46 replies to this topic

[Erik Jast]

Can you start making changes that benefit new players because honestly, if you don't even know your own business model, new players are extremely crucial to a F2P game's success. You need to make this game fun for new players to draw them in so they stick around and also decide to spend a few dollars here and there.

Right now, the current system is so lopsided against new players it's a wonder that any decide to stay at all and I am sure most don't. Your first priority would be to hotfix the current queuing system. It isn't hard to make it so that Trial Mechs only match up against Trial Mechs. You were able to separate 8 man groups to a realm of their own which is fine, but with the terribly conceived ECM implementation, new players are getting completely stomped.

The Awesome can't even fight against Lights now. You know the stock Mech provides two Streak SRM2s with a medium and small laser? That usually is enough to stall the Light Mech with their lag shield so your teammates may turn and help you out, now you remove their Streak capabilities, which was pretty much the only thing hitting the Light Mechs.

In this day in age of ECM warfare, guess who the biggest losers are? New players and the team that has more Trial Mechs? People say, oh ECMs are fine, just slap on TAG. Sure, let me go do tha... oh wait, I can't modify Trial Mechs, well damn. Just turn on Counter-ECM, ECMs are balanced! Sounds good, lemme go turn the mode to coun... oh, I'm in a Trial Mech. Yeah, what is ECM?

PGI, try thinking about balance for the game, for new players, instead of just adding fluff to the game thinking it's good when the core is rotten as hell. Netcode, heat, matchmaking. Good gaming companies who have a plan do not go to Open Beta with all three incredibly unbalanced and lacking.

[Pr8Dator]

mmm... why should new players even buy a better mech if the trial mechs get them the win? Just thinking out loud, no offence.

[Lefty Lucy]

Pr8Dator, on 07 December 2012 - 06:24 AM, said:

mmm... why should new players even buy a better mech if the trial mechs get them the win? Just thinking out loud, no offence.

Because being able to customize something that you own yourself, or be able to play that mech you really liked *permanently* instead of for one week, are things people would want to do regardless.

[MrPenguin]

Its on the road map. They're trying to give the new players something solid instead of just doing something quick it seems.
It looks like they're waiting for the matchmaking and new UI to be implemented first. IMO thats a wise decision.

[Erik Jast]

Pr8Dator, on 07 December 2012 - 06:24 AM, said:

mmm... why should new players even buy a better mech if the trial mechs get them the win? Just thinking out loud, no offence.

Mech lab? Xp? Getting to actually pilot a mech they want? Quite a few reasons to transition out of Trial Mech mode. Trial Mechs are terribly inefficient in the current game with their spread of poor weapon choices (3 ER PPCs, I mean really, c'mon. Three?). I'm pretty sure it's more fun being able to alpha your 4 medium pulse lasers multiple times, shredding your target's armor than being able to fire your PPCs twice, then spend fifteen seconds of doing nothing for heat to go down and pray you don't die.

MrPenguin, on 07 December 2012 - 06:26 AM, said:

Its on the road map. They're trying to give the new players something solid instead of just doing something quick it seems.
It looks like they're waiting for the matchmaking and new UI to be implemented first. IMO thats a wise decision.

it should have been on the road map months and months ago, when the game was in closed beta. Did no one send in tickets about how bad this game is for new players?

[MrPenguin]

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:26 AM, said:

Mech lab? Xp? Getting to actually pilot a mech they want? Quite a few reasons to transition out of Trial Mech mode. Trial Mechs are terribly inefficient in the current game with their spread of poor weapon choices (3 ER PPCs, I mean really, c'mon. Three?). I'm pretty sure it's more fun being able to alpha your 4 medium pulse lasers multiple times, shredding your target's armor than being able to fire your PPCs twice, then spend fifteen seconds of doing nothing for heat to go down and pray you don't die.

Trial mechs are stock cannon mechs. What we could have are trial mechs that are custom trial mechs either built by the community or built by the devs. I really don't like the idea of removing trials or making it its own matchmaking. Trials are not only used by new players. And since its mostly new players who will use them, everyone else will just smurf the living daylights out of them. It will make the new player experience even worst then it already is.

[Taryys]

Please sign here:

How To Reduce The Grind And Create A Great New User Experience

[Erik Jast]

I do not believe people will smurf the trials. Because, unless I am wrong, Trials give less C-Bills per minute, especially at the rate that pug stompers are currently making. Trials give no XP, so they are not progressing on their pilot. Trial mechs are not as fun because of the amount of time you need to spend not shooting compared to a custom Mech.

Even if they smurf, it gives new players at least a much better chance than the hell hole they are thrown in right now. ECM, premades, min-maxed Mechs. I prefer smurfed Trial Mech pilots from time to time than the current travesty.

[Thorn Hallis]

Looking at the updated roadmap they actually do have plans to improve the new-players-experience, though it's rather cryptic.

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:27 AM, said:

it should have been on the road map months and months ago, when the game was in closed beta. Did no one send in tickets about how bad this game is for new players?

Well, we were all new players at that time...and had free MC.

Edited by Thorn Hallis, 07 December 2012 - 06:35 AM.

[Erik Jast]

Thorn Hallis, on 07 December 2012 - 06:33 AM, said:

Looking at the updated roadmap they actually do have plans to improve the new-players-experience, though it's rather cryptic.

