Stat Wipe clarification:

Long Draw - This stat wipe, will it include monetary and mech/pilot skills or just K/D ratio and W/L ratio? Would it affect how our Premium Time has been used?
A: Stats are Kills, Deaths, Wins, Losses, Accuracy, etc. No MC, XP, CB will be removed or reset. This is in preparation for the addition of Achievements. This is also not final, but a thought. We may move to a seasonal concept, similar to other F2P products. No final decisions have been made.

Customization related:



Prosperity Park - Would the Game Staff be willing to consider an option for players to "Heroize" their favorite non-Hero Mechs, in such a way that Users could pay #MC to permanently increase the End Mission c-bill payout by some value between 5 ->15% for that particular variant?
A: Interesting idea, anything is possible.

Tabrias07 - Are you considering any changes to MC prices or further incentivizing small or first-time purchases?
A: We have started to increase the number of sale events to help encourage players to make that first purchase. So far all of our recent events have been huge hits.

Foster Bondroff - Are the following customization options planned? Moving hardpoints to a different location (i.e. from Torso to Arms) and/or removing hand and lower arm actuators to free additional slots? And if yes, will those changes have influence on the 3D modell?
A: No plans to allow changes here. The hardpoints are an important part of balancing out each variant.

Super Mono - Will patterns continue to replicate cammo schemes or will we be seeing more original patterns like the Phranken or PC Gamer pattern?
A: We plan to introduce 1 basic and 1 Phranken style pattern per month, starting in February.

Jetfire - Are there any plans for a digital camo pattern?
A: Yes.

Maverick01 - Can we get a searchlight or floodlight for our BattleMechs? This would be awesome on night maps!
A: Neat idea. No promises.

Alpha One- Will we ever have the ability to change our pilot name? This is usually a paid feature in just about every MMO I've played and I'd be willing to pay MC to change mine.
A: Yes, and it will cost MC to change.

ExAstris - Are there plans (and approximately when) to let us reorganize our mechbay and/or rename our mechs?
A: Yes, with UI 2.0. No firm ETA, it’s in the works.

Brown Hornet: Will you be allowing players to re-arrange their mechs in mechlab? If so, when do you think this level of customization will be introduced?
A: Yes, with UI 2.0. No firm ETA, it’s in the works.

Muffinator - Why can't founders mechs be repainted, and will this change?
A: They use a custom geometry, and like Hero Mechs are designed to be recognizable on the battlefield. We are looking into the merits of allowing this customization. Stay tuned.

ThomasMarik - Since we are able to freely modify our mechs anyway; How are Omnimechs going to work?
A: At this point we are not ready to discuss Clan Technology. We are getting very close to a final design, so look forward to a more official announcement in April/May.

ChaosGrinder - Are there any plans concerning character customization in the (far) future ?
A: Yes, but it’s very low priority at the moment.

Console:



Nash- The command console, which is already available at the mech lab, has right now no function. Is it possible to give us a brief summary what function it might have? (e.g. must it be equipt to use the already announced air strikes? )
A: David Bradley is working on a concept, expect a Command Chair post when the design is ready.

Strum Wealh -What specific capabilities are planned or under consideration with regard to "fleshing out" the Command Console, and how will the Command Console both distinguish itself from the BattleGrid and prove useful to those who take the Commander role?
A: David Bradley is working on a concept, expect a Command Chair post when the design is ready.

Mechlab:


60AT5M1LK - The Mechlab currently to me isn't very informative. Is there going to be more information in the future on each item before buying it?
A: This has been partially addressed in the February 19th patch.

60AT5M1LK - Is there ever going to be a trade system with friends?
A: No plans.

Graphics


MoonUnitBeta - I like the HDR Lighting, but not the Depth of Field in the Post-Processing slider. Will more specific graphical control be introduced over time to the user (outside of user.cfg) to allow them to pick and choose, and optimize their graphics vs FPS?
A: We continually expose more variables for players to tune. Depth of field is an aspect of gameplay, as it affects player vision. We are reviewing the gameplay impact, and may add the option to tune it.

