37 replies to this topic

[Hyginos]

Here's the plan:

1. Allow Fred to be unlocked only at level 30.
2. Nerf the Fred. Reduce its HP, remove its ability, and make it unable to equip items or internals.
3. Give the Fred its own pool of XP that go toward icons and cosmetics that are only unlockable with Fred xp.

This does a few things:

1. Addresses the redundancy between crt and assault.
2. Provides interesting progression beyond level 30.
3. Encourages experienced players to handicap themselves, especially in lower level lobbies.
4. Provides the forums something to talk about that hasn't been beaten to a pulp already
5. Pushes the Fred back into an iconic position as a Hawken mech, with a more positive image than "that junker they give you to start out with".

I don't think we necessarily need to have a COD-esque ultra-master-turbo-prestige-9000 post-30 progression, but it would be nice to be able to unlock a holotaunt and some icons or something.

 

EDIT: instead of unlocking the SMC and Vulcan are their respective levels, Fred unlocks a non-functional stub and a holotaunt launcher, each of which gives a slight FREDXP bonus when equipped.

Edited by Hyginos, 09 December 2015 - 09:21 AM.

[maxajcd]

Just give it a GL, or give assault a GL. Or just make Fred no longer available like the CupCake. 

Best buy myself a CRT sometime soon :P

Edited by maxajcd, 09 December 2015 - 09:13 AM.

[nepacaka]

unlock fred after u post 1000 posts on forum.

[maxajcd]

unlock fred after u post 1000 posts on forum.

this might take a while

[CrimsonKaim]

unlock fred after u post 1000 posts on forum.

 

 

this might take a while

 

Dunno watcha talking about.

[maxajcd]

Dunno watcha talking about.

better buy fred before this is implemented

[CrimsonKaim]

better buy fred before this is implemented

 

Tell me where you can buy it :P

[maxajcd]

Tell me where you can buy it :P

The garage if I'm not mistaken :3

Edited by maxajcd, 09 December 2015 - 10:13 AM.

[CrimsonKaim]

The garage if I'm not mistaken :3

 

Yea right ... guess I didn't play hawken for a while ... I am too used to the stuff from ED lol. xD

[americanbrit14]

this might take a while

Let the mass shitposting begin.

[StubbornPuppet]

Good suggestion Hyginos

[Trigary]

I like the idea, but wouldn't it be annoying for team members to see a teammate shooting holotaunts instead of bullets and actually helping the team?

 

In unbalanced matches and low-level lobbies it would be OK, but they should be fixed as well.

Edited by Trigary, 09 December 2015 - 11:42 AM.

[Amidatelion]

EDIT: instead of unlocking the SMC and Vulcan are their respective levels, Fred unlocks a non-functional stub and a holotaunt launcher, each of which gives a slight FREDXP bonus when equipped.

 

TOW still too OP for low-level games.

[Hyginos]

I like the idea, but wouldn't it be annoying for team members to see a teammate shooting holotaunts instead of bullets and actually helping the team?

 

In unbalanced matches and low-level lobbies it would be OK, but they should be fixed as well.

 

The intention behind making the mech weak was that players would have to choose between doing well and getting bling in close matches, while very skilled players would simply have an incentive to be less dominant in lower level matches.

 

There will inevitably be some players who will choose to try and farm fredxp instead of contributing, but they will find that they have to at least equip the assault rifle primary farm, as you still need to ear XP with the mech.

 

TOW still too OP for low-level games.

 

Fortunately, our matchmaker isn't quite that bad. I don't think I can get into a lobby I can TOW-only stomp without smurfing.

[crockrocket]

 

Fortunately, our matchmaker isn't quite that bad. I don't think I can get into a lobby I can TOW-only stomp without smurfing.

 

Just pull some strings with the high mmr cabal, everyone knows that they're in charge of MM

[StubbornPuppet]

Just pull some strings with the high mmr cabal, everyone knows that they're in charge of MM

 

DAMN!

[Call_Me_Ishmael]

 

Fortunately, our matchmaker isn't quite that bad. I don't think I can get into a lobby I can TOW-only stomp without smurfing.

 

For a long period I had nearly zero hitreg with primary. 

[maxajcd]

 

Let the mass shitposting begin.

 

has it not already begun?

[6ixxer]

< Has never played a Fred.

 

O_o

[Odinous]

Well Fred was there from the very begining for us all,Fred deserves some veteran tags!

Quite interesting idea Hyginos,well done Sir.

[hellc9943]

I really like that idea, apart from the holotaunt weapon shenanigans and the fact that it will still have the exact same weapon choices as the Assault (and most other mechs in the game). I'd like to see the option to be able to unlock one or more alternative secondaries though. Unlocking the only B class GL mech at max level would be nice. Could actually give the player the hard choice to stick with the TOW or chose another secondary permanently, so if he wants another Fred with the TOW or another available seconardy, he has to level that too.

But anyway, Fred needs to return to glory. While we're at it, give its current stats to the Assault and then do to Fred what Hyginos suggested.

