POLL: Should MECHSPECS.COM Move-To/Incorporate Battletech game info?

With the return of Jordan Weisman, the creator of Battletech, and a fresh injection of excitement into the Battletech universe, by way of the new Battletech game, should we incorporate some of that greatness in to this site?

Don't know what I'm talking about? Check it out!



Now; there are two schools of thought here....

Open up a side of MechSpecs.com for the Battletech game and still have the MWO stuff (regardless of opinions on the game itself).

OR

Move MechSpecs.com fully to the Battletech universe? Since this is already a Battletech/Mechwarrior targeted site with a very good Google history (4 years running now) this would be the perfect place to house something like this!

At one time @WeBeHarebrained had reached out about buying MechSpecs but felt that the game was still too far away and they didn't want to manage a site to drum up interest in the game; putting their efforts and money towards developing said game. Now? Who knows, today is a different day almost a year later.

What are your thoughts? I'll even have this open so people can post thoughts and replies. Also, please share this poll with your friends and your friends friends. We are quite curious to see the results.

 

Yeah that said I play MWO as a FPS shooter and the HBS one which I backed as a founder will be offline single player campaign for me and I suspect a lot of people. Definitely worth adding an extra section for it though as a lot of people are interested.

 

HBS have their own Forums though.

 

There is, in my opinion, a really good community here, with a number of you doing great things to keep us all coming back

If that can be extended to include the new game (which I also backed, somewhat more than the domestic management is happy with!) then I'd say go for it. Speaking only for myself my enjoyment of the new Battlemech game will be enhanced if that can be made to work

 

I think that Mechspecs should have different sections for all current Battletech games. So at the moment I think that is only MWO and the new HBS Mechwarrior game. Perhaps there should be a simplier historic section of the forums for people to discuss older games. Then Mechspecs can always remain relevant.

 

To be honest MWO is dead or at the very least dying. I haven't played in months because the game has become about as static as one can get; Pokemon with robots... I'm not here to collect a different shiny every month only to have to get a different shiny the month after. Balance has become about the flavour of the month and game evolution is simply "let's try this or try that". That youtube personality who got banned for giving MWO some realistic criticism recently was kind of the writing on the wall. Any developer that personally jumps in, has a temper tantrum and bans a player is an idiot and shouldn't be running a business.

I vote you scrub it clean and start over for Battletech. Yes, I'm a battletech backer and to be honest I think Jordan Weisman will do great things with Battletech.

After I read your statement; I still can't figure out why he didn't buy this site from you when he had the chance Michael. This would have been ready made community for his upcoming game. They may have their own site but this place has always been free of the taint of corruption and propaganda and I think that is what makes this community special. I would love to come back here regularly (read that as daily) for when Battletech launches.

 

I wasn't aware of that Battletech game Michael. Thank you! I started doing some digging here and on the web I think I found a YouTube channel where you spoke about it yourself? Assuming you are that Canuck Gamer guy?

I still play MWO albeit at a much reduced capacity. The game really is Call of Duty with robots and isn't going to evolve beyond that. It is nice to jump in once in a while and play a match or three but I certainly don't spend any money on the game anymore nor do I really have any interest in the league play. I firmly believe the players that MWO has are a small core of people who play MWO because they are good at it and maybe not so good at taking on new challenges. "Look, I own at this game" type players who when put in other arenas suck hardcore. It's an ego thing for them. Once those players marry, have kids, or die off, that core will shrink and Russ and Bryan will have to get real jobs. Yes Russ, I'd like fries with that. Super size it please!

Anyways, I wandered a bit there. I vote that you do both MWO and Battletech; at least until MWO closes up shop because the game is no longer profitable and then convert it all the way to Battletech.

Wow, you spoke with JW? The guy who invented Battletech? When I read your comment about them being interested in the site/domain, and then not buying it, I think one of two things; either it really wasn't JW or that company is kinda cheap? How much were you asking for it if you don't mind my asking?

 

can i back this game?

The MWO community is great. So keep this part around too. Slowly ppl are going to play both, if not more.

 

Yes, I am CanuckGamer but no I haven't done any videos in a while. Nothing has really tickled my fancy and doing videos for the sake of doing them (especially to try and make a living off them?) is something basement dwellers do LOL

I think they just didn't want to spend a few thousand at that point as it was well before their community backer project and they weren't really sure whether it would sink or swim. Also, they didn't/don't really have much content right now to show to the world other than a teaser and a super early early alpha. I can't fault Jordan for that logic. He was immensely interested in the community that is MechSpecs though. I kept those emails; it's not often that someone who created something you loved as a kid writes you! Maybe @WeBeHarebrained is in a different place today? I don't know. I would certainly be willing to sit down and talk with them. I am happy with my decision not to sell to the Hawken people back in the day. Mechs are for Battletech universe LOL

Yes, I heard about this from @Bolththrower who told me the evolving story. It is certainly bad PR when someone goes off the handle and then backtracks after he's had time to breath through the nose. In all fairness, Russ has had enormous pressure over the last few years to deliver a product that is sustainable and people constantly poking at you doesn't help anyone.

