This idea has a lot of elements that would proabably make it very difficult or even impossible to work out, but I might as well throw this idea out there on the off chance that it can be done.

Basically it would be a multi-player version of a scenario similar to the one presented in the Mechwarrior 3 campaign.


When you start up the gamemode, you wouldn't really choose from a list of servers like you do in a typical online gamemode. Instead, you will first have to choose a "lance" to join. If you don't choose one yourself then you would be automatically assigned to one based on location and ping.

After you are assigned to a "lance" you will then be able to choose your mech. You'll be able to choose just about any mech without regard to money or rank, but there is a catch in that heavier and more expensive mechs may end up being more difficult to maintain later on.

After you've chosen your mech and got aquainted with your lancemates (hopefully because you're gonna be stuck with them for a while), your lance will then join a server chosen based on location and ping. You will then be deployed on a random map. Each map will have 2 or 3 missions with different sets of objectives, and your lance will be randomly assigned one of these missions to accomplish.

When the game actually starts you will be deployed with whatever mech you've chosen along with a limited amount of spare armor and ammunition for that mech stored in a mobile base of some kind so you can repair and reload. Your lance will then proceed to complete the objectives you've been given. For the first few minutes it will play a lot like a co-op single player campaign as most of the enemies you will encounter will be computer-controlled infantry, vehicles, and mechs. After you complete the mission objectives you will go on to another map (possibly on another server) and given a new mission, but you won't be given a new mech and will have to repair and reload your mech with the supplies you were given in the beginning and whatever you salvaged during the mission. Heavier assault mechs use up armor and ammo more quickly and wouldn't get as many supplies which would make them more difficult to maintain.

Now this is where things get interesting. Since this would be a multi-player game, there will be other lances starting and completing their missions as well. When another lance has finished their mission and is close enough to have good ping with you lance, they will be sent to your server, and deployed on your map with a different mission. They will then encounter you and try to kill you to complete their objectives. This would be done randomly and you wouldn't be given any warning or notice when it happens. It would most likely happen in the middle of your mission and you wouldn't know until you encountered the hostile lance. Likewise, when you finish a mission your next one would be just as likely to drop you in the middle of another lance's mission.

Also, any human players who feel like doing so can join your game as a random tank, infantry, or battle armor and start shooting at you. This would give those who don't feel like doing a long session of missions a way of participating in the gamemode.

Basically the objective would be to complete as many missions as possible by not being killed by other lances or the computer controlled bots and managing your supplies so you can keep your mechs going. When your lance is wiped out or no longer has enough supplies to go on, your game ends and you start over with a fresh mech and supplies, and possibly new lancemates if you didn't like your current lancemates. Lances that happen to work well together would tend to survive longer sessions. Because of this, over time players will tend to find teammates who they do well with and small groups and clans would form easily. Also, it would be beginner friendly since beginners who would normally not make it through many missions would choose bigger mechs to get an early advantage while more experienced players would choose lighter mechs that would be easier to keep up over the course of several successful missions.



I know this isn't exactly the best idea due to the many difficulties it presents. Probably the most difficult aspect of this would be coming up with a way allowing groups of players to jump between servers effectively and automatically. Some Garry's Mod modders have been able to do this in Source through some clever Lua coding, but I have no idea if the same is possible in CryEngine2.

For the most part I'm just suggesting this on the off chance that one of you guys who know a lot more about CryEngine2 than I do might know how this could be done. 

Someone likes Mech3 quite a bit. Rock On brother.
I see where you're coming from tho and I'd like the concept.

Unfortunately it is highly unlikely to happen.

I'd pay for that in MMO Format.
Seriously.

This wouldn't really be an MMO, more like a bunch of co-op games linked together to form a larger gamemode.

There actually is kind of a precedent for something like this in the form of an unfinished Garry's Mod gamemode called Giablo. The in-game world for Giablo was to be made up of several maps on different servers linked together by a Lua script that would automatically transfer players between the servers when they reached certain locations or accomplished certain goals. While the Giablo was left unfinished and used Source Engine instead of CryEngine2, it does provide some proof of concept that something like this can be done.

Whether or not this could be done would depend on whether CryEngine2 can allow players to be transferred between servers automatically in such a manner, which is something modders wouldn't have much control over. However, if it is found to be possible, the rest would just be a matter of making different maps with mission objectives on them and linking them together.

I like the idea alot, but as its been stated this would be very hard to implement. on a side note does anyone remember the open beta that ea did with an MMO battletech universe were you would join a house and battle over planets with other clanmates back in like 2000 or 2001 or am i the only one?

FTFY