218 replies to this topic

[keydet]

I like the types of skills they're including. But I'm really not crazy about the current -and yes I realize it's both preliminary and subject to revision- organization of the skills. If I were primarily interested in a defensive play style, I would prefer to have Cognizance and AMS range increases available before Charging or the DFA damage reduction abilities. Heck, some people may prefer to never use jumpjets. Why force them to take the DFA damage reduction skill before they unlock another that they would actually use?

Also, and this is just my personal preference, I think the "naval bombardment" should be replaced by "orbital bombardment". Who's to say every planet we fight on has navigable waterways on its surface? But they're all rocks in the vastness of space. Just saying.

[GargoyleKDR]

Hayden, on 03 February 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

...the "naval bombardment"... since wet navies are pretty much non-existent, and there hasn't been a non-comstar warship in the inner sphere in decades or centuries.

In the Fri. Feb 03, 3049 ISN New Flash the upgraded Avenger-class DropShips are mentioned. The Avenger features a single 93 capacity cargo bay, mounted near the drive to the rear of the craft. This dual purpose bay can be used as a bomb bay during planetary bombing and strafing runs, and is generally split between this purpose and carrying 15 marines. Planetary bombing runs are a form of naval bombardment. Naval bombardment is not exlusively limited to warships; dropships can do it too.

Edited by GargoyleKDR, 03 February 2012 - 01:38 PM.

[osito]

As i read it as you gain xp points you unlock certain modules. To move up a tier and unlock the next level you need to do the same in each variant. I have not read that you need to use these modules on your mechs , they just need to be unlocked to move up. This means to me then once sscout/assault/defence/command modules are opened you can pick and choose which modules you want in your mech so you can put in scout features and assault features in you mech as you see it. Thats how i read it and hope it is.

Also i am sooooooo happy that charging and dfa are in the game. Maybe later there will be more melee combat and some hatchets and swords put on mechs. Plus i want melee so i junk punch in my mech. That would be funny, crouch down low and bam junk punch.

[IxxxI]

Hayden, on 03 February 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

The only thing (as I sit here on my lunch break) that I don't like are "predator drone" (it must be ancient! And seems very similar to air strike) and the "naval bombardment"... since wet navies are pretty much non-existent, and there hasn't been a non-comstar warship in the inner sphere in decades or centuries.

+1
Commander role skill tree looks remote damage oriented so far. I don't insist, but it could be cool to have counter measure actions to prevent air forces/drones/shuttles strikes for some period of time (i.e. sattelites jamming to affect sattelites and drones; aerospace fighters cover to prevent first air strike; et.c.). That will make important not only to use those supporting strikes, but will make a decision when to use them critical.

Edited by IxxxI, 03 February 2012 - 01:47 PM.

[Fatalis]

*drools* this is a dream come true

[MilitantMonk]

This is good stuff! Thanks for the much more in-depth explanation of these skill trees.

[mezonblaster]

Heh. WorldOfTanks will suck in tiers

[Hayden]

GargoyleKDR, on 03 February 2012 - 01:33 PM, said:

In the Fri. Feb 03, 3049 ISN New Flash the upgraded Avenger-class DropShips are mentioned. The Avenger features a single 93 capacity cargo bay, mounted near the drive to the rear of the craft. This dual purpose bay can be used as a bomb bay during planetary bombing and strafing runs, and is generally split between this purpose and carrying 15 marines. Planetary bombing runs are a form of naval bombardment. Naval bombardment is not exlusively limited to warships; dropships can do it too.

Kudos, sir! I didn't think about weaponized dropships!

[Morashtak]

Was counting pre- 3051 IS core 'Mechs and variants the other day. Thought I counted approximately 45 core/75 variants. So...

Will need more IS variants than canon or our pilots will need to switch sides and go Clan to fill out all tiers. Unless the leveling is so slow that we can add in 'Mechs produced up to 3060.

Um... Paul? Anyone? Bueller?