Well please keep coming back Bob! Your posts are few but your comments are often insightful. Even thought I don't play MWO anymore I will certainly be looking forward to playing Battletech. I just wish I had more to donate to that cause.

Yes, you can. I believe they still have a late backer program. At this point I don't think you get anything "special" other than knowing you helped bring some new excitement to a community which has been beaten down pretty hard over the last year or two. Mech-heads around the world are salivating at Battletech. FPS Kiddies not so much but Purists are. Weisman at the helm? Even if he fucked it up hardcore it is still from the mind of The Creator LOL

I had thought about this however this is an extremely ambitious and challenging endavour. It would require me to figure out a way to move this site to a sub domain (like mwo.mechspecs.com) and then do a sub domain for each and every other site. This would allow pages not to be 90 miles long. Especially if Russ and Brian keep kicking out new Pokemon (I got a chuckle out of that reference in this thread. Strangely apt). It warrants much food for thought.

One of the reasons I started this thread is that I have just renewed the SSL Certificate (to be installed within the next day or two before the current one expires) and the web hosting will be coming due in December of this year. The kitty has run dry as Google Adsense is paying about $100.00 every 4 months now and so any project will most likely be coming out of pocket.

 

https://battletech.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

I agree the community is great. I am just returning home after meeting over half of our Aussie MWO comp team Tier 9. So much in common but very different people. I can tell it is similar with the Mechspecs community. Perhaps the question is what format suits the community no matter what is the current Battletech game. I think that is what Michael is asking.

P.S. I didn't back the HBS game because I am sick of Kickstarter and how that business model can raise expectation levels into orbit and then on release day everyone is pissed off when it isn't all that was promised (like MWO). Personally I think it could be ruining games, unless Devs learn how to manage the community.

 

Well, we cannot reasonably expect you to pay out for a web site / do hours of work on this without help

Guess that leaves me / us with the question of what I / we are willing to do about it if we want MWO mechspecs to continue / morph into MWO plus Battletech

I'll PM you Michael

 

I guess there might be a way to default all those sections to minimize, that would help for sure.

As for $$$, thanks for reminding, time to pour in a few "supply crates"
(FYI I love the crates, they are free 50k cbills... never opened one and unlikely I ever will though)

Oh, $50 seem fair for the game if it is nice, hope there is a online mode we can play with each other though, nothing fancy just person to person connection.

 

Hey all. Sorry am at the office on smart phone so none of that fancy quote stuff.

Chris thanks for the pm. Ill address when I get home.

As for online mode? Yes there will be. Bolt and I are looking forward to that immensely. Imagine table top with your buddies around the world!

 

Thanks Michael. I'll donate $5 or $10 for the revolution! If everyone dug a little we could keep this server going for another year and maybe even provide an incentive for you to branch out in to Battletech. I'm not a web guru but I imagine it is a fairly difficult task doing domains and splitting a single domain up between various games. Speaking of battletech! I am really stoked to see that game completed after seeing the early Alpha test. I like the idea of calling up one of my buddies in the States or in Australia and saying "Let us get some beer and spend all weekend avoiding the Missus)

If anyone wants to donate to the MechSpecs fund they can check this out. Pretty straight forward and they have been around for several years. Whether you like MWO, or want to see an addition to the MechSpecs house, you should click it. Don't tell your wives I said so though!

https://www.mechspecs.com/account/upgrades

Too bad Weisman and those guys aren't really looking to snag this community as a whole. I know you are tired of MWO as a game but are still passionate about the BTU so them taking it off your hands for a couple thousand dollars would be win win win (them, you and us).

 

Thanks Bob! Two of you have already donated to the cause a little so that is a decent start! We've got a couple of months until it's all due. I updated the renewed SSL last night so that should be good in the coming days.

 

I've never really been a tabletop, RTS, turn based kind of guy. The only game I've ever played with any frequency that even comes close to that type of genre, is pokemon (haha). MWO, for all its failings, is still a fun game for me as it puts you directly into the action, literally in the pilot's seat. Yes, it is essentially relegating itself into an arena instanced, cash grab (micro transactions and pack after booster pack of "new poke'mon"), slower (to coin one of its early descriptive phrases) "thinking-man's call of duty" it's all we have until developers realize the true genius of PU mech games like ChromeHounds, and the almost necessity of engaging story-driven single player that offers diverse scenarios and multiple solutions. All of the above is simply in my humble opinion, of course.

(My main franchise of preference is Battlefield. The multiplayer has always been arena based with a plethora of options of course, but there was a time when single player afforded you plenty of freedom in how to progress)

I would never begrudge the will of others to invest in something they find appealing. This new game looks entertaining and could evolve into something pretty freaking sweet. So incorporate it, but don't do a total switch over. That would be as bad as some knee jerk nerfs we've all seen.

TL;DR: Do both until S.S MWO has sunk, then trade ships to the S.S BattleTech

 

That seems to be the general consensus. Add a Battletech section. I'll have to look in to moving this to a subdomain and then setting up an instance for battletech on a sub domain. Assuming we get server costs covered for the year and another instance of XenForo shouldn't be too too difficult.