[size=36pt]MWO - Scenario League Official Forum Thread [size=18pt]Q. What is it? A. MWO Scenario League is a group of individuals coming together to participate in scheduled and organized events. Players will be fighting against eachother in coordinated scenarios such as: Ambush, Escort, and Patrol. [size=18pt]Q. How? A. This can be accomplished with the premium private lobby system as well as forum posted rules and communication via Team Speak. Prior to launch, each team will be given the scenario guidelines (mech restrictions, weapon restriction, unit numbers, etc) as well as a briefing for the objective of the game. It is required that each team gives the GM, Game Master, their full cooperation. [size=18pt]Q. Where/When? A. Official schedules would be released via a thread post outlining what scenario is taking place on a specific date. A roster will be created for each event showing who is participating and what position they are filling. For example: An Attack/Defend scenario has been written out and approved in private. The GM for that event would announce, in a thread, that the scenario is Attack and Defend, list the requirements for each team, and how many positions are needed to fulfill the scenario intent. At the time of the event start, the lobby in-game should reflect the roster that was made. This way some coordination and planning can happen prior to the event and save time for the event itself. [size=18pt]Q. Isn't this community warefare? A. This is not intended to replace or satisfy what the general public want to see with Community Warefare nor what PGI intends to do in the future. Scenario League can be considered a group or role-players who want to challenge themselves by volunteering to restrictions set by the scenario and/or the GM. I do not know what CW will look like in the future or when it will be officially implemented, but this is intended to stand apart. [size=18pt]Q. What does this league require from PGI? A. The only requirement for this to work properly is a free-cam or spectator mode to monitor the matches as a GM and make sure the mission is moving forward according to the script. For those of you not familiar with running a campaign for a role-play game, this does NOT mean that the game is per-determined or people will be corrected or told what to do during the game. This would mainly be used to make sure the starting positions of both teams is correct and to monitor/record the game. PGI would be required to implement a free-cam option somehow, and this is a discussion I would like to have with the developers. [size=14pt]Final Thoughts The game modes that currently exist in MWO are not enough to satisfy me and I believe that many of you would agree. They are very general, uncomplicated, and often turn into team death match. What I want to establish will add more depth to game objectives, strategy, and teamwork. This game deserves more complex goals and unique situations. The downfall of many games could be attributed to stagnation and repetitiveness. Let's breathe life into the potential this game has and get the ball rolling in a new direction. Launch Module is around the corner and the ability to create custom lobbies; we have a great opportunity to try new and interesting things. I would really appreciate your feedback and recommendations for this idea. Thank you, Solahma
Awesome! I'm really excited to start writing out mission scenarios and briefings. Still trying to figure out the the details for the "How" part. Home (Forum/Site and TS) I'll need to find a place to call home, whether it is MechSpecs, NGNG forums, or official forums. It would need a section dedicated to related threads. So far it's only me organizing and a dedicated website with it's own forum is above/beyond me. I'd welcome any advice of help I can get for making a home somewhere. There is also the issue of a Teamspeak server with a dedicated section for the league. Missions (Details and Scheduling) I think a forum thread is sufficient to share the general details of a mission and when it will take place. Mission Briefing (Specific details for the mission) The fine details will be given via a voice briefing where players would be expected to: cut the chatter, listen up, and take notes. Each team would be located in a different channel and await their turn for a briefing specific for their team. Role-Playing (make it interesting, get involved and in-character) I want it to feel like a real campaign with as much role-playing and player interaction as possible. Get into character as a member of your faction, take faction/house specific mechs, add your own personality to the game that could determine what actions to take. Spectator Mode (very much needed) I'm having trouble figuring out how this would be possible without a spectator mode for the person running the scenario. The GM, game master, needs to be present in real-time to coordinate starting locations and influence the game during unforeseen complications and unique situations. People have free-will and might not follow the plan that was expected, a GM has to be ready for such occasions and adapt the scenario to fit the intended goal. This does not mean control the game toward a particular ending. Another reason to have is spectator present is for visibility and record. The GM would need to verify that the objective has been met and that there were no complications that need to be dealt with or fixed. The spectator could also record the game and create a video showing what happened or use it to write a summary of the events that took place. It would go a long way for developing a full campaign where each scenario and event is connected to the next. The out-come of each battle might impact a greater story. It has the potential to be something really great!
I would be in if I could find time. I want to play more with the community, but work keeps getting in the way. I'm on a few times a week, but I still have non mastered mechs so PUGing for now for exp and C-Bills.