BeakieHelmet - Why is brightness and contrast disabled at the moment, and when can we expect to see those sliders enabled?
A: There is a CryEngine bug associate with this feature, expect to see it fixed in the future.

TwigTech - Are there any plans to improve or adjust the night vision in the future? Currently it's contrast is too high for me to use without hurting my eyes (especially in River City Night), so I find myself alternating between thermal and regular vision in night battles instead.
A: I answered no in the last QNA, but this has been brought up numerous times, so maybe.

Weapon Related:


Tabrias07- Are you considering implementing hardpoint types i.e., Regular/Large or SRM/LRM only?
A: Not at this moment.

Artgathan - Is there a chance of seeing 'manufacturer-specific' weapons (meaning that weapons would have variants that are slightly different from each other, such as longer range or faster reload, for example)?
A: Possibly, we have a design for it.

Haas360 - Any ETA when the flamer and machine gun will have their crit system changed to be effective to armor stripped mechs?
A: Tuning is ongoing, expect some changes in the next 2-3 patches.

Lazyone - Is there any way we can get detailed info about weapons in the mechlab? Like how much damage it does, how much heat it builds up and range.
A: Done.

Iacov - When you designed the machine guns - were you aware of the purely awesome sound effect it has?
A: Yes. Thanks to Sean.

Nathan Foxbane - Will we see any or some of the more exotic and rarer/unusual non-experimental weapons systems in game? For example the Binary Laser Cannon, while unusual and frequently mounted on prototypes they are not experimental in and of themselves from my research. Not curious about the 'Mechs they can be found on, just if we will see them in game any time soon™ or ever? (Yes or no answer will be enough)
A: Yes, in the future, provide it’s available in the timeline.

Zatharus Mathew deTora - Is it possible to add in melee damage for such classics as the Axman or similar mechs/a reserve PUNCH TO THE CT?
A: Melee is something we want to do… however making it fun, and practical, isn’t so easy.

Egomane - Will we be able to sell modules, armor or ammo in the future?
A: Yes.

Big Giant Head - Will EMP effect from PPC/ERPPC affect heat vision or any other cockpit HUD/neurohelment HUD?
A: It has been discussed, no plans yet.

JastAMalcontent - Why isn't there a way to adjust weapon groupings outside of a match? Can you make it so you can?
A: We plan to add this with UI 2.0.

Kazly - Would you consider leaving the functionality of ECM alone and perhaps putting a small hitbox on it somehow? As in... it uses an antenna and a direct hit will take it out?
A: We have tuned the crit HP to make it more vulnerable.

Joystick:


Alpha One - Will we be seeing any improved joystick support in the near feature, such as changing the turning axis to analog and a Relative / Absolute toggle for the pitch and yaw axes? Also access to joystick configuration options (axis inversion, sensitivity, etc) in the control options menu as opposed to having to manually edit the User.cfg file?
A: Yes, no ETA.

Anony Mouse - What news, Any news, can you convey regarding native Joystick/Controller support?
A: Ongoing improvements will come online in the next few months. Nothing firm yet.

Gif -Any word on the Razer Artemis Controller?
A: No updates, we are currently deciding the feasibility of the controller.

Maps related:


Habukkuk - Would it be possible to get map details on the waiting for players screen? Stuff like location, ambient temperature, planet coordinates, etc.
A: Yes, this is coming.

p00k - Will we ever see the sunny version of forest colony from back in the early beta again?
A: No plans at this time.

ExAstris - In regards to maps any chance of seeing the City of Toleck (sp?) map? - You know the one from the original Mechwarrior trailer that stated 'In Game Footage', and as such would seem to indicate that map was at least nearly complete back in 2009.
A: The content was created in a different engine, a lot has changed since then, including the design of the game. We plan to add more city levels, now that we have the assets available to us.

Dagger6T6 - We have heard of the next maps coming in like the Alpine and the Desert... Can you tell us even the slightest detail of what locations we might see after that? Swamp, Jungle?... or something exotic like Asteroid, Cave, Garth's boudoir.
A: Volcano, Canyons, and Moonscape are up next after Alpine and Desert. This gives us a full suite of art assets to play with and create dozens of combinations .

