41 replies to this topic

[Protoculture]

I was accepted to the closed beta before I bought legendary founders but didn't play much because I didn't want to burn out and ruin the game for myself at release. I played only briefly both before and after I got legendary founders. I haven't touched the game or looked at anything in months. I'm patching my client right now.

Having just read through a few threads, several of which are thinly veiled complaints presented as something else, and sitting here waiting for the patches, I thought I would ask the community.

What is the current state of the game in your opinion? Do you still feel like PGI is moving the game in the right direction? Have they come up with anything outstanding and interesting that didn't exist in closed beta?

Since the website now says Mechwarrior Online BETA, and this is a F2P title, it's effectively been released. How's it going?

Edited by Protoculture, 02 January 2013 - 08:54 AM.

[WolvesX]

I say game is finished by 33%.

Economy - Income, Gamemodes, R&R
Balance - Weapons, Mechs, Heat, ECM...
FactionWar ?

So much still to do, but I have hopes that this game will be a GREAT one, one day.

Edited by WolvesX, 02 January 2013 - 08:56 AM.

[Rifter]

less than 33% complete as stated above.

They are still missing most/all of the core gameplay such as community warfare and a matchmaker. The netcode i sstill useless and hit detection against lights or any fast mech is non existent. There is still no built in voip or any really useable command option so teamplay is only viable in premades and is mostly non existent in pugs. Both playmodes are just deathmatch capping is useless in either.

[Protoculture]

WolvesX, on 02 January 2013 - 08:55 AM, said:

I say game is finished by 33%.

Economy - Income, Gamemodes, R&R
Balance - Weapons, Mechs, Heat, ECM...
FactionWar ?

So much still to do, but I have hopes that this game will be a GREAT one, one day.

Hmm.. That's a bit disconcerting... I remember they were in the process of "balancing" the economy when I left and a lot of people were unhappy then.

I guess that means the Conquest Mode isn't faction warfare then. I see that they're hard at work trying to sell things though as the client is spamming ads for cockpit items and mech skins as I type this.

[Tasorin]

The next four to six months will very telling for PGI and MWO.

If it's another six months of the same level and rate of progression as the last six months than this title may very well be in serious trouble.

Personally I feel like I have already received every bit of value for my Founder $120. Hopefully PGI will be able to fill some critical skill positions and make serious strides and gains because I for one would like to see a quality MechWarrior Title.

Edited by Tasorin, 02 January 2013 - 09:08 AM.

[Protoculture]

Rifter, on 02 January 2013 - 09:01 AM, said:

less than 33% complete as stated above.

They are still missing most/all of the core gameplay such as community warfare and a matchmaker. The netcode i sstill useless and hit detection against lights or any fast mech is non existent. There is still no built in voip or any really useable command option so teamplay is only viable in premades and is mostly non existent in pugs. Both playmodes are just deathmatch capping is useless in either.

No matchmaking is bad. I remember getting matched against pre-mades often enough to wish they'd fix it in a hurry.

[Cerebelli]

The netcode is still terrible, lights are dominating the game with their lagshields, ECM is in and is a combination of Guardian ECM and Angel ECM, making it slightly overpowered.

There are still only 4 maps, 3 of which have redesigns; we also have a new game mode called Conquest, which is reasonably fun. Three new mechs: the Cicada (not sure if you were there for that one), the Cataphract, and the Stalker.

But in my opinion, with all the problems, the core game we have here is still a blast when you aren't getting torn to shreds by Raven 3L's. PGI is making progress, however slow it is. Don't listen to the doomsayers. It can really only go up from here on out. Still no news on CW, though.

[Livewyr]

Most weapons/features for this time period have been added.

There's about 12 different chassis (3 of each class) with 3-6 variants per chassis.

Repair and ReArm have been removed while they tweak economy (or permanent.. who knows)
Knockdowns have been removed to deal with the teleport.
You can now color your mech.

There are 4 different maps, with 2 different variations on three of them.

List to be updated...

[Inertiaman]

I would have a far higher tolerance for the slow progress if founders were getting another reset before launch. An optional reset would be fine - I understand there are those who might not feel like they've wasted their money on specific mechs.

[Vassago Rain]

Protoculture, on 02 January 2013 - 08:54 AM, said:

I was accepted to the closed beta before I bought legendary founders but didn't play much because I didn't want to burn out and ruin the game for myself at release. I played only briefly both before and after I got legendary founders. I haven't touched the game or looked at anything in months. I'm patching my client right now.

Having just read through a few threads, several of which are thinly veiled complaints presented as something else, and sitting here waiting for the patches, I thought I would ask the community.

