Posted 08 March 2013 - 03:42 PM

Questions From: The Community

Answers: Bryan Ekman - Creative Director - Piranha Games Inc.



Maps related:



TheFlyingScotsman: When you release/unlock 12vs12 combat and voice chat, do you plan on implementing any maps or scenarios that enforce separate lances of four operating independently towards a common goal? I can already see three lances each trying to take and hold a conquest objective in Alpine, but will it go further than that with new/planned game types?



A: We’re looking at several game modes that will take advantage of 12 v 12. Scenarios are generally more of a single player concept which is something we’re not following up with at the moment.



Brawler1986: Are there plans for giving players the ability to choose the type of map they want to play ?



A: Not outright. We plan to allow matched players the ability to vote on the next map.



FireBerretta: Are there any plans for adding Repair Bays/Facilities on the Maps like the makers of Inner Sphere Wars and even MW3 did?



A: No plans at this time.



Nick Drezary: Are you going to expand old maps to be closer to the Alpine map size?



A: No. We’re happy with the variety, sizes, and tactics of each map so far.



ObsidianSpectre: Is the size of the alpine map the new standard? Will most new maps be that size?



A: No. We plan to add more maps of all sizes.



Graphic related:



Aegis Kleais: Even though slated tentatively for a May/June release, can you expound on what areas the UI 2.0 revision will address? Are these only in-game UI assets? Do they include out-of-game UI changes as well (ie, the Mechlab, etc.) What are the design goals for this feature?



A: UI 2.0 address Front End UI only. The overarching design goal is to simplify the user experience, so that new and existing players can quickly find and do exactly what they want at that moment.



Capt Cole 117: Why do some mechs, notably the stalker, have significantly different proportions ingame then they do in their concept art? (longer legs, smaller torsos etc.)



A: There is always some translation between concept art and actual models. Sometimes the art isn’t feasible exactly as drawn, sometimes the artists take liberties, etc..



darrickgeeter: Could friends on your team show up with different color indicators on the minimap and the icon above them?



A: No plans currently. However we are adding more features to the HUD in the next few months.



Zerbob: Is a form of multi-monitor support in the works for MechWarrior Online? To clarify, I mean things such as having HUD readouts on a 2nd screen, or the Battlegrid on a 2nd screen.



A: Not at this time.



Mokey Mot: "Will there be limping animations for legged mechs?"



A: There are.



Customization:



ColdCutz: Will default color schemes go back to being unique for each chassis? (e.g. Yellow Cat, Grey Cent, Green/Orange Hunch, etc.)



A: No. Default is green.



Thedrelle: Will we see the ability to import and export Mech loadouts at any time?



A: We have discussed it. No ETA or designs yet.



Markoxford: When can we have custom clan prefix tags, i.e. [XXX] ? Love to drop 8 and scare the PUGS..



A: In the next few months.



NightFallsOnU: Will we (i am hoping with CW or Clans) get to see anything close to an auction house like most MMOs have? I.E. maybe open up the "Blackmarket" for player based selling of mechs and equip?



A: No auction house is planned. We do not intend to support Player to Player transactions.



Hobo Dan: Are there any plans to create an online Mech Lab here at mwomercs.com where we can log in and do everything we do in the in client Mech Lab? Buy stuff, customize mechs, etc.



A: We’re working some ideas. It’s a lower priority currently.



Lusankya: Will we be able to log in to the game and be able to select our status (ie: online, offline, busy)?



A: No plans.



Mahnmut: Will we ever see our mech colours/patterns displayed in the smaller portrait in the mech bay rather than the stock versions?



A: Yes. We’re working on a render-to-target system that updates the pics to reflect your customizations.



TyGeR STD: Are there any plans to add the PC Gamer skin to new mechs? A lot of us enjoy this using this skin to decorate our mechs in our custom clan colors. Its a shame not to have it avaible for the new mechs.



A: No.



IDG: Will we be allowed to purchase "garage kits" for our mechs that offer cosmetic physical changes, such as alternate heads or shoulders?



A: Yes. No ETA.



Lazydrones541: Can we get the option to change the keybinding for 'chain fire' toggle?



A: Most likely.



Zerstorer Stallin: Are we going to see an adjustment to the hard points on mechs, either a chage to the current load outs, or an over haul with some sort of limiting factor as to what can be placed in a hard based on the original weapon size?



A: No plans. But always under review.