Dikaiosyne26 - Will we ever see some truly alien environments to fight in? Will we ever have a map with non standard gravity? A Moon map would be awesome, but its a big universe, and everything doesn't always look like Terra!
A: Yes!

ElliottHD -Are there any plans to open up a "create a map" system for players. Maybe as a second program all together that has a suite or map building and editing tools. Then those user created maps could be uploaded to the server. You could just have a toggle next to the launch button to "Allow user created maps." Are there plans do "exotic" or "interstellar" maps? The current maps are places that could found on earth. How about some intergalactic variety. Something truely Alien. Once we can start and run official Merc Corps, is there a plan to allow members to share c-bills and mech parts? Maybe with a central Corp bank like EVE has? Will Corps have thier own rank/level? Will that rank/level effect the contracts the Corp can take on? Or effect other bonuses possibly?
A: Due to the complexity of designing maps, including the performance and balance requirements, we do not plan support user made levels. We are working towards more alien looking worlds with the upcoming new maps. At this time we are not able to discuss the details of CW, however, we are being very careful about player-to-player transfers, as it opens up the game to farming and cheating.

‘Mech related:


Ethidium - Will the total number of Mechs I own benefit me in the achievement system or in community warfare; should I keep every Mech I buy because it will benefit me later, even if I don’t intend to play it?
A: Yes. Very much so. There will be collector achievements, along with the need to own multiple configurations of Mechs for DropShip modes.

ExAstris - Will mechs that are already released ever undergo balance passes to ensure their competitiveness for their weight (with respect to other variants of the same mech or other mechs of the same tonnage)?
A: We are currently working on implementing the quirks of each variant. These quirks are little stat boosts and nerfs applied to a variant of a Mech. This is meant to both balance different variants of the same chassis, as well as balance them when compared to all of the other chassis. Newly created Mechs will receive these quirks as they’re released, and we hope to implement them on one or two older chassis per patch. [David]

CarnifexMaximus -Once you guys start to develop new mechs for release, how do you decide the number of hard points for weapons between the different variants? (e.g. DRG-1C, 1 Ballistic HP - DRG-5N, 3 Ballistic HP) Will there be any future variants (other than hero mechs) for mechs that have already been introduced into the game?
A: The first part of the question would require a more lengthy response from David Bradley, I will ask him to make a post. As for the second part, yes, we plan to add variants to existing Mechs.
Note from David: Definitely something that I can do but, yes, it would require a somewhat lengthy response.

Postumus - What ever happened to the proposed heat penalties for multiple weapons of the same type/name on a mech or single place on a mech? I remember this being specifically mentioned by a dev as under consideration, but I have yet to see any word about the idea since, either yea or nay. Is this still under consideration?
A: It’s still under consideration, not plans or ETA.

Foster Bondroff - With the release of XTRO: Succession War I Catalyst introduced new designs for some of the unseen/reseen mechs, namely the Wasp, Griffin and especially Marauder. Any chance we will see those classic and epic mechs in the game based on the new art in this new XTRO?
A: I can’t comment on Unseen/Reseen. Very sorry.

M0rpHeu5 - Some people believe that Hero mechs are a form of P2W, what's your thought on this matter?
A: I do not view them as P2W, as they do not create a way to circumvent skill as the primary attribute for success.

BarHaid - What are your thoughts on modifying the mech skill tree? Is there any chance of introducing variety between weight class?
A: We plan to give Pilot and Mech Trees an overhaul in the near future (late spring/summer).

SGT Unther - Any chance of getting sub 100 rated engines? For example the Urbanmech has a 60 rated engine.
A: If a Mech calls for it, then yes.

Tuku - What are the chances that we see the Annihilator any time in the future? I would love you forever if you gave me a quad LBX assault!
A: I hope so. So many mechs, to many choices… aaaaaahhhh.

GrandKlaive - Will there be a Kerensky Orion and DeChavilier Atlas Hero Mechs, and is there any possibilities of single mech Hero Mechs for example a Victor even though it is the only variant?
A: We plan a full range of Hero Mechs for most mech types.

