14 replies to this topic

[Grey Ghost]

I feel the unlock system would be more friendly if the Elite Tier unlock for Pilot Skills only required 3 full Basic Skill tree unlocks from the same Mech type (Light, Medium, Heavy, Assault), instead of only requiring 3 of the same chassis (which would still qualify).

[Alois Hammer]

I feel it would be much friendlier still if we were simply given everything already unlocked.[/sarcasm]

[RLBell]

The current system rewards pilots of RVN-3L's and AS7-D-DC's for sometimes driving something else as they go for the unlocks, so I am all for keeping it, even if it will take me forever to buy three Atlases.

[Deathlike]

Regardless, you might as well own all 3 variants of the same chassis because the grinding to get the money for each individual mech is about the same as getting all the XP requires to unlock all its potential.

In other words, you might as well learn about the mech you plan to pilot...

[Cest7]

If this was the case, every single person's mech bay would be: COM-2D, RVN-3L and JR7-D for lights. I'd type out the other cheese chassis but you get the point.

Making elite require 3 variants its smart, forcing players out of their comfort zone and into other variants.

So, sorry, but no.

[Valorcalls]

Maybe change MASTER tier to requiring 3 of the same weight class, but not ELITE tier. Cause honestly, how many people really use the extra module slot? I never need more then 2.

[Beeman]

This was actually a really big point of discussion back in the day, just before you started seeing so-called cheese builds.

I stand by my opinion that three-mech grind is straight-up bad design. But now that specific variants are so popular, it does start to feel necessary.

However,three-mech grind should not be this invisible hand forcing you to play other mechs. Variants should logically be balanced with each of their brethren and playing what suits your interest should be incentive enough to promote decent variety in played variants.

[Deathlike]

With the ECM situation, lights w/o ECM is disadvantage... but that's an issue of its own.

The mechs should be at least decent enough to field, but not inept.. (Cic-3C comes to mind, though that has more to do with mgun uselessness). The Raven variant tree outside of the 3L is subpar at best (even the non-Cic-3M builds are better than the Raven 2X and 4X for the most part...AC20 Raven being the oddball exception).

[Grey Ghost]

I don't pilot any ECM capable Mech, so it wasn't the objective for this suggestion. Hopefully ECM will be further handled by the Devs to balance it out, instead of everything else having to do with the game being tweaked / restricted based on ECM.

[armyof1]

The system we have right now would be just fine, if only there weren't so obvious lemon variants of each mech type. To force you to not only buy a lemon variant but the worst part, play with that POS lots of matches to improve maybe one variant that is any good is really boring. The devs need to balance out the different variants, which they are doing by adding quirks to them. But it seems to be really slow going and somehow they started by in general weakening the Awesome compared to other assaults which is just plain wrong, since the Awesome was pretty much the worst Assault already.

[Deathlike]

For MWO, I've always thought the Awesome was simply "the fastest Assault" but really it's like an "oversized Heavy"... like a more mobile Stalker with hardpoints that are distributed differently (though, some of the Awesomes really suck on the surface). It's similar to the Dragon for Assaults or Cic for the Meds...

Anyways, there needs to be better balance for the other mechs... particularly the Ravens (and other lights, I don't use the Commando or Spider so I can't make an informed opinion of them).

I thought those that use the Awesome thought the changes were good (mostly, allowing the use of the 300 level engines for just the extra heatsink slot). Same was said for the Cents (for the most part).

Edited by Deathlike, 01 March 2013 - 12:59 AM.

[armyof1]

I had an AWS-8R for a while and I think it was outright bad. Your front hitbox is about twice the size of the heavier Stalker and the thin profile really doesn't help much because as a slow assault you'll be spending a lot of time facing your opponents because of the amount of weapons you're firing. Why there is a 300 engine cap is beyond me when every single variation of heavy mechs can use bigger engines (except the inferior CTF-4X). You're just forced to be slow, have about as big upper torso hitboxes as an atlas from the front but with a lot less armor. The 9M and PB if you're so inclined to fork out that huge sum of cash for one mech might be able to adapt a more run and gun playstyle, but still Id be forced to use the 8R or the other slow AWS to level up to Elite or Master. I just ended up selling that POS and will never buy another AWS again.

Edited by armyof1, 01 March 2013 - 01:56 AM.

[Hobo Dan]

I like it because it helps my battlefield recognition. I have run just about every variant in the Medium and Heavy weight classes by now, so when I see them in game I have a decent idea what kind of kit they are running before I get targeting info. Also, in my experience, I found at least one variant I thought I would hate ended up being my favorite.

There are clearly some bad variants that PGI needs to address, especially when the chassis only has three variants to choose from, but overall I think it’s a good thing, especially if you look at it as a learning experience instead of a grind, hassle, waste of time…

[Torquemada]

hmm... no

[Hotthedd]

RLBell, on 27 February 2013 - 07:39 PM, said:

The current system rewards pilots of RVN-3L's and AS7-D-DC's for sometimes driving something else as they go for the unlocks, so I am all for keeping it, even if it will take me forever to buy three Atlases.

This. I hate 3L pilots less when I remind myself that they had to grind the 2X and 4X. If the could elite the 3L by doing the basics on a COM-2D and a Jenner-D, then they would never have had to suffer.

Valorcalls, on 27 February 2013 - 08:27 PM, said:

Maybe change MASTER tier to requiring 3 of the same weight class, but not ELITE tier. Cause honestly, how many people really use the extra module slot? I never need more then 2.

This is already the case.