338 replies to this topic

[Redshift2k5]

A lot of people just don't seem to understand: They cannot address big issues like ECM balance in a weekly, short-answer column.

This is why so many ask the devs become 'we can't say right now' or 'I need to ask one of the programmers'

We absolutely do need more information from the devs, ad while a two-week period is longer wait times between responses, it also means they can give real, solid answers to the most important topics. It may seem like we'll get fewer answers, but they will be much more important answers.

[Solis Obscuri]

0okami, on 08 January 2013 - 04:00 PM, said:

Can I hope to see my beloved Crusader in the game at any point?

A strong Inner Sphere needs the Crusader!

[GrimlockONE]

My only question is as follows:

What are your current plans for the clan invasion. As you have been sticking with the 1 to 1 date ratio in regards to the timeline, that means we should be expecting some sort of clan related activity by March or April at the latest. You have briefly talked about the clans and your plans but I was wondering if further talks have taken place internally, and what those talks have been about. Should we expect several variants at the injection of clans, something from each weight class or will you stick to what was seen at those times in cannon. Will clan tech cost more to repair, will it be restricted to the Clans or will it be in use for IS forces, will you have to chose whether or not to go Clan, and will the drops be Stars (5) v Two Lances (8)? Those are some questions I personally have but any information you have or can give would be much appreciated as the Clans are a huge part of this franchise and pivotal to the plans for Community Warfare, at least I would think they are.

[Team Leader]

GrimlockONE, on 08 January 2013 - 04:22 PM, said:

My only question is as follows:

What are your current plans for the clan invasion. As you have been sticking with the 1 to 1 date ratio in regards to the timeline, that means we should be expecting some sort of clan related activity by March or April at the latest. You have briefly talked about the clans and your plans but I was wondering if further talks have taken place internally, and what those talks have been about. Should we expect several variants at the injection of clans, something from each weight class or will you stick to what was seen at those times in cannon. Will clan tech cost more to repair, will it be restricted to the Clans or will it be in use for IS forces, will you have to chose whether or not to go Clan, and will the drops be Stars (5) v Two Lances (8)? Those are some questions I personally have but any information you have or can give would be much appreciated as the Clans are a huge part of this franchise and pivotal to the plans for Community Warfare, at least I would think they are.

Also this

[TygerLily]

I'm also interested in hearing more about ECM regarding the developers thoughts after feedback, future plans, etc!

[RagingOyster]

Gregory Owen, on 08 January 2013 - 10:45 AM, said:

this sounds like a horrible idea, allowing you guys to be even lazier in your relaying of information to us.

we need more information more often, not less questions, longer answers, and doubling the wait time.

you guys are starting to fail. i put in application with you guys yesterday and received an immediate not hiring for beta testers. while you guys complain to us that your current in-house beta testers are "burnt out"

You insult PGI and call the devs lazy.... then wonder why they did not hire you? Are you slow?
PGI is a small company developing a big, awesome game. Cut them some slack and let them work. You have no idea what is going on behind their doors, so stop presuming that you can decide what their timetables should be.

[RagingOyster]

A common question but still one I would like adressed.
Clans. What are you doing with them? When will we start to see them? If you stick to the 1-to-1 date system then we should be hearing about worlds in the Periphery falling to an unknown aggressor by March-ish, and the Clans should be in the IS by April... so with only ~2 months and not a scrap of Clan/clan tech info I would like to know at least some preliminary info on what PGI plans to do when they introduce the Clans.
I realize, though, that maybe you guys are planning to spring the Clans on as as a sort of surprise. If that is the case.... at least give us a News Feed to speculate on or some art to drool over

[warp103]

Ok to all about ECM. After a long conversation with Garth. I see the problem as to why there is no comment on ECM.

The dev do not see the issue. Now I will not go in to all the detail about his comments. But they are pointing to how they fair in the twitch games. They do not use ECM and win most of the time.. And they are only seeing in stats 8v8 game 4 ecm's max. So the only thing that I can say is Video video video. Get TS because is what they us in the twitch games. I do not agree with him but I have respect that I got info.