After speaking with Mason Grimm, I realize there is some clarification that needed to be added. It would be nice to have PGI involved in the events, however that was never my intent. There are no prize incentives that I had in mind, and frankly this isn't the sort of thing that warrants prizes. It's not a tournament or have a board where players climb-the-ranks. That doesn't mean it can't be discussed or implemented somehow. My vision of this league is that any player who wants to invest his time and effort can run a game, with no tools granted specifically to him, a group of people, or the league in-general. Everything needed to run his scenario would be guided by rules and restrictions communicated via thread post. Nothing would be governed by mechanics or features in the game (except the ability to spectate). Here is an example of how I see a typical scenario working, start to finish: 1.) Creating a Scenario: A person, male for this example, decides to run an event/scenario. He creates an convoy/ambush situation where one team would ambush the other. The basic idea is that one team, Team A, will be traveling a designated route (or choice of routes) from one point to another. The other team, Team B, must to ambush Team A and annihilate them or severely cripple them. He looks at Alpine Peaks and recognizes that it has interesting locations for an ambush, so he focuses on that map. There are many hills and canyons that a team could lead an ambush. He decides to start the traveling team in G11, the large urban area. That team will move south down the "10" line and then head west down the "J" line to J5. The other team will launch an ambush from any point along that route to prevent the traveling team from reaching the target destination. So far so good right? pretty simple enough? Almost sounds like what you might occasionally see happen on an Assault mode. However, never to this extent and one team's objective isn't the same as the others. Things have only just begun to get interesting though. Now he has to decide what each team is allowed to bring. He decides that the traveling team will be made up of 1 assault, 1 heavy, and 4 medium weight mechs. The ambush team will consist of 6 medium and 2 light mechs. Perhaps he goes as far to specify which mechs from each weight class can be taken. Maybe he allows the potential players to choose from pre-created builds. He has no way of forcing that player to take a specific mech load out, but that could be discussed and would entirely depend on trust. Now he has a general scenario plan. 2.) Develop a story: The guy running the scenario will have to develop a story for for the players. Perhaps in this example he states that an out-post (J5 area) had gone dark. No communications or response. Team A is sent out to investigate why communications had been lost. The are ordered to proceed down the road to J5 and to be on the lookout. Team B was sent to perform a raid on the outpost and cripple/destroy whatever forces they can. Now we have an extremely basic start of a story that would resemble part of a briefing (later) 3.) Recruit Players: The coordinator would need to post a general idea of the scenario with very little details. He could specify a "Raid Operations" to be vague, or even and "Ambush" game so players know what they are signing up for. He could then specify what the teams would be comprised of and what mechs they are allowed to take. A roster is then generated and an event date is scheduled. 4.) Event Day Players will assemble in a general TeamSpeak channel and be directed into their own team channels. A briefing would be given to each team for their objective in the game and where they can/must start on the grid. A Premium Lobby is created where players are assembled and mechs selected. Game mode (in this case skirmish most-likely), Map, and other choices are then selected before the game launches. Game is launched. Time is given to players before the game scenario starts in order to get into position. Once players are in position, the game officially starts. The outcome of the game is decided based on the observations of the Spectator/Organizer if the objective(s) are completed. Game ends and a summary of events is created and discussion of the game. Possible impacts in a multiple scenario game are discussed. Perhaps each scenario has reward that will be accounted for in the next scenario (like an extra mech, consumables, etc) but nothing monetary. That was only a quick example of how I imagine this will operate. There is a lot more to be hammered out and this certainly wouldn't be considered a guide yet, maybe the Alpha Guide
So I thought of a work-around to monitor and run these games without a spectator mode. It's definitely not a perfect system by any means, but I think it will be possible. Scenarios highly recommend two organizers/spectators (one for each team). When the game starts, they will immediately get team-killed and spectate their friendly team for the match via current 1st-person mode. This is limited because you have to be watching one person at a time instead of the game as a whole. It also means that you would need two people to run a game instead of one, and coordinate together via a separate TS channel. This also means that you could never run a full 12-man team in any scenario, unless it was 11 v 12 with one spectator. This is my best idea so far, but I'm certainly open to others if anyone has something to suggest.
Just drop your spectators in the game with bright yellow locusts that no one is allowed to shoot. Still only gives you 11v11 but at least then you can actually run around spectating.
NGNG podcast #109 Phil confirmed that a spectator mode is being tested (Closed-Alpha currently). This is great news for this league and all other leagues for that matter. I'll keep you posted.
