21 replies to this topic

[Inappropriate1]

PGI makes most of its revenue selling new 3+ mechs packs. It uses its time-honored formula of:

• Sell overpowered new mech packs.
  
• Nerf said mechs.
  
• Sell new new overpowered mech packs to replace the nerfed mech packs.
  
• Then nerf said new new mech packs.
  
• (Rinse and repeat.)

But with the new skill tree system, you don’t need three of every kind of mech now do you? And quirks and modules will be gone. So, PGI will need to replace that lost revenue stream.

One possibility is to charge real world money, significantly, for the reskill of your fewer mechs.

So, potentially the new Mechanomic would be that PGI sells an OP mech to the “pay to win” tournament crowd, they skill that mech out in the new skill tree, and then PGI changes, adjusts, (nerfs), some aspect of the game (weapons) or impact of a skill tree path, so that, to remain competitive, only a new reskill for cash money, will do.

You want love from PGI, you must pay her, in real cash, one way or the other.

Just watch how many times you will 'NEED" to reskill.

P.S. where are the maps?

[cazidin]

Actually, because re-specing will either cost MC or a LOT of C-Bills, most players will find the former a cheaper alternative. PGI just needs to keep spinning the dartboard of destiny to keep the meta in a near-constant state of flux.

Expect Machine Gun nerfs.

[jonfett]

Don't forget flamer nerfs, cause how could those even get worse? Maybe another mech rescale, where IS lights get even bigger?

[chucklesMuch]

cazidin, on 02 February 2017 - 05:13 PM, said:

Expect Machine Gun nerfs.

Yea - cos they are sooooooo OP right now ...but nah they are more likely to nerf something that inadvertently pushes more people into using ppcs

[Lyoto Machida]

chucklesMuch, on 02 February 2017 - 05:26 PM, said:

Yea - cos they are sooooooo OP right now ...but nah they are more likely to nerf something that inadvertently pushes more people into using ppcs

Probably Clan arm actuators...

[RestosIII]

chucklesMuch, on 02 February 2017 - 05:26 PM, said:

they are more likely to nerf something that inadvertently pushes more people into using ppcs

cERLLas too OP plz nerf PGI. They need to have the same beam duration as their cooldown, so they're just a blue TAG laser.

[chucklesMuch]

Lyoto Machida, on 02 February 2017 - 07:41 PM, said:

Probably Clan arm actuators...

And ensure all clans have hand actuators too... that must always be selected

[FupDup]

PGI is already planning to make the new skill tree require C-Bills and XP to unlock. This was confirmed during the round table when PGI was talking about the respec options. "XP and C-Bill" resources were referenced when comparing the free respec to the MC respect options.

This is the one part of the skill tree that is absolutely non-negotiable to me. C-Bills are for mechs and equipment only, while XP is for skills. That's how it should be. Say no to shoehorned money sinks.

Edited by FupDup, 02 February 2017 - 08:11 PM.

[El Bandito]

FupDup, on 02 February 2017 - 08:08 PM, said:

PGI is already planning to make the new skill tree require C-Bills and XP to unlock. This was confirmed during the round table when PGI was talking about the respec options. "XP and C-Bill" resources were referenced when comparing the free respec to the MC respect options.

One reason I am gonna stick to buying quirkless Clan mechs only. Less quirk/skill changes = less need to switch loadouts. April can't come soon enough so that I can get my hands on the MAD-IIC.

Edited by El Bandito, 02 February 2017 - 08:39 PM.

[chucklesMuch]

RestosIII, on 02 February 2017 - 07:48 PM, said:

cERLLas too OP plz nerf PGI. They need to have the same beam duration as their cooldown, so they're just a blue TAG laser.

And yet they are disturbingly tag like already... I guess reducing there duration to match wouldn't hurt too much..

[El Bandito]

chucklesMuch, on 02 February 2017 - 08:16 PM, said:

And yet they are disturbingly tag like already... I guess reducing there duration to match wouldn't hurt too much..

In the new skill tree, there was laser duration reduction skill. I am guessing that skill will be mighty popular for the 4xCERLL HBR build.

[RestosIII]

El Bandito, on 02 February 2017 - 08:40 PM, said:

In the new skill tree, there was laser duration reduction skill. I am guessing that skill will be mighty popular for the 4xCERLL HBR Supernova Prime lore build.

FTFY.

[Cy Mitchell]

FupDup, on 02 February 2017 - 08:08 PM, said:

PGI is already planning to make the new skill tree require C-Bills and XP to unlock. This was confirmed during the round table when PGI was talking about the respec options. "XP and C-Bill" resources were referenced when comparing the free respec to the MC respect options.

This is the one part of the skill tree that is absolutely non-negotiable to me. C-Bills are for mechs and equipment only, while XP is for skills. That's how it should be. Say no to shoehorned money sinks.

We already paid C-Bills for all the modules after we paid XP to unlock the modules. The Skill Tree will totally replace the modules so I am not sure why it would be "non-negotiable" for you to pay both XP and C-bills for the skill nodes because we have done it all along, at least in part.

