131 replies to this topic

[Vaneshi SnowCrash]

Egomane, on 30 January 2013 - 05:59 AM, said:

I know that humans are a very curious species and almost always want to knwo everything. I am no exception there. But wouldn't also take some of the spice out of the game?

Pugging 'guard' Hunchback reporting in! With the C3 voip system none functional I have no easy way of knowing how badly abused the Atlas/A. N. Other Assault is, as I'm there to chase away lights, add additional firepower and also be that guys disposable extra armour... knowing the LT has taken substantial damage gives me information about where I need to reposition myself far more effectively than "50%" does,

However I would agree that in theory such information should be fed to the 'Lance commander' positions.

[Chief 117]

JSparrowist, on 30 January 2013 - 06:09 AM, said:

I think it would help to see loadouts. How am I supposed to know that I'm following and supporting a `Phract 4X with 4xMG and 1xSL until we reach a line and they start firing their ineffective and useless build?

word.
Happens WAY too often

[Elessar]

Another example when knowing the friendly loadout is useful:

To give ECM mechs informations on how they should behave.
If I pilot an ECM Mech and I encounter an enemy ECM, the big question is, will I stay in disrupt mode (thereby staying "invisible" and keeping the friendly mechs around me "invisible"), or will I switch to Counter-Mode.
The answer to this question is dependant on the weapon loadout of my own PUG. If I know that we have many mechs with Streak missiles or LRMs, I will most probably switch to Counter-Mode.
If I know that there are almost no mechs with Streaks/LRMs, I woulod most probably prefer to stay in Disrupt-mode

[Divine Madcat]

Remarius, on 01 February 2013 - 11:53 PM, said:

I look at what mechs I can see visually and then move to a firing point unless theres a ECM I decide to follow, that initial look takes 10 seconds at most. I use long/medium range direct fire sniper weapons primarily so I want to catch someone on the other side moving into position unless theres an overwhelming reason to stick to someone else (*cough* DC *cough*). I'm also going to massively dispute your 20 seconds figure as targeting/R'ing my own team mechs one by one and mentally digesting their loadouts/capabilities is NOT a 20 second job even with the target information gathering module I use. Wish I could digest information that fast of course but I'm not a battle computer.

Its really isn't that complex. , and i bet your would be surprised how fast you will process said information (the key is qetting useful information quickly - i dont care what size LRMs a cat is boating - just that he is boating them vs SRMs; etc).

[DodgerH2O]

Often thought a little pre-drop "lobby" with mech loadouts and time to use ingame chat to for rudimentary plans would help the experience immensely. During the match it would be too distracting unless properly implemented.

[Corvus Antaka]

given we can see enemy loadouts, the same should be doable for friendlies, and would help to know what your friends around you have, esp when it gets down to the wire.

[Carnivoris]

So... if a teammate is damaged, what are you gonna do about it? Type in chat telling them to get out of battle? How long is that going to take? How much damage will you take in that time period? Will he even be alive once you hit enter? I just don't see what advantage this would give anyone besides the opposing team. It'd be a distraction, nothing more.

[Xenon Codex]

Does a Navy Seal team not know the condition and capabilities of their team members? Why should it be any different for a Mechwarrior team?

Give us the info, figure it out and implement it. It's beta, I know and I will wait, but if it's not in the final implementation I won't be financially supporting this game. That is my final say on this subject.

[Taizan]

Der Basilisk, on 01 February 2013 - 05:49 AM, said:

First let me say that i did not read this whole thread, but i´m definitley for friendly scanning. Where is the logic therein, that i know more about my enemies than about my teammates?

I figure the logic behind this is that they intended to have C3 voice integration and this unfortunately isn't available. Although it has been done in prior MW games, it will take longer to scan each of your teammates separately, than pilots saying "I'm a gauss cat", "ECM raven here", "I'm out of LRMs" or "My RT is gone" etc.

Furthermore with the way the maps are made with lots of cover and buildings plus the way ECM is implemented chances are high this would be a completely futile way to keep track of the status of your team. I've so often been in fights where half of the team is seperated and out of range (especially lights / mediums) and TBH when I am engaging an enemy I don't have the time to keep track of 7 other mechs' status.

The only good I could see it be doing would be right at the beginning of the match, but even then every player in the random 8 man team would have to scan 7 other members to get an idea who is carrying what, this would lead to what some people call the Italian handshake problem. Until everyone is through scanning everyone else to get all that info you'd be annihilated.

[Divine Madcat]

Sorry, but the "Italian handshake" problem never occured in other mech games, it won't occur here.

