41 replies to this topic

[Riin Suul]

I know that the BattleTech universe has a long history, having been around since at least the eighties, and as such has many VERY devoted fans. I am also very aware that there are a lot of other mechwarrior fans who are were introduced to the universe through the videogames, maybe picking up some of the novels after that, and aren't quite as much into the roleplaying aspects of it ( I fall into this group). There is also a third group, made up of people who think giant mechs are cool and want to blow things up, and know absolutely nothing else about the universe of BattleTech.

It is obvious to me that the more devoted BattleTech fans are the most active on the forums, which makes sense, but I do think that it is necessary to note that this group is probably a minority of the people who will be playing MWO, although a VERY vocal one. Since they are the most vocal, they will have more of an influence on the devs, which is fine in my opinion, since they have the most emotionally invested in this universe. The one thing I want to ask though, is that they respect the fact that not everyone is as devoted to the lore of this wonderful universe, and don't jump all over the people who are less invested in it.

I only ask that they be tolerant of the people who don't know what a Davion is, or why they should care. This post was mostly inspired by a post I saw earlier this week, where someone said that they only want roleplayers to join the clans, and hope that anyone who just joins the clans for a tech advantage, and doesn't respect the honor system of the clans will get blown up by everyone else. I know that most of the RPers aren't like this, but I just wanted to bring this idea to the forefront of people's minds. Not everyone knows the lore and loves the universe as much as the veterans, but we all want to drive these incredible machines and blow things up, and most importantly have fun.

[Ethan Kell]

I posted this in the other thread, but another type of person needs to be presented.... the war gamer. Should I join the clans I have pretty much no intention of following an honor system unless it's built into the game with some incentives.

If you're a role player, more power to you; I am not. I may choose a faction based on stories I read when I was a kid, but that's pretty much where it ends.

[a rabid chihuahua]

I believe for the most part the lot of us who have been BT fans from all the way back in the beginning,will gladly give some the oppurtunity to enjoy the game for what it is and teach them the history as it unfolds and help others. However like all games your going to have your fringe 10% who will be the extreme to anyone. even though I have been playing since the 80's ,I didn't have the time or care to memorize every faction alliance ,breakdown ,minor skirmish in the timeline ,and there are characters who may be popular in name to one house,clan affiliation..may not mean a dang thing to me. SO if someone wants to be rude ,you can ignore them and just ask the rest of the folks,who'd be glad to help new players learn the history and help them out.

[Groundstain]

Wow... someone who beleives that one must be canon or die. Carl Marx is smiling for you komrad. I personally just like blowing $H!* up and a mech seems to be the most expediant way to do it. Back in the 80's I played table top Mechwarrior. Even then the story was just a sideline to the real fun of the game. With this being said, I hope good hunting for all and people like the before mentioned are few and far between.

Edited by Groundstain, 05 May 2012 - 07:49 AM.

[Orzorn]

I personally hope that MWO is well structured enough and introduces players enough to the lore and history of the universe that players will sort of naturally work into at least some kind of minimum amount of roleplaying. I'm not saying they're going to go all star commander on us, but players will naturally get a feel for the universe and have a lot of fun getting engrossed in it. Its a case of "if you build it they will come." If you put together strong lore and canon ties within the universe and expose the players to it, they WILL get involved in it. Just look at the Elder Scrolls. Full of lore, and even the newest players are almost immediately gripped by it.

So in this manner, there should almost not be a noticeable line between the average player and the more hardcore roleplayers. Everyone should be getting pulled into the universe just by virtue of it being presented well enough. Stuff like the Inner Sphere News helps with this, although I hope we see something like a weekly news paper for the game, similar to EVE Online. Even the newest folks to the universe should become interested in the lore if it is presented properly.

Edited by Orzorn, 05 May 2012 - 07:44 AM.

[Joe Mallad]

Ethan Kell, on 05 May 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

I posted this in the other thread, but another type of person needs to be presented.... the war gamer. Should I join the clans I have pretty much no intention of following an honor system unless it's built into the game with some incentives.

If you're a role player, more power to you; I am not. I may choose a faction based on stories I read when I was a kid, but that's pretty much where it ends.

