9 replies to this topic

[Destoroyah]

If you had the option to add skills to the new skill tree what would they be.

Increased Ammo - Basically More ammo per ton. Should be based on weight class so larger mechs get only alittle extra but lighter mechs much more as they don't got the spare tonnage.
Assault - 10% more
Heavy - 15% more
Medium - 25-30% more
Light - 40-50% more

My biggest concern is that the info Tree is going to be very weak and not really rewarding to go heavy into so here are some possible options that require a certain number of base info skills to unlock. Now I don't know how many skills are actually just in the tree so I'm kind of basing my unlock values based on the 75 skill points that is the supposed norm for most mechs.

Enhanced Thermal and Night Vision - Basically increased viable vision range for the vision mode. Requires say 10-15 info skills to unlock.

Enhanced ECM - Increases Radius to 120m. Requires 8 Info Tree skills to unlock.

Improved TAG - Increase range to 1000m.

Advanced Spotter - makes TAG Laser invisable.

The Enhanced NARC module is probaly going in the tree already.
So Basically a follow up skill for the narc module - Increases range by +150m and Makes NARC Always reveal target even under ECM cover. Requires 5-10 Info Skills to unlock.

Null Armor Plating - Reduces Your Detection Profile Based on Weight class. Has 4 Ranks and requires 5 Info Skills to Unlock.
Assault - -25m range per rank.
Heavy - -50m range per rank
Medium - -75m range per rank
Light - -100m range per rank

Advanced BAP - Adds a Seismic sensor like ability to BAP but it Doesn't require a moving target and you don't have to stay still for it to work but the range is greater when standing still.
90m when moving and 120m when still. Due to the possible strength of this skill It will have a very hefty Unlock requirement like 20-25 info Skills.

Another Feature I'd like to see added is something like a Chassis Trait that is a defining Characteristic of the chassis like the Laser Heatsinks for Night Gyrs and Sensor range on Cyclops. I'd like to see All mechs get a defining attribute.

Examples:

Spiders: Improved Jumpjets - 50% better performance per Jumpjet and built in Shock Absorbers Module.

Atlas: Vanguard Mech - +10 Armor and Structure to all sections.

Hunchback: Reinforced Hunch - +20 Armor and Structure to Hunch and 50% receiving crit chance reduction to Hunch. Values are split for the 4SP.

Firestarter: Improved Flamer - +50-100% range increase to flamers and 20% Flamer Heat Reduction.

Edited by Destoroyah, 20 January 2017 - 10:21 AM.

[JediPanther]

More mech load out specific skills to make players want to use the weapons the mech comes with.

Lrm targeting: 50% faster lock on time

Lorist: 20% less heat on ppc

[Pjwned]

I think the question for me is what I would remove actually.

Other than saying "everything" I'm not really sure, because I don't know precise details.

[RestosIII]

An entire section that is blanket buffs, but only goes into effect if a mech is using the same weaponry as its stock loadout.

[Dino Might]

Negative attributes for every positive one.

[1453 R]

A lot depends on how the final tree implementation works. I've always preferred behavioral changes to just flat pluses; changing the rules of the game, even in small or subtle ways, is just more interesting than "+10% [X]".

I like some of the "Advanced [Gear]" ideas that modify bits of equipment with specific traits, and if I were in charge I'd probably lean on those more than percentage increases. Another thing to consider is taking inspiration from other games with similar-ish systems, like Borderlands, and consider "capstone" skills for trees that reward players for digging really deep into a given specification tree. What those capstones could be, and how to implement really powerful skilltree skills without making lore grognards blow their lids, I'm not entirely sure. But one thing that occurs to me is, say...implementing Active/Passive radar as the Information Warfare tree capstone, rather than as a default ability of all 'Mechs.

NOW HEAR ME OUT. Put the torches down!

Active/passive as a basic ability of all 'Mechs basically means that everybody just runs in passive all the time and active is used only for extremely short pings, or when you're in the middle of a giant scrum and it doesn't matter anymore. It becomes kinda boring and bad, since it basically just means everybody turns their sensors off. BUT...if only 'Mechs heavily devoted to IW roles/skills/equipment could flip to passive mode, then those 'Mechs would gain a distinct advantage over 'Mechs unable to utilize passive mode.

IW specialists could actually make decisions on whether to 'go loud' and actively pull in as much sensor data as they could for their team, or to stay quiet, keep their detection profile low, and creep up on more combat-focused folks. The IW guy, who is by definition more interested in this sort of game than someone who doesn't spend any points on IW, could build a 'Mech specifically as a passive-sensors hunter/ambusher, utilizing passive mode as a sort of pseudo-ECM - or in conjunction with actual ECM and also possibly Stealth Armor to be a real ninja clown - and actually change their playstyle significantly through their choice of skilltree set-up.

And isn't picking a playstyle to emphasize sort of the point of a Skill Tree in the first place?

[Ngamok]

Basically what Destoroyah said. Look to improve stats / quirks / intended design of mechs like improved jump jets for lights / mediums or maybe jump jet vectoring. Improvements in NARC or TAG bonuses for mechs that come standard with them. Bigger bonuses to BAP for Ravens. ECM mechs harder to spot with BAP while shut down. Maybe reduced chance for crits against internals.

[Bud Crue]

Shield Arm: extra 5+ (base with incremental increases maybe?) to armor on one arm. Certain mechs that really ought to have this but don't (Black Knight) or even those that already do (Centurions) get an extra "base line" value (quirk) bonus.

Give me a hand: extra hill climb bonuses only available to mechs with hands. I'd like to give them the ability to slowly ascend vertical surfaces sans jump jets but I don't know how they would make that work, visually particularly so.

Command: open to any mech capable of carrying CC but only available when CC equipped: Reduces target lock acquisition time and target information acquisition time incrementally

Vectored Thrust: incremental increases in turning speed while jumping.

Momentum (this should not need to be a squirk, but inherent, but if this is the only way to get it I'll pay): retain some portion of speed when landing from a jump on the run.

Shell: Same as shield arm above but the points are distributed over the rear CT and STs.

Rewired: (can't see how this would be possible to implement...just trying to give some flavor here): plus .5 damage on any one weapon with an incremental cost of .5 point of heat or .5 second of extra cool down. Numbers could vary and even be incremental up to maybe 2.5 points.

Ballistic Drop: stand alone quirk which supplements and replaces zoom. Shows a highlighted course line on your hud of the arc that your ballistic rounds take out to max range.

[Khobai]

Quote

What Would You Add To The Skill Tree System?

actual choices

[Magnus Santini]

I want an unlimited number of module-equivalents. Not 300 modules for 3000% range, but so you could eventually have -all- of the existing modules on your mech. Like hill climb was never a priority enough to put in a scarce slot, but a couple of mechs I would use it if I did not have to forever give up radar deprivation. I think the less-popular modules are not going to OP a mech if they get thrown in after some levelling.