Phlyk - Are we ever going to see gradual decreased to the performance of our mechs based on current heat levels. E.g. having higher heat may mean slower movement and less accuracy (represented by slower RoF maybe?). Are we going to see critical hits on built in mech components such as actuators?
A: No plans to at this time. However, each of these systems is always undergoing tweaks, and we may see something like this in the future.

Matchmaking:



mailin: Are there any plans to include the number of ECM mechs in the matchmaker calculations. Currently it's frustrating when one side has 4 ECM and the other has 1 or zero. I think this would go a long toward quieting some of the ECM critics out there.
A: No plans to make ECM part of the matchmaker. As with all game systems, we continually adjust, tune, add new counters. Both the Feb 5th and 19th patch contain ECM tweaks and counters. Check out the patch notes for more details.

Repair and Ream:


blinkin - Will repair and rearm ever come back? if not please explain the reasoning behind removing it.
A: No plans to bring back RNR. RNR was removed to create a balanced economy. In the end it created more problems than solved, and was essentially a tax. The system was prone to abuse by farmers and active players. The decision was made to protect the integrity of the game at the cost of removing a feature most people did not use (based on telemetry).

Servers:


Nash - You mentioned that EU servers may be introduced at 2013. My question is: Will your pilot name be available on both servers (North America and Europe) or only on one of them? (I ask because otherwise it could happen that 2 different people are taking the same pilot name one at North America and the other at Europe
A: Each region is has its own database and unique user names. Regions do not play with or against each other.

Delas Ting Usee - When will we see Asian Servers? ie. Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Japan etc.
A: I do not have a timeline for Asia yet. When we do, expect an announcement.

Ethidium - Are there any plans for additional servers in North America, if so, where would these servers be located?
A: None at the moment. If we did add more servers, they would likely be on the west coast.

Iacov:
1. Will there be an European founders program (or something similar) on occasion of the start of the European game server?
A: We are reviewing this.
1.1 Can you give specifics about the European Server?
A: No yet.
1.2 Can players, that are currently playing on the NA server move their account to the European game region? Or is it a "fluent" system where you are assigned via matchmaking to the best fitting game server?
A: Our goal would be to offer a onetime transfer option. Regions will have their own servers and unique accounts.

Miscenalleous:


Theevenger - Are there any plans to make trees physical obstacles that can stop bullets/be destroyed/hinder mech movement?
A: Yes. This is working, but waiting on some fixes to the netcode.

Mr Mondragon - Do you guys have any plans for community created content? More to the point: will it be possible one day for the community to help developing maps and expand the universe of MWO? (Before the end of beta? please?)
A: No plans. We are looking at other ways for the community to participate however.

Carrioncrows - Any thoughts on running a contest (Artwork, Story) about MWO were the winner gets to design their own hero mech from available content?
A: Anything is possible!

Glowhollow - Statistics - will there be implemented - like "Sum of Headshots"... "Accuracy of Shots"... "Damage done..."
A: Yes. When stats are nearing integration, expect a Command Chair post with all the details.

iG0Lka - When the screenshot function will be activated? It is in the configuration file Crytek Engine - engine.pak\config\recording.cfg Or the reasons why this feature has not been activated?
A: It will be turned on shortly.

KahnRa - Looking back at the beginning of last year, where did you think you would be by now with the development of the game, and are you happy with where the game is at?
A: We’re tracking better now. We had some unexpected delays when we went to OB, it was an adjustment managing Live Ops and Feature development. That hump is over, and we can plan and deliver with much more accuracy and predictability. This makes me a happy panda.

Flying Blind - What plans are the to deal with the exploit of stacking larger slower more powerful mechs on top of faster mechs? Would bringing knock-down back solve this issue?
A: The engineers are working on a fix.

Foster Bondroff - Any future plans of having separate timelines running? Currently whe have 3050, but i could imagine that many players would also like some 3020ish timeline and me personally would really like a Blakist Jihad timeline starting from 3069.
A: It’s possible down the road, no promises though.

