30 replies to this topic

[RiceyFighter]

Tutorial is needed for new players. Then trial mechs can supplement their skills in till they earn enough for a real mech.

[Goodcore]

I started the game couple of weeks ago.

What I can say from my part is that I had fun playing around in trial mechs. I believe they are necessary. It gives you a way to earn some C-bills and try out new mechs. I don't know if the matchup system if working or not, but I felt like I was playing against players who had equal skill level to mine. That was comforting as everyone seemed to be learning the ropes and no one blamed for mistakes.

I was impatient with C-bills and just bought my first mech with MC.

Tutorials are very much needed in this game, otherwise it's really hard for new players to pick up. I had my hardest time in Mechlab with my new mech, because I had no clue of the upgrades, weapons or anything. Buying an engine gave me bunch of "You do not have enough Heatsinks" errors and my response to that was WTF. Upgrades? Ferro Fibrous? What do I do with that? What's TAG? And WTF is C.A.S.E? Why does it say I have to buy stuff when I equip it, but when I press yes my cash does not go down anyway? Did I get the item or not? How does this system work?

I actually had to google many of this stuff from some mwo wiki sites and use some trial and error. In a way, I like it, because it's a challenge and it somehow feels special. But generally it might be too hard for people.

What I would like to have in mechlab is optional voiced tutorial that will show you around, how to buy things, what are heatsinks and such. That would have helped me a lot to understand the basics.

Edited by Goodcore, 27 November 2012 - 01:22 AM.

[Chrithu]

Had to say no to both either. But for different reasons than the OP.

While the trial mechs are as good as any mech to learn the basics of piloting they lack the quality in loadout that experienced players have. And this does matter a lot since trial mech players and owned mech players get matched against each other and as of now there is no indication whatsoever that this will change even with Phase 3 of matchmaking.

Thus I think the trial mechs play a big part in new players getting frustrated after a few hands full of matches for getting stomped constantly.

In consequence Trial mech do NOT draw in new players I fear they do a lot to make interested new players turn away again quickly. Which is also because there is NO customization allowed to trials and let's be honest: Fiddling with your loadout to find one that fits your playstyle best is at least half the fun of the game.

My conclusion is this: Grant new players one free light mech along with 1 mil CB to get some customization going on it. Keep the trials for previewing the higher weight classes.

To be honest: Since I've entered CB in September I have not seen a single loadout on a light trial mech that made sense. They have a tendency to be much too slow (only the jenner going over 100 KPH, the raven even was stuck at 80ish) while at the same time still doing too little damage.

[Star Witch Esperanza]

God no, the trial mechs have terrible heat efficiency and all of the ones with XL engines are walking death traps.

[Mims]

I agree to most of this, with a few acceptions.

Too much reward. 1k MC each? I just bought mc a little while ago, and you want to have it practicaly given away? I may agree to somthing more like 1 days worth of premium time. (no mc, premium time is automatically dolled out) otherwise it is not fair to people actually willing to pay money for it. Total of 4 million cbills? OH heres a centurion with upgraded armor for practicaly free. NAY! i say here is a commando, or flea for practicaly free. they can grind just like the rest of us. My mechs and money have been reset many times, and i have played with the exact same controls of mechwarrior4/mercs for years. being experienced doesn't stop you from getting stomped when you start the game with no money, and the trial mechs are garbage. And now the noobs get a free 1up on their K/D just for "saying" they are new. The rewards would be to powerfull, new players could make several accounts before they are satisfied..

I do agree with having an in depth tutorial system. And thats where you find the trials mechs, but for all intents and purposes they could just be named normally, as in their variant name.

Finaly, i know you said no more whining. but i really must say this. The most expensive mech in the game is being piloted by new players. 100 tons is enough to change the sway battle, sadly usually 300 tons of dead weight ends up on my team. new players cannot pilot the atlai efficiantly enough for it to be a trial mech. As a sidenote, I think the catapult is a fine trial mech though. (really the only one worth using)

[Stingz]

Mims, on 27 November 2012 - 03:41 AM, said:

Finaly, i know you said no more whining. but i really must say this. The most expensive mech in the game is being piloted by new players. 100 tons is enough to change the sway battle, sadly usually 300 tons of dead weight ends up on my team. new players cannot pilot the atlai efficiantly enough for it to be a trial mech. As a sidenote, I think the catapult is a fine trial mech though. (really the only one worth using)

The problem is that 100 tons is filled with an XL engine, making it an easy kill for any experienced player. Why are we giving new players the super-fragile and easy to kill XL engines to use?

[MustrumRidcully]

Stingz, on 27 November 2012 - 04:37 AM, said:

The problem is that 100 tons is filled with an XL engine, making it an easy kill for any experienced player. Why are we giving new players the super-fragile and easy to kill XL engines to use?

To support suicide farming. That's what the trial mechs are for, right?

[Snib]

MustrumRidcully, on 27 November 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

To support suicide farming. That's what the trial mechs are for, right?

Yep, that's exactly what I always said, the only point to play a trial mech is to suicide it. And it's all I ever did with them.

If I had been a genuinely new player actually trying to play them properly I don't think I would have stuck around. I only did because I had played the "real" mechs in CBT and because of some friends playing.

The whole concept of trial mechs is flawed and leads nowhere. In particular since we do not have a proper match-making system. Just like the concept of being able to enter battle damaged, getting 75% of your ammo refilled for free or item damage being irrelevant. And don't get me started on the reward system. Basically the game's entire economy needs to be ripped out and redone from the ground up as far as I'm concerned. But it's a bit late for that I guess.

[Morikuro]

Mims, on 27 November 2012 - 03:41 AM, said:

I agree to most of this, with a few acceptions.

Too much reward. 1k MC each? I just bought mc a little while ago, and you want to have it practicaly given away? I may agree to somthing more like 1 days worth of premium time. (no mc, premium time is automatically dolled out) otherwise it is not fair to people actually willing to pay money for it. Total of 4 million cbills? OH heres a centurion with upgraded armor for practicaly free. NAY! i say here is a commando, or flea for practicaly free. they can grind just like the rest of us. My mechs and money have been reset many times, and i have played with the exact same controls of mechwarrior4/mercs for years. being experienced doesn't stop you from getting stomped when you start the game with no money, and the trial mechs are garbage. And now the noobs get a free 1up on their K/D just for "saying" they are new. The rewards would be to powerfull, new players could make several accounts before they are satisfied..

They should not grind like the rest of us did after resets. In Closed Beta. With our grinding being a test for whether the system was working and acceptable to begin with. That's not some bar everyone else who plays is obligated to meet.

[toxx1790]

I think the biggest problem with the trial mechs is that you don't get to customize them -- one of the major fun parts of the game. Add in no XP gain in trials and you have a boring grind or immediate cash outlay to have fun.

I think the trial mechs could stay in as-is but a new player should be given enough CBills to purchase a light or medium mech after completing say 10 matches.

[Xenok]

I have posted the results of this thread in the following thread http://mwomercs.com/...yer-experience/ referencing this thread.