605 replies to this topic

[Dinasis]

Glad to be seeing some explanation from Piranha at this stage. Personally, I like the whole idea. Sure, there are directions I'd prefer to see being taken, but they're right about all their Free-to-Play arguments.

An interesting design/business model for them to take might actually be something like what NCSoft and ArenaNet have done with Guild Wars, with instanced zones for combat parties and cities, towns, and outposts as social hubs. Also, I don't know where I stand on signing up for a monthly bonus pack or whatnot as you see especially with games converted to Free-to-Play, but I like how Guild Wars' whole experience is covered with the retail cost up-front (per campaign) and additional costs for cosmetics, customization, character and storage slots, etc..

Either way, I'm pretty confident that's a game that still makes money. Just saying.

I'd like to see something like that for MechWarrior Online, but for gameplay balance and fairness among the player base, including the concept that players with wallets can use their money to buy shortcuts to what everyone can acquire is actually a really encouraging sign for things to come.

[Wil Scarlet]

I don't mind F2P, heck I'm used to paying $15+ a month for a game I don't really much care for. JUST GET IT OUT NOW!! *** I"m soooooooooooooo tired of the crappy games out there!! I want a REAL FUN PC game, all I ask... yeah i know everyone wants something....

Don't let ANYONE start out with assult mechs, make them EARN it, make the work up to it, it should be that Assult mechs are rare, and the pilots in them are Top Aces!! make it so you can't buy it with real money, MAKE THEM VALUABLE! I'm so psych'd for this game it's not even funny!!!

Wil Scarlet

[Whip]

All I can say is "YIP YAH" bring it on!!

[Threat Doc]

Vyrus, on 04 November 2011 - 05:14 PM, said:

The Idea that all the fights would be Urban is a downer. There needs to be a lot of varied terrain. Thanks- Vyrus

I'm afraid I most assuredly have to agree, Vyrus. Not only is fighting in a city supposed to be anathema to the Ares Conventions -though admittedly less-so with the incoming Clans-, but it gets boring after a while. My hope is that there will at least be an equal number of rural and semi-urban maps -farms and the like-, but that the statements about improved urban combat are just that, improved, but not overwhelming, urban combat?

[Jack Gallows]

lyonn, on 04 November 2011 - 03:58 PM, said:

Bryan

you've written a big post but didn't mention what you expect to sell. Lets have some examples of each type of thing

I think they aren't ready to reveal more just yet, but this really isn't a bad announcement. A bit of a tease for sure, but it hints at the ability to buy mechs with real money. Things like that, coupled with probably a lot of visual kits/etc are probably what we'll be seeing.

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't learn more soon.

Mechwarrior Rules!!!

[Werewolf]

I'm really anxious about MWO after this long article.
But:
As an avid player of EVE Online, I am kinda accustomed to sandbox-like gaming, so I wonder how 'open' the Inner Sphere
in MWO will be presented. Will I be forced to test the mettle against players that poured money into their account for some
yet undisclosed advantage (if any) or will balancing contain an option to stay out of harms way by going up against players
of an equal level of equipment only?

Aside from this I have to admit I cannot wait to get my hands on MWO.
After 23 years of BT gaming, BT finally gets virtualized the proper way.

[DeM0nFiRe]

Bryan Ekman, on 04 November 2011 - 04:29 PM, said:

I look forward to earning your time and business!

If what you guys are saying here is that the big 'mechs will not be restricted to paying players, only that paying players will be able to get to the big 'mechs faster than I think that's great. It gives an incentive to pay, but not one that genuinely punishes you for not paying. As an example, since a lot of people keep talking about World of Tanks, World of Tanks has paid shell types that are objectively more powerful than any of the free shells. It also has a restriction on platoons (Seems to be similar to what you call lances) where if you don't pay, you can only be in a platoon of 2 and thus can only play the game with one friend.

If I understand your announcement correctly, then it also means that it leaves room to pay for the game later. I am the kind of person who likes free stuff, but if I like the game and I like the people who make and maintain the game, then I want to contribute to that. Sounds to me like I am the kind of person you are trying to market towards

If I am right in that, then some reminders:
-Don't lie. If you are going to give some kind of actual, in-game advantage to paying players, be honest about it. Being able to get to new mechs faster is not really an in-game advantage, it's more of a meta-game advantage, which is fine with me. Making it so there are objectively better mechs and weapons that can only be bought with real money is an in-game advantage,

-Make mechwarrior fans like it. I think a majority of the mechwarrior fans who have been fans for a long time are going to tend to want the game to lean more towards mechwarrior 2, more of a sim. And by this, I mean things like component-based damage (ammo explosions, guns damaged independant of the limbs they occupy) sane death conditions (In MW2, if you lose a single leg, you will either stand on one leg or you will fall in the direction you were moving and will have to continue the battle on one leg. In MW3 and 4, if you lose one leg you blow up?) Melee damage! Even if it's just simple damage based on running into mechs, I think it's got to be there. In addition, you better include good ol' death from above

[Bryan Ekman]

kay wolf, on 04 November 2011 - 06:31 PM, said:

I'm afraid I most assuredly have to agree, Vyrus. Not only is fighting in a city supposed to be anathema to the Ares Conventions -though admittedly less-so with the incoming Clans-, but it gets boring after a while. My hope is that there will at least be an equal number of rural and semi-urban maps -farms and the like-, but that the statements about improved urban combat are just that, improved, but not overwhelming, urban combat?

