191 replies to this topic

[Ch_R0me]

Always good to streamline and make easier the whole process (still I think it's a lot better than in other games I'm playing/ed (Gaijin games, WoT) in comparision.

[ENOVA]

SniperFury, on 07 April 2022 - 10:54 AM, said:

The game mode was dead, however this does allow them to have special Solaris like events.

I very much would like to play solaris event))

[Andrewlik]

ENOVA, on 07 April 2022 - 10:08 AM, said:

The Event queue could be HUGE. You guys just need a creative guy (or an army of loyal fans) to come up with ideas for events. TBH, PGI is not very creative team, in my opinion (or too scare to try things). At least they were (before sudden 8v8 testing)

What Event queue 'should' be is like the Tavern Brawl mode in Hearthstone.
A weekly 'fun' mode where a wrench is thrown into the rules of the game. You get a card pack for the first time you win, and then the rest of the time it's just for fun.
In hearthstone, these include: varying the types of cards you can bring, giving everyone a random deck with a specific theme, or perhaps even 'mini-games,' small temporary game modes there the objective of the game itself is different than the standard "bring the enemy down to 0."

Examples for MWO:
Limit the types of mechs that can be fielded. This can be implemented via "bring your own mech," or a "customize a mech out of these select few" fashion.

Urby Durby - only urbanmechs!
Speed Is Key - Only mechs that go above 90 kmh
Ball of Spiders - only the spider 5V. Max jump jets required.

Given a random mech, then try to make it work style modes:
Back to basics: Stock 3025 non-clan mechs only, you get to chose between one of three random mechs presented prior to entering the queue.
Dare refuse my batchall?!: Solaris queue, only with stock clan mechs.

Change the rules of the game - modes:
Basically anything that changes the 12v12 structure - naturally, spawn locations would need to be adjusted in most cases.

8v8! - you know this
4v4
4v4v4v4
Free For all!
1v1 solaris, with additional rules
You can even bring back Escort mode as an event!

You can even use this mode to "beta test" new features on a live audience.

[Kodan Black]

Yeah, base mech quirks should be visually distinct from anything gained via skills.

[martian]

Two questions:

1. When is this new Skill tree coming online?

2. I bought a few Hero 'Mechs during the last sale a week ago. What am I supposed to do now? It seems that there is no point in bothering with skilling them up?

[TheCaptainJZ]

I wish PGI would change the ballistic color away from purple for ballistics universally. Not very good contrast on dark grey.

[C337Skymaster]

RabidBeagles, on 07 April 2022 - 09:23 AM, said:

Good bye shock absorbance and hill climb!

Except on Vipers. Everyone should be getting full Shock Absorbance on all their Vipers.

[TheCaptainJZ]

martian, on 07 April 2022 - 11:34 AM, said:

2. I bought a few Hero 'Mechs during the last sale a week ago. What am I supposed to do now? It seems that there is no point in bothering with skilling them up?

Existing skills will be retained. One of the biggest reasons for not changing the number of nodes, just changing what dependencies are.

[mytilus edulis]

minnowzzz, on 07 April 2022 - 10:50 AM, said:

If they reduced the amount of nodes by half, they would have needed to refund everyone and make everyone reskill possibly 100s of mechs.

Additionally, the amount of clicking did go down, as seen in the video any nodes you click on will automatically select any nodes needed to get to that node, by clicking on node cooldown 7, the game will automatically spec points into cooldown 1 to 6 as well, saving six clicks on that part alone.

You still have to go through the menus to get to the tree just as many times

if they halved the nodes they could just give everyone the equivalent (rounded up) in the double value nodes

[GhostOTCS]

I feel like recently-spent skill points should be refunded as GSP or at least unallocated skill points. It's a bitter feeling to spend 400 GSP from the Bloodname pack and another 300 from April Fool's on mechs and then to find out right afterwards that the skill tree is changing so much.

[C337Skymaster]

minnowzzz, on 07 April 2022 - 09:44 AM, said:

They been saying for a bit that Solaris is going. it's a failed mode from the devs POV as a VAST minority of players play it.

Ever since they stopped providing end-of-season rank rewards, nobody plays it. If you want to play Solaris, you have to recruit a friend to play it with you. Honestly, the mode is an excellent place to have private duels because the chance of you being bothered by somebody else is slim to none. Even better for 2v2 duels since a rando can't slip in on your 1v1 match as easily.

[martian]

TheCaptainJZ, on 07 April 2022 - 11:51 AM, said:

Existing skills will be retained. One of the biggest reasons for not changing the number of nodes, just changing what dependencies are.

So if I own one particular CN9-A(L) Centurion with 100 unlocked skill nodes, then after the Skill Tree change I will keep all those unlocked skill nodes (albeit arranged differently in the new Skil tree)? No spending of C-Bills and Mech XP anew?