I for one am one of those that knows about 95% of everything that ever happened in the battletech/Mechwarrior universe. Wether it was playing table top or any of the computer based games, there were always your die hard roll players and then those that just played because they liked the style of the mech or wanted to blow things up or just liked the comrodery of the other people he/she played with. To each their own. But I want to give you just a bit of advice when it comes to IF you join a guild who plays as a clan in the game... Please make sure that the clan you join is as freely open minded as you are about not following an honor system. Not that it matters to me but I can say for fact that probably 80 to 85% of the clan bases groups that pop up... Their founding members will indeed be those roll player types that will set rules of honor tht they will want their clans to follow. So save yourself the stress of ******* a lot of people off and try and find more of a layed back, not caring about honor so much kind of clan play group to game with. You would be surprised just how large the so called roll play minority is in this universe lol

[Adridos]

Ethan Kell, on 05 May 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

Should I join the clans I have pretty much no intention of following an honor system unless it's built into the game with some incentives.

Well, it's built into the game according to the devs in some old interview.

[Aelos03]

More you are interested in game more you will get interested in lore, take me as example i never read any novels and stuff or played TT justordinary MW/MC games and there is not enough info about lore and i found my self yesterday reading whole history of clan ghost bear.but i think roleplayers should play like that for them selfs and not to show others they are roleplaying, this is going to be competitive game after all and roleplay is not that important.

Edited by Aelos03, 05 May 2012 - 08:02 AM.

[Evgeny Bear]

@Riin
There is also a group who got known to BT by playing the Videogames AND is interested in roleplaying aspects of the game. =)

But only comment that comes in my mind, the interwebs are somewhat democratic and somewhat not very democratic.
If you think that your oppinion is not respected or not provided with support from the side of the devs, only because a
group of very active community members is giving their oppinions for free (sometimes more then enthusastic
as good for them and us). then in my eyes, it is a problem of the other peoples who might be part of the community
but not share their visions, even if they start flamewars within certain threads.
Internet communities live from the colorful composition of different oppinions, idealogies and ideas (wanted or not)
If you feel that way then start posting, or threads (if not already created) and motivate others.

second thought
In the end MWO will live and die with the company behind it, not only by the community it serves, they will create a game
which servs all aspects of users. Spreading the bandwith of customers will give them the money they need and us the
content we starve for.
It is always the balance (or unbalance) which makes a game and esp. an online game rise and fall.

Edited by Andar89, 05 May 2012 - 07:59 AM.

[Motionless]

Riin Suul, on 05 May 2012 - 07:12 AM, said:

Since they are the most vocal, they will have more of an influence on the devs

This only applies to bad devs. Players hardly ever know what they want, and given the chance they would make decisions that would end up ruining their favorite games. And even if they didn't, it would still make more sense from a business perspective to make a game that doesn't just cater to a small group.

There's a reason companies like Valve has extremely detailed information about things like how many bullets have been fired from each gun and at what accuracy in things like the CS:GO beta, they could tell you kills/round average or general high and low end with any weapon in the game. Player's voices need to only taken in a certain sort of way, with a focus on what players do, not what they say.


And when we actually get into the game there isn't even going to be voice chat, so it'll be the PPCs talking, and I don't think it'll matter if the noob doesn't really 'understand' who he is shooting, all that really matters is that he's enjoying it.

[Ethan Kell]

Yoseful Mallad, on 05 May 2012 - 07:52 AM, said:

I for one am one of those that knows about 95% of everything that ever happened in the battletech/Mechwarrior universe. Wether it was playing table top or any of the computer based games, there were always your die hard roll players and then those that just played because they liked the style of the mech or wanted to blow things up or just liked the comrodery of the other people he/she played with. To each their own. But I want to give you just a bit of advice when it comes to IF you join a guild who plays as a clan in the game... Please make sure that the clan you join is as freely open minded as you are about not following an honor system. Not that it matters to me but I can say for fact that probably 80 to 85% of the clan bases groups that pop up... Their founding members will indeed be those roll player types that will set rules of honor tht they will want their clans to follow. So save yourself the stress of ******* a lot of people off and try and find more of a layed back, not caring about honor so much kind of clan play group to game with. You would be surprised just how large the so called roll play minority is in this universe lol

Certainly. I've been playing online games long enough to know that different clans (notice the lower case 'c') tend to have different themes. I'm sure that groups of players who enjoy role playing will seek one another out and form associations based on that, which is great. I'm not going to be "that guy" who tries to get in with those people and whine about how they enjoy the game in a way I may not.