What is the current state of the game in your opinion? Do you still feel like PGI is moving the game in the right direction? Have they come up with anything outstanding and interesting that didn't exist in closed beta?

Since the website now says Mechwarrior Online BETA, and this is a F2P title, it's effectively been released. How's it going?

It's been through a lot of really bad, poorly conceived changies since we hit 'open beta,' but the last few patches made the game fun again.

We're looking set to get at least another two very good patch cycles.

It's really not as doom and gloom as they'll tell you.

[Velba]

Protoculture, on 02 January 2013 - 08:54 AM, said:

Since the website now says Mechwarrior Online BETA, and this is a F2P title, it's effectively been released. How's it going?

I swear, I'm either going to punch you in the face, or TK you.

[xxx WreckinBallRaj xxx]

Well the game still has horrible game breaking glitches/crashes, horrible weapon balance, and no interesting or exciting game modes.

EVERYBODY PANIC!

[Protoculture]

Velba, on 02 January 2013 - 09:09 AM, said:

I swear, I'm either going to punch you in the face, or TK you.

How is an open beta NOT a release for a free-to-play title? As far as I can tell it's only to avoid being reviewed.

[Lanessar]

Well, if I were to answer this honestly (from someone who played back in closed beta, to boot), I would have to sum it up as:

Disappointing key components, but moving in the right direction.

The core gameplay that existed in CB is basically unchanged. A game mode has been added, but it's not drastically different than the two-base-cap system, and it mostly ends up in a "kill the other team" scenario anyways (as rewards for capping are too low).

Hit detection on lights (or net code or whatever) make any mech moving over 100 kph pretty darn hard to hit at times, or do any effectual damage to (you'll see the complaints of lagshield left and right). That's the most serious issue facing us at the moment, in my opinion.

Heat is still pretty high, and all the gewgaws that were added were balanced for light and medium laser boats not to run rampant, but it cripples assaults and heavy energy weapons. They're supposed to be balancing all of that. ACs got decent treatment, with ROF increases, heat tweaks, health lowered on gauss, and whatever else was done. Missiles really haven't changed all that much (even after all sorts of balancing), and most of the upgrades you pay for really don't benefit all that much - Artemis, for example, is merely a "meh" upgrade for the cost.

ECM is not required, but certainly makes certain matches much easier to win. It's a good idea to have one in your mech stable. DHS are pretty standard for about 95% of the builds, so you don't want to run without those unless there's some niche build based on low-heat ACs or mounting 1-3 weapons (which don't overheat you).

Heavy energy weapons are skill pretty borked. Large lasers are taken because of range, not damage, as ML are still far more efficient. PPCs are niche builds (PPC stalkers) or used as a one-off weapon. I hardly see them anymore. Forget ER LL or LPL or anything along those lines. It's just not worth the number of heat sinks you have to sink into it.

Honestly, aside from the cosmetic stuff (paint jobs, cabin fluff) the game play hasn't drastically changed from closed beta. Shooty stompy robots match after match, to the death. There's very little meta-game, still just earning Cbills, XP. Honestly, once you Master out a few of the chassis you enjoy playing, there's not much more of a reason to keep going except earning bills for the mechlab to try new load outs. So, if you're looking for immersive game play, that's coming later, in CW, apparently (which is now a forbidden subject to discuss, and they are no longer taking questions about it on "ask the devs")

I think PGI is going in the right direction, generally. The last patch made playing a bit more enjoyable overall. The rewards feel better for casual play and newcomers (very needed change, IMHO). The last 4 patches have been one step forward, one step back in the fun factor, and this last patch generally "feels" more fun to play. I'm waiting for the patch on the 18th, as if changes aren't made with the net code and hit detection, it will be an indication for me to just take a long-ish break until things get sorted out on the development side. I can learn lag-shooting, but I really shouldn't have to in 2013.

I support PGI, but I just feel that (taking everything from closed beta to present into a consideration) they need to be making more headway than they are on the basic gameplay.

Edited by Lanessar, 02 January 2013 - 09:19 AM.

[Velba]

Protoculture, on 02 January 2013 - 09:15 AM, said:

How is an open beta NOT a release for a free-to-play title? As far as I can tell it's only to avoid being reviewed.

