7 replies to this topic

[Kradoc]

So, I'm sure someone else has suggested this, but I want to go over my suggestion for a dedicated, ingame Pro Circuit Tournament.

Basically the idea is designed to:
A) Promote a 'professional' atmosphere for players in general
B ) Allow for a deeper meaning for Tactics and Strategy between Mechs and Mech Loadouts
C) Create an outlet the supports and promotes strong and competative team gameplay
D) Adds another layer to Mechwarrior Online, allows for longer player attention and variety in gameplay
E) Create a 'Spectator' sport that allows players to spectate the major events in MWO Circuit
F) Allow for a C-Bill sink to prevent or limit cbill inflation and help balance over payouts in 'regular' mech play

Essentially, what I am proposing is we create an Arena circuit in which players would register teams, probably at 6v6 and 12v12 and 1v1 (maybe 3v3 as well) and then fight over the course of the month. The end of each month would culminate in a finale each night of the different classes (1v1,6v6 etc) which would be spectatable ingame or recorded and uploaded on the website.

Once a year the top 64 teams, (based on tournament rankings from all the months combined), would fight it out in an Annual Pro Circuit. These fights would be highly promoted and live streamed, a big fan fare made. Q and A after the fights, fittings and tactics discussed etc. In addition, the winners would be given notable rewards, such as 'Alpha' Mechs that would be identical to normal mechs with a special paintjob, and possibly the ability to add a chosen custom icon ingame (reviewed and approved by MWO staff ofc) for the top three teams.

In addition, spectators would be able to buy tournament tickets with c-bills (thus using up spare cash) and then bet on the outcome of the tournaments finales on the normal months and all the pro circuit matches and then 'trade in' these tournament tickets (or T-bills or w/e) for tournament specific oddities. (300 T-bills = rare emblem for mechs, 1000 T-Bills = Custom paint jobs, etc). The T-bills for each year would be valid in the shop for only the month after the Annual Pro Circuit, and would be wiped afterwards for the next year's T-Bills.

This would lead to an entire tournament subculture that I'm sure the community would embrace, creating reviews and predictions on the results of the Arena Tournaments etc. Obviously you can make odds based on previous performance of the teams in the matches etc.

Honestly I think that the Arena fits well with Mechwarrior, but I'll admit I dont know if the timeline fits the idea.

Frankly speaking, I know my idea is very ambitious. However, I feel that games of this sort can end up being very 2 dimensional. I feel that a dedicated, pro level, well covered would be immeasurably significant to the long term survival and staying power of a game like MWO.

Consider how long CS:S and 1.6 have stayed around because of the competative scene of those games. They keep those games relevant and the community pro-active and involved. It wasnt until the major competitive organizations, CAL for one, folded that the game started to weaken.

If any of the Devs want a similar usage of this idea in another game, or 'proof of concept' just check out Eve Online's Alliance Tournament. They are now in their 10th year, and provide full spectator coverage, commentators for each match, and the matches are amazing to watch. The strategy and crazy tactics some fo the teams manage to show are always amazing. I highly recommend anyone check out the videos on Youtube. They're entertaining even to watch if you dont play Eve.

Then just imagine its Mechs.

I'd love to hear from everyone on this issue, as well as modifications and additive suggestions.

Cheers,
Kradoc

EDIT: In lieu of team size restrictions, Mech Limitations (I.e. Scout mech league/Assault Mech league) might also be considered, but I think it would limit strategy and tactics too much in the long run.

Edited by Kradoc, 24 May 2012 - 09:48 PM.

[CoffiNail]

This will come, and it will be called Solaris

Well, of course I do not know it will be quite like this... but I see something close.

[CoffiNail]

Geist Null, on 24 May 2012 - 09:33 PM, said:

what you seek is solaris 7, the games world where those types of things happen all the time

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Solaris_7

[Kradoc]

CoffiNail, on 24 May 2012 - 09:31 PM, said:

This will come, and it will be called Solaris

Well, of course I do not know it will be quite like this... but I see something close.

Oh I know theres going to be an Arena system. But I'm more interested in making this more than 'just' an Arena. I want fanfare and coverage. I want to make it a real Arena, with rewards and losses. With real impact from the matches. I want the Superbowl of Mech Warfare.

I feel that the Arena could be very lackluster, and just another verison of random battles or merc corp fights, or it could be something spectacular and truly worthy of a game like Mechwarrior.

And I wanted to get my idea in the minds of the players and the devs before the hard decisions are made about what its going to be and what its going to be like.

Edited by Kradoc, 24 May 2012 - 09:40 PM.

[Felicitatem Parco]

CoffiNail... did you just ninja GeistNull... and then kill his post to dispose of the evidence?


Anyways, a few months back I did suggest a kind of special Solaris Tournament, something in addition to the typical Solaris fighting matches and tournaments that everyone can do. My suggestion was a paid-entry tournament where the winner(s) would get some merchandise and bragging rights, and a portion of all the cash procedes from entrance fees would be donated to some kind of charity.

I don't know how likely they are to keep that "charity" part, but I think the Devs might consider something like this after a couple years of smooth MW:O deployment.

[CoffiNail]

Prosperity Park, on 24 May 2012 - 09:44 PM, said:

CoffiNail... did you just ninja GeistNull... and then kill his post to dispose of the evidence?

I did nothing! I swear... ComStar must have gotten him. Poor GeistNull

[Kaemon]

We've been suggesting tourneys for awhile now, I'd rather they be considered 'Events' and have special drops for the winners beyond just C-bills.

That wouldn't even been restricted to Solaris, as team deathmatch would work as well.

I'm a bit leery on the whole E-sports thing, it seems a giant waste of dev time toward a very specifiic group (like the top 1% of the pvp crowd) and I don't see the playerbase for it (for at least a year past Solaris implementation).

Events for MW:O players (and the ability to record and post vids on YouTube, etc..) I'm all for, the hassle of getting a professional E-Sports dealie setup seems waaaaayyyy more work than worth.

[Kradoc]

Kaemon, on 25 May 2012 - 05:18 AM, said:

We've been suggesting tourneys for awhile now, I'd rather they be considered 'Events' and have special drops for the winners beyond just C-bills.

That wouldn't even been restricted to Solaris, as team deathmatch would work as well.

I'm a bit leery on the whole E-sports thing, it seems a giant waste of dev time toward a very specifiic group (like the top 1% of the pvp crowd) and I don't see the playerbase for it (for at least a year past Solaris implementation).

Events for MW:O players (and the ability to record and post vids on YouTube, etc..) I'm all for, the hassle of getting a professional E-Sports dealie setup seems waaaaayyyy more work than worth.

My problem is that I'm worried that the Arena side will be too similar to the normal gameplay. Honestly, an arena would be great, but it would just be more of the same in my opinion, just another facet of the same thing.

You say 'team deathmatch' but isnt that going to be the majority of the game anyway? And 1% of the pvp crowd, arnt the majority of players going to be the 'pvp crowd'?

As I said, my idea is ambitious, but I do feel that even just the annual month tournament is viable with limited dev time, and would show great dividends in terms of player happiness, staying power, and adding depth to the game.