804 replies to this topic

[Ursus_Spiritus]

(no i didn't read every post in this thread YET)

I am inclined to think that, we are obviously to start our own Legacy which is understandable, and we can't use Canon names which is understanable.

Though, can we start our Legacy under the units aside from the House factions we can affiliate with, basiclly in a Novel reference.

We will become those units that are under the Command of the named characters in the novels?

The men and women that do the fighting but are "loosely" referenced as this unit or that unit, but WE are doing what isn't written because it is assumed to have happened.

No we won't interact with a Kurita or a Davion, etc but we will be in the trenches doing the dirty work and the sacrifices?

We will be able to build our reputation to add to the "Canon" of MWO by proxy the Battletech Universe?

[Korbyn McColl]

Kudzu, on 03 May 2012 - 06:04 PM, said:

The flip side of that is that it's a lot easier to multiple people wanting to be the same unit in a small group of friends then it is to deal with it when there's 100,000 strangers clamoring over famous names.

There's really no happy medium or perfect solution to it-- if you do it on a first come first serve basis you end up with a bunch of butthurt people who were a few seconds late in registering (or a small group of trolls who snake the names of famous units just to **** people off), if you do it this way then at least everyone is equally denied.

I'm more discouraged that it looks like house players are going to have to deal with large masses of subpar players and the competitive gamer in me hates that idea.

Agreed on all count. We fully acknowledged the cons of letting players run canon merc units. What we didn't anticipate was being told that we couldn't even claim we were associated with a given merc unit, though. One of our established plans if canon merc units were locked out was to form as the Northwind Expeditionary Force, still being part of the Northwind Highlanders. Now we've been told we won't be allowed to do even that. Even claiming association with a canon merc unit may bring down the wroth of the CSRs and get you a ban.

And I definitely agree with your concern on the Houses/Factions...More on that in a moment.

Storm McIntyre, on 03 May 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

No offense intended there DM. I, like you, have been a Battletech TT gamer since '83, so I know that role-players are great at adapting and overcoming any roadblocks thrown in their way. I also know that when you have a certain house or unit that you have become attached to, you sink a lot of hard work into fleshing out that unit, and its history. MWO is going to be something totally different from the other games that are out there and that we have played in the past, and I'm looking forward to seeing what new and exciting things the players come up with.

Absolutely no offense taken. =)

rafgod, on 03 May 2012 - 06:59 PM, said:

I can empathize with the role players. And hopefully, as some of the larger, well-known merc units become factions..you'll be able to join and fight for that faction (and go up in rank, etc.)

You'll just have to be ok with not running that unit.

Only we've just been told we can't be a member of these units. Or, more accurately, we could be, but we can't form a "guild" within them. Faction players will, from what Bryan said, be exclusively "passive" players, unable to form or join units. Basically they are glorified Lone Wolves. Nothing wrong with Lone Wolves, mind you, but faction players aren't usually interested in being Lone Wolves.

So, in short, if Northwind Highlanders becomes a playable faction, our unit of 60+ players will have to make a decision...join NWH but go our separate ways, or remain a merc unit completely unaffiliated with NWH.

I truly feel PGI is missing the boat on this. They don't seem to understand how important units/guilds/clans are to players when it comes to online gaming. They would be well served if they allowed player run units declare and join a faction. By forcing us to choose, they are going to hurt the Houses/Clans...because the organized players will all go merc. And as anyone whose experienced in online PvP can tell you, a disorganized team will lose to an organized team 95% of the time.

I fear the Houses and Clans will never be able to live up to their own reputations if players aren't permitted to form organized units within them.

Just my two c-bills.

[ELHImp]

Okay. Now let me introduce you Epsilon Left-Handers merc corp. Becouse it's only transcript of abbreviation in my nickname I can find.

[Mechteric]

One doesn't just call themselves a Wolf's Dragoon, one earns the privilege to fight for the Wolf's Dragoons.


These restrictions make sense 100%, especially when you consider even if they did let players assume the role there's probably a few other groups that would like to have that exact same role, and then how do you determine who gets it? Sorry but its the only way forward that's fair and yet still allows the story to continue with us battling in it. It's like when I joined the Jade Falcons back in 2002ish, but when they joined NBT the clan JF was already taken so we ended up becoming Draconis Combine. It didn't change who we were, we just fought the war a bit differently and still had a blast!

[AlanEsh]

Uhtredd, on 04 May 2012 - 03:27 AM, said:

Tbh i am pretty disgusted with the whole way this has been handled..

After posting merc units names and links to websites, after all the dev interaction with some of the afore mentioned merc units, and the time/effort ppl have put in to them, it is outrageous to change it now.

If this was going to be the case why the hell not tell ppl weeks ago..

If it had been clear from the start it would not have been an issue..

Things change. People change their minds. New information alters initial plans. Give the devs a break, they're trying to stay in close contact with the fans, support the fans, help the fans. So this part of the gameplan has been rethought... and for the better, so please adapt and don't give them a hard time.

[AdamBaines]

Im very happy with this direction. Cannon units not being run by someone who just happened to be the first to register the name, or register the sub unit name. With that....good bye Waco Rangers, Hello Baines' Bandits!

[Skygrunt]

Paul Inouye, on 03 May 2012 - 03:20 PM, said:

Wicked.. I'm putting Dinosaurs in the game and Gundams!! WOO!!

burn him

what who said that

[Vexgrave Lars]

Bryan Ekman, on 03 May 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

There are 5965 canon units.

So wheres the list of 5900 + unit names we can't use? Would be awesome if we can reduce the probability of stepping on toes.

[Mad Mage]

There is no reason for a unit to lose its "Identity". All you have to do is find a compromise. There is no reason you should need to redesing your website or buy a new I.P. Address.