Thontor: Is there any chance we could get some kind of inventory list in the mech lab showing all the items we own, and only the items that we own?



A: Yes with UI 2.0.



Joe3142: Will we able buy a different Atlas heads at some point?



A: Yes.



Lukoi: Will there be a strip loadout/max armor button added like there is on some 3rd party Mech Builders



A: We’re looking at a few easy buttons, yes.



Cockpit related:



Voidsinger: Where are our fuzzy dice to hang in our cockpits?



A: You have them now.



Magitek: When will we see a fix for the Dragon's cockpit view? Currently the cockpit is missing structural bars seen on the mech model.



A: No plans.



Mokou: what u think about add zoom option to mini-map?



A: It’s in the backlog. No ETA.



Werewolf486: Can we have an On/Off switch for chat?



A: No plans.



JG52Krupi: Any chance we can choose the colour of the cockpit canopy AKA the glass?



A: No plans currently.



‘Mech related:



FrostCollar: Are there any plans to introduce the UrbanMech as a full mech and not just as the best bobblehead that you can put on your dashboard?



A: <redacted>



Zekester81: Will the basic and elite skills ever be available on the trial mechs again, provided you have purchased the mech and unlocked the skills first? (as long as you have them unlocked, even if you no longer own the mech)



A: No. Trial Mechs never were affected by pilot skills. No current plans to change at the moment.



StalaggtIKE: Currently some of the mechs are not to scale. For instance, the medium mechs are too large. Is this deliberate for balance sake? Or will this be fixed? Thanks.



A: We are happy with the scales. Not planned changes yet.



MoonUnitBeta: WIll the <<HEAT WARNING>> and <<CRITICAL DAMAGE>> indicators see some attention to be better distinguishable, or moved to different locations?



A: It’s under review.



Prosperity Park: Can the Jenner 7K get ECM...?



A: No plans to add ECM to any other mechs yet.



Headlessnewt: Any chances of physics modifications to make dead mechs collapse and slide with the physics of a 30+ ton hunk of metal rather than those of a human corpse made of flesh?



A: We’re always tuning the simulation, but it’s a low priority.



BlkJaq: With the onset of knockdowns returning to the game at somepoint in the future, can we expect modules to counter against it?



A: No plans to have counters other than player skill at avoidance.



Mattiator: Are there any plans to introduce 'RetroTech' designs, utilizing primitive materials and the like, such as the Hector or BattleAxe?



A: Not at this time.



The Librarian: Are there any plans to add incremental Engine Damage? For example, in tabletop when you take a hit to your engine you lose some speed as well as some heatsinks.



A: It’s being discussed and could be added. No plans to do so yet.



ObsidianSpectre: Has PGI started production on any clan related assets yet?



A: Can’t answer that, sorry.



Alvor: Any chance of engine explosions with splash damage?



A: No at this time.



Weapon related:



Vincent Lynch: Will it ever be possible to jettison unused ammo, if the correspondent weapon ist destroyed? Or at least one button for jettisoning all the mech's ammo, if the first one is too complicated to implement?

A: Possibly, not a high priority currently.



KahnRa: Have you considered / tested having the beam duration of the Lasers controlled by the pilot (i.e. they only fire as long as you are holding the button, up to a pre-set duration)?



A: No plans to do this.



The Bad Charlie: If you shoot an SRM6 from a 4-pod hardpoint (phract in mind here), does it spread like an SRM4 or like the actual 6 (ie, like one on a 4sp hunchback)???



A: Shoots 4 and then 2 I believe.



Shaio: Why do ballistic weapons have a maximum range 3X that of there optimum range vs energy weapons which have a maximum range 2X that of there optimum range? why the different modifier?



A: Game balance.



knight templar: Have you thought of other "information warfare" type features, such as a piece of equipment that could spawn fake tracks to the enemy? Or is ECM it?



A: We have more IW items coming. This is something we’re looking into for a Command Console feature.



The Trice: Will streak srm2 be able to fire without need of lock like LRMs or it will stay as it is ?



A: No plans to change currently.



Jeye: Is there still a linear drop off of damage between the range of the weapon and the max range of the weapon? If not then how is the gap between range and max range weighted for energy and ballistics?



A: Beyond max range, damage drops off from 100% to 0%.



Game mode:



FireDog: Is there any firm plans or timeline to add additional game modes?



A: We’re testing some ideas. No ETA.



Dikaiosyne26: Are Match Score and change in ELO related in anyway?



