GG: Welcome Don to The Galaxy Gathering studio. Can I offer
you a drink from the wet bar before we get started?
Don: I'm OK thanks!
GG: For the record what is your name, player ID, clan you
fought with this last CW and what medal did you win?
Don: Don Davis #398405, CLAN: Juggernaut – GOLD.
GG: Grats on the Gold win. *Smiles*
GG: Did your team perform like you expected this war?
Don: OH yes, and once again, they were magnificent!
GG: Was there anything you found to be a surprise this war?
Don: Yes, the random swings in random shots this war was
mind-boggling. I mean, since when do
maxed-out Axebots EVER lose to a bunch of Shocklites? Some of the most freak outcomes Kris and I
have seen - and we've got 48 Vizis between us.
We'd see a line of six maxed-out 100-ton niode mechs only get two shots
off and go down to 14 shots from a mishmash line of half-equipped, half-crystal
85 and 90-ton mechs. Crazy stuff. Basically, after we dropped some 4 attacks in
the first couple of hours, we realized there was really no longer any such
thing as a "safe attack". Some
of these battles that would have been no contest in daily play suddenly had
coin-toss odds.
GG: Do you think there are two different RNG's at work? One
for non CW and then a different one for CW?
Don: Well, I think that's always been the case, but in the past,
we have observed an "attacker advantage" in daily play that we don't
really see in KoTM or Clan Wars. Makes
sense in terms of game goals. But this
is practically throwing all the mech, equipment and weapons specifications,
especially with regard to percentage-bonus multipliers, completely out the
window. In short, the "game
math" seemed all but totally suspended.
It was surreal at times.
GG: Yes, for those pilots who put a lot of time into their
formation tech and strategy this could be mind blowing and frustrating. I guess
we will see if things stabilize once the missile speed boost goes away.
GG: Was there anything you found to be a disappointment this
war?
Don: Well no - I don't think it was a result of the missile
speed boost either. Some of these
effects really had nothing to do with missiles.
In fact, I'd say I was only mildly disappointed that the missile speed
effect seemed somewhat muted, but that's probably because I've always been
frustrated most by those occasions where a fully-equipped and armed mech simply
stands there and DOESN'T FIRE. It's just
such a WASTE!
GG: Very interesting that the speed boost did not seem to
matter that much in what you were seeing. I hope this random coin toss outcomes
does not stick around too long. If the players get frustrated with all their
hard work and strategy not panning out there could be waves of retirements over
the next few months.
GG: This war every clan needed a SRB specialist to get in
the game. We have had a required spec now for the last two wars. Do you feel
this requirement improves or takes away from Clan Wars?
Don: I don't mind it so much with common specs like the
rainbows that don't invoke a de-facto "specific mech"
requirement. The problem is that one war
cycle is not enough time to work up certain specs if nobody in the clan has the
mechs for building it. Lower level
divisions are the least likely to have it, and the higher levels just don't
have time to level up the mechs. At
>200 or so, it takes almost 6 months to field a fully leveled prize mech
that you might have won 6 wars ago. But
just about anybody can throw a SRB together, so that wasn't so bad.
GG: Yes, sometimes I shudder when I think about how much
time to takes a mech to upgrade at your level Don.
GG: The pilots who ran the required SRB spec this war earned
(2) 2X upgrade kits. Does this extra prizing improve Clan Wars and should be
continued?
Don: Yeah, I'd say prizes definitely help. The bigger the incentive, the harder people
try - so that's probably the easiest way to drive competition, as long as there
is a good variety of changes in the prize distribution.
GG: This might be a silly question for the Gold winners in
D1 but how hard was the Raid for your team?
Don: Well, we're still in it, but it's hardly ever that bad
for us. It seemed a little tougher this
time. I can only take out 2 to 3 of the
toughest formations before I have to wait to heal.
GG: Are the Raid Prizes this war useful for your team or do
you just sell most of it for needed Niodes?
Don: Well, we'll see, LOL - last raid was the worst payout
I've ever had!
GG: Good luck to you then *Smiles*
GG: What is your favorite mech that you own and why?
Don: It's tough to say.
I've always been a fire specialist.
I still run my 7 Infernos-of-Lore in my 70T spec, but I do like my 7
Notos mechs quite a bit as well, but it's most important to stay objective when
evaluating mech performance and what's going to work best where in the
formation.
GG: Staying objective can be a challenge when you have a lot
of sentiment built up with some of your older mechs who got you to where you
are today.
GG: What is your favorite thing about Clan Wars?
Don: Really, it's the head game, so it's gotta be
competitive for that to even be necessary.
Blowouts obviously don't call for it, so it gets fun when you have to
start thinking like your opponent and then out-thinking them. Developing attack plans, defensive strategy,
and coordinating the attacks and battle-rhythm is the real fun part for me when
we're in the thick of it.
GG: In your opinion, what needs to be fixed to make Clan
Wars better?
Don: Well, a lot of it is up to us. We're actually in negotiations, believe it or
not, with Leviathan - at their prompting, which is refreshing - about bringing
up more of the up & coming ambitious players to Div 1. I'm just SO glad that they GET IT: Neither Leviathan or Juggernaut are
interested in perpetuating blowouts by "stacked Clans". So, we're not looking at recruiting
"ringers" that develop elsewhere anymore - we're looking at grooming
the next great players from WITHIN.
These players will be FORGED IN BATTLE, not just the most effective
"resource scavengers" that we often see. Not to name names, but you know the type;
player that have a lot of big mechs and stuff, but they are relatively weak
players and rarely demonstrate any imagination or inspiration in battle. No, what we are doing now in Division One is
something else; something that's good for the future of the gameplay.
GG: That sounds very interesting Don. What level range would
a prospect be and how would you define ambitious in relation to them being a
good candidate for this kind of opportunity?
Don: Oh, I think you'll see the answer to that in the way
that our next recruits have personified what we're looking for in the
past. "Level range" is not
even a huge concern. We're looking at
player strength and certain less-tangible qualities. They need to be insightful, coachable and
have a great desire to win for the sake of winning, rather than just being
tantalized by prizes and payouts.
Don: You can look at what FUSION/Juggernaut did from the
beginning, really.
Don: Look at where Fabio was when we brought him in and the
powerhouse he is now. Look at Dexter
Berry, who is 70 levels below and can still occasionally beat Fabio. He's a beast of a mech-builder now. Look at how Sal Vezozzi has come along from
nothing more than a bunch of amped-up Shocklites when he joined. Look at Walter Doman and Bernard Johnson's
incredible defensive wins this war - the signs and symptoms of player ambition
is all over these guys.
GG: Remember that you heard it here first folks. the two big
dogs in D1 are trying to shake things up and you could be next to join up and
become battle forged if you have the right stuff.
GG: That is exciting to hear about Don and I look forward to
getting updates from you guys on how this progresses.
GG: Before we wrap this up is there anything you would like
to add?
Don: I'd just like to thank all in Div One and everywhere
else that is reading what I've been saying here and knows that's what they've
been trying to do all along. Well we're
here now. We're watching. And that's a "win" for all of us,
for as much as we can make it so.
GG: Thanks again for taking the time to stop by and talk
with me today Don. It has been a pleasure to have you and I greatly enjoy the
chance to talk to you and get the "D1" viewpoint and get a taste of
your world.
Don: Thanks to you and all the good work you do at GG!