A software release life cycle is the sum of the phases of development and maturity for a piece of computer software: ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help improve software or fix bugs still present in the software.
History

The origin of the "alpha/beta" test terminology is IBM. As long ago as the 1950s (and probably earlier), IBM used similar terminology for their hardware development. "A" test was the verification of a new product before public announcement. "B" test was the verification before releasing the product to be manufactured. And "C" test was the final test before general availability of the product. As software became a significant part of IBM's offerings, the alpha test terminology was used to denote the pre-announcement test and beta test was used to show product readiness for general availability. Martin Belsky, a manager on some of IBM's earlier software projects claimed to have invented the terminology. IBM dropped the alpha/beta terminology during the 1960s, but by then it had gotten fairly wide notice. The usage of "beta test" to refer to testing done by customers was not done in IBM. Rather, IBM used the term "field test." .
Pre-alpha

Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the software project before testing. These activities can include requirements analysis, software design, software development, and unit testing. In typical open source development, there are several types of pre-alpha versions. Milestone versions include specific sets of functions and are released as soon as the functionality is complete.
Alpha

The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin software testing (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, used as the number 1). In this phase, developers generally test the software using white box techniques. Additional validation is then performed using black box or gray box techniques, by another testing team. Moving to black box testing inside the organization is known as alpha release.^[2]
Alpha software can be unstable and could cause crashes or data loss. The exception to this is when the alpha is available publicly (such as a pre-order bonus), in which developers normally push for stability so that their testers can test properly. External availability of alpha software is uncommon in proprietary software. However, open source software, in particular, often have publicly available alpha versions, often distributed as the raw source code of the software. The alpha phase usually ends with a feature freeze, indicating that no more features will be added to the software. At this time, the software is said to be feature complete.
Beta

Beta (in other words prototype) (named after the second letter of the Greek alphabet) is the software development phase following alpha. It generally begins when the software is feature complete. Software in the beta phase will generally have many more bugs in it than completed software, as well as speed/performance issues. The focus of beta testing is reducing impacts to users, often incorporating usability testing. The process of delivering a beta version to the users is called beta release and this is typically the first time that the software is available outside of the organization that developed it.
The users of a beta version are called beta testers. They are usually customers or prospective customers of the organization that develops the software, willing to test the software without charge, often receiving the final software free of charge or for a reduced price. Beta version software is often useful for demonstrations and previews within an organization and to prospective customers. Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, prototype, technical preview (TP), or early access. Some software is kept in perpetual beta—where new features and functionality are continually added to the software without establishing a firm "final" release.
Open and closed beta

Developers release either a closed beta or an open beta; closed beta versions are released to a restricted group of individuals for a user test by invitation, while open beta testers are from a larger group, or anyone interested. The testers report any bugs that they find, and sometimes suggest additional features they think should be available in the final version. Examples of a major public beta test are:

• In September 2000 a boxed version of Apple's Mac OS X Public Beta operating system was released.^[3]
  
• Microsoft's release of community technology previews (CTPs) for "Longhorn" in January 2005.^[4]

Open betas serve the dual purpose of demonstrating a product to potential consumers, and testing among an extremely wide user base likely to bring to light obscure errors that a much smaller testing team might not find.





TANKS WIKIDERP

[Monsoon]

Game is coming along, some really big patches are on the way and Community Warfare should hopefully see light of day by March...(assuming they want it out before the Clan Invasion, which is their stated intention.)

[Inertiaman]

Protoculture, on 02 January 2013 - 09:15 AM, said:

How is an open beta NOT a release for a free-to-play title? As far as I can tell it's only to avoid being reviewed.

Indeed. Although as above that doesn't seem to have stopped them grabbing the founders cash and finalising any purchases. Having their cake and eating it basically.

[Voridan Atreides]

The game is very far from done. Lights are hard to hit, ECM is pretty annoying in its current state, you still have waay less of a chance of winning in a pug match than a premade one (although since recent patches I am winning more than I did a couple months ago), the new economy hurts the players that did not even bot or afk by giving us way less c-bills per match...even if you do pretty good in damage, conquest mode isnt that amazing, we still have the same original maps and they are starting to get pretty boring, communtity warfare still seems ages away...and I'm sure it will be delayed....etc. That being said...this is still a totally awesome and fun game....and its progressing...slowly....but it is progressing. Most of the people that rage on the forums are whiney little boys and ignorant so don't listen to them. It is currently my favorite game to play.

[Lanessar]

We really need to keep beta or not beta discussions out of this thread. Velba, I understand your standpoint, but people have different opinions. And if you want to rant about that, post it in another "This is beta" threads.

[8RoundsRapid]

The game is boring.

The gameplay itself can be fun, but there is such a lack of depth/metagame that its just deathmatch over and over and over and over. Combine that with all the damn lagshielded lights and a seriouis lack of variety in the maps, and the fun factor, for me, has really plummeted.