I know that you want me to post the Answer that I got. Sorry I can not If he wishes he can tell me I can post then I will.

OH and Tolken, I did post your stats and finding you have. As well as the stat and videos I have of my own. More Pointing to their on play.

So again the all need to post how bad it is so they will have a visual. Video if possible so it goes around the web. As to the Boycott. I was going to be part of it since there was no Answers. Well i got Answers I do not like them but I did get them.

Edited by warp103, 08 January 2013 - 05:09 PM.

[Adrienne Vorton]

Pando, on 08 January 2013 - 10:35 AM, said:

Hey!

Q) Would a pilot become limited when he/she chooses to fight for a specific faction?
For example; I am currently playing with a group of friends in a merc corp. Say we (as a merc group) decided on different factions. What limitations would we run into? Could we still carry out contracted missions as a "Merc Corps" having different members belong to different factions?

if you don´t mind let me try it (dunno if someone did already^^)

if nothing changes as described in the blogs, you have to chose weither you are Merc or belong to a houses army... you can always roleplay a davion when in a merc corp if yuo like (example^^) , but you will be a merc within game mechanics...

Quote

why the spider??

because it´s a mech, available in our timeline and not unseen some people like it, even love it (well not me, but who cares ? )
i am just happy that PGI is going to do as many as possible mechs, and not just going for some popular or particularly strong ones...

[iller]

Queueing for Observer mode! ...is it planned in the Future?
If not, how will you ever support E-Sports & reduce false hacker reports?

[Solis Obscuri]

Gregory Owen, on 08 January 2013 - 10:45 AM, said:

i put in application with you guys yesterday and received an immediate not hiring for beta testers. while you guys complain to us that your current in-house beta testers are "burnt out"

[Jetfire]

Please go into detail about the final vision for Camo Spec.

The current iteration obviously provides a method to customize mech appearance but it is obviously going to have to do more in the long run to pull in more money.

Are you considering options like permanent bind to account unlocks of patterns, colors and decals similar to the current function of the PC Gamer colors? As you will no doubt be releasing continuous pattern, color and decal options this seems like a fair and profitable long term option to continue the revenue stream and pull in the more practical customers.

While I have spent a significant amount of money on MC I have spent none on Camo and most is sitting idle. I simply cannot do something as illogical as paint all of my mechs at $5-10 a pop, then later respray in lance colors, then switch back. Even if I could afford it I just could not do something that insane and I think I am not the only one here that thinks that way.

Many other F2P games use a combination model of pay per spray and pay to unlock with the unlock feature costing more. I feel like current pricing is close to what I would pay to unlock and would easily drop enough MC to buy every option today if that were the case.

Additionally I feel like the Crayola 8 pack would be a better fit for the CB available colors. Black, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange and Purple. I am not sure of the rationale to keep some of the pure basics in the MC category when there are nigh infinite special colors to create that would attract people to buy them.

I know this isn't the most critical or pressing issue, but it really seems like a huge missed opportunity to continue with the current model.

Edited by Jetfire, 08 January 2013 - 06:39 PM.

[Das Wudone]

how will certain mechs be implemented in the future? some good examples are:

IS
annihilator -> equips 2 IS ac10s on each arm. another variant had 2 IS lbx10s on each arm. max crit slots available in the arm is 12 only right now (including shoulder, actuators, etc.) and the only mech capable of gearing an ac20 (which is 10 crit slots and fills all slots at that) is the YLW. an ac10 consumes 7, lbx10 6. 7+7=14, 6+6=12 actuators and shoulder not included... see what i mean?

Kai Allard's YLW -> the hatchet and the additional 2 energy weapons. will existing users of YLWs have their mech auto upgraded/changed? im also guessing the mech will have a lot of changes to its left arms visuals. im guessing the "shield" thats placed there will be changed to a laser? the hatchet will it be cosmetic or an actual weapon when melee combat comes in?