I simply hope that there's a mutual understanding and acceptance. I don't want to feel persecuted against because I'm not a role player, and I certainly don't want to see role players persecuted against for whatever reason.

In other MMOs I've played clans/corporations/mercenaries/whatever all tended to have certain entry requirements. Some were heavy on role-playing, others were not. Just make sure that if you're one of those who starts an in-game organization of players to be very clear up front with your expectations. So if you have a player organization that falls within the Clans and expect those who join it to adhere to an honor system, be sure to spell that out up front.

Adridos, on 05 May 2012 - 07:55 AM, said:

Well, it's built into the game according to the devs in some old interview.

Huh, well if that's the case.... very cool. The more I learn about this game the more impressed I am with the development team's attention to detail. It's like they specifically sought out enthusiasts who played the game years ago.

[Marowi]

Everyone should be allowed to play the game as they see fit. This means that roleplayers should be prevented from ruining the time of anyone who doesn't want to roleplay, and vice versa. You can play for any faction or unit in the game, but remember that there are out-of-game, private organizations of gamers that may have names that may or may not specifically relate to these factions. You should be free to join any of the former, but be careful when joining any of the latter. As far as private organizations are concerned, they can structure themselves however they want.

[Adridos]

Well, you have to know a bit about the lore in the smallest. Either you learn a bit about it, or you'll become a lone wolf. I, for one, had no idea about the lore before, but from the point I set foot on these forums, it added a lot to the game for me.

[Tyzh]

I don't know why the title has to be "versus". I don't see why the enjoyment of either group is mutually exclusive to the other.

[Lightfoot]

Have no fear. MechWarrior is one of the easiest online games to enter into. Even after playing many MMO's, past and present, I say this.

Number one, players will be graded (by their lancemates) on their skill at helping the team be successful. Which is to blow up enemy 'mechs, which is a shared goal. Secondly all MechWarriors have a code of honor, not just the clans, and that is extended to new players. Thirdly, the learning curve is pretty simple. Starts with, shoot the red highlighted 'mechs and then the Battletech stuff comes through slowly, a drop at a time. Of course, the lance commander is in charge of the team strategy, however since going it alone will get you nowhere vs a cohesive opposing team, new players learn this very quickly.

I can't speak for PUGs, but if you join a unit it all comes pretty naturally and units usually have training sessions to assist all team members. I imagine most players will find a unit they like and that units will have alliances and this is how most matches will set up. Joining one of the Inner Sphere Houses or major Clans might set things by ranking since I hear they will not be player controlled. Maybe this will be most attractive to casual players. Sounds like fun anyway.

The best part about MechWarrior is that it is an easy game to learn. Much easier than an FPS or 3rdPS even though it is a sim. Giant Robots turn out to be pretty easy to pilot.

Edited by Lightfoot, 05 May 2012 - 08:51 AM.

[Sassori]

I don't care about RP'er vs non-RP'er (I am of the former persuasion). What I care about is how the heck PGI is going to balance Clan Tech mech's vs IS mech's.

Clan Tech, /especially/ in 3049/3050 is /oppressively/ better than inner sphere. It's not till the late 60's that the IS even starts to surpass the Clan in /any/ way.

Clan Endo Steel takes less crits, their XL engines take less crits (Which means you don't die from R/L Torso coring), their Double Heat sinks take less crits (So they're easier to fit larger numbers of) their ER weaponry does more damage, they have Ultra and LB AC's of every category, their pulse lasers are better and they have omnimech's.

In essence, technically, the Clans are just better.

This is balanced by their roleplay aspects. Zellbrigan and bidding smaller and smaller amounts to a fight. The problem is, out of the 70,000 registered people, only a few of us of any persuasion are vocal. I just don't want to see 50,000 clanners vs 20,000 IS because every min-maxer in existance jumps to the tech advantage and full 12 clan mech's vs 12 IS mech's.

I'm hoping that PGI will limit it to two stars, or maybe even a star and 3 points vs 3 lances to even things out and make it competitive.

Course, I'm /really/ hoping that clans aren't a playable faction at the start too.

