4 replies to this topic

[Gaussfather]

I'm trying to love the new PTS but not only does it take way too long to set up per mech, I have to grab skills etc. I don't want along the way...

Couldn't you go with the tried and true "AD&D" list of skills and let use assign a number between 1 and 18 or 20? Then the boost just effects whatever we assign the skill point to? Much easier than this web/maze set up.

[Horseman]

The obvious problem with that is that it makes it too easy to min-max a "one true skill build" for every chassis (leave it to the metagamers to figure out one). Still, some kind of intermediary solution (think a skill tree with levelled nodes) might be better than the current tree.

[Chound]

What's AD&D how does it apply to MWO

[Sandslice]

Chound, on 03 March 2017 - 06:19 PM, said:

What's AD&D how does it apply to MWO


Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

Gaussfather is essentially proposing a "point buy" system within which you're able to tweak a variety of parameters for your 'Mech around some balanced baseline.

If done RIGHT, it can force you to make some real choices; if done WRONG, it only leads to cookie cutter builds.

As an example, suppose you have a "Firepower" section with three nodes, as such:

FIREPOWER (30 pt: damage, range, heat efficiency)

Each of those parameters would start at 10; and you'd pay for gains in one by lowering another. Above a certain point, it would become more costly to improve (say, to go from 13 damage to 14, you'd have to drop two points in other parameters.)

The trick in balancing this sort of system is to keep the trade-offs interesting and balanced; it's unfair, for example, for a non-jumper to "dump" his useless Vertical Jumping stat for more Damage.

[Dee Eight]

AD&D and other RPGs which employ merits and flaws based systems are hard to translate to FPS/MMO's because many of the 'flaws' are things that require story arcs manipulated game to game by the DM/GM and actual role playing ability of the players.