CLAN
black lanner -> has one arm that can twist around while its right cannon arm cant. i realize that the original dragon was in the same boat as this mech based on the original TRO art which was suddenly changed to prevent conflict in the game. but there are other mechs as well that are like this (both IS and clans)... it wouldnt seem right if all of them were changed due to conflicting convergence issues...

[Solis Obscuri]

Why did you make the economy go full ret4rd?

[Koningswulf]

As someone already have stated we don’t need less questions answered in longer time.
The community needs more questions answered in depth in shorter time.
This is a Beta test and if we players are to be able to help out with the improvement of the game,
we need to be in middle of the information zone, not tossed out of it.
It is vital that we players are able to have a good communication with you developers in all aspects of the game.
In that especially feedback from you regarding our view of the game.

Q1 Will you implement a real trial ground map in game, where players could learn how to maneuver and shoot without having to take into consideration enemies or his teammates?
This would REALLY be useful for all pilots but especially for newcomers!
You could use a already existing map for this and put up some targets for practice shooting, it doesn’t need to be fancy, just good enough for players to learn the basics of the game.

Q2 Are you working on re-spawning mech that lose connection in the game? While DC the mech could still be targeted, like it works in most other game, this really should be helpful to counter the very annoying DCs in matches.
Q3 When will the knockdown/collision system be implemented again?
And why did you take it away in the first place? Light mechs are already too good for their size with lag shield and net code issues especially compared to bigger mechs.

Q4 What are the pulse lasers good for? Compared to the normal laser it has +1/+2 ton, 1/2 range and much more heat??? All for +1 in damage, it just doesn’t make sense. What is it that makes them any good compared to the laser? After last patch they are even worse than before.
They should be equal weight have 1/2 range for +1dam to be viable at best. I have seen they will get a downgrade in heat but that will still not make them usable compared to the regular laser. Care to explain why they are much worse than the regular laser weapons?


I hope you really take the time and answer as many questions you can, it would be really helpful for the moral in the Inner Sphere :-)

[ExAstris]

1. What is the direction MWO is taking with respect to information warfare? Will we be seeing new information warfare equipment like ECM, or just tweaks to the existing equipment like those given to TAG and NARC? Have there been serious discussions aimed at a much more comprehensive implimentation of information warfare that includes all mechs on the battlefield and distributes the information warfare load and responsibility across all mechs, allowing for more varied gameplay constituted by a series of individually weaker (and therefore easier to balance) modules instead of a small handful of chasis restricted, yet extremely powerful equipment pieces?

Reference for one such suggestion of how to perform such an implimentation: http://mwomercs.com/...implimentation/


2. What is PGI's stance on balancing mech chasis and variants? Once a mech is live, is it ever subject to balance changes? Might we ever see tweaks to underperforming variants like the CDA-3C or ASD-7K. If there are any post-live changes, what things might we expect to see tweaked in order to obtain the viability of each variant? Are weapon hardpoints, number of AMS hardpoints, access to ECM, special allowance for extra large engines, maximum twist angle, and/or unique pilot xp bonuses things you would consider implimenting to help pull the underperforming (and underused) variants up some and/or knock back the overperforming and overused chasis a bit to help ensure balance and variety on the field?

3. Why does it take so long to get any weapon balance changes through? There are clearly a few weapon systems which are so utterly useless that I can go a hundred games and not see a single one fielded (Machine Guns, Flamers, NARC, SRM2, SmallPulseLaser, etc). Where does the reluctance to change their handling come from, what concerns hold back changes to bring these weapons into the realm of usability? For example, we've been told for a couple of months now that there has been consideration to giving machine guns a slight damage boost. Frankly, they need to do at least triple their current damage to ever be worth mounting, why such reluctance to buff them at all with even the hinted at minor buff having yet to materialize?

