1 reply to this topic

[Greyhart]

Ok I have to post this to get it out of my head.

Firstly I think the new skill tree is better than the current skill tree, this however is a low standard. the current skill tree is an XP bucket that you fill.

The fundamental problem is that all the skill trees are automatically open. We have gone from 1 bucket to multiple buckets that you can fill or not.

Problem: Availability of all skill trees

I don't think I know of any game where you get all the skill trees immediately available or where you can pursue both branches of a tree and fill them out.

A simple way to fix this is that each tree would have to be unlocked first. You would not be able to unlock all the trees. So at the moment there are 7 trees (I think) so you could only unlock 3 trees.

Then each tree would have a maximum number of nodes that could be unlocked.

Having a single bucket of skill points to distribute over all the trees is the problem.

So the solution to this problem is (working with in the current system):

• Have say 3 skill points per mech.
  
• A skill point costs say 1 Million C-Bills (price negotiable)
  
• Skill points are only used on the first skill in a tree
  
• There is a max number of nodes per skill tree that can be purchased for XP (no c-bill cost) varies obviously depending on tree size so weapons would have more than jump jets.

this allows for meaningful choice do I take mobility, sensors and armour or weapons jump jets and operations.

It also means within the tree you decide a branch to specialise in or you go more shallow and generalise.


Problem: Skills hidden behind junk

Actually this isn't a problem but it builds resentment in the human animal and achieves nothing.

Given the change outlined above you can balance cost of an effect per tree not over the entire skill tree system.

If you want a choice between increased radar range and seismic sensors (assuming the only 2 choices in a tree) then you break them down into 5 nodes each and that tree allows you to only unlock 5 nodes.

If you think a tree is weak and that it would be better if all the nodes were available or a majority then you increase the amount of nodes that can be unlocked in that tree. i.e. Jump jets would allow you to unlock every node in the tree.

Solution:

• Limited node unlocks per tree make real choice within the tree.
  
• Ditch or merge the junk as not as many nodes are needed.

So make real macro choices by limiting the trees available to the player. then make real micro choices within each tree by limiting the number of node unlocks per tree.

[Greyhart]

I still think this is the easiest fix to the current system.

Balance the worth of the trees between each other.

then within each tree balance the choices.

currently you have to balance every choice in every tree against each other. is radar derp worth the same unlocks as seismic are the both so good that you would be crazy not to have both? how do those balance against structure and how does armour balance against structure or radar derp.