23 replies to this topic

[Rogal Dorn]

I'm really hoping this game will have some mission-based elements that encourage specific roles within a lance/group of players. For example, maybe you get a guy with a light that can find enemy positions and target them with a NARC or relay back to a fire-support mech that can lay waste with some LRMs or PPCs. Or have a hunter/brawler lance with meds and heavys that like to get in close and tie up enemies while a commander can step back and get an overall look of the landscape and determine how best to get his guys in positions to complete the objectives.

I've been playing the computer games for a while now (kinda dropped away after MW3 but just got MW4 Mercs after I saw this game coming out) but I've never played any online so I don't really know what to expect as far as getting people to work together. I am looking forward to hanging around on here and meeting people and maybe getting in with a group and finding a role the can suit both me and the team.

[GreenHell]

I think that the idea from the DEV's is to encourage a lance having 1 of each class of mech. A light mech to scout for information, a medium mech for a fast harasser and to corral / lead enemy forces, a Heavy command mech for fire support and coordination, and an assault mech for pure firepower. It will be up to the command mech (whatever size you choose) to direct your assault buddies firepower in the right direction.

To be honest, I think that in practice it will make more sense to use a medium mech for command / fire support, and send out a fast heavy to put more firepower down field. This would also make the commander more mobile, especially if the mech had jump jets. (poptart sniping) I do sense that there will be a lot of "poptarting" though. I think it's a good strategy, but it can get annoying.

[Colaessus]

Guys this is a forum for MWO, not MW4.

Last time I checked urban combat in cities was not a snipers heaven.

[infinite xaer0]

i just hope they don't shoehorn mechs into certain roles just because they're in a certain weight class, for example, just because a mech weighs between 20 and 35 tons, it doesn't mean that it's a scout mech... Also, i hope that the, "one mech of each weight class" lance composition isn't necessarily considered the ideal. Lance composition should really depend on the challenges posed by the mission, and also the strategy that the commander wants to employ.

[Rogal Dorn]

infinite xÆr0, on 05 November 2011 - 09:24 AM, said:

i just hope they don't shoehorn mechs into certain roles just because they're in a certain weight class, for example, just because a mech weighs between 20 and 35 tons, it doesn't mean that it's a scout mech... Also, i hope that the, "one mech of each weight class" lance composition isn't necessarily considered the ideal. Lance composition should really depend on the challenges posed by the mission, and also the strategy that the commander wants to employ.

Yeah I agree with that, having one of each means somebody will get mad over being stuck in something they don't like. Maybe there will be missions with time limits or drop weight limits that would encourage smaller, nimbler mechs that can get in and get out quick to help mix it up.

[Mercurial]

The one big question mark for me that keeps coming up is their repeated emphasis on how battles will be about control for information. I guess the question is what does that mean? I suspect the old 'if you're powered up within a hilarious radius of me I know exactly where you are at all times' radar is going bye-bye. I wonder if it's going to be some kind of LOS-based system where you only 'see' the units your squad draws LOS to.

As for the 'I hope not all light mechs are automatically Scouts!' I kind of hope that but, to an extent, most light mechs are. The more heavily armed/armored kinda lights are just a bit more hybridish, in that they can engage in combat against pure lights pretty comfortably and may give heavier mechs something to think about. On the other hand--it wouldn't surprise me if they had some mech designations per match. Really wouldn't want to be in that match where everyone wants ends up as a Light...

[John Flenaly]

I've wondered about lance composition, usually in the lore every mech of the lance was the same weight class or close to it. I wonder if they will try and enforce something similar in the game, and team balancing will be off of types of lance. EX This round you have two heavy lances and a light lance, so the game matches that up on the other team with the same lance types and numbers.

[CaveMan]

I hope the team balancing is as minimal as possible, and they don't restrict it to just lance vs lance. I want to get together a company of players and use multiple lance tactics, and it really annoys me when I get together on a server with friends only to end up on opposite teams because of a balancing script.

My dream is actually to organize a whole battalion and take on all comers, but I don't expect they'll let us play games that big.

[Rogal Dorn]

Company level battles would be awesome and would further emphasize an overall command structure and tactical know-how.

