26 replies to this topic

[pattonesque]

yeah you get incredible armor boosts on most mechs with a full survivability tree. Firepower is probably the most important but survivability is a close second

[CrimsonPhantom6sg062]

caravann, on 30 September 2021 - 04:19 AM, said:

The skill nodes doesn't do much to change the performance. Most stomps are based on firepower and not a single skill for that.

AMS Overload, Improved Gyros, Heat Containment, Cool Run, Target Info Gathering, Target Decay, Radar Deprivation, some of the auxiliary tree, and the entire firepower tree all directly affect you or your enemies' firepower and accuracy.

But apart from that, yeah there is not a single skill for firepower.

[Elizander]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, on 28 September 2021 - 06:02 AM, said:

that doesn't solve anything, sorry. people who just don't spend their 91 points efficiently won't spend 9 more well, either.
while otoh people that do will use the additional points to further open the "skilltree gap".

All they needed was to add a 'recommended skill tree' for that one click action.

[Glymbol]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie, on 28 September 2021 - 05:54 AM, said:

-skirmish needs a wincondition besides kills; reasoning: that genius in a stealthflea that hides for 10+ minutes without doing anything. and similar things. very annoying, very unneccessary, and a lot of ways to fix it.

I agree, maybe lowering match time would help.

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

Elizander, on 30 September 2021 - 06:53 AM, said:

All they needed was to add a 'recommended skill tree' for that one click action.

true.
but we're talking PGI here, so..

Glymbol, on 30 September 2021 - 08:27 AM, said:

I agree, maybe lowering match time would help.

I'd be more for a time-out by (in)activity or something. but yeah, as games are ofter fast anyway, shorter matchtime should be a simple solve for the vast majority of matches, too.
It'd bite for those rare matches that go on forever because of health, where you claw out a victory with a 10%mech over several minutes/opponents though. those nailbiters are some of the few fun&exciting games you can have, imo

[caravann]

MechB Kotare, on 30 September 2021 - 05:25 AM, said:

What? Survival nodes = more armor.
Heat generation nodes = more lasers (more firepower)
Operations = less heat, more heat dissipation = less heatsinks/more lasers (more firepower)
Uac jam duration decrease = more dps
Shorter laser duration = more dps

At least 40 % of mechs performance ( including armor, mobility and firepower) is in its skill nodes...

It only becomes a 1-1 = 0

The way you think doesn't work out in 12 vs 12 and only in 1 vs 1

Having the tool to destroy a component can be crucial and higher valued than the DPS of a missile launcher

Heat skills is needed when the mech already has an issue in heat. And most of the time you'll taking cover and not alpha strike mechs and very few occasions you can sit in front of the entire team and recycling shots. It's least to say that the skills do not change your hardpoint limitations or increase the damage of the guns or change the outcome.

[CrimsonPhantom6sg062]

caravann, on 01 October 2021 - 05:22 AM, said:

It only becomes a 1-1 = 0

The way you think doesn't work out in 12 vs 12 and only in 1 vs 1

Having the tool to destroy a component can be crucial and higher valued than the DPS of a missile launcher

Heat skills is needed when the mech already has an issue in heat. And most of the time you'll taking cover and not alpha strike mechs and very few occasions you can sit in front of the entire team and recycling shots. It's least to say that the skills do not change your hardpoint limitations or increase the damage of the guns or change the outcome.

Ah, so you just have a specific issue with firepower in the skill tree. That makes sense.

Well, I will just tell you what you can do with certain skill nodes if it helps:


Firepower:

Range - You can switch to shorter range weapons that usually deal more dps and alpha than longer range weapons.

Heat Generation (and its variants) - You can run hotter alpha builds that pack a more powerful single punch. Heat Gen is more useful for high alpha builds. Operations is typically more useful for low alpha builds.

Laser Duration - Increases your laser damage per second of burn time.

High Explosive - Increases your missile damage on exposed structure. I personally don't find this very useful.

Missile/LBX Spread - Concentrates your missile/LBX damage on a single point, and basically increases your alpha damage at mid to long range.

Ammo Capacity - Increases the tonnage capacity of your mech, so that you can fit potentially higher alpha builds.

Gauss Charge - Increases the proportion of time your gauss is ready to fire while aiming at an enemy. Basically, you are less likely to miss opportunities to hit enemies if you invest in this.


Survival:

AMS Overload - If you have AMS, decreases the potential damage of enemy missiles fired near you.


Operations:

See Heat Generation - they are Heat Containment and Cool Run. I usually just stick with Cool Run.


Sensors:

Target Info Gathering - Combined with active probe (and possibly targeting computer), greatly increases the speed you get targeting info, the speed is instant if you reach -100% target info gathering speed. This lets you see where on the enemy mech they are severely damaged which can be useful at longer-range or in poor visibility environments. Furthermore, you can see the enemies' loadouts easier, which can make a difference between dying after rounding the first corner, or surviving until the end.

Target Decay - Useful for extending the time you can bombard enemies with lrms or atms.

Radar Deprivation - Useful for reducing the time you get attacked by sniper fire, lrms or atms. Also is an excellent anti-stealth skill.


Auxiliary Tree skills with a focus on cool shots and strategic strikes let you either: alpha in hotter builds more frequently. Or let you place more strategic strikes that damage enemies even if you are behind cover. Enemies normally move away from struck areas, so this is good for area denial.


Skill tree does not help if your mech has hardpoint limitations - that is the main drawback of using hardpoint starved mechs. If you really hate this, just get another mech with more hardpoints that you want.

P.S. This is getting off-topic, I would suggest making another thread on this issue if you want to discuss this further.