3 replies to this topic

[l33tworks]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some people wanted freestyle skill nodes.

Some people wanted linear skill tree.

Some people asked to be able to go UP in the skill tree not just down.

All fair points.

But PGI did it their way, and OK, it is what is is.

Is is great? No. Is it Horrific? No, But it could be SO MUCH better.

What if there was a solution that made EVERYONE happy and offered faster user experience to the current skill tree GUI.

Just to be the clear. The current way the skill tree works is left UNCHANGED if you want to use it in the regular manual mode.

BUT In addition to this.

I Present to you.

THE A LA CARTE SYSTEM

Lets say you want JUST laser duration. Ok currently we know you must go through a certain number of firepower nodes to get to them. All of the nodes leading to laser duration have their own bonuses. What if you weer willing to forgo All those bonuses JUST to get laser duration but at an very increased cost, past a certain point which you may as well get them the regular way, but you are stubborn....

I Present to you,

The A LA CARTE SYSTEM

You simply select the 3 laser duration nodes from the get go on an empty tree, Then because you didnt start from the top of the Skill tree like your average Joe, over the GUI You are present with

1. An A LA CARTE COST, Just to buy the 3 laser duration nodes you selected. Say for example 9 Nodes total cost just for the 3 laser duration nodes you selected

2.A Regular cost with automatically pref filled routes you can cycle between that lead to the 3 laser duration nodes selected.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what is the result of this system

PGI Wins. More players switching up skill tree node changes. Toying with A LA CARTE options wasting currency. Balance is not affected because the A La carte people are giving up so much to go the A la carte route. At the same time a pre fill system is designed which helps the user experience.

Players Wins because it gives you more options and variety if you are a so inclined to be a stubborn SOB and want to homebrew you own nodes at a increased cost VIA THE A LA CARTE SYSTEM


Somebody make an in illustration of how this works and I will put it up on OP and credit you for it.

Thankyou.

[Obadiah333]

I'm pretty sure PGI specifically didn't do it this way because it makes too much sense and because it gives the players the power. We can't have that now, can we.

[Vordhosbn11]

l33tworks, on 11 July 2017 - 04:41 AM, said:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some people wanted freestyle skill nodes.

Some people wanted linear skill tree.

Some people asked to be able to go UP in the skill tree not just down.

All fair points.

But PGI did it their way, and OK, it is what is is.

Is is great? No. Is it Horrific? No, But it could be SO MUCH better.

What if there was a solution that made EVERYONE happy and offered faster user experience to the current skill tree GUI.

Just to be the clear. The current way the skill tree works is left UNCHANGED if you want to use it in the regular manual mode.

BUT In addition to this.

I Present to you.

THE A LA CARTE SYSTEM

Lets say you want JUST laser duration. Ok currently we know you must go through a certain number of firepower nodes to get to them. All of the nodes leading to laser duration have their own bonuses. What if you weer willing to forgo All those bonuses JUST to get laser duration but at an very increased cost, past a certain point which you may as well get them the regular way, but you are stubborn....

I Present to you,

The A LA CARTE SYSTEM

You simply select the 3 laser duration nodes from the get go on an empty tree, Then because you didnt start from the top of the Skill tree like your average Joe, over the GUI You are present with

1. An A LA CARTE COST, Just to buy the 3 laser duration nodes you selected. Say for example 9 Nodes total cost just for the 3 laser duration nodes you selected

2.A Regular cost with automatically pref filled routes you can cycle between that lead to the 3 laser duration nodes selected.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what is the result of this system

PGI Wins. More players switching up skill tree node changes. Toying with A LA CARTE options wasting currency. Balance is not affected because the A La carte people are giving up so much to go the A la carte route. At the same time a pre fill system is designed which helps the user experience.

Players Wins because it gives you more options and variety if you are a so inclined to be a stubborn SOB and want to homebrew you own nodes at a increased cost VIA THE A LA CARTE SYSTEM


Somebody make an in illustration of how this works and I will put it up on OP and credit you for it.

Thankyou.

That would cause too much min/maxing. The ST prevents buying 'only' those nodes you want for a specific function because it needs to bake in opportunity costs while at the same time unofficially establishing skill-value progression - i.e. 'base' nodes (range, etc), more 'advanced' nodes (cool run, etc.), the 'best' nodes (radar dep, duration, etc.)

You, and everyone else, are right - it's a pain in the *** to have to 'buy' torso yaw when you just want speed tweak, but it is made that way on purpose. The purpose, is to prevent things from becoming too OP and make you choose between opportunity costs.

'Paying more' for nodes 'you want' sort of defeats the purpose, and in all likelihood would make the rich richer and the poor poorer. I have a main account aside from this one with close to 100M cbills and 200k gxp from the ST refunds. Suffice it to say, I could min/max the **** out of all of my mechs, and despite my skill level, would have an enormous advantage over those who aren't as well endowed.

I know that's an unpopular thing to say, but picturing some of the already powerful mechs in the game outfit with 'only the good nodes' does not look promising, and I think it would only further distance the bad from the good. Not to mention, make it even more difficult for new players to acclimate to an already steep learning curve.

What you are suggesting, is buying only specific nodes for an increased price, but that increased price would still have to be lower than the amount of currency it currently takes for your idea to be advantageous. In theory, if the 'increased cost' was more than what it currently takes to get to the nodes you want, there would be zero point to it. Your idea is by no means bad, but I think it defeats the purpose of preventing OP chases and might be a regressive step in game balance. Your idea would only make sense if the costs of obtaining the good nodes were less than what it is now, and the cost to get there in the current form of the ST curbs min/maxing, where yours enables it more.

Edited by Vordhosbn11, 11 July 2017 - 06:01 AM.

[Almond Brown]

A visible "Track" on the node Tree that shows the Path from the Top of the Tree to your currently selected Node, somewhere down the Tree, and then 1 click to accept the whole "Track" getting ALL the Nodes on the "Track" would be fantastic.

I like it. Let's do it.