10 replies to this topic

[Vulix]

I think one aspect of MWO that is taken foregranted is the amount of mech loadout customizaiton you get. Think about it: how much time have you spent in the mechlab debating if you want an extra heatsink or one more ton of ammo? Or running matches for the sole purpose of trying out new fits and evaluating which you like? Hoenstly, it's one of the deepest experiences MWO has to offer.

We only have a limited number of items so far, but think of already how many viable choices and fittings are available to the player. Honestly, PGI has done an amazing job giving us so much to play with using only a limited subset of items the game will eventually have. There are many winning choices, which gives the game variety and provides players with a sense of uniqueness.

Not to trash on other games, but I did download and play that other mech game that just became open beta a few days ago. The end game of it is actually very linear and everyone will end up with the same mechs basically; no matter what mech you pick, you become pigeon-holed by leveling up a mech to unlock better weapons, eventually causing all players to max out and use the same weapons. Player creativity and choice is put aside because the developer's are basically too lazy to balance new weapons and items. Boring. Additionally, ammunition is inherently infinite, so that level of depth is completely eliminated. There's other stuff, but meh.

Just consider how much better this game is going to be as new features and items\mechs come out. I can say that I'm honestly very excited. Kuddos PGI for giving us quality tools to play with

[twibs]

And how left out the new players are since they might not even know it exists as they trundle around in their trial mechs in hope that they might last the excruciating experience of their first money grind.

But you re right, I've spent hours upon hours in the MechBay program tweaking builds to my soon-to-be mechs and debating what to buy next.

[Vulix]

twibs, on 15 December 2012 - 05:35 PM, said:

And how left out the new players are since they might not even know it exists as they trundle around in their trial mechs in hope that they might last the excruciating experience of their first money grind.

Hope they fix that for you =\ I don't understand why they don't let newbies trial at least one variant of every mech. There is really no loss too it and would keep people interested for longer

[Team Leader]

Annnd so sad new players don't even get a taste of it for 2-3+ hours of playing if they lose every match and buy a good mech. Have you guys ever played a game where you had to do a 3 hour tutorial?

[JediPanther]

So far I've had way more time in the mech lab than matches while using a friend's computer. I've had fun trying diffrent load outs and seeing what I can do. Unfortunally their pc was 4gig under specs so I couldn't drop. I've done a lot of things to my cats and havn't even tried any of the other mechs yet. I look forward to trying the lights after I've tried all the cats since I have yet to get a k2.

[Lokust Davion]

true, the customization in mechlab is one of the things that keeps me playing mwo; it is the quest to find the 'perfect build'.

[Rackminster]

Honestly, anyone using the MechBay for customization is doing it wrong.

Find and download the MWO MechBay (Java 7) app. You can customize any mech with anything and see how it comes together.

In the current iteration, you've got to spend 1.5m on DHS just to see how they effect a build and if you like it or not. Will FF be a waste of money for your build or help it? Endo might be a good choice, but is it worth the crits for what you want?

You cannot upgrade your Mech AND outfit it with equipment without first performing the expensive upgrades and then crossing your fingers to hope it worked out - at least not without pouring over a datasheet compiled of criticals and payloads, which is downright tedious.

So - you get a 3rd party app that does it better than the Devs have given us and you save yourself the time and trouble. THAT's where I've spent hours tweaking builds, not the MechLab we see in the game.

I can build out half a dozen Atlas concepts and then analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each and then make an educated guess as to which I'll like most - without ever spending a C-Bill.

[SpiralRazor]

And interestingly enough, there is a segment of the MWO population that wants you to have less....yes less...choices or optimization in the Mechlab.

[The Cheese]

I just kinda throw money at stuff until I think it'll work.

Rackminster, on 15 December 2012 - 06:14 PM, said:

Honestly, anyone using the MechBay for customization is doing it wrong.

I partially agree. That'll crank out all the numbers you could ever want, but it won't choose the perfect build for your desired role.

For example, a 3 x LPL Catapult seems like a horrible idea on paper, but in-game, it can leg just about anything in 2 salvos.