[C337Skymaster]

Lizardman from Hollywood, on 07 April 2022 - 10:04 AM, said:

Why are Seismic and ECM locked behind non relevant skills?

Because those are extremely powerful skill nodes (same with speed tweak and radar dep) that require extra cost beyond just their own base cost per node. These are the skills that were placed at the very bottom of the original skill tree, and for good reason. Previously, these were all 6 million CB Modules (except Speed Tweak, which was an Elite skill).

[TheCaptainJZ]

martian, on 07 April 2022 - 12:07 PM, said:

So if I own one particular CN9-A(L) Centurion with 100 unlocked skill nodes, then after the Skill Tree change I will keep all those unlocked skill nodes (albeit arranged differently in the new Skil tree)? No spending of C-Bills and Mech XP anew?

That's what it sounds like from the devlog. Even if they don't fit into the correct pattern in the new skill tree, it will retain them. This is really good for people who don't realize it after the patch in May (if it's not delayed). Their mechs will keep the same skills until they change it.
Now if you have skipped nodes, you will have to go back and unlock the ones you missed if you change away from that part of the tree and then back to it. Like Range: If you have 1-4, 6-8 unlocked but not #5, if you unequip them and then want to equip them again, you'll have to buy #5 to get back to 8.

All-in-all, the new skill tree is still twice as complicated as it needs to be but it's a compromise which is fair.

Edited by TheCaptainJZ, 07 April 2022 - 12:17 PM.

[RoyKilroy]

One thing that concerns me, is that they think carefully about making the screens in the mech lab as intuitive as possible. For new players, the complexity of the screens can be daunting.

[C337Skymaster]

TheCaptainJZ, on 07 April 2022 - 12:15 PM, said:

That's what it sounds like from the devlog. Even if they don't fit into the correct pattern in the new skill tree, it will retain them. This is really good for people who don't realize it after the patch in May (if it's not delayed). Their mechs will keep the same skills until they change it.
Now if you have skipped nodes, you will have to go back and unlock the ones you missed if you change away from that part of the tree and then back to it. Like Range: If you have 1-4, 6-8 unlocked but not #5, if you unequip them and then want to equip them again, you'll have to buy #5 to get back to 8.

All-in-all, the new skill tree is still twice as complicated as it needs to be but it's a compromise which is fair.

Wait, it's not just going to auto-adjust from 1-4, and 6-8 to have 1-7 unlocked? Won't that trigger an invalid skill tree warning? For example, when you unequip Consumable Slot nodes and haven't removed the Consumables, it invalidates the 'mech. Removing AMS or Jump Jets or ECM just triggers a build warning if you have those nodes activated.

[martian]

TheCaptainJZ, on 07 April 2022 - 12:15 PM, said:

That's what it sounds like from the devlog. Even if they don't fit into the correct pattern in the new skill tree, it will retain them. This is really good for people who don't realize it after the patch in May (if it's not delayed). Their mechs will keep the same skills until they change it.
Now if you have skipped nodes, you will have to go back and unlock the ones you missed if you change away from that part of the tree and then back to it. Like Range: If you have 1-4, 6-8 unlocked but not #5, if you unequip them and then want to equip them again, you'll have to buy #5 to get back to 8.

All-in-all, the new skill tree is still twice as complicated as it needs to be but it's a compromise which is fair.

Okay, I think I understand.

And what about those unskilled Heroes?
Is it better to unskill their nodes now, or wait until May? It seems to me that playing them and accumulating Mech XP - but waiting with the unlocking - would be the better option, since in May those skill nodes will be cheaper (both XP and C-Bills) and fully compliant with the new SKill tree.

Do I understand it corrrectly?

[TheCaptainJZ]

martian, on 07 April 2022 - 12:27 PM, said:

Okay, I think I understand.

And what about those unskilled Heroes?
Is it better to unskill their nodes now, or wait until May? It seems to me that playing them and accumulating Mech XP - but waiting with the unlocking - would be the better option, since in May those skill nodes will be cheaper (both XP and C-Bills) and fully compliant with the new SKill tree.

Do I understand it corrrectly?

Now that they are skilled, leave them. If they are unskilled, wait until the new tree comes out.

[All Your Bases]

Great work guys! Love the rework and excited for the new que. To echo a few others can we please make sure that the stock quirks be highlighted a different color? It's really nice to know what things the mech came with vs our own changes as well.

Edited by All Your Bases, 07 April 2022 - 12:36 PM.

[martian]

TheCaptainJZ, on 07 April 2022 - 12:35 PM, said:

Now that they are skilled, leave them. If they are unskilled, wait until the new tree comes out.

I guess that you are right.