A: No.



Kaeseblock: Any chance to see asymmetric game modes soon? (for example: one team has to defend a dropship, the other team has to destroy it)



A: Soon, no. Possibility,yes.



Xiang: Will conquest rewards be tuned to give a small xp reward for capping? Maybe 2-5 xp for a fully capped base, not a partial cap.



A: We’re looking into it.



Jchan1e: Are there plans to change either the mechanics or the rewards for base capping in Assault mode?



A: No.



Chauneko: Are you looking at increasing the number of points it takes to win in conquest on the larger maps and/or slowing down the speed at which the base is capped in assault mode?



A: We’re looking at tuning this on a per-map basis.



Panzershriek: Will there be a chance for a scattered drop? Basically a random start location for the mechs when they drop due to emergency or bad exit from the ship.



A: No plans.



Alvor: A possibility of protection/escort missions?



A: No plans for missions at this time.



Matchmaking:



WraithMandaka: When will we see private matches?



A: Private matches will be implemented, but not in a way players are probably thinking. We are still working out ways to make this feasible. No ETA.



HammerSwarm: Are there any plans to modify ELO for new mechs so that when I purchase a new mech I am unfamiliar with and don't have optimized I am not thrown to the wolves of my regular elo?



A: No. You have 4 Elo scores, 1 per class (Light, Medium, Heavy, Assault).



Red squirrel: Do you have any plans to deal with disconnects?



A: We are examining reconnect options.



IG 88: is there any plan to show us our elo and the enemy elo when we launch ?



A: No.



Sprouticus: Can you better explain how the ELO system is customized for MW:O? In particular, how chassis, weight class, equipment, and group are taken into account (if they are taken into account). We would love a better understanding of how PGI has modified base ELO.



A: There is a post in Command Chair detailing how Elo works.



Hardware:



BelZariel: When will MWO be Flight Stick and Throttle compatable [natively]?



A: You should see an improved experience with the next patch.



Apoc1138: Is there any news on SLI support? Or is this coming with DX11?



A: No ETA.



armyunit: Are there plans to release a 64-bit version of the game sometime in the future?



A: No plans currently.



Dan Baxter: When do you think a newer form of DirectX will be implemented in the game?



A: It’s in test.



Miscenalleous:



Kageru Ikazuchi: How will what PGI learned from the Heroes event shape the future of MWO?



A: It helped us



Beeman: It's been a long time since your original posts about community warfare so can you give any new details about what it'll be like to be a mercenary group or a lone wolf?



A: We’ll make an announcement with the full details when we are close to going live with CW.



vettie: When CW comes about, will we be restricted to "Lore" names such as Gray Death Legion or we be able to use our own Team names?



A: Merc Corps can create their own non-canon names.



CG Oglethorpe Kerensky: When can we expect critical hits to affect structural components such as Engines, Leg Actuators, Sensors, etc?



A: No ETA. Low priority currently.



screw ball: Whats the status of in game comms? C3?



A: We plan to do a full integration in the future. Most likely in the fall.



cjmurphy87: Can you tell us if the current C3 integration is the finished version? If not will grouping pug players be a feature in the future?



A: Not final. See above.



DevilCrayon: Once the in-game voicecomms are in place, is there any plan to have ECM interfere with communications similar to the way they interfere with targeting?



A: No.



NitroDev: How often does the general populace of MWO actually influence decisions made regarding game balance?



A: We listen to feedback and make changes if it passes a vetting process. Our conclusions are generally drawn from a variety of sources including things players don’t see, like telemetry, or future design plans.



Pat Kell: Do you have plans to release individual stats from the "Be A Hero" tournament? Will future tournaments have stats that are centered more around the individual rather then what everyone did combined?



A: No plans yet.



Monsoon: Out of curiosity, why wasn't the St. Ives Compact an available faction?



A: Wait for CW.



Deamhan: What is your official stance on modifying game files, particularly the user.cfg file?



A: You shouldn’t.



Servers:



Kisumi: Are there any plans to reduce the latency of players which is residing far away from the servers (myself included) to enhance our gaming experience?



A: Latency is not something we can easily control. Regional servers will help.



DV McKenna: Initially we are told we'll get a one time transfer to the server region of our choice. Once done we are stuck there and there is no=zero ability to then play with the opposite region. Can you be a bit more specific here?



A: It’s a one way transfer. You can always create a new account in the desired region of play.