Again, there is NO excuse for being able to know more about your enemy than your team. Period. There is not one valid excuse at all.

[Bguk]

Divine Madcat, on 02 February 2013 - 08:49 PM, said:

Sorry, but the "Italian handshake" problem never occured in other mech games, it won't occur here.

Again, there is NO excuse for being able to know more about your enemy than your team. Period. There is not one valid excuse at all.

Agreed. Get rid of it on both sides.

[Elessar]

Taizan, on 02 February 2013 - 07:50 PM, said:

[/size]
I figure the logic behind this is that they intended to have C3 voice integration and this unfortunately isn't available. Although it has been done in prior MW games, it will take longer to scan each of your teammates separately, than pilots saying "I'm a gauss cat", "ECM raven here", "I'm out of LRMs" or "My RT is gone" etc.

Furthermore with the way the maps are made with lots of cover and buildings plus the way ECM is implemented chances are high this would be a completely futile way to keep track of the status of your team. I've so often been in fights where half of the team is seperated and out of range (especially lights / mediums) and TBH when I am engaging an enemy I don't have the time to keep track of 7 other mechs' status.

The only good I could see it be doing would be right at the beginning of the match, but even then every player in the random 8 man team would have to scan 7 other members to get an idea who is carrying what, this would lead to what some people call the Italian handshake problem. Until everyone is through scanning everyone else to get all that info you'd be annihilated.

That´s why the best way to implement it would be a separate list opened by a key command (the keyboard has enough keys that aren´t occupied yet )
lets call it the "Friends List"
In it you could have, at a glance, Name, Mech type/Tonnage, Maxmimum Speed, Weapons and Equipment (in short form ... i.e. 3 M-Laser, 2 LRM-15 and so on) and (optional) Damage Status as percentage.
(it could also be affected by ECM ... that is, forn mechs inside an ECM bubble it could say "Status not available")

Edited by Elessar, 03 February 2013 - 05:52 AM.

[Murku]

Some more work on weapon load outs visually changing on a mech (like with the raven) would take the first steps to really help with this. Not sure how useful team info clogging main screen would be, and defo wouldn't like this to make cycling thou targets take longer. I'd really like simplified paper doll/weapons info for team to be tied to a cockpit , then you can just glance over to see who's still alive, damaged etc.

[Lokust Davion]

Yes, I've always wanted to target friendlies so i can launch LRMs at em... esp the pugs... I would know what weapons they bring and the condition they are in just as we do with targeting enemies.

In addition, I'd like to see what their current speed as well whenever I target them.

[Taizan]

Divine Madcat, on 02 February 2013 - 08:49 PM, said:

Sorry, but the "Italian handshake" problem never occured in other mech games, it won't occur here.

Again, there is NO excuse for being able to know more about your enemy than your team. Period. There is not one valid excuse at all.

So how would you want to target all friendly mechs? All at once and then cram all the information into one overlay window? Information that you already have if you just LOOK at the mechs and TALK with your teammates.

[Lokust Davion]

Taizan, on 03 February 2013 - 06:26 AM, said:

So how would you want to target all friendly mechs? All at once and then cram all the information into one overlay window? Information that you already have if you just LOOK at the mechs and TALK with your teammates.

How bout pressing the 'F' button to scan thru friendlies one by one just like you do with enemies.

[Super Mono]

Taizan, on 03 February 2013 - 06:26 AM, said:

So how would you want to target all friendly mechs? All at once and then cram all the information into one overlay window? Information that you already have if you just LOOK at the mechs and TALK with your teammates.

No one is ever going to care what all 7 other teammates are carrying. All that will be done is scanning from the heaviest mech down and finding one with a non-stuipid loadout to follow. if you are the heaviest mech it doesn't matter what everyone else is using as you're carrying the team regardless.

[SkyCake]

im okay with how it is now if the devs can give one good reason to the 90% of players who want it in game as to why it wont be implemented...

an overlay like the command map streching out from your paperdoll would be exactly how i would do it... 2x4 format with your mech in bottom left.. and semi transparent so you can see what is going on a little better...

[Czardread]

Very usefull for tactics, to be able to know if that atlas in your team should go tanking or if YOU should thank him while he shoots. PGI, please pai attantion to this thread.

[Dauphni]

In the Earthsiege games, you would have access to a complete overview of all friendlies, right down to individual internal components, in a separate system to your targeting radar. It's incredibly useful, and having played so much of those games, anything less just feels severely gimped to me.