What features do you think MWLL needs to be complete?

[sgnl05]

I've been meaning to make this thread for awhile now, but what with MWLL progressing so well since the 0.3.0 release, maybe now is a good time.

What do you think MWLL needs to be called a completed mod (or game, if you'd rather think of it like that) rather than a beta? Or to put it another way, what features would the game be somehow incomplete without? I don't want to phrase the question as "what features would you not play the game without?", since it's currently missing several pretty important features yet we're obviously still playing it. Maybe the best way of thinking of it is, "what features would the game need to keep you playing it regularly for at least a year without any additional content added?"

I hope that's clear. I'm not just talking about absolutely essential features, but stuff that you think would add so much to the gameplay that it really should be included (in your opinion) if it's at all possible.

A couple points:

This isn't a request thread. The purpose isn't to list the things that you think the game needs in the hope that the devs will take notice and adjust their plans accordingly, cause they probably won't. This is really just about seeing what people think. If the devs pay attention then that's pretty cool, but that isn't my intention with this thread.

Be honest. Don't list a feature that you think would be really cool if the game could get along just fine without it. If in doubt, ask yourself "would I still play this game solidly for a year without this feature?" If you think you probably would then it doesn't belong on your list, no matter how awesome it would be.

If it's not completely obvious, explain why you think it's needed. You don't have to tell us why you think MWLL would be an incomplete game without being pretty much bug free, but if you think it'd be incomplete without some sort of planetary league meta game, explain why you think that.

Your list isn't a comment on the current state of the game. If you list balance as a needed feature, it doesn't mean that the game is unbalanced now, just that the completed game should be balanced.


My list:

Reasonably bug free (odd bug is ok, but if bugs are regularly interfering with gameplay that isn't)

Reasonable performance on decent machines (if you can run Crysis acceptably on medium settings, I'd like to think that you'd be able to play this reasonably well, even if you have to turn everything down)

Lag free 32 player games (assuming you have a decent connection and a server nearby)

Running animations for all mechs, unless they're too slow to need them

Completed cockpit interiors for all mechs.

Complete lineup for Clans and Inner Sphere. I guess I think of complete as at least 3 mechs per weight class per side, 3 aerospace per side, 1 hovercraft per side, 2 tanks per side, and at least 1 AA tank per side (possibly 2 if AA balance remains how it is, with the partisan as a low tier AA tank and the Huit as the high tier replacement). Both sides should be reasonably well balanced vs one another too.

Objective based game mode (terrain control) with at least 10 maps.

Mechlab (balanced so as not to make stock variants useless)

Cockpit look.

^^I'm including that because I think it'd add so much to mech combat, letting you maneuver much more easily through dense terrain while still fighting, and letting you keep your torso pointed away from the direction you're moving for long periods of time without having to worry about bumping into things. Basically I think it'd take mech piloting to a whole new level, so that's why it's in my list.

Something to help teams organize more easily than team chat.

^^Originally I was going to just say "squad system", but that's probably too much. I think that would be best, but reworked Crysis radio commands would be fine, or maybe a commander system or a way of letting players put markers on the map. Just something to spice up teamwork in those large pub games where everything starts to get a little chaotic and  most players can't manage anything much more complicated than just sticking together in one huge blob.

I think that's it for me. Your turn!

[dCK-Ad_Hominem]

My list will probably be short:

1.) Mechlab
2.) enough different assets (basically sgnl05's point)
3.) Torso and leg seperation so the torso does not always turn along when you turn your mech even if you haven't reached the limit of torso twist. A current problem especially when zoomed in on a target, I hate to always have to readjust my crosshairs then.
4.) One or two more playing modes with a sufficient supply of mechs.
5.) some weapon damage/hit detection and value for money balancing.

[Jaso the Sniper]

My list:

• Mechlab
• More game modes
• Team working-together-things
• Few bugs 
• More things!
• "User-created maps and stuff" support
• Optimized for slightly worse machines.

Actually, I'd play a whole year without these if others do too , but these are things I think are almost essential for good gameplay.

[RenoBlade [GDL]]

only stuff not mentioned before here.
my list

• special game modes. for example. pre-3050 mode for IS tech1 only mechs/weapons
• some weapon range changes. for example, weapon projectile have more range, but do less dmg beyond max range.
  also, with this the max range of all weapons should be lower, to make combat not sniping only.
• Command map / team navpoints for teamwork...

pre-3050 mode would make games much more exiting. not all alpha-kill mechs.

i just played mw2 merc yesterday and i noticed the oldschool weapons. lsr 640m range... or ppc. but nearly all weapons shoot way beyond that range. (2km ppc was fun)
if the weapon projectiles not just dissapear after maxrange (gauss/ppc), but travel further like AC, but lose damage drasticaly...
i know, thats no additional feature.

with a commandmap or somehow different map, where you can see what your team mates play, you could see who has a raven with tag and can place your artillery corresponding to that information.
or there could be nav points set. like a beacon from BA- grenades (like narc, but for nav points or artillery points) that could be used for tactical movements or indirect fire.

[nordwars]

3.) Torso and leg seperation so the torso does not always turn along when you turn your mech even if you haven't reached the limit of torso twist. A current problem especially when zoomed in on a target, I hate to always have to readjust my crosshairs then.

That's a blimmin good point! How did I not even notice that it wasn't there after playing for so long. It does explain why my aim is so bad. So, my list (a lot of it is based around getting and keeping players - we need more targets!):

1) Objective based game mode (terrain control) with at least 7 maps (10 is a lot of work!)
2) A way to enhance teamplay, or rather, make it easier. Target designation? Requests for help? Move instructions? etc. I'm talking about pub games here, clans have other ways of working together, but a lot of people can't devote enough time to join one. There has to be a way to make random pub games work better, and make the mechanism obvious, as a lot of players just don't know a lot of the controls when they join (sad but true).
3) So, as per above, an in game reference panel that is easy to find, so new players dont get lost = more players = more fun. The info panels in the spawn area of the hangar are a great idea btw.
4) Smoother/slicker movement small details make the difference - shuddering to the side on a AC20 hit for instance makes the game more immersive. Probably damn hard and fiddly to implement though.
5) Persistent stats/experience with achievements could be interesting, make players more committed (and let you know if you are up against an ace or a newbie).
6) Good performance on low settings, while still looking amazing on high.
7) Improved netcode (will apparently come when ported to wars).

[Profane Arbiter]

Mechlab, more assets, and game modes...there are also a few bugs that need to be addressed but overall the game is less buggy than some retail titles I've purchased!

Oh, and optimizing how some of the vehicles move as well as the damn Maulers cockpit!

[RDL cepera]

1. ported mod to crysis wars
2. mechlab
3. more game modes
4. 10-20 maps greater distance (20-30 km)
5. output statistics of the battle for its processing
6. option to turn off the appearance of elemental for the current map :-)

[=KoS= Tripod]

NOT mechlab, unless very well balanced
Look at Chromehounds, everyone was walking around with massive metal plates around their cockpits with legs so skinny that you couldn't take them out either .
They would just run around you spamming their 6-8 autocannons while you can't do any real damage to them.

[snooggums]

• Mechlab
  SA modes for Clan vs Clan and IS vs IS to go along with Clan vs IS and all mechs available to both teams.
  More games modes (I look forward to the two that are close to done).
  Port to Crysis Wars for network improvements.
  Removal of weapons for mechwarrior/aero/vehicle (other than APC) except for basic laser on vehicle entry.
  More BA options to make playing it dedicated more interesting.
  

Other than the extra SA modes I think the rest are announced or have been considered openly. I'm pretty optimistic!