10 replies to this topic

[Secundus]

The fundamental mechanics of this game are sound. The way the mechs are controlled and lumber around the environment is good. We could benefit a lot from additional detail like trees buckling when we walk into them and more details in the environment to improve the sense of scale, but that's all secondary to a good base. Weapons need balancing, the economy needs tweaking, and the mechlab and bugs need to be fixed, but those are forgiveable issues that gamers can generally accept as expected in gaming. We are no doubt significantly lacking in content with only 1 game mode and 4 maps, but the new player experience is the most important piece to fix at this point. I can't help but feel that a large number of new players didn't play more than 5 rounds and then quit in frustration due to a lack of tutorials, imbalanced matchmaker, etc. I'd be one of them if I hadn't joined closed beta in the mega millions testing phase. The saying goes you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's generally the case. However, I think it's possible with the right message and strategy.

I feel that if PGI can focus on getting some more content and overhauling the new player experience, at least on the tutorial side, and then getting another game mode or two out the door and even just a night/dawn/dusk/day variation on our maps they could get this thing on it's feet. Of course you need a chat lobby to justify at a minimum the "online" tag in the title. So how do we get back players I suspect have been lost already? The biggest detriment in my opinion to any PC exclusive game is missing on the potential of Steam and it's 4-5 million daily users, millions of which are impulse buyers and surely many users were the ones that have already come and gone with MWO's open beta. Get this game cleaned up and fleshed, the meta game can wait, but get the finished product on Steam with a starter kit deal and you may suck a back a few people if you have the community on your side hitting the recommend button.

Any other ways we can get people that have been put off back into the fray?

[Tardstrong]

Edit because the end of your post said what I was trying to say.

Edited by Tardstrong, 05 November 2012 - 10:02 PM.

[Draco Argentum]

Secundus, on 05 November 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:

Any other ways we can get people that have been put off back into the fray?

Sure. Fix all the problems then put out an apology email and send it to some major gaming sites. Eating humble pie usually puts people into a forgiving mood.

[Maalakeem]

Draco Argentum, on 05 November 2012 - 10:10 PM, said:

Sure. Fix all the problems then put out an apology email and send it to some major gaming sites. Eating humble pie usually puts people into a forgiving mood.

A company, admit when it's been stupid. Heresy I say.

/endsarcasm

But the key is fix it. Now. Make this a good, or even great game and that is the best apology they could make. Problem is, they have already made a ton of errors that they would have great difficulty in fixing. The entire metaconstruct of the game is off. It's neither mechwarrior nor battletech. As such it would take a Heraclean effort to right this vessel. But they can make a few bucks in the mean time while waiting for her to sink.

[MechRomney]

It's time to reboot the campaign. People should get to know the REAL PGI.

[Leetskeet]

Secundus, on 05 November 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:

The fundamental mechanics of this game are sound.

Lost me

[DrxAbstract]

The more details you add to the game, the more 'PC power' it requires. The more PC power it requires, a more powerful PC must be used, alienating those without powerful PCs. I suppose if you made those options available through the Graphics Settings then sure, however how often does one find themselves interested in the glowy window lights of buildings when LRMs are falling from the sky all around them? A very unnecessary and time consuming alteration.

I'd imagine the reason it takes them so long to pump out changes/content is lack of manpower combined with resource allocation: Some of the PGI team is too busy working on future content to be dragged off project and help with game features that are quite possibly beyond their scope of practice. Computer programming is very time consuming, not easy to do and very difficult to get right 100% of the time, which is why i declined going to ITT for it. You also have many departments all working at the same time on different aspects of the same project that must mesh together seamlessly, so what happens when your art team finishes the next batch of textures before your programmers have written the code to fetch, render and utilize them? Believe it or not, it does happen... often. Especially when said programmers are pulled off their project to assist with debugging, where they have to mull over pages of reports just to get caught up on their new project status, going on the 11th hour Saturday night with their gf/bf/wives/husbands at home alone. It's a thankless job, PC Game design. But somebody is doing it... doing it for you, for their livelihood and for the sheer joy/dismay of it all. Try to be a little more appreciative of what you've gotten so far before making ever increasing demands.

PGI is 'aware' of issues. Not everything can be solved overnight, in a week or even a month, many times entire lines of code must be rewritten and tested. Citing their shortcomings over and over doesnt make them any more determined or capable of delivering to you what you feel you should have. Game is playable, needs some changes and fixes. Trial mechs are getting an overhaul, the netcode is being reverted, DHS 'fixed', among other various tidbits. Your words arent falling on deaf ears, but perhaps PGI's are... They are working on it.