[FupDup]

Rampage, on 02 February 2017 - 08:54 PM, said:

We already paid C-Bills for all the modules after we paid XP to unlock the modules. The Skill Tree will totally replace the modules so I am not sure why it would be "non-negotiable" for you to pay both XP and C-bills for the skill nodes because we have done it all along, at least in part.

Modules are a one-time purchase that can be moved from mech to mech. You don't have to repurchase modules every time you get a new mech. Even if you want the same module on four mechs in a dropdeck for the terrible CW gamemodes, you only have to purchase it up to four times. The new skill tree doesn't let you carry anything from mech to mech.

Each individual skill node will probably cost a lot less than a module, but the fact that you have to buy 75 nodes for every mech you level up will mean that the cost over time will actually be higher.

Furthermore, you can reconfigure your modules at your whim for no cost after you already purchased them once. For the new skills, you will lose all of your XP and C-Bills if you respec unless you spend MC. The cost to customize on the fly is thus also a lot higher (because currently the cost of re-configuration is zero).


The Paulconomy™ always finds a way to nickle-and-dime people out of their Spacebucks.

Edited by FupDup, 02 February 2017 - 09:24 PM.

[chucklesMuch]

FupDup, on 02 February 2017 - 08:58 PM, said:

Modules are a one-time purchase that can be moved from mech to mech. You don't have to repurchase modules every time you get a new mech.

Yeah the costs relating to this will probably determine how many of each mech I want to bother with going forward

[Mister Glitchdragon]

Inappropriate1, on 02 February 2017 - 05:10 PM, said:

Just watch how many times you will 'NEED" to reskill.

The emphasis on 'NEED" was yours. You are correct that it's very important, I'd like to talk more about "need" because I think its very important, too.

Recently, UAC jam rates were increased. No doubt there were some players who stripped their UACs out in favor of something else with .02 more dps per second (I don't have my comprehensive dps graph on hand, sorry). There were others who grumbled a bit and adjusted their play to the new state of UACs because even now, UAC's are by no means "garbage," just a little more likely to jam.

Gauss rifles were just range-nerfed. No doubt some distance-players were frustrated and stripped their G's out in favor of something else, PPCs, probably. Again, there were others who grumbled --I know I did!-- and then adjusted their play appropriately, because they still find Gauss rifles effective.

In the above examples, the former players are probably going to get milked. Do they *need* to respec their skill trees? Depends on who you ask, I suppose. The latter players, who run UACs and Gauss whether or not they are at the top of the meta-mountain would say no.

But ask those former players, always chasing the meta, and you will probably hear a very different take on things. A take you are probably going to hear about in these forums, at length, whether you ask or not, in the coming months.

[RestosIII]

Mister Glitchdragon, on 02 February 2017 - 09:20 PM, said:

Recently, UAC jam rates were increased. No doubt there were some players who stripped their UACs out in favor of something else with .02 more dps per second (I don't have my comprehensive dps graph on hand, sorry). There were others who grumbled a bit and adjusted their play to the new state of UACs because even now, UAC's are by no means "garbage," just a little more likely to jam.

TBH I count the cUAC/20 to be a bit "garbage" right now. None of my mechs running single UACs are really worth the effort any more.

[Cy Mitchell]

FupDup, on 02 February 2017 - 08:58 PM, said:

Modules are a one-time purchase that can be moved from mech to mech. You don't have to repurchase modules every time you get a new mech. Even if you want the same module on four mechs in a dropdeck for the terrible CW gamemodes, you only have to purchase it up to four times. The new skill tree doesn't let you carry anything from mech to mech.

Each individual skill node will probably cost a lot less than a module, but the fact that you have to buy 75 nodes for every mech you level up will mean that the cost over time will actually be higher.

Furthermore, you can reconfigure your modules at your whim for no cost after you already purchased them once. For the new skills, you will lose all of your XP and C-Bills if you respec unless you spend MC. The cost to customize on the fly is thus also a lot higher (because currently the cost of re-configuration is zero).


The Paulconomy™ always finds a way to nickle-and-dime people out of their Spacebucks.

True, but it is all relative. We do not know the cost yet. We payed 6 Mil C-bills for Radar Deprivation or Seismic sensor before. If it only cost 250K and XP to unlock a node then we can unlock a ton of nodes for 6 MIl. I think I will wait to panic until we actually know some facts.

[RestosIII]

Rampage, on 02 February 2017 - 09:57 PM, said:

True, but it is all relative. We do not know the cost yet. We payed 6 Mil C-bills for Radar Deprivation or Seismic sensor before. If it only cost 250K and XP to unlock a node then we can unlock a ton of nodes for 6 MIl. I think I will wait to panic until we actually know some facts.

Prepare to spend 250k on a 1.5% hill climb boost.

[The Unstoppable Puggernaut]

Apologies for being an idiot guys. If I have lots of XP on my favourite mech, will that be refunded to my total balance as GXP or something?

Bottomline, should I start pre-grinding for mech's which are not at the magic XP number or just carry on as usual?

They were suppose to address lots of questions but seem to have gotten in a muddle and gone quiet again.