[PoopSlinger]

Give Fred the Corsair-KLA,  its the best secondary.  Tows are easy mode and thus lame.  GIT GUD, PLAY CORSAIR

[Hyginos]

I propose that Fred be given TOW-XT that is identical to it's counterpart, but lacks an airburst function.

 

Slapping a GL on it could work, but it might lessen the release of Pusher, should that ever come to pass.

[MomOw]

My idea about Fred is to make it the only Mech with alternate secondary.

 

It could have a fixed AR as primary and a TOW / alternate Hellfire / prestige GL as secondary.

 

With its actual stats it would be balanced and consistent with a scrap mech made for practice.

Edited by (KDR) MomOw, 10 December 2015 - 06:40 AM.

[maxajcd]

I propose that Fred be given TOW-XT that is identical to it's counterpart, but lacks an airburst function.

so a shitty not very good tow launcher, unless you double the damage or make it spammable

Edited by maxajcd, 10 December 2015 - 08:42 AM.

[hellc9943]

If you really need to rely on airburst with the TOW... well.

[Amidatelion]

so a shitty not very good tow launcher, unless you double the damage or make it spammable

...that's the point.

[BIsmuthZornisse]

I dont like this suggestion, at all. Maybe this just a joke suggestion, most humor seems to not work for me.

But just in case you're serious:

 

This does a few things:

1. Addresses the redundancy between crt and assault.
2. Provides interesting progression beyond level 30.
3. Encourages experienced players to handicap themselves, especially in lower level lobbies.
4. Provides the forums something to talk about that hasn't been beaten to a pulp already
5. Pushes the Fred back into an iconic position as a Hawken mech, with a more positive image than "that junker they give you to start out with".

I don't think we necessarily need to have a COD-esque ultra-master-turbo-prestige-9000 post-30 progression, but it would be nice to be able to unlock a holotaunt and some icons or something.

1. I suppose that would be one way of doing it, but sure there are better ways than...

5. ...making it "that junker they gave you at level 30". Just because the Recruit has a problem of being redundant doesnt mean being unique is inherently better.

2. I don't find this progression interesting, at all. This may be subjective in the first place though.

3. This is ALMOST the one good thing i can see come out of this, but highly skilled players that arent already willing to hold back in low level lobbies with the current recruit or any other mech wouldn't take this mech, even for cosmtic rewards, i think.

4. ANY sufficiently large change to the game would accomplish that, even if it's as simple as replacing one of the recruit's weapons with something that the assault doesnt have, like a mini"flak".

 

Nevermind the fact that i dont want the mech with my favorite chassis turned into a worthless joke character. Even if this mech would be a new one that wouldnt replace the recruit, it seems entirely pointless to me. If i wanted to handicap myself, i'd just play even more recklessly/aggressively (in a "taking it easy", casual kind of way).

 

Here is how i would make the recruit not a worse assault, hopefully without making it worthless:

Make it the starting mech, like it used to be.

Replace two of its lefthanded weapons (one of which should probably be the vulcan, due to its spin-up time) with the following:

a mini"flak"

and something like a rev-gl, except the grenades explode on contact with the environment instead off bouncing off it, maybe with slightly higher rate of fire.

the idea here being that this mech could function to introduce new players to diffent weapon types like shotguns and grenade/arc-tracetory weapons, with their rapid-fire allowing for quickly allowing another attempt to hit the target.

As for the ability, coolant seems (possibly TOO) beginner-friendly, maybe remove the heat-buildup prevention, so it only removes (some of) your current heat, while slightly reducing the cooldown timer? A completely different ability might work, too, but i can't think of one that isnt just a variation of an already existing one.

 

 

Slapping a GL on it could work, but it might lessen the release of Pusher, should that ever come to pass.

I remember hearing about a mech by that name on saturnine's cockpit stream, but no details like what its weapons are. can you tell me more?

[Trigary]

It isn't the starter mech anymore, because starters thought believed they have to fight with the biggest fuzzy bunnyng junk there is against well-armed enemies (as far as I know).

Letting players try out other types of primary weapons might not be a bad idea, but it would make them think the other mechs have a big variety of weapon types too to choose from.

I guess you want the ability nerfed, not only on that specific mech. I always forget that I have that ability when I'm using assault or CR-T, maybe beginners will feel that the abilities are very powerful, using them is a key to winning (but I think that ability is a bit OP).

Edited by Trigary, 10 December 2015 - 12:23 PM.

[BIsmuthZornisse]

It isn't the starter mech anymore, because starters thought they have to fight with the biggest fuzzy bunnyng junk there is against well-armed enemies (as far as I know).

I think the change was not because the recruit is bad, but because the assault is (appearantly*) the best mech, the idea being that newcomers starting with the best mech would alleviate "pay2win" concerns.

*i think my aiming skills are too horrid to tell firsthand, though it IS one of the mechs i'm the least terrible with.