Edited by Christopher Dayson, 05 May 2012 - 08:44 AM.

[Riin Suul]

Christopher Dayson, on 05 May 2012 - 08:43 AM, said:

I don't care about RP'er vs non-RP'er (I am of the former persuasion). What I care about is how the heck PGI is going to balance Clan Tech mech's vs IS mech's.

Clan Tech, /especially/ in 3049/3050 is /oppressively/ better than inner sphere. It's not till the late 60's that the IS even starts to surpass the Clan in /any/ way.

Clan Endo Steel takes less crits, their XL engines take less crits (Which means you don't die from R/L Torso coring), their Double Heat sinks take less crits (So they're easier to fit larger numbers of) their ER weaponry does more damage, they have Ultra and LB AC's of every category, their pulse lasers are better and they have omnimech's.

In essence, technically, the Clans are just better.
...snip...
I'm hoping that PGI will limit it to two stars, or maybe even a star and 3 points vs 3 lances to even things out and make it competitive.

Course, I'm /really/ hoping that clans aren't a playable faction at the start too.

a little off topic, but...

limiting the number of clanners in a fight would be how I would imagine that they would balance it, certainly seems like the easiest way to do it.

and weren't the clan mech pilots less numerous than the IS pilots? so it would make sense from a lore perspective.

[Stormwolf]

Riin Suul, on 05 May 2012 - 07:12 AM, said:

This post was mostly inspired by a post I saw earlier this week, where someone said that they only want roleplayers to join the clans, and hope that anyone who just joins the clans for a tech advantage, and doesn't respect the honor system of the clans will get blown up by everyone else.

Hello there, most of the hostility against people who abuse Clan tech comes from multiplayer in previous mechwarrior games. It usually had a couple, of munchkins running around in 95 ~ 100 ton Clan mechs loaded with gauss and PPC's. This ruins the game for the IS players entirely.

Clan players want to play like the Clans did back during the invasion. This experience would no doubt get ruined for them if they are constantly teamed up with people whose behaviour would have gotten them executed in the lore.

[Sassori]

Riin Suul, on 05 May 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

a little off topic, but...

limiting the number of clanners in a fight would be how I would imagine that they would balance it, certainly seems like the easiest way to do it.

and weren't the clan mech pilots less numerous than the IS pilots? so it would make sense from a lore perspective.

Maybe. But I know I am going to die inside a little (or a lot) when I see Clanners focus firing a single mech instead of doing 1 vs 1 combat...

[Lightfoot]

Christopher Dayson, on 05 May 2012 - 08:43 AM, said:

I don't care about RP'er vs non-RP'er (I am of the former persuasion). What I care about is how the heck PGI is going to balance Clan Tech mech's vs IS mech's.

Clan Tech, /especially/ in 3049/3050 is /oppressively/ better than inner sphere. It's not till the late 60's that the IS even starts to surpass the Clan in /any/ way.

Clan Endo Steel takes less crits, their XL engines take less crits (Which means you don't die from R/L Torso coring), their Double Heat sinks take less crits (So they're easier to fit larger numbers of) their ER weaponry does more damage, they have Ultra and LB AC's of every category, their pulse lasers are better and they have omnimech's.

In essence, technically, the Clans are just better.

This is balanced by their roleplay aspects. Zellbrigan and bidding smaller and smaller amounts to a fight. The problem is, out of the 70,000 registered people, only a few of us of any persuasion are vocal. I just don't want to see 50,000 clanners vs 20,000 IS because every min-maxer in existance jumps to the tech advantage and full 12 clan mech's vs 12 IS mech's.

I'm hoping that PGI will limit it to two stars, or maybe even a star and 3 points vs 3 lances to even things out and make it competitive.

Course, I'm /really/ hoping that clans aren't a playable faction at the start too.

How do you fight Clan-Tech? Salvage, the Black Market (PGI), and Mech-Lab. Just put together a cross-tech IS 'Mech. Clan 'mechs have low armor for higher speed mostly, but I am sure most Clan pilots will run to Mech-Lab and trade those big engines for MAX ARMOR! So cross-tech and "Mech-Lab will be the IS pilot's response. Of course all this requires C-Bills and battlefield hours. I am looking forward to it immensely!