51 replies to this topic

[godmonkey]

the problrm with "instant" travel in the Battletech setting takes away the strategic value of feinting attacks and removes the biggest issue any commander ever has, namely having his troops in the right place at the right time. IMHO there should be some delay if you are going from a system to another.

Think of it this way when the Clans finally arrive if there is no travel time they can get stuff from the homeworlds to the inner sphere on a rather snappy timetable making the invasion from a steamroller to a formula one steamroller.

[Emeraude]

if you want stretegic value then how bout just putting it in munuits no more then 9

[Aelos03]

godmonkey, on 24 April 2012 - 03:18 AM, said:

the problrm with "instant" travel in the Battletech setting takes away the strategic value of feinting attacks and removes the biggest issue any commander ever has, namely having his troops in the right place at the right time. IMHO there should be some delay if you are going from a system to another.

Think of it this way when the Clans finally arrive if there is no travel time they can get stuff from the homeworlds to the inner sphere on a rather snappy timetable making the invasion from a steamroller to a formula one steamroller.

i thought same

[Sug]

They said on the podcast that to make travel time more realistic they are putting each planet on a different server located around North America. If you want to move your mechwarrior to another planet you will have to physically move your computer around the country and connect to a different server.

[Ramien]

godmonkey, on 24 April 2012 - 03:18 AM, said:

Think of it this way when the Clans finally arrive if there is no travel time they can get stuff from the homeworlds to the inner sphere on a rather snappy timetable making the invasion from a steamroller to a formula one steamroller.

The Inner Sphere wouldn't have to worry about travel time, either, and I think that the Clans are still sufficiently outnumbered that facing the combined might of the entire Inner Sphere would be enough to give them pause. In a way, it would help the Clans achieve their true goals by recreating the Star League after a fashion.

[Aelos03]

Sug, on 24 April 2012 - 08:36 AM, said:

They said on the podcast that to make travel time more realistic they are putting each planet on a different server located around North America. If you want to move your mechwarrior to another planet you will have to physically move your computer around the country and connect to a different server.

proxy

[Sassori]

Don't know if this has been mentioned (Haven't finished reading the thread) but travel time in the jumpship is pretty danged quick. Beyond recharging. What takes /days/ is the dropship flying at sublight speeds to the jumpship. That takes a while. Then it's days from the dropship to the planet since jumpships can only jump to certain points.

So will we have that kind of time lag in MW:O? I highly doubt it, but that's ok. Fun is fun and even in TT the dropship time was often handwaved.

EDIT: Finished reading the thread, and my point still stands yep.

As for the Clan invasion and jump ship travel time well it's an EASY thing for the devs to control what planets are available to be fought on. Real easy. Today the Lyran's will fight with Draconis Combine over this, and with the FWL over this and this.

Tomorrow these Clans will be attacking these planets, hop to. Since there isn't full mech destruction and no pilot death we're already /not/ dealing with thematic wars of attrition here that really existed in the MW universe. So there's going to have to be some give and take with the TT Lore to the Online game.

Edited by Christopher Dayson, 24 April 2012 - 11:41 AM.

[Wyzak]

this is really more of a simulation of squad level tactics and individual contribution then it is a strategic simulation - if it was simulating the strategy aspect of intergalactic invasions, we would need to be bound by travel times, but for these purposes they can pick and choose what is and isn't real time.

[Aelos03]

Christopher Dayson, on 24 April 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

Don't know if this has been mentioned (Haven't finished reading the thread) but travel time in the jumpship is pretty danged quick. Beyond recharging. What takes /days/ is the dropship flying at sublight speeds to the jumpship. That takes a while. Then it's days from the dropship to the planet since jumpships can only jump to certain points.

So will we have that kind of time lag in MW:O? I highly doubt it, but that's ok. Fun is fun and even in TT the dropship time was often handwaved.

EDIT: Finished reading the thread, and my point still stands yep.

As for the Clan invasion and jump ship travel time well it's an EASY thing for the devs to control what planets are available to be fought on. Real easy. Today the Lyran's will fight with Draconis Combine over this, and with the FWL over this and this.

Tomorrow these Clans will be attacking these planets, hop to. Since there isn't full mech destruction and no pilot death we're already /not/ dealing with thematic wars of attrition here that really existed in the MW universe. So there's going to have to be some give and take with the TT Lore to the Online game.

But dont you think people should fight for some cause that if they win they will get something and lose when defeated, i think i would enjoy more in fight where there is a gain and not fight for sake of just destroying some mechs, and for sake of that let players decide where to fight.

[Wyzak]

If I understand correctly there will be an element of dynamic battle lines drawn, but certain worlds cannot change hands to protect canon (Dieron, Terra, Tharkad, New Avalon, etc)

[WolfDragon Ghost]

Why not be realistic? I want a MW game that makes me feel like a true MechWarrior, someone else is with me?

[HolmstN]

godmonkey, on 24 April 2012 - 03:18 AM, said:

the problrm with "instant" travel in the Battletech setting takes away the strategic value of feinting attacks and removes the biggest issue any commander ever has, namely having his troops in the right place at the right time. IMHO there should be some delay if you are going from a system to another.

Think of it this way when the Clans finally arrive if there is no travel time they can get stuff from the homeworlds to the inner sphere on a rather snappy timetable making the invasion from a steamroller to a formula one steamroller.

Good thought.

That said, though, any 'delay' is simply bad for game design. I mean, imagine yourself waiting to get onto your favorite game's most popular server. If you wait more than a minute you are upset. Thinking of time as simply a form of currency, there are many other options to balance strategy. The idea of a cost-distance ratio for travel is delectable.

Perhaps it even costs a faction to attack a location, or even further to 'purchase' slots for mechs to drop. Each mech you want to drop requires 1mil Cbills on a Periphery planet, 5bil on a major planet... etc. This would be true of defense too. If you do not know how many opponent mech slots are 'purchased,' on defense you may invest a large amount in fear... and find it was fruitless. Meanwhile, because it is 'real-time,' the real fight could be happening nearby, but you did not invest the 'right amount' of slots to protect said planet.