13 replies to this topic

[Alymbic]

My apologies if this has already been covered in previous threads, but while I've seen many a post on choosing commanders, I was wondering on what happens if you get an inept/incompetent one?

While I personally will be staying away from the command role until I get a really good feel for the game, one thing that is concerning me is what if you get stuck with a... below-average leader, who is ordering you to, as a poor example only, to walk on top of the hill to see whats on the other side. An AC20 and LRM barrage later, and I'm stuck with a repair bill which is, essentially his fault (assuming I have to follow his orders, following the fact that this game is a simulation ect. and I do realise anyone who silhouettes themselves on a hill deserves more than an a AC20 and LRM sandwich).

This works both ways, so we could have a truely Admiral Thrawn level commander, but whose leading 3 lances of people whose defination of the word team is just 'people who I shouldn't deliberately shoot'. For role warfare to work, I believe we need people who a. truely understand the full depth of their respective roles and b. willing to act as such. So how could a commander influence people to follow their commands, and respectively how can you fairly ignore an inept one?

Originally I was going to roll with a heavy mech but thinking about this is making me want to take a lighter scout mech. I imagine they would have to have a little more latitude when it comes to orders.

The best method I can see to prevent this would be to have seperate lobbies for the less serious of us and some for the more tactical gamers, but that could lead to divisions down the track. Not to put to fine a point on it, but I'm expecting at least one 12 year old trying to bring on an Atlas with command gear and expecting to be god ("sorry commander, but I can't hear you over the sound of your teamkilling!").

If anyone has heard any info on this, any suggestions which might put my mind at rest, please say so. I'm a long-term MW/BT fan and I dont want tactical issues ruining MW:O for me.

Edited by Alymbic, 20 May 2012 - 01:06 AM.

[warner2]

Alymbic, on 20 May 2012 - 12:47 AM, said:

If anyone has heard any info on this, any suggestions which might put my mind at rest, please say so. I'm a long-term MW/BT fan and I dont want tactical issues ruining MW:O for me.

All of the serious action will be organised team v organised team, like it always has been, in the leagues. So if you feel like you need organised, thoughtful, tactical play to get the best out of a Mechwarrior game, join a unit. I'm sorry I haven't answered any of your specifics as the match making mechanics and the merc/house/lone wolf stuff is still unclear to me. It's just that in a game that includes random players, there will always be a certain amount of chaos. So to avoid that, join a unit (e.g. a merc unit) and play against other units (e.g. other merc unit).

[Kanatta Jing]

I think most of the Iron Discipline will be reserved for planetary control matches between Mercenary Companies in the Periphery.

But most matches sound like they'll be super casual matches where hopefully the commander doesn't do much more then place Nav Points and herd the Lance like cats in semi strategic direction.

And heres crossing the fingers in hopes that PGI gives up on in game voice chat, letting us pretend that our Commanders aren't pimply faced kids.

Cause hey, better with the group then without it.

[Redshift2k5]

There is simply nothing in any of the information released by the Devs to imply commanders are ever forcing you to do anything. There is not even anything saying any lance/company even has to have a player with command tree skills/modules.

The only information about orders is this:
Order View – Allows the pilot to right click and request friendly BattleMechs to attack or defend areas/objectives on the BattleGrid

A key word is "Request". Probably laying down waypoints and targets. Players can gain XP for accomplishing an issued order. This is from Dev blog 4, I recommend you read it http://mwomercs.com/...e-warfare-cont/

Within an organized team they are welcome to organize themselves as they see fit, a merc company can have it's own designated leader players, and they don't even need to have command tree skills. They just need to be good tacticians. Nobody is going to force you to join an organized merc corp

People issuing orders over text and voice would be another thing, but aside from giving bad advice, they won't ever force you to take any action you don't want to do, and any good in-game-VOIP lets you mute annoying players >.>

Edited by Redshift2k5, 20 May 2012 - 03:03 AM.

[Cyote13]

The issue is that since you get xp for "following" orders, some of us are going to try to get those xp even if the orders are stupid, and losing xp because you can't even try to "follow" an order that is too stupid is going to suck.

It would be nice to have some options like, "looking for lance" or Company so you at least have some kind of choice who you are dropping with. And I am sure that if it is not in game then someone will set up a webpage to "evaluate" different commanders, so those of us that will be doing a lot of random drops as scouts can maybe select, or at least avoid the bad commanders.

but bottom line, yes more options for types or levels of drops will be appreciated.

Edited by Cyote13, 20 May 2012 - 03:57 AM.

[FrostPaw]

I don't think the commander thing is a good idea for pugs. It leaves a large hole in the balance of a team if one commander is good and another is...lacking.

I would prefer commander equipment could only be used in organised battles but then that doesn't leave much room for people to practice either.

[Gun Bear]

I think on an organized team level a commander or strategist is important, on a random game level they won't be near as important. In organized play the commander will be calling shots and helping warriors find their targets based on scout information as well as calling in support when it best benefits the team. In a random match commanders won't have as big a roll beyond calling artillery strikes in and mixing it up in the regular game.

[Redshift2k5]

Most commander skill tree things are not even related to command/orders, and you certainly can't relegate a whole skill tree only to organized battles.

Yes, a bad player with the request order skill is going to give you bad advice. It's up to you to follow or not, and if you keep following bad orders, who's fault is it if you get shot? They'll learn, or they'll give up and move on.

If you're worried about a team with good tacticians vs a team with bad tacticians, player level (or win:loss, or other metric) should keep the pro players playing other pro players and less experienced players fighting less experienced players.

Far too early to complain about Command skill trees and modules.

[Gun Bear]

Redshift2k5, on 20 May 2012 - 05:30 AM, said:

Far too early to complain about Command skill trees and modules.

Dude, people are already complaining about how unbalanced the clans are going to be if they follow TT to the letter.... this is nothing.

[Toothman]

Gun Bear, on 20 May 2012 - 06:20 AM, said:

Dude, people are already complaining about how unbalanced the clans are going to be if they follow TT to the letter.... this is nothing.

Doesn't mean we need yet another thread where people get their undies in a bundle.

[Kanatta Jing]

But how are we to squander our lives until the release of this game if not by repeatedly bundling and unbundling out undies?

[Gun Bear]

Kanatta Jing, on 20 May 2012 - 07:04 AM, said:

But how are we to squander our lives until the release of this game if not by repeatedly bundling and unbundling out undies?

Minecraft

[EtherDragon]

If follow order XP is like any other game with this mechanic built in, not only does the person who follows the order (successfully) gain XP, but the commander gains XP for giving orders that are followed.

People who command will quickly learn what kinds of commands they can give to what kinds of players...

[Redshift2k5]

Kanatta Jing, on 20 May 2012 - 07:04 AM, said:

But how are we to squander our lives until the release of this game if not by repeatedly bundling and unbundling out undies?

Play MWLL