[Volume]

It's not exactly hidden, nor is it a gem. You have a founder's tag, so I assume you were around when the hardpoints were being switched around every patch and raged about on the forums weekly? Not sure if you were here for the days of 11SLAS XL300 hunchbacks, but it was hilariously bad.

I'd actually like to have a stock-mech game mode if the heat system and reload/DPS/ammo-per-ton system made sense, and I don't think it would ruin anything.

That said, customization isn't bad, I just wish the 'Mech lab was actually responsive and wasn't so cumbersome to use. MechWarrior 3 had a much easier interface, I think. I'm sure this one looks cooler, but due to the game's performance being about as fast as molasses, I have everything on low in 1280x720, and still get FPS spikes from 60 down to like, 10, depending on how ******** the game feels like acting, so the 'mech lab's cinematic goodness is lost on me. I'm sure it'd be even more epic if we saw the weapons get installed or pulled off, and had the changes actually reflect on all chassis the way they do on the K2 (if not better).

Team Leader, on 15 December 2012 - 05:42 PM, said:

Annnd so sad new players don't even get a taste of it for 2-3+ hours of playing if they lose every match and buy a good mech. Have you guys ever played a game where you had to do a 3 hour tutorial?

It's really like 8+ if you don't wanna buy a Commando.

Vulix, on 15 December 2012 - 05:01 PM, said:

There are many winning choices, which gives the game variety and provides players with a sense of uniqueness.

Not to trash on other games, but I did download and play that other mech game that just became open beta a few days ago. The end game of it is actually very linear and everyone will end up with the same mechs basically; no matter what mech you pick, you become pigeon-holed by leveling up a mech to unlock better weapons, eventually causing all players to max out and use the same weapons. Player creativity and choice is put aside because the developer's are basically too lazy to balance new weapons and items. Boring. Additionally, ammunition is inherently infinite, so that level of depth is completely eliminated. There's other stuff, but meh.

If there are so many "winning choices" how come everyone is using ECM and Streaks? How come the Gauss is still the be-all-end-all best weapon in the game BY FAR when it comes to range/damage/heat/ammo-per-ton? We can even fit two of them in torsos that have XL engines taking up some slots. It doesn't even have a minimum range, yet has no bullet-drop and can hit people 1000m away with a faster projectile than anything in the game. Sure, you can have some success with a sub-optimal build, but a six-SRM6 Cat will core pretty much anyone in two alphas. Yay for Artemis. The "choices" you appear to have are "balanced" by cost, a mechanic that makes no sense on the battlefield without a cost/battle-value matchmaking system.

As far as Hawken goes, I can't defend it since it's a terrible game too, but its "linear development" is really more linear development until you get near the top, in which case all options seem to be good, so go with whatever the current meta is or create your own choice. I hope the class balance isn't horrible, but in closed beta you could at least swap a Flak cannon onto a couple different chassis - now I think it, and the mini-flak, are exclusive to one Light design. I don't advocate taking away player choice in those ways, but at least the pilot XP system in that game has meaning and choice. Granted it's copy-pasted from LoL/WoW/Whatever, but it's better than everyone getting the exact same basic/elite efficiencies, and "after 400 matches you will unlock the ability to purchase a module that costs 6,000,000 C-Bills that lets you capture the square faster."

Not trying to be toxic. I just disagree completely. Maybe once PPCs/ERLLs/LPLs are actually looked at, they'll be okay. Same with flamers and LBX. There are a few different "viable" options, but usually just one or two optimal loadouts per hardpoint distribution. Lucky for us, it's about having fun, not having the best build. Granted, some find it easier to have fun when they have the best build, but I kind of like making due with what I have sometimes.

[Postumus]

Volume, on 15 December 2012 - 10:22 PM, said:

Lucky for us, it's about having fun, not having the best build. Granted, some find it easier to have fun when they have the best build, but I kind of like making due with what I have sometimes.

Well said. I'd argue that SRM cats aren't an optimal choice against a team with any kind of coordination and range, but that's besides the point. They aren't fun to play. Really, all single weapon boats just get old after a couple matches, that's why I haven't bought a catapult since CB.

Edited by Postumus, 15 December 2012 - 10:57 PM.