Adridos - Is there any word on in-game music like who's composing it, when can we expect it and so on?
A: It’s coming in the next few patches. Sean Kolton.

Carrioncrows - Any plans to have AI controlled theater? For example a particular game mode where 8 players versus 1 AI drop ship and or mechs/tanks/infantry in a team orientated game mode? I have more in depth examples but I figured i would ask the basic question first.
A: PVE has been talked about, no plans to develop or release anytime soon. We plan to add an offline Testing Grounds in March.

Sable - When your mech is destroyed instead of just seeing the outside view of your mech falling over, are there any plans for an animated ejection sequence? I'd love to get auto ejected when my mech blows to have that rush of failure sweep over you.
A: No plans in the near future.

Mal -Will anyone else from the MWO Dev team, be joining Garth for the Weekly Twitch.tv play sessions?
A: I’m sure you will see a bunch of devs online over time.

Seth - When and where is the next gaming convention that we can see you guys at?
A: Plans are to be at PAX East (panel talk) and GDC (career both). We’re working on some more formal events as well.

Emetivore - PC Gamer had a very exciting preview of the DROPSHIP mode. When do you expect to start offering this mode (or something similar) to the players?
A: It’s in design and should be coming online May/June.

Cody Machado - Other than the cry engine what 3some modelling program do you use? If any
A: 3ds Max, Mudbox, ZBrush.

Website:



Butane9000 - At any point in the future do you plan on updating the Battlemechs portion of the website to show what they actually come with stock with more detailed information, as well as additional pages for weapons information?
A: Yes. We are adding more details in the coming weeks and months, the work is well underway.

Mash-up questions from Blade Pride:


Q: Are there any plans to organize Mech spawn points? So that light mechs are in front or out to the sides of the heavier Mechs. This would help prevent them from getting stepped on as the run to the front.
A: Maybe
Q: Will heat affect targeting in the future?
A: No plans at this time.
Q: Can the battlegrid be added to the “Waiting for players” window, so that plans can be made while we wait?
A: Maybe.
Q: In the future will Betty tell us when there is a change to the Battlegrid? “You have new orders.”
A: Yes.
Q: When someone disconnects at the “Waiting for players” window can they be dropped so a new player can take their place. Even if crushes are fixed, people may still “Exit Match”. Again only at the “Waiting for players” window not in game.
A: No plans at this time. Reconnects is under review.
Q: Do LRMs and SRMs hit tress? If not will they in the future?
A: No. Maybe. There’s a technical reason for not allowing it. Trees are not replicated across the network. (client side only)
Q: When 12vs12 comes out, will 8vs8 PUGS be removed?
A: Most likely.
Q: Will 12vs12 be on all maps or just the bigger ones?
A: Yes.
Q: When Alpine Peaks comes out in February will there be Alt-Versions as well?
A: Not to start.
Q: In you testing has Elo helped with the 0-8,8-0 games? Or, at least the ratio that your always on the 0-8 team.
A: We will see in a few weeks, but yes, all tests point to improvements. Only 10-15% of all matches end in a lopsided loss/win.
Q: Are there any plans to sub-divide the Energy/Missile hard points?
A: No plans/Maybe.
Q: Can the new End Game screen data be saved, so we can review it later?
A: Eventually there will be a battle log, so yes.
Q: Do you know how many Mechs have died in the making of this game?
A: Millions.

Mash-up questions from jay35:


Hi Devs, My questions are all quick ones around features found in previous MW games and whether or not you plan to incorporate them in MWO:
Q: Will you be adding radar modes (Active & Passive) and the ability to toggle between them (with their resulting effects on detection/detectability radius)?
A: Maybe.
Q: Will you be adding a crouch function?
A: Yes.
Q: Will you be (re)-adding knockdown (I've heard this was in previously)?
A: Yes.
Q: Will you be adding MASC?
A: Yes. Like 12v12, this feature is heavily dependent on network performance, and requires engineering work.
Q: Will you be adding a CTF game mode? How about King of the Hill?
A: Something similar, yes.