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MechWarrior Online - Oldschool PC gamers should be gushing
gimmesome
Member Posts: 362
Really? No other threads?
I know there's not any footage or screenshots out yet, but still I would think there would be some hype going around. Some nostalgic pc vets like myself reminiscing about the great times they've spent in Mechwarrior/Battletech games -
What's up with this? Not enough PC gamer vets on this site? None of the youngens remember the greatness of the Mechwarrior series? Not enough Mechwarrior/Battletech pen+paper players?
bahh....
Comments
It's not an MMORPG and it's going to be F2P. It will be like League of Legends or World of Tanks. It will get some press, but there won't be a whole ton of conversations on it (I predict).
I expect I will play it as soon as I'm able, but I don't know that I'd spend a lot of time talking about it here.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Nah, I'm excited. And registered on the site.
Problem is, being F2P it's iffy. It's very much wait and see.
And yes, I used to LOVE putting an ER PPC onto a 20 tonner and get that ONE headshot. My bud used to get SOOOOO mad cause I'd have 10 of them to his 2 100-tonners. :-) Great times. Until I decided a 100 tonner with nothing but machine gun criticals was even MORE hilrious.
I love the mechwarrior series but.... there is no way that I will play a f2p cash shop game that i want to pvp in. Those things just don't go well together.
This forum was only just created. It will start getting some attention as more information gets released about the game.
Hmmm so it looks like the f2p part is bothersome? and that it's not technically an mmo?
1) I dunno what the big deal is about f2p with this one, as it's always been a lobby game on PC in it's multiplayer approach, on top of the fact that we all know that if they don't offer things like "Extra powerful PPC cannon" in a cash shop, there won't be any overpowered imbalances available with a fat wallet. Just like WoT right now. The one thing I've noticed that can be bought that actually does change performance in battle is ammunition. Premium ammo. Now, I know it kind of sucks to be blown up by someone in 1 or 2 shots because of their ammo, but, the game is free so I don't really care. Also, tactically it means nothing. NOTHING. I've won more matches than lost and I'm in noob tanks. I lose mostly because of being out manuevered or outnumbered. Plus, if I notice someone's getting the best of me because of their premium ammo, i also think to myself "well that guy is paying real money for every shot he takes. My shots are free"
2) Who'care's if it's not actually an MMO? I always see plenty of talk on this site about other games that aren't MMO's. LoL in particular should not be spoken of as an MMORPG, yet, it's always clumped in there when someone says something like "I've played MMORGs for a few years (WoW, Aion, WAR, AoC, LoL, LoTRO)" wtf is LoL doing in the convo? lol
gosh I'm tired.... coffee hasn't kicked in. I appologize for the sloppy posts.
But I still don't get why the stigma of f2p and non-mmorpg status outweighs the awesomeness that is the fact of there being an upcoming MECHWARRIOR ONLINE game!
This is the first I've heard of it to be honest. So now, after registering and reading more about it, I'm cautious.
The f2p aspect doesn't bother me. In fact, I like f2p models.
What I'm cautious about is the non-MMO aspect. If it feels just like a lobby game, then it will be disappointing. It has to feel huge and persistent and open, otherwise I'll likely loose interest.
I'm telling ya... F2P and P2P bring out the claws. Same for sandbox v. themeparks. Same of ToR v. everything. Or GW2 v. everything.
Retract the claws and have a conversation. I don't personally feel LOBBY games should be categorized as MMO's. BUT I can see the MM aspect.
Edit: I swear they need to create a sarcasm font.
F2P has a bad rap because so many games have fumbled it and turned it into a P2W model that many gamers loathe. Not all, however, but it has been screwed up before. That's where the reticence comes from.
Myself, I think these developers have done their due diligence in examining the model, and understand what makes it work and what makes gamers start lighting torches and grabbing pitchforks.
As far as it being an MMO or not, that's as debatable as asking what exactly an MMO actually is. Ask ten people and get ten different answers. I'll go so far as to say that it doesn't look much like an MMORPG since the character development is going to be fairly sparse in comparison to the tactical simulation elements of the game. But really, whether a game is an RPG or not really comes down to the people who play and what they are able to squeeze out of what they are given. In my opinion, the Battletech community is as hardcore as it gets and things such as house pride and unit loyalty are huge factors in their gaming. That's roleplaying right there. How much appeal that will have for the non-hardcore fans who may not have a lot of experience with the IP, that remains to be seen.
I know that many people saw Battletech as basically a war game -- pure strategy based on number crunching. But when we played, it was a roleplaying game. We started as infantry (squishies), then worked our way up through vehicles to finally being Mech pilots, getting embroiled in inter-house politics and dealing with unit logistics while we progressed. That's what it was to us so that's how we played it. I imagine the same thing will happen with MechWarrior Online, regardless of which acronym people choose to assign it.