It's cryptic and it's 2 months too late. It should've been tested, fine tuned, and already implemented. Right now they are shooting themselves in the foot while hiding behind that blue 'BETA' shield they added to the logo.

[Viper69]

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:27 AM, said:

it should have been on the road map months and months ago, when the game was in closed beta. Did no one send in tickets about how bad this game is for new players?

You have no idea how many people did not want this game going open beta. We had polls and even votes saying the game is not ready for open beta. You know what they had though. Pressure from the general forums and other places wanting the game in open beta. We cant go back to closed beta the genie is out of the bottle, we have to catch him and get him to grant our wishes now after he is out.

Edited by Viper69, 07 December 2012 - 06:36 AM.

[Apoc1138]

Economics/New User Phase 0.5
Target Date: December 18th - 95%
Status: Final Stable/Stage Playtesting
Notes: Tuning Changes - Detailed post on December 18th



New User Flow 1.0
Target Date: Early February
Status: In Design
Notes: Requires Matchmaking, Stats, Achievements, UI Breadcumbs

[Thorn Hallis]

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:34 AM, said:

It's cryptic and it's 2 months too late. It should've been tested, fine tuned, and already implemented. Right now they are shooting themselves in the foot while hiding behind that blue 'BETA' shield they added to the logo.

On the other hand the promotion-torch for MWO is burning rather low atm. Maybe PGI is not planning with new players during open beta...

[Erik Jast]

Viper69, on 07 December 2012 - 06:35 AM, said:

You have no idea how many people did not want this game going open beta. We had polls and even votes saying the game is not ready for open beta. You know what they had though. Pressure from the general forums and other places wanting the game in open beta. We cant go back to closed beta the genie is out of the bottle, we have to catch him and get him to grant our wishes now after he is out.

If that is true, then that is even scarier and more alarming, that PGi would ignore the core problems of this game and cave under that pressure. This game would be so much better and I believe have multiple times more active players, a growing active community,

[Viper69]

Thorn Hallis, on 07 December 2012 - 06:37 AM, said:

On the other hand the promotion-torch for MWO is burning rather low atm. Maybe PGI is not planning with new players during open beta...

You have to manage your resources. I think you will see a blitz once the game is live and or we have many more game modes and a chat lobby. You wont get an influx of people if there is no way but the forums to communicate with them and socialize. Be patient I am sure in the future we will get an injection of people, perhaps even a few adds in PC gamer and maybe a commercial on G4.

[Viper69]

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

If that is true, then that is even scarier and more alarming, that PGi would ignore the core problems of this game and cave under that pressure. This game would be so much better and I believe have multiple times more active players, a growing active community,

We got I think a one week delay in release of OB by our outcries. (I hope I can talk about this now)Mainly because the release that was supposed to be OB was the worst the game ever saw (well since I became a tester that is). Its part of the industry my friend, you have to pay people and those people who write the paychecks need money in their coffers to do so. Most of us new OB was coming because of the news in PC gamer. Only thing I can say is relax and dont spend your MC just play the free game like me, I have not activated any premium time.

[Thorn Hallis]

Viper69, on 07 December 2012 - 06:40 AM, said:

You have to manage your resources. I think you will see a blitz once the game is live and or we have many more game modes and a chat lobby. You wont get an influx of people if there is no way but the forums to communicate with them and socialize. Be patient I am sure in the future we will get an injection of people, perhaps even a few adds in PC gamer and maybe a commercial on G4.

Yes, thats exactly what I'm thinking.

Besides, without numbers we will never know how many new players stayed or will stay with MWO. What some see as unfun might be orgasmic for others...

[Viper69]

Thorn Hallis, on 07 December 2012 - 06:44 AM, said:

Yes, thats exactly what I'm thinking.

Besides, without numbers we will never know how many new players stayed or will stay with MWO. What some see as unfun might be orgasmic for others...

Well its a new aspect of the game. I am guessing their pool of Alpha in house testers is not large enough to properly debug 8 man drops, so that is why it has to be done in stages to make sure each stage is working ok before going whole hog on a full release of 8 man matched drops. I dont find the new format overly fun, but it can be exciting if you end up in a really closely weighted match. its a real nail biter if you can afford to bite your nails anymore.

[Erik Jast]

On the contrary, Mr. Penguin. Yes it is, it is a crutch, it is a shield. No successful company would release a game to Open Beta when it's core components are rotten. You fix problems like new player module, matchmaking, netcode, in CLOSED BETA. There is no excuse, and using Beta as an excuse is pretty abysmal on their part.

There are different stages in Beta. In the Beta we are in right now, Open Beta, usually it is meant to stress test the servers to make sure they are adequate for release to live and to find any other bugs that can only be created in massive environments. We are far, far from that point.

Edited by Erik Jast, 07 December 2012 - 06:51 AM.

[MrPenguin]

Erik Jast, on 07 December 2012 - 06:32 AM, said:

I do not believe people will smurf the trials. Because, unless I am wrong, Trials give less C-Bills per minute, especially at the rate that pug stompers are currently making.

People don't smurf to grind.
People smurf to face roll noobs.

Its like that for every single game that lets you do it and it will be true here.