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But I really can't just sit here and take this any more.
Look, I've been a fan of Battletech since I was a kid. I read the novels, I collected the figurines, I drew up my own schematics for my own make-believe-battlemechs in class when I should have been studying. A significant portion of my childhood was spent day-dreaming about and playing "giant robot wars" on the trampoline in my backyard with my little brother.
You can imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard that after nearly 10 years, someone had finally taken up the mantle of making a new Mechwarrior game, and claiming that they were going to do it right. I bought into it head over heels, and even paid 120 bucks into the program in hopes that it would help it become something amazing: The BattleMech Sim that we'd all been waiting for.
Instead, I got this. WE got this. And I can honestly say that many of us who have played the game and have been fans OF the games for years upon years are considerably disappointed thus far. I know it's BETA. I know things need to be worked on. But somewhere along the line, someone really seems to have messed up. The Clans are invading next year, and we barely have a working MechLab. There is serious problems with lag and "teleportation." That's not my side either. I regularly get ping between 50 and 70 when I play, and I still end up teleporting into a WALL at 130KPH, or end up 25 feet to the left of where I was, or end up getting STUCK in the game floor, only for people to shoot me to death. And it's not from shutting down from overheat, either. No red screen, no warnings, just simply STUCK in the mud.
Between that, and developers listening in part to the squeaky wheels of the forums, and in part to those who are willing to accept NO COMPROMISE from the TT ruleset, what we have here is an absolute MESS. Today, I saw a RAVEN take a shot from a gauss cannon at POINT BLANK TO THE FACE and shrug it off like it was a BB gun. I could swear I saw it bounce off the damn thing. Large Lasers are near useless unless massed, heat sinks don't have proper dissipation for how much room they take up, and the modules plain suck. For how much experience they cost and how little they actually DO, it's scarcely worth the time to level up to master rank, except for bragging rights. Again, I realize this is beta, and things are going to change, but some half-baked ideas need to STAY in the oven a little while longer before being given out to the kiddies.
Don't get it twisted: The developers have fixed a lot of problems in the past. They've made things work and I appreciate the effort that's been put in. But some of it is just plain sloppy. "Forest Colony Snow Map" IS NOT NEW. It is a hodge-podge modification that barely makes sense. Remember that pass in the upper part of the map? See how it's filled with snow now? Notice how you can "Skyrim Horse" it up the side of almost ANY OTHER MOUNTAIN nearby with that specific gradient? Notice how you CAN'T do that with that SPECIFIC snowslide?
That's ridiculous, and unnecessary. Simply blocking it up was enough. Making it IMPASSIBLE terrain was too much. If the terrain was deemed PASSABLE, it would still present interesting tactical challenges. Things like: "What's on the other side? Should I risk skylining myself? Ambush tactics go?" come to mind.
And don't act like it took WEEKS to do that shod-job. Anyone who's used Starcraft 2's map editor knows that you use terrain meshes and "impass" boundaries to tell players' Battlemechs where they can and can't go. The whole thing took probably five minutes to cobble together to appease people with pretty snow and ice. For shame. We're not THAT stupid, PGI. At least those of us who REALLY care about the game, that is.
Now onto the positives:
The game is absolutely beautiful. And when the graphics are optimized for multiple types of systems, it will be even better, and more stable.
The netcode is better than it used to be. People aren't warping as MUCH, but it's still a little more troublesome than it should be. This should be priority number one if it is not already.
Mechbay is intuitive and pretty. Except that it's unstable as heck for many of us, requiring a save after every piece is moved or added, lest one risk losing their work over and over and over again.
The 'Mechs handle spectacularly. Each one has its own nuances ad characteristics. I feel often like I've LEARNED the Battlemech instead of simply playing it like an arcade game. That needs to STAY that way!
No 1st person yet: Biggest threat to the game right now is just that. "Arcading" this product for the "masses" is going to cause short-term gain and long term loss. Those who WANT a more twitchy, arcade-style game will likely leave once something new catches their eyes, while those who love the franchise will likely leave! This is NOT good for profits in the long run. Giving the TRUE FANS what they want is hard, and harder to distinguish, but it can be done. It requires a lot of effort. But it will keep this game going for years to come as people continue to buy MC for new "Hero Mechs" and other things.
The game itself is promising. With the possibility of massive community warfare, a coming of new BattleMechs each month, and a very war-like feel with a simulation-like background to it all, it just feels like you're right there in the cockpit.
I want it to succeed.
But I swear to you this PGI, and a lot of my unit are with me on this: You mess up our game, and make it arcade for the masses, you continue to break down the very foundations of mechwarrior, you continue to do shod-jobs on "new maps," and it's going to be a long, hard road down into failure as a considerable number of your best and longer-lasting customers leave for greener pastures; whether it has giant, stompy robots or not.
Now, I'm not going to answer any of the responses to this. I may read them, I may not. But let's see what people think here about the things I have to say. Look at those who DO NOT post that often, because THOSE are your players, PGI. Not those loud-mouthed brats that sit around and ***** about it not having a third person, or saying missiles are op, then not stating a real reason besides "I died this much in my last game, and I'm quitting." No, the players that say almost nothing at all, or rarely post are the ones you all need to listen to, because they're too busy playing to complain and have been here through hell and high waters just to make sure that some new kid with eyes set on the sparkly Atlas in the Mechbay doesn't get too far into your skulls.
Much respect and hope,
Prower
PS: Let the ******** and/or bashing commence!
Edited by Prower, 17 November 2012 - 01:30 AM.
but we are behind em nonetheless 
