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Let me start by being forthcoming about how I love the table top game and consider myself a huge Battletech nerd. I am extremely dismayed about the direction that this game has taken. I think the flavor of the game is being stripped in order to make the game more accessible to casual gamers. I think that these decisions are being made by weenies with MBAs who have no understanding of Battletech, its universe or its appeal to its loyal fanbase.
Which is fine. Their company, their game. I just wish that PGI would stop forcing a square peg into a round hole. I mean that I am tired of PGI gradually drifting towards making this game into an updated Mech Assault instead of providing fan service to the founders and the fans. Without people like myself, and others, who put hard cash towards an idea of a game and are being ignored in favor of the almighty bottom line. The bottom line they want to attract to this game are casual gamers who have no understanding of the Battletech universe and could care less about the spirit of this game and only care how fast they can push dps to pwn the noobs on a server.
Here are a list of the problems I am seeing:
ECM: broken and unreadable. Seriously, this feature has so warped the game that it is completely unrecognizable from the game I played back in July in closed beta. Mechwarrior Online has degenerated from something great into a mediocre product on the basis of this alone. Take this out, now! If it isn't overpowered, how is it I see at least 4, usually 5-6 D-DC Atlases per match?
Consumeables: play to win. Awesome. I understand that PGI needs to provide funds to maintain the servers for a free to play game, but this is ridiculous. Every time you add something to the game, there HAS to be a downside, a balance. Otherwise, you will end up with victory being based on whether or not your team drops with enough of a certain variant. Oh, yeah that has already happened.
Mindless bitching: complaining about the damage of missiles, autocannons even machineguns. I know it's mindless bitching because the players bitching do not offer solutions or tweaks to change the dynamic. They simply vent spleen on the forums when they die over and over or their favorite pewpew doesn't kill an assault mech with one alpha strike. Without going too deep into the weeds, whenever I complain about something I recommend things to fix it. Y'know, "constructive criticism".
3rd person: ridiculous. Mech Assault. It will finish the game off after the damage from ECM. Nobody will drop in 1st person because EVERYONE will be in 3rd. I do not use the word "kill" lightly. Anyone interested in a tactical simulator will be shoehorned into Mech Assault. So, the game will die. Not in a bottom line sense, but definitely as a sim.
So, how about having a bunch of maps on Solaris? It would be a great place to try out the foolishness before foisting it on the MWO community as a whole. It would be a great way to experiment on new things.
Solaris would also be an awesome way to attract the Call of Duty players out there to the game. 3rd person Mech Assault in the arena. Hell, it sounds like fun just thinking about it. I would love to see huge matches and faction matches in arenas on Solaris. No repair, no munitions cost, easy aiming and pre-built mechs. Quick, easy fun.
Anyone who would want to wear big boy pants and play the game for real could pick a faction and drop into real battles where the stakes would be much higher. (hint repair rearm costs hint)
Edited by Blandtastic, 23 March 2013 - 07:25 PM.