[GreenHell]

You never know. They might have servers setup to accept large battalions of mechs. It all remains to be seen.
About what I said before on the "one mech of each class" tactic. That was just me talking about what I assumed the Dev's were encouraging.
I'm sure there will be no rules that say "you must choose scout because your team has no light mechs". Also, go assault in whatever you want. If you manage to commandeer a Puma after the clans invade, and you want to go hunting for mediums with your dual ERPPC's then go for it!

Also, about sniping on urban maps: For those who don't know, "poptart sniping" is a strategy where you use jumpjets to "pop" up from behind cover and hit them, then move to a different spot. Rinse, repeat. Also, if you can jump to a high building, you can snipe from up there, and when they find you just jump to a different spot. Urban combat will present different opportunities to experienced snipers. You might not be on a hill, but a building can give you the same vantage point as one. Having the building be destructible just adds to the tactical / strategical requirements. If they blast the building out from under you, are you going to jump away? Or are you going to fall and have to stand and fight?

Edited by GreenHell, 05 November 2011 - 10:22 AM.

[Aegis Kleais]

I think I'll like the Conquest-style game rather than the Deathmatch, since it has objectives; this is why I always liked CTF. It wasn't just attacking each other, it was about getting the objective done!

A lot of people who played CTF like TDM loved that they had 30 kills, but when a flag is worth 10x that, well, then they strategically failed their team. The smart players were the ones who knew it was all about getting the flag and keeping yours at home.

I'd like to hear the Conquest mode fleshed out. I love me some objectives! Especially when you have to deal with multiple ones at a time!

[MaddMaxx]

If done correctly it should be about measures vs Counter measures. If they have Active Probe Radar you should have ECM etc etc. The composition should be in the hands of the Lance/Company Commanders who may have to fill out teams within certain weight restrictions, for whatever reason, one being, only 1 Dropship is available and only accommodate 220T, including ammo and repair equipment and ha only 4 Mech securing slots.

Edited by MaddMaxx, 05 November 2011 - 10:09 AM.

[Rogal Dorn]

Aegis Kleais™, on 05 November 2011 - 10:04 AM, said:

I think I'll like the Conquest-style game rather than the Deathmatch, since it has objectives; this is why I always liked CTF. It wasn't just attacking each other, it was about getting the objective done!

A lot of people who played CTF like TDM loved that they had 30 kills, but when a flag is worth 10x that, well, then they strategically failed their team. The smart players were the ones who knew it was all about getting the flag and keeping yours at home.

I'd like to hear the Conquest mode fleshed out. I love me some objectives! Especially when you have to deal with multiple ones at a time!

Definitely want missions with objectives, something more than just "show up here and blowz errybody up". Attack/defend installations, escort duty, what have you, just add something that makes you think bigger than your weapons.

[Odin]

Rogal Dorn, on 05 November 2011 - 10:11 AM, said:

Definitely want missions with objectives, something more than just "show up here and blowz errybody up". Attack/defend installations, escort duty, what have you, just add something that makes you think bigger than your weapons.

Yes, and since we gonna simulate Mechjockey skill online,
I hope CTF and TDM skills gained will weight less, then your skill points gained in a real objective based session - what ever it maybe.

[Rogal Dorn]

There is definately a place for the quick PVP games like CFT and TDM and even free-for-all annihilation but to me the fun will be a big multiplayer campaign where territory and even infrastructure come into play. Say the faction you play for loses several missions on a given world and another faction takes it over, maybe your faction loses a mech design and the other faction get to use it? Then the missions to take or defend that world have much more meaning to them.

[gregsolidus]

I don't think they'll lock out mech designs by world,you could just order it from somewhere else.

[Rogal Dorn]

You're probably right, just trying to think of some kind of risk/reward system.

[VYCanis]

poptarting is an easy issue to solve really

MWLL already has

make your aim shake when jumping.... done


The only people that jump snipe in MWLL do it on the way down from a jump, which cuts their potential poptart time in half. As well as gives opponents an easier time at shooting them. So jump sniping remains something you can do, but its not the game winning strategy it used to be, and is likely to get you shot up for your trouble.

Lord knows, its just so nice to get your aim settled on a falling jump sniper and slapping them with a gauss or PPC right before they were about to fire, spoiling their aim.

[GreenHell]

I've never played MW:LL
That's a pretty ingenious solution they came up with.
I was always annoyed in MW4 with poptarts...

[CaveMan]

It makes sense, given that in the board game it's noticeably harder to hit an enemy if you jump that round.

I like it.