14 replies to this topic

[Mycroft000]

For the vast majority of my Mechs, this will be my "Skill Loadout" gives the best use of nodes with the least waste. It uses 87 Nodes and leaves room for 4 "Elective" nodes.

[Ruar]

Yep, that will pretty much be the standard. Some folks will go with firepower instead of armor depending on mech, but the rest is going to be cookie cutter.

They really need to go linear and get rid of these interlocked nodes. If you want radar dep to cost 12 nodes then just make it 12 nodes long on it's own branch and leave five nodes out there for other options. Having gates just means everyone will end up with the same rough skill layout.

[Mycroft000]

I've been saying the whole time it needs to be linear, or even completely open to unlocking any skill with no trees, but require limitations on how many nodes per tree are available to unlock.

Example: Give sensors higher impact nodes with what exists in the tree currently compressed into 20 nodes, and you can only select 5.

[Vashramire]

Basically builds haven't changed hardly at all from the last one. Coupling Firepower into the skill system either means it's overpowered or useless. There is no in between. A fantastic solution was proposed by Solahma. Basically right now, just trying to spec for the old tree and missing modules is best for like 95% of mechs. Also I'm sure new players don't find it daunting to grind to 91 points and then try and figure out how to spec them and the infinite ways you can do just terrible with the tree on top of 1 point feeling just useless at a small % at a time so specing 1 point wrong or right feels near negligible. The trees are bland and tediously incremental in values. Drop it to 30ish points and cut out the firepower tree.

[Mycroft000]

I haven't seen a better design than Solahma's. I did come up with a way they could expand the existing "Live" skill tree into a linear, and limited, tree that I feel actually causes real meaningful choices instead of what we're going to get.

[Chound]

mycroft000, on 26 April 2017 - 11:52 AM, said:

I haven't seen a better design than Solahma's. I did come up with a way they could expand the existing "Live" skill tree into a linear, and limited, tree that I feel actually causes real meaningful choices instead of what we're going to get.

we already have the UI for what I would consider the perfect way to select nodes. The pilot skill tree. each of thses items would be a different button. radar derp lvl 5 instead ofo 5 nodes. It's nice and tight no problem with unwanted nodes. Instead of cooldown, range micellaneous, it would be auxillary,, sensor, operations, mobility, firepower. similar items gouped together so alll the laser related ityems in one section, balistis in another. Auxillary would have UAV, Narc, coolshots

[Quicksilver Aberration]

You don't need radar derp, you are better off without any of the info warfare skills and just getting the ability to do double UAV/double Coolshot. Use those skill points for more mobility because you will need it for several mechs with agility hit across the board.

Edited by Quicksilver Kalasa, 26 April 2017 - 12:39 PM.

[Mycroft000]

Radar Dep and Seismic are the two modules that have paid for themselves dozens of times over. I don't use Radar Dep only for dodging missiles, I use it as a heads up as to when an enemy has spotted me. When that first chime goes off I know I've got someone who can see me. Between that and Seismic, I can stalk people more effectively and know when to flee if I've been caught.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

mycroft000, on 26 April 2017 - 12:43 PM, said:

Radar Dep and Seismic are the two modules that have paid for themselves dozens of times over.

Seismic is a goto module sure, but UAVs require less investment and provide great utility that seismic just doesn't provide in those situations. As an assault or light, UAVs can be more useful. Medium/heavies may go the seismic route instead, but we will see.

Radar derp is another nice to have because of the ping that tells you you were spotted, but you can live without it. It's simply a nice to have and not an essential to have like UAVs and cool shots can be (mobility as well is immensely useful).

Edited by Quicksilver Kalasa, 26 April 2017 - 12:47 PM.

[Ruar]

Quicksilver Kalasa, on 26 April 2017 - 12:45 PM, said:

Seismic is a goto module sure, but UAVs require less investment and provide great utility that seismic just doesn't provide in those situations. As an assault or light, UAVs can be more useful. Medium/heavies may go the seismic route instead, but we will see.

Radar derp is another nice to have because of the ping that tells you you were spotted, but you can live without it. It's simply a nice to have and not an essential to have like UAVs and cool shots can be (mobility as well is immensely useful).

Radar and seismic really depends on playstyle. An assault that stays with the group and near cover doesn't really need radar dep much. A medium running the edges and sniping/skirmishing will need radar dep to let them get back to cover.

Constantly on the move? Seismic has limited value. Constantly standing still to shoot? Seismic just became important to warn of lights sneaking up behind.

Personally I put radar dep on everything because I'm always moving around and constantly using terrain to mask LOS even if it doesn't actually provide LRM cover. If I didn't have radar dep I would be taking volleys of missiles while I'm working the flanks.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

Ruar, on 26 April 2017 - 12:53 PM, said:

Constantly standing still to shoot? Seismic just became important to warn of lights sneaking up behind.

UAVs can be just as important, you can generally tell when it's going to happen. If no one has seen the lights in a while and you know they have lights, it always helps to poop a UAV just in case. Good lights know how to avoid seismic when jumping on a mech standing still as well (they jump from outside the seismic range and shoot you before they land). UAV's also help notify everyone that lights are on you since it puts them on radar for everyone to see.

Edited by Quicksilver Kalasa, 26 April 2017 - 01:03 PM.

[Ruar]

Quicksilver Kalasa, on 26 April 2017 - 01:03 PM, said:

UAVs can be just as important, you can generally tell when it's going to happen. If no one has seen the lights in a while and you know they have lights, it always helps to poop a UAV just in case. Good lights know how to avoid seismic when jumping on a mech standing still as well (they jump from outside the seismic range and shoot you before they land). UAV's also help notify everyone that lights are on you since it puts them on radar for everyone to see.

UAVs have limited time while seismic is always there.

That said, it's great to have choices. If only the skill tree promoted choice instead of forcing people to conform to cookie cutter layouts.

[Mycroft000]

Anyone else want to share theirs?

[A Really Old Clan Dude]

For my build i went quite close to this: My differences are below:
Armour= mandatory as below



Agility: The same for most of my fast mechs but for my heavies I dropped everything after level 4 down (get back 10 for firepower)



Mech operations: Almost mandatory



Sensor System: This one changes a bit for me depending on the build and play style for the mech.
For ECM or sniper mechs: drop the radar derp and seismic (5 nodes gained back) and put them into Enhanced ecm or Advanced zoom ( i still like this for my triple ER large laser builds to pinpoint shots)
For LRM builds rearrange slightly to give more target retention.

Anything left over gets dumped into the firepower build or some extra consumables slots.

[FupDup]

Quicksilver Kalasa, on 26 April 2017 - 12:38 PM, said:

You don't need radar derp, you are better off without any of the info warfare skills and just getting the ability to do double UAV/double Coolshot. Use those skill points for more mobility because you will need it for several mechs with agility hit across the board.

B-b-b-b-but I need my Seismic Wallhack crutch.