the challenge is extraordinary, which will make the successes over them much more sweet, and losses not so bitter. They will have had the time and practice to make us cringe in fear when we go against them. Great experienced pilots, solid teamwork, and excellent mechs. Exactly like it should be.

[Mason Grimm]

My opinion (which is hardly asked for but freely given) is if you wanna play clan then you have to test clan.

This means a training period of a few weeks and then a ToP. It would be a play style. You drop to a random map, the drop "commander" (or ref in this case) assigned three mechs (one of each class) and you face them the same way you would as if you were a clan warrior testing out. The game keeps track, not the ref (so you can't pass your buddies unfairly).

Bling Bling Muthatrucka!!! No Pass! No Clan!!!

You pass, you get the good shiny toys.

[Morashtak]

Motionless, on 06 April 2012 - 11:37 AM, said:

The clans invade in four months and the game isn't even released yet, meaning the amount of 'game time' before clan invasion will be even less.

"First contact" is later this year. Periphery action is August - September this year then they'll "take a break". Will you take a break for 5 months?

Trials of Grievance, Position and Bloodright are fine by me if the players take it serious and only through these trials only allow the players into their Clans that uphold the finest of traditions. This could all be played out prior to Operation Revival Wave 1 which starts in March of 3050.

March is fine with me for the first battles against Clan tech. Gives us plenty of time to balance IS tech as well as do most of the balancing in Clan tech beta testing.

[TopDawg]

Mason Grimm, on 06 April 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

4 hrs. No more!!!

verybad, on 06 April 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

That's increadibly biased towards the Clans.

They should have to cut their ranks through contests, and send the Dregs back to us non genetically bred tube baby Inner Spherers.

After all, not everyone raised in an Iron Womb gets to be a Clanner. Why should the hordes of people that will abandon their orignal faction (something the Clan Warriors would regard as an dishonorable act btw) get to either

I thought it was sort of clear he was just kidding .

That aside, I think all the cajoling about Clans is silly (especially without a way to work it out on the battlefield yet). I would certainly prefer to play for Clan Wolf, or Clan Wolf in Exile, but not at the expense of game balance. Lore is great and all (and what the BT universe, and subsequently MechWarrior(s) and MechCommander games, are all based on), but game balance and the fun of the game is more important.

Ideally, balance and lore work together in concert. I truly hope they figure out a way to do it (because I can tell you that simply beating people because of better tech isn't any fun, either). Also limiting an entire sect of the playerbase from being able to play as Clans, regardless of the reason for wanting to play as them, is probably not a great way to go about it either; regardless of how close to lore it might be.

While I have no real desire to play for any of the houses (and simply chose FWL from their little write-up description), I personally have no real issues 'waiting it out' until they can implement playing Clans in a healthy manner for the game as a whole. At the end of the day when all is said and done, the game has to be fun in order for people to keep playing it.

[William Petersen]

Mason Grimm, on 06 April 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

My opinion (which is hardly asked for but freely given) is if you wanna play clan then you have to test clan.

This means a training period of a few weeks and then a ToP. It would be a play style. You drop to a random map, the drop "commander" (or ref in this case) assigned three mechs (one of each class) and you face them the same way you would as if you were a clan warrior testing out. The game keeps track, not the ref (so you can't pass your buddies unfairly).

Bling Bling Muthatrucka!!! No Pass! No Clan!!!

You pass, you get the good shiny toys.

I had a very similar idea the other day, thought to post it, then forgot it. Suffice to say:

/agree

[Vexgrave Lars]

New, inexperienced drivers in clan mechs, during the invasion.. sounds like a peanut butter and oyster sandwich.

[empath]

Mason and verybad have it - the Clans are a very competitive meritocracy; if you want anything (right down to being permitted to stay in the Warrior Caste) you have to earn it.

Trials of Position should be de rigeur, and given the timeframe, I daresay that PGI will have time to put all the multiple "Clan Smoke Jaguar"s through their grind to see who gets the OmniMechs, and who gets garrison duty with the salvaged leftovers.

...another thing to remember is the fractiousness of the Clans - they're basically like a bag full of cats; Trials of Possession against each other for materiel, and even WITHIN a Clan - someone wants to promote themselves through the body bag of their immediate superior via a Trial of Grievance...

All of a sudden, I'm not QUITE so worried about this lot...


(Oh, and just for the record, I may despise the callous, inhumane, bloodthirsty bigots that call themselves 'Kerensky's Chosen', but I have yet to even look at the Clan sub-forums. Anyone who posts over there just complain is a blatant troll who might need a reminder about this place's Code of Conduct.)