4. What are PGI's plans with respect to the pilot module system? We have only a very small handful of modules, and at that, very few that bear any resemblance to the ideas that were listed with the original infodump which included sensor sweeps and artillery strikes. What sorts of modules can we expect in the future, and on what approximate timetable? Furthermore, are there any plans to streamline the way modules are purchased and applied to mechs? Currently the system is highly cumbersome, requiring purchase of access to a module, then purchase of a module, then transfer of that module to each mech you wish to actually pilot. Are there any plans to change this to a single GXP+C-Bill purchase to unlock use of a module, then have each mech you own bring up a toggle page for which modules you want it to drop with? It would save alot of time and frustration and still require us to work the same to get them. (may require a refund to anyone crazy diligent enough to have purchased multiple copies of the same module)




Also, on a non-question related feedback note. I think the new format for Ask the Devs is a good move under one contingency. Its a good move because we were getting a huge number of silly, uninformative, unhelpful, and generally distressing answers to questions that only the asker cared about or told us nothing substantial. Hopefully this system will hone the information pipeline into giving us real and detailed feedback about the things we, as a community, care about. Which is the contingency that must be met. The questions have to be of value to just about everyone, and not mentioning the Elephant In The Room will be an even higher priority to avoid with this format.

Cheers.

Edited by ExAstris, 09 January 2013 - 07:41 AM.

[Solis Obscuri]

Would you consider it more correct to define a "bacon sandwich" as a sandwich made of bread with bacon as the filling, or as a piece of bacon "sandwiched" between two other pieces of bacon?

[FrozenAnt]

What is the status of the PGI team and their thoughts on the game?
You guys have been getting a lot of flack about ECM, Netcode, Paint, JJ, and the list goes on and on. What does your team think about the status of the game? Is it playable, unacceptable, good, awesome etc. On your site it said you guys are dedicated gamers. Do you feel that the state of this game is comparable to other open betas? Do you feel that the game has enough content to be seen by the public?

What % would you give the game on completeness? 30%, 35% I know it cannot be more than 50....

Is your team discouraged at all by the community outrage? Which mostly is justified... I know you guys have a small staff, how are they handling the task that is set before them? What is your teams HONEST estimate of a release date? end of 2013, 2014? early 2015?

[Homeless Bill]

Solis Obscuri, on 08 January 2013 - 06:54 PM, said:

Why did you make the economy go full ret4rd?

Well articulated.

Solis Obscuri, on 08 January 2013 - 07:50 PM, said:

Would you consider it more correct to define a "bacon sandwich" as a sandwich made of bread with bacon as the filling, or as a piece of bacon "sandwiched" between two other pieces of bacon?

If any of the five questions answered are this or anything like it, I quit.

[Homeless Bill]

These are some of the things that I see repeatedly requested. Instead of an essay response to my question(s), how about a simple Soon, Later, Maybe, or No, answer on some or all of these (Soon meaning within a two-month time frame, and Later isn't a promise, but it means you're currently planning on it at some point)?

Can we get...
1. A training ground / test arena?
2. A toggle for AMS?
3. Additional damage displays (like the HTAL bars)?
4. Team Deathmatch?
5. Larger friend lists?
6. Spectator mode?
7. The ability to target friendly 'mechs?
8. To see what 'mechs everyone was piloting on the post-game scoreboard?
9. A 30-second delay for disconnections (or some solution for Alt+F4)?
10. A penalty for team damage (particularly at the start of a match)?
11. The option for weapon convergence on targeted enemy, rather than reticle location?
12. Tweak(s) for night vision / thermal vision?
13. A center legs to torso button?
14. Stripped 'mechs (chassis only) for purchase?
15. Purchasable clothes / lack of pants for my pilot avatar?
16. Ownable paint jobs?
17. The ability to designate a target (whether its a commander ability, or each player has it, or whatever)?
18. Effects from critical hits to certain parts (sensors, actuators, etc.)?
19. Option to toggle the color filters you apply to make things dark and gritty?
20. Size alterations for certain 'mechs (Centurion, Stalker, Awesome)?

Example of how easy this would be for you:
1. Can we get 12v12? Later
2. Can we get a reconnect button? Later
3. Can we get a module that summons an Urbanmech? Soon...



Also, even though I personally don't give a **** about ECM: please don't **** this up again; answer Tolkien.

Edited by Homeless Bill, 09 January 2013 - 11:30 PM.