Just because you cannot use the name Wolfs Dragoons, Black Widow Company, Or Grey Death Leagion in game is in no way a death knell to your group. So now you have to call yourself Quickshots Company in game, but have links to your guild out of game to explain your rich history with said Mercs Groups.

I am all for role play but if having the specific name of a group that has had more written about it since before any online version came out is that important that you refuse to play this game......

Well then don't let the Door hit you where the good lord split you.

Vexgrave Lars, on 04 May 2012 - 06:47 AM, said:

So wheres the list of 5900 + unit names we can't use? Would be awesome if we can reduce the probability of stepping on toes.

Here is a start...

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mercenaries

[Firefly]

ELH_Imp, on 04 May 2012 - 04:53 AM, said:

Okay. Now let me introduce you Epsilon Left-Handers merc corp. Becouse it's only transcript of abbreviation in my nickname I can find.

Dear guy from Epsilon Left-Handers merc corp: welcome.

Signed,
Blank Windows Community

[Thorn Hallis]

Uhtredd, on 04 May 2012 - 03:27 AM, said:

Tbh i am pretty disgusted with the whole way this has been handled..

After posting merc units names and links to websites, after all the dev interaction with some of the afore mentioned merc units, and the time/effort ppl have put in to them, it is outrageous to change it now.

If this was going to be the case why the hell not tell ppl weeks ago..

If it had been clear from the start it would not have been an issue..

Because they don't like you of course. What else?

[Skwisgaar Skwigelf]

They've said all along that canon units would not be player controlled. As far back as December if I remember correctly. Which is why we formed the Skjaldborg instead of the 3rd Drakons as originally intended.

[DocBach]

Skwisgaar Skwigelf, on 04 May 2012 - 07:09 AM, said:

They've said all along that canon units would not be player controlled. As far back as December if I remember correctly. Which is why we formed the Skjaldborg instead of the 3rd Drakons as originally intended.

Exactly, that's why I tried (but got absoultely 0 interest) in making my own merc company

[The Bounty Hunter]

Seth, on 03 May 2012 - 01:03 PM, said:

Ok, I guess I should ask if the "Red Corsairs" is ok to use. Technically in the lore, the Red Corsair was a person rather than a group, it was used by two different people, and we do not intend to RP as either one of them. I guess the closest comparison I could think of that more people are familiar with is naming a unit the "Bounty Hunters" after the assassin known as the Bounty Hunter.

<Looks around > Uh oh....does The Bounty Hunter need to be worried?

If so....The Bounty Hunter will become his normal self without the battle armor. :-( Back to being the "Coolant Flush Tech" over at Jiffy-Flush.

The Bounty Hunter does not submit to many, but he will submit to the Dev team if asked to do so.

[whiskey tango foxtrot]

Someone dropped the ball

If I change my sig.....will I still be on CornStars watch list ???

[Wyzak]

Since Great Houses have a ranking system with officers being posted to units based on seniority, it might follow suit to treat the largest mercenary units as great houses and to have pilot progression be through sub-contractors which have canonically been affiliated with those mercenaries (i.e., your pilot is Wolf's Dragoons but you actually get assigned to a smaller unit operating under their umbrella.)

This also opens the field for 'lone wolves/unaffiliated mercenaries/disgruntled nobles with privately owned Battlemechs' to be assigned to the other 5000 canonically recognized units based on some formula that the developers feel comfortable with, as pilots progress they could be assigned to slightly more recognizable postings. Of course this would be a large undertaking, and might not be worth the extra effort.

*Actually, one way to prevent "homogenization" so that not everyone clusters into the major Merc units is to offer random assignment of unit names - you have the option of checking your own Merc unit name against the filters or being randomly assigned to one of the obscure units. That way we don't lose all the canon units to the ether because no one can "claim" them. It just becomes a loose affilation, done at random by the server.

Edited by Wyzak, 04 May 2012 - 07:47 AM.

[ReconDoc]

Perhaps I overlooked in reading the forums, but will all the clans of Mech be represented in this new game? Am a warrior from way...back am am curious to see what will become of this new game. Or will this be only a few and all must join them?

[Max OConnor]

My greatest worry is settling on a name, that technically does not associate with another unit yet is close enough that some minor rule lawyer will jump in and say NO after we have taken the time to redesign all of our logos and web site etc.

Personally I want to use the word Northwind in our new unit that is NOT part of the Northwind Highlanders, but just because we come from the same planet and use that word, we could be told no its too close. Bryan said Northwind is just a word, and it is, but if we use it in our name, does that fall into the grey area of assuming association with a canon unit? If so no one can use the word Grey for fear of being too close to the Grey Death, or Wolf because that could be construed as part of Wolf's Dragoons.

It would be very helpful to get a final, unchanging ruling on this issue before we go through the process of finding a new name.

[wwiiogre]

What Devil Man said +1

Chris

[Firefly]

maxoconnor, on 04 May 2012 - 07:45 AM, said:

My greatest worry is settling on a name, that technically does not associate with another unit yet is close enough that some minor rule lawyer will jump in and say NO after we have taken the time to redesign all of our logos and web site etc.

Personally I want to use the word Northwind in our new unit that is NOT part of the Northwind Highlanders, but just because we come from the same planet and use that word, we could be told no its too close. Bryan said Northwind is just a word, and it is, but if we use it in our name, does that fall into the grey area of assuming association with a canon unit? If so no one can use the word Grey for fear of being too close to the Grey Death, or Wolf because that could be construed as part of Wolf's Dragoons.

It would be very helpful to get a final, unchanging ruling on this issue before we go through the process of finding a new name.

How about "Northwind Lallans"? I'm sure your resident Scots will know what that means.