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I want to give feedback on a few key points that are holding back the appeal of the new skill tree, regardless of individual node balance or economy:
- Clutter and Complexity
- The inverse law of choice: Too many skill points!
- Mech identity: Quirks in another way.
TL;DR:
1. Change nodes into something more compact, where people can easily find the bonuses they're looking for.
2. Don't have too many nodes, as it doesn't actually improve the min-max capabilities or enhance the choices between stats in a meaningful way on such a small increment between each point.
3. Preserve Mech Identity and balance across geometries (currently governed by quirks) by making separate trees easier or more difficult to spend skill points in for certain mech chassis or variants, or having some skill nodes unlocked by default.
1. Clutter:
The current skill tree (and the ones before it) takes up too much space. This makes it very hard to plan your build, and an already high-information game even more difficult to grasp for new and returning players.
Instead of the web, you can have clear blocks each representing a different stat. Some stats are more powerful or specific than others, and can therefore 'hidden' behind an investment wall, where you first need to spend a certain amount of points in other stats before you get access. This has the same philosophy, but is much more comprehensible as people can find what they want easier.
Here's a quick example of the firepower tree with such a system (not balanced to the current amount of points, just as indication). You can mold it into a nice shape related to the Skill Class if you like, but it's a lot better to comprehend:
Spoiler
Even if this isn't what you're looking for, there have been many suggestions regarding the layout, so please listen to them and don't stubbornly implement an excess of hexes.
2. The inverse law of choice.
There is a thing as too much choice. The more steps you include, the less significant a certain 'choice' becomes and the lesser the feeling of actually making a choice becomes.
Instead of giving incremental 1% increases that people won't notice, it would probably be better to have a few distinct choices: you get Cooldown OR Heat reduction, no middle grounds. That makes people think about their builds: On this PPC boat, do I want less DHS and go for the heat reduction skill, so I can invest in a better engine? Do I mount more DHS, and then take the cooldown option for more DPS? Separating these choices into tiny 1% increments doesn't change the overall choice, but DOES increase the clutter (though, slightly mitigated with a more space-efficient skill system)
An example of this can be seen in 99% of League of Legends Masteries. The option to divide 5 points between two distinct skills will end up with all 5 in one of the two, never split across both, as it makes no sense from the mix-maxing standpoint that many players here use. One of the two skill is better than the other for build X, so it's maximized for build X. This is of course far from an optimal system, but it serves as a nice example as to why I think tiny increments will not work in this system.
Spoiler
More comparable to the current system is the extensive Path of Exile tree. This is extremely complex and huge, but there the significant nodes are clustered into clear super-nodes, or split into two distinct choices across a certain path. The larger path length also makes it easier to recognize where each point leads. This makes it MUCH easier to navigate than your current system for MWO. While this is a system based on increments, they're much more impactful than they can be in MWO as it will eventually add up into something like 400% weapon damage, therefore their influence is much more noticeable.
Spoiler
3. Mech Identity: Quirks in another way
While it's good to see quirks in their current form go, it's also a little bit sad. Some mechs were only really worth running for their quirks, with otherwise poor hardpoints (amount or locations). Also, some mechs had great lore-background for their quirks, which I'd hate to see removed.
It's weird that a Victor is as mobile as a barn-door Awesome for example under ther new decoupling and unquirkening. Or that the extremely mobile Dragon will barely be more maneuverable than the Cataphract. The Mech Identity inherently suffers from this change, and will make the different designs even more similar to pilot and put even more focus on designs with high hardpoints.
As mech-specific quirks are on the way out, I suggest that instead you have some skill points already unlocked and equipped for certain variants. With the suggested system above you may even increase their maximum in a certain skill to highlight specific strengths, that people can use, IF they want.
Another way to increase mech identity is to give each mech only certain skill classes of the global skill tree that they 'specialize' in, and can spend only 1 skill point per node. Other trees that fall outside their expertise will cost 2 skillpoints to equip a single node.
For example, the Stalker could be 'specialized' in firepower to become a very good weapons platform, but have to invest significantly to get more mobility. The Kodiak and Dire Wolf could also be made into mechs with specific different roles, without the Kodiak simply outperforming the Dire Wolf. The Kodiak could focus on Mobility while the Dire Wolf enjoys cheaper Armor and Firepower nodes. These specializations could even be variant-specific, where a more counter-intelligence focused variant could receive bonuses to auxiliary trees, or a jump jet capable variant can invest more easily into jump jets, if they want.
I hope that you'll listen to these ideas, or give some constructive feedback.
Edited by Excalibaard, 27 April 2017 - 04:56 AM.
I appreciate all views.
