11 replies to this topic

[Remains Intact]

Am I missing something or is there no way to test a mech skill set before being locked into the spec?

[JimboGrimes]

Nope. No way to test loadouts without paying for everything either.

[ScrapIron Prime]

But thats not new. There was no way to test the previous skill system or a given module without buying into them first. (Though you could swap modules around.)

[Sarsaparilla Kid]

Except, under the old system, it didn't matter because you got/needed all the skills anyway. With the new system, you're only able to have less than 40% of all possible nodes active when you've fully mastered it, so many people would like to experiment and see which 40% is going to be the best choices for each mech. I really don't think it should be that difficult to allow for a pilot to drop into the Testing Grounds with a skill tree selection that hasn't been fully purchased yet.

[ScrapIron Prime]

Fair point. If would be handy to know how much Torso Speed you really need to make the mech the way you want it...

[CJ Daxion]

ScrapIron Prime, on 30 May 2017 - 10:04 AM, said:

Fair point. If would be handy to know how much Torso Speed you really need to make the mech the way you want it...

well the best way is to just add slowly.. really it's not all that expensive when you come down to it. Typically in "testing" people are talking about a few nodes. Maybe 40? that's what 2m if you really do deep. typically thought you are swapping out small amounts to tweak so it's kinda easy/cheap.


that said, saving a build and dropping into testing grounds could be a ton of work. You would need to be adding test copies to your computer, then dropping into the grounds, but not really saving in the main game. It's a ton of temp files, and an entire new save structure, and then grabbing the file to load up which would be completely different than going from your main test structure.


in other words, what sounds simple could be a Crap ton of work from a back-end point of view

[ScrapIron Prime]

Hence the reason to have saved build/tree slots. I'd pay MC to have a few slots i could copy/paste from in game.

[Clownwarlord]

Its pretty basic stuff, and isn't to complicated.

[CJ Daxion]

Clownwarlord, on 30 May 2017 - 10:28 AM, said:

Its pretty basic stuff, and isn't to complicated.

well its a little complicated, you are adding temp copies of a mech, that are not officially saved on the server for one, i realize the testing grounds is local already, but you are talking about then adding another subset for the structure, which i have no idea how complicated that could/might be. It could be simple, it could be a lot more complicated than you think. There is work no question either way. Would it take one guy a week? a month? two months? I have zero clue.. If it was the first, ok might be worth it.. the last, Hell no..


But honestly, what are you going to check in testing grounds anyway? It's not sensors, or are you just seeing how long something stays on target? well do math right? It's not structure, its not consumables..


Really the only thing you are going to be checking in testing ground is perhaps missile/LBX spread. (2 nodes) Hardly worth doing just for that.. laser duration perhaps? again a few nodes. You are not going broke swapping these couple of nodes.

Heat? ok. that is something.. operations is a decent amount combined with weapons, which is your main thing you really could test, but most people are going to be taking some weapons tree anyway.

cooldown? again math, which kinda runs along with heat, but those numbers are so small, you aren't really learning much in testing on that aspect, Adding a bit of cooldown you are going to run a bit hotter. Not really much to learn here..

Speed? You know if you need more twist speed, Top speed, add a few KPH ect

Jump jets, this one is really the only one you can really play around with in testing to see how it really works. but again its a small tree.



I guess my point is, a good amount of work from a back-end structure at the very least, but really what is going to get tested in there, that is really going to help tell you how it all plays in the over all. For that you really need matches.




sure testing out be nice.. But i'll take that dev time to do actual game play improvements. I'd rather have the dev spend a week on adding command wheel function, or hitting any number of Long standing would be nice items before this. Maybe at the next town hall we can ask how complicated is it really. I'd bet many people would say, sure take a week and get it done.. But how many would say take two months?

Edited by CJ Daxion, 30 May 2017 - 11:24 AM.

[Sarsaparilla Kid]

With how little benefit you get from an individual node, it would not be real meaningful to test your mech one node at a time and expect a big improvement...you'd really have to go all in for whatever stat you're looking for, including all the nodes that gate the ones you really want, so then it does become an expensive proposition to fully test by using up SP. If they could whip up something in a short period of time, even being able to test half the items on the tree in the Testing Grounds would be better than nothing.

Edited by Sarsaparilla Kid, 30 May 2017 - 11:29 AM.

[Davegt27]

you guys need to be saving up for the new weapons that will be coming out

so don't go hog wild try to get you c-bills built up

[Sarsaparilla Kid]

And that's the other issue...right when they introduced a C-bill sink for skills, we have new tech incoming that will also surely be a C-bill sink...