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[Elizander]

People are shocked with the skill tree reset due to the cost and most games don't do it this way. I understand that time = money and making something that does not earn is not good for a small company like PGI (as they have repeatedly stated).

In light of this, I'd like to think up some suggestions that can be used as a basis for further tweaks to the skill tree reset option (there are many other issues, yes, but this is just for the reset costs). These are just options that can be picked and tossed together to make something workable for them.

Unlock Skill Node Cost:

• Should be a one-time cost to unlock the nodes.
  
• If the node has been unlocked, it can be allocated a point again later on for no cost.
  
• This makes it a fixed 9.1m (or more) cost per mech in addition to the initial investment.
  
• The same goes for XP. Instead of adding the extra trouble of reimbursing the XP, a locked/unlocked status for a node is simpler. Any unlocked nodes after a reset must still be paid for.
  
• Costs for nodes can be adjusted to take this into account.

Reset Costs:

• Once a one-time unlock system is in place, resets should be simpler and easier to implement and there are various ways to do this.
  
• Resets should be a one time cost and just allocate the points after the skills are reset.
  
• A number of c-bill resets per day or per week can be set or a timer can be added to make players wait minutes and hours between c-bill resets, much like how the drop-game penalty works.
  
• MC can reset skills instantly.
  
• Having premium time lowers the reset wait time and increases the number of c-bill resets a player can make while it is active.
  
• Respecs costing 125,000 c-bills should still provide a decent enough drain over time.

Requirements and costs over Long-term play:

• If you don't adjust the pace of the game and just keep increasing things, the more people play, the longer it takes for them to get stuff done which will soon bring people into a state of dissatisfaction.
  
• If your goal is to make people buy multiple copies of mechs, perhaps a mastered mech will provide an MC/C-bill discount for extra copies of said mech and costs to unlock on duplicates can be lower by a significant amount.
  
• Making people buy more of the same mech to lock in a build directly conflicts with player's desire for cheaper reset costs as there would be no need for a casual to repurchase a mech if resets are reasonable. This conflict must be sorted out prior to moving forward.
  
• Unlocking nodes on a mech's skill tree can carry over to duplicate variants, but the player can still pay a reset cost per variant reset. This will further encourage duplicate purchases for those who want it. Otherwise the stacking costs of everything is just too ridiculously high for the regular player or any rich player that doesn't have 10 hours a day to play and grind.
  
• Measure the cost and time investment of players for the system and look at it from both ends of the scale (4 mech newb to 200+ mech veteran)
  
• Are you willing to play 91+ games to test a new fun build? Are you willing to play another 91+ games after that when you find out the build sucks? Are you willing to do that for 114 mechs? I'm not. (numbers exaggerated as realistically players will only tinker with 20-30 points to tweak weapons)

Edited by Elizander, 14 February 2017 - 07:57 AM.