[ferranis]

The main complain is that they went open beta. Everything would be fine if we were still in cb.
But you made the decition, now cope with the problems and loss of thousands of new players that your decition caused.

How i know this? Its still the same damn founders in every topic in a forum that should be flooded with new people.

[Vassago Rain]

DrxAbstract, on 06 November 2012 - 04:39 AM, said:

The more details you add to the game, the more 'PC power' it requires. The more PC power it requires, a more powerful PC must be used, alienating those without powerful PCs. I suppose if you made those options available through the Graphics Settings then sure, however how often does one find themselves interested in the glowy window lights of buildings when LRMs are falling from the sky all around them? A very unnecessary and time consuming alteration.

I'd imagine the reason it takes them so long to pump out changes/content is lack of manpower combined with resource allocation: Some of the PGI team is too busy working on future content to be dragged off project and help with game features that are quite possibly beyond their scope of practice. Computer programming is very time consuming, not easy to do and very difficult to get right 100% of the time, which is why i declined going to ITT for it. You also have many departments all working at the same time on different aspects of the same project that must mesh together seamlessly, so what happens when your art team finishes the next batch of textures before your programmers have written the code to fetch, render and utilize them? Believe it or not, it does happen... often. Especially when said programmers are pulled off their project to assist with debugging, where they have to mull over pages of reports just to get caught up on their new project status, going on the 11th hour Saturday night with their gf/bf/wives/husbands at home alone. It's a thankless job, PC Game design. But somebody is doing it... doing it for you, for their livelihood and for the sheer joy/dismay of it all. Try to be a little more appreciative of what you've gotten so far before making ever increasing demands.

PGI is 'aware' of issues. Not everything can be solved overnight, in a week or even a month, many times entire lines of code must be rewritten and tested. Citing their shortcomings over and over doesnt make them any more determined or capable of delivering to you what you feel you should have. Game is playable, needs some changes and fixes. Trial mechs are getting an overhaul, the netcode is being reverted, DHS 'fixed', among other various tidbits. Your words arent falling on deaf ears, but perhaps PGI's are... They are working on it.

It uses cryengine 3. Even if everything's set to low, you need a good computer. People know this, and that's not a problem.

Mechwarrior, as a franchise, has always had THE best graphics possible.

[Azaadia]

Whats interesting is that we are talking about a game with Sci fi tech and in the end it feels like Knights in heavy armor with cannons. When are we going to ditch the Counter Strike/ Black Ops mentality and actually become mech pilots. In the days that mechwarrrior was created. Gamers were actually more imaginative. They wanted to Pilot giant robots from the future and Fly planes and Space fighters. These days they just want a First Person Shooter to kill some one.

This game should have some hints of actual simulation mixed with its Front person shooter origin.
For example there are no firmware upgrades for your mechs.
-When a mech with jump jets jumps off a high ledge the upgrades should allow the mech to engage jump jets for soft landing. So that the rough landing doesn't damage their legs.
-When a mech is hit by AC20 and is thrown off balance from the force. There should be an upgrade to stabilize the mech so there is less stagger.
-What about collision avoidance. Even cars these days can apply the breaks themselves.

What about actual physics: For example when a light mech gets hit by an AC20 or LRM it should stagger a lot more than a heavy or an assault mech.

There was a collision system that made things abit realistic and that was taken out, so now a 35ton mech can travel at 120kmh and collide into a 100ton mech without recourse. I would like to see a car collide into a tank at 120kmh without any drama.

I would like to see a 50-50 shift. Gamers should think about their machines 50% and think about killing 50%. At the moment its about weapons and armor and speed and lag shield.

We are still in beta and there is a long ways to go. I am sure with all our inputs we can find something for everyone in this game. I personally want a game envisioned in the current times. Not a game based on something dreamed up many decades ago. People back then would have never thought that we would have touch screen smart phones today at $300 bucks. So we need to remake the Mechwarrrior Franchise from today's point of view.

[Draco Argentum]

Azaadia, on 06 November 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

-When a mech with jump jets jumps off a high ledge the upgrades should allow the mech to engage jump jets for soft landing. So that the rough landing doesn't damage their legs.

Or you can learn to do that manually. Computerised overrides that pilot for you are realistic but they make for a dumbed down and lame game.