That actually sounds super fun. My favorite Battletech experiences were roleplay campaigns as well (though we didn't start as you did). Starting as a underfunded, ragtag group of mercenaries piloting Mechs held together with baling wire and building it into a well-oiled machine with a company of Mechs and the logistical support to back it up was great fun. The combat was ancillary to the political intrigue and personalities, the backroom deals to get much-needed Mech parts, the betrayals.
Damn. Makes me want to start up a table top campaign again!
Oh, and after further research, MWO is sounding less appealling to me. 24/7 combat isn't that appealling. At all.
I think I have to agree. A F2P, pvp only mechwarrior seems just a little bit lazy. Why create a combat engine, and environment to play in, and then not create a solo story to go along with it. Sounds like they're just trying to make a quick buck off the players upset over the Perpetuum time-based combat system (which has so much potential to be better as joystick, twitch-based system).
A Solo game story and lobby pvp play would be just fine for most of us mechwarrior fans. Why try to turn it into a F2P tragedy?
SWTOR, WoW, Rift - gg
Personally I'd prefer a 'Last Stand Co-Op mode' for PvE in Mechwarrior Online.
Personally, PvP is something I enjoy but can't really get into (the community and the trend for convo's to degenerate...well trash talking and all that - I play PvP to play not talk and especially not to listen to the garbage that gets tossed around). I literally have little interest in the game at this point simply because of lack of non-PvP/Content.
I could appreciate the 'Battletech Centers' because you were dealing with equal hardware/latency and the hardware setups were nice but Online Multiplayer where latency and your computer hardware inequalities can throw any concept of 'Fair Play' out the window without even going into security issues and vulnerability to hacks/cheats/glitches and what-not. Sorry, that just kind of ruins PvP [Player versus Player] since it seems to end up being player wallet/investment versus player wallet/investment and the appeal of PvP to me is the sportmanship, skill and complex dynamic play.
Furthermore, I'm more interested the non-Mech gameplay in the IP anyhow. Dropships, Aerospace, Estate managements, Merc business, Solaris, Tinker tech modifications, Infantry and Vehicular combat in a World/Scene/Battlefield dominated by Mechs, .ie Combined Arms and unconventional strategy/tactics. Plus the RPG elements [what its like to Live in that world], Political Intrigue, Business Warfare, Day-to-Day survival [planetside, in space, with the Mech Units, not with the Mech {dominant force} Units etc.}.
They are incorporating game play beyond just the run and gun kill stuff kind of thing. There is going to be tactical and planning positions and scouting is supposed to actually make a difference.
I think it's good that they are being clear on the 'No PvE Content', so at least there aren't any unrealistic expectations. I would still like some though. :-)
On the PvP side, I haven't seen anything about Clans or if that's even a factor. It could all just be a remake of World of Tanks, but with Mechs. Which actually sounds cool, but I don't know how long I'd keep playing it.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
They are planning on following the Battletech timeline pretty faithfully. When the game launches, it will be taking place just prior to the invasion of the Clans. Many are expecting the first expansion to focus specifically on the Clans.
I will agree with one of the seemingly popular perspectives about this game. I would have loved a "real MMORPG" MechWarrior title. I'm still jazzed about ANY new MechWarrior title regardless, but I have been wishing for a true MMORPG within that universe for many years.
As SysOp stated, i think it would be fantastic having other aspects of play available to develop and progress that we never got to do in the prior MW releases. Personally, I would prefer to roll a character (appearence, faction, race, role/class, etc) instead of just a Mech. I would rather the Mechs be tools to utilize for certain situations, with the freedom to pilot them or not whenever I want, not forced ground-mode / mech-mode ala Star Trek Online style.
This way, players would have the option to play in any playstyle they choose, and focus on any aspect of the MechWarrior universe that interested them most. For example, like Tribes, perhaps someone wants to build a mercenary that specializes in infiltrating enemy mechs and other vehicles and buildings - hacking, destruction, intel/recon, etc and not spend much time if any in an actual mech, while another player may decide they are only interested in using mechs, therefor they would build a character to have pilot/combat speciality and spend most of their time in the cockpit.
I guess in another perspective, one could say that in my idea, Mechs would be intensely glorified MOUNTS that have heavy functionality, far beyond a simple means of fast-travel. Esp considering the bulk of the combat engine would be optimized around mech combat and not ground / hand-to-hand combat.