 

 

but it would make them think the other mechs have a big variety of weapon types too to choose from.

well they kinda SHOULD have that, right? the lack of variance/reuse of weapons may be down to the game's initial devs being new to the business (correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not sure here) and its beta state (which it unfortunately never got to leave). Also, i don't recall any weapons of old mechs ever being replaced with ones from new mechs (maybe, for example, one of the "assault rifle/submachine cannon/vulcan" mechs could have one weapon replaced with the raider's re"flak" instead?), and i've been here since between the update that gave us the "facility" stage and the one that introduced the technician mech.

 

I guess you want the ability nerfed,

not really, i just wanted to make the ability a little different from the assault's. a little weaker in exchange for less cooldown time. i had an idea of the abilty getting progressively stronger with each mech in the (current) assault family (recruit->assault->assault g2), but having a longer cooldown. i thought becoming available again sooner would make it (even) more beginner friendly, but it would need to be less effective per use as a tradeoff, so as to not become overpowered.

 

(but I think that ability is a bit OP).

it probably is. i'm not nearly good enough for tournament play, but i'd be surprised if this ability isn't the main reason that the assault is considered the best.

[Trigary]

I think the change was not because the recruit is bad, but because the assault is (appearantly*) the best mech, the idea being that newcomers starting with the best mech would alleviate "pay2win" concerns.

*i think my aiming skills are too horrid to tell firsthand, though it IS one of the mechs i'm the least terrible with.

 

I didn't mean to say the recruit is bad, I even heard it is more noob friendly. I corrected my post.

Edited by Trigary, 10 December 2015 - 12:28 PM.

[Hyginos]

I remember hearing about a mech by that name on saturnine's cockpit stream, but no details like what its weapons are. can you tell me more?

 

Pusher was a B mech with a HEAT and GL, possibly with a charge ability that pushed other mechs out of the way. I personally have only heard stories. It is unclear how far it was developed before The Silence, but Reloaded seems to be of the mind to finish and release that kind of content.

 

1. I suppose that would be one way of doing it, but sure there are better ways than...

5. ...making it "that junker they gave you at level 30". Just because the Recruit has a problem of being redundant doesnt mean being unique is inherently better.

2. I don't find this progression interesting, at all. This may be subjective in the first place though.

3. This is ALMOST the one good thing i can see come out of this, but highly skilled players that arent already willing to hold back in low level lobbies with the current recruit or any other mech wouldn't take this mech, even for cosmtic rewards, i think.

4. ANY sufficiently large change to the game would accomplish that, even if it's as simple as replacing one of the recruit's weapons with something that the assault doesn't have, like a mini"flak".

 

1. I agree there are a lot of viable options for the CRT/salt thing.
2. That's fair, but grindy treadmill games like Warframe are far too popular for me to believe that you speak for the majority.
3. Certainly there will be players on both sides of it. My hope is that a reward of some kind will push players from the pubstomper's camp and the middle ground in to the sportsman's camp.
4. This is true. It would be nice if a change was fairly meaningful, however. One can only hope.
5. I think in this case unique is inherently better, not in context of the mech itself, but for the game as a whole. More content is generally better.

Edited by Hyginos, 13 December 2015 - 11:15 AM.

[crockrocket]

 

Pusher was a B mech with a HEAT and GL, possibly with a charge ability that pushed other mechs out of the way. I personally have only heard stories. It is unclear how far it was developed before The Silence, but Reloaded seems to be of the mind to finish and release that kind of content.

 

IIRC Vana was saying that the pusher was like 80% complete in someones stream chat shortly after Reloaded took the reins.

Edited by (TDM)crockrocket, 12 December 2015 - 11:27 PM.

[Vekta408]

But...But I like my fred becaus it's not an assault with its washing machine elite skin. Why you haz to try and take freedy away from moi!

 

[DeeRax]

I like the idea of Fred being the only mech with different secondaries. I thought it was a weird idea at first, but it's grown on me. I'd love to play a b-class with AR + GL.
Plus it'd give me more reason to take my sexy elite FRED chassis out of the garage (It is my favorite chassis, actually; If only I could put it on my raiders).

Edited by (TDM) DeeRax, 13 December 2015 - 03:42 PM.

[Kopra]

I feel that Fred should have had many different weapons as opposed to only sustain. Sure, SMC (or AR) to give a taste of sustain, Heat Cannon to give a taste of projectiles and Flak Cannon to give a taste of shotguns (and make the weapons cost less HC just for Fred). Make Fred advance much faster in ranks so that the elite chassis is obtained faster (so that the new player won't "look stupid" for too long).

[Hecatoncheires]

Instead of changing Fred, why not give it a G2 variant armed with 2 TOWs (of course they wouldn't be legitimate TOWs for this would be overpowered). This is a nod towards the G2 Assault with its dual Vulcans and would allow the mech to retain its comical image.

[Trigary]

That would be another mech, not the fred, and I don't think making a copy of a mech and changing its weapons would fix the old one :( My opinion didn't change of the assault and raider because a G2 variant got introduced.