I'll nip this one quick. Not every map is urban.

[gregsolidus]

Your a good writer Bryan,I had to read twice to notice the shift in focus youmade in reference to buyable items.

[Bryan Ekman]

gregsolidus, on 04 November 2011 - 06:54 PM, said:

Your a good writer Bryan,I had to read twice to notice the shift in focus youmade in reference to buyable items.

Not sure what you mean exactly?

[Skullguns]

I think this is excellent. I've only heard a little bit about this game but from what I've heard it will be great! I am all for the F2P Idea. And as for the "main player types" as you mentioned in one of your paragraphs (I don't pay much attention to how many there were ) I am the mercenary kind. I do what I can to earn the cash even if I don't do anything with it. So I think that being able to chose the right mech for that job is cool!

[Chauffeur]

I look forward to the free to play model, as I don't know how much time i'll have to put into the game. Supplementing with money when my time is short is something that I think I can enjoy.

[gregsolidus]

Bryan Ekman, on 04 November 2011 - 06:58 PM, said:

Not sure what you mean exactly?

You stated that their would in fact be items that shorten the amount of time needed to or will instantly unlock things that have not be announced but then almost instantly shifted to reinforcing the new focus on the roles of the weight classes and the improvements to gameplay.What I'm saying is that you made a skillful segway.

[Bryan Ekman]

DeM0nFiRe, on 04 November 2011 - 06:53 PM, said:

If what you guys are saying here is that the big 'mechs will not be restricted to paying players, only that paying players will be able to get to the big 'mechs faster than I think that's great.

This is philosophy we are using. The last thing I want to do is restrict your favorite mech. That's a stick.

Quote

If I am right in that, then some reminders:
-Don't lie. If you are going to give some kind of actual, in-game advantage to paying players, be honest about it. Being able to get to new mechs faster is not really an in-game advantage, it's more of a meta-game advantage, which is fine with me. Making it so there are objectively better mechs and weapons that can only be bought with real money is an in-game advantage,

Again this is a good interpretation.

[Bryan Ekman]

gregsolidus, on 04 November 2011 - 07:05 PM, said:

You stated that their would in fact be items that shorten the amount of time needed to or will instantly unlock things that have not be announced but then almost instantly shifted to reinforcing the new focus on the roles of the weight classes and the improvements to gameplay.What I'm saying is that you made a skillful segway.

Thanks!

[Bryan Ekman]

Skullguns, on 04 November 2011 - 07:00 PM, said:

I think this is excellent. I've only heard a little bit about this game but from what I've heard it will be great! I am all for the F2P Idea. And as for the "main player types" as you mentioned in one of your paragraphs (I don't pay much attention to how many there were ) I am the mercenary kind. I do what I can to earn the cash even if I don't do anything with it. So I think that being able to chose the right mech for that job is cool!

Ah yes. That's the hoarder type.

[goon]

I'm ok with this.

[-Teiwaz-]

I love this game and I've been waiting a long time for a new Mech game to come out. Although I was not expecting it in the format they are giving it to us, I am all for it. One thing seems clear to me, the people bringing us this game Love it as much as we do! No game will make us all 100% happy, so I am going to take what they give us and make the very best of it!


I have always been, A Keeper of the Faith and now I have been rewarded...Thank-You

[DeM0nFiRe]

Would be nice if you also gave me a reply on my comments about gameplay close to Mechwarrior 2 than Mechwarrior 4, but I guess you'll give us that info another time?

Still, good reply. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

[Atlas3060]

Someone mentioned Ares Convention, cute because no one really stuck with that after the Succession Wars

I really can't have an opinion on this article as is because we don't have possible examples.
We keep hearing "this will be great" and I'm willing to hope for that but still part of me asks "How will it be great?"

Until there's some example, even a ficticious one that just reflects the company's idea, I can't say yay or boo.

The one thing I can say is F2P on principle isn't too bad. I've been trying out various games where F2P ranges from "Here's lots of fun microtransactions to buy" to "Oh this place is only reserved for subscriptions, but you can still play in the lower levels."
For the casual gamer who doesn't obsess this works well, for those that burn through games with infinite hunger, well think of it as impulse splurges.

I'm not against the idea of F2P, in fact any new media that brings people into this universe is great, I'm just going to wait for some examples.