I'm not sure why there is debate about this being an MMO when EVE had been on this site forever and until recently that was strictly flying space ships with a little icon portrait of yourself. That being said, I hope MechWarrior has some definite RP aspects to it and is more than just a shooter. So far it looks like they want to keep close to earlier MW incarnations and the tabletop game which is good. The game turned way too arcadish when Microsoft got their hands on it. I think the MMO aspect of it will be defined depending on if certain features will be included. Those features being the ability of pilots to socialize and also the feature to team up and dropship on a world for battle. If pilots can chat and do tactics while in combat and receive loot in the form of salvage then this can be considered an MMO. However, much like EVE I see players customizing mechs instead of personal toons although with a FTP system it would make sense to have both so they can sell items that alter the appearance of your mech and also your pilot. I'm hoping there is a RISK style of gaming where the Houses and Clans can compete for territory and gain benefits from holding onto it.
The only pre-requisite for a Mechwarrior game are these:
-Must include giant robots
-Said giant robots must be deeply customizable
Everything else is fluff and unimportant.
There have been several threads full of disappointment over what MWO is going to be. Some are fine with it - even though they've come out and said that it is going to be a pay to win game lobby. Some are fine with it - but generally, the threads have been full of disappointment and the desire to pretend that this abomination is never going to launch.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
i played all the games on mechwarrior on pc and i played in 80s when fasa was king )
I never played the Genesis, SNES, X-Box, nor DS games...
...I started with BT when it was BD.
MWO ticks me off.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
P2Win makes sense for MWO, at least it fits with the Battletech lore: Rich houses can buy anything, so if you spend your real money to make your character a rich kid with a hot-rod Mech then its fine with me. Sure it'll give you an edge but it won't make you invincible, not if the lore is respected "premium ammo" or "Gold ammo" that one shots anything is not in the lore and there are also quite basic weapons that are both cheap and surprisingly effective.
Another thing that might happen to rich n00bs: "you smell like salvage to me." Salvage is an important thing both in the tabletop version and previous PC games of the MW franchise, so that rich kid showing up with exotic equipment would be a prime target, not only because of salvage but also because he score a little higher on the threat-o-meter than his lancemates.
So please, if P2Win is to be implemented to fit with the lore I'm all for it.
Wait and see basis. You can bet I'm signed up, though.
I reallly enjoyed the Mechwarrior games and looked forward to the day they would announce it as an mmorpg. Now that I hear it'll be F2P, it completely took the wind out of my sails. I'll probably give it a try anyway but I expect the worst.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.
-- Herman Melville
I agree with this sentiment. I have a poor view of FTP games so I'm not expecting much. But I loved the Mech Warrior games, so I will give it a try. I could be pleasantly surprised.
I self identify as a monkey.
Pay2Win does fit with the Lore but its still a challenge to incorporate without ruining the game. Pay2Win essentially creates 2 social classes within the game community (haves and have-nots). The key to keeping it from being game breaking is segregating the 2 for the most and intermixing the 2 in scenarios where the Pay2Win stuff doesn't have 'much' impact [like planetary assaults/takeovers where the number of participants makes it more a battle of numbers and attrition]. Another key to keeping Pay2Win from breaking the have-nots gameplay experience is the ability to contain/restrict it from there game areas for the most part since it being present all the time will be a negative to the free players and quite simply thats important to maintain the community. An MMO without a healthy community is a multiplayer game on its last legs waiting to die.
Problem is Pay2Win needs to provide an advantage worth the payment or the game becomes a ghetto community because the infrastructure can't be maintained that well and the developers have little reason or finances to develop it.
I imagine they they use the 'Land Grants' system from the IP as Premium only benefits (ie. only paying customers could have Land) while titles (which don't necessarily include Land grants) would serve as Community Honors. A number of thing would be heavily influenced by Land ownership (like Mech Production facilities would give a Landowner a big boost choice and quality of Mechs - a freelance could do just as much but would have to scrounge/trade/steal what they needed).
Furthermore, Estates would work full time (when player is offline) where F2P/Have-nots would not benefit unless they are actively playing. The segregation of play would simply be a matter of Premium's mostly fighting over Land (taking it or defending it) and having their own political circles (the landowners and whose allied with who) while the F2P players would be mostly fighting for currency & assests working for the Landowners and Factions (possibly GM/NPC's though Player involvement in the Faction would be possible) (think Mercs but it would really apply to Faction Regulars as well) with barracks/accomadations/resources/services provided (for a fee/service obligation or something) by the Landowner or Faction.
Essentially Landowners would have a significant advantage over free players without even messing with the base gameplay. Because the Pay2Win/Landowners would be more appealing to the community for the power their Land brings and easier accessibility to choices on loadouts and such because of there landownership with the problem of defending there land (the segregated Pay2Win game - a Free player MIGHT take some land but would be a rogue/criminal element if they did and at war with the whole community as there are Not permitted/acceptable owners of Land only leasers/renters).