[Kaemon]

Hayden, on 03 February 2012 - 02:13 PM, said:

Kudos, sir! I didn't think about weaponized dropships!

So with a few commander skills I can call my own arty when scouting.

*wipes a tear away* finally...alittle CYA for M E!

[MaddMaxx]

Speculation alert, unless I have figured it right of course.

I have read that the PP's that are generated via Mech efficiencies would be used when Pilots use these PP's in the Pilot Skill Trees. When a Branch of any Tree is breached, a Module would unlock and become available for purchase with C-Bills. When I look at the Pilot Skill Trees it appears that the Branches are not all equal. The image below shows the Branches as I see them, did I miss something?



Note 3 for Scout and Commander (TacOps) and only 2 for Attack/Defense.

Oh and one more item. Tier 4 has the Jump Jet efficiency. As noted in the Blog, Mechs without JJ's will not have that Tier. Question is. Do those Mechs have only fill-in only 9 items over 3 tiers to unlock Elite 1 or will another set of Mech efficiencies be put in their place to make all efficiencies be equal @ 12 to unlock Elite 1?

Hope I am making sense.

Edited by MaddMaxx, 03 February 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[verybad]

This is a rather fwapaliscious thread.

I like the Elite levels getting extra modules.

Command does seem remote damage based, I think however that support fire should be in the Assault/Defense skill thread also (maybe a support skill thread?)

Altogether a very, very interesting system, and I simply can't wait.

Interesting things I'm thinking of right now would be a "Body Guard" Type skill set with Cognizance, DFA/Charge, and AMS improvements. Danger close might be something that should be available to Defensive based units.

I do think the Attack/Defense skill sets seem a bit underwhelming in comparison.

Command may be a bit too much about offboard support. It would be interesting if defensive usints coudl get defensive air support skills that reduced the effectiveness of artillery/airstrikes/etc. Predator Drone sounds like the same thing as an airstrike...What's to prevent a whole team using command and calling in craploads of arty/strikes/etc? Command also seems to step on scouting a bit with it's sattelite sweep. UAV,Danger close skills.

My opinion is that Attack and Defensive based skills should be separated. Defense would get thinks like AMS Range increase, more Gyro efficiency, better IDF skills,

Attack would get Charging, DFA Improvement (similiar to Charging, a bonus for DFA attacking), some speed and turning improvements, improved weapon convergence

It will be intereting to see how Electronic Warfare mixes in with things like Ghost Signature. For instance, if I've got ECM installed, can I call up a false signature that continues doing whatever I was doing for a few seconds while I (with a lower signature) go do something else. Or use the signature of another unit I have targeted as my own for a bit...

For offensive/Defensive skills, perhaps more specialized ones might be in order. Fo instance, Improved Autocannon skill might give you less of a chance of jamming if you multifire an AC. PPC EMP improvement might give PPCs a bit of an effect on the targets electrical systems, (for instance remove their targeted units), SRM accuracy would reduce SRM spread. and so on.

Overall I'm very pleased, this looks great. Offence/Deffence skill sets look underpowered in comparison however.

Other skills for Commanders could be
"Drop Ammo Truck" Air Drops a J-27 Ammo Transport Highly explosive unit if struck, friendlies that shut down next to it can get all their ammo back.
"Mobile HP" Allows commander to use command skills while passive.(With direct view to the Mobile Command Truck)
"Drop Coolant Truck" Gives friendly mechs that shutdown next to this unit a bonus to heatsinks for a few minutes
"Field Repair Unit" Slowly repairs damage to mechs, using modular armor and laser welding. Can not repair internal structure or equipment damage.

Edited by verybad, 03 February 2012 - 03:32 PM.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Ian MacLeary, on 03 February 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Actually, it's in there. Each tier of 'mech Efficiencies you complete on a particular variant earns you one Player (Pilot?) Point, which you can spend on whichever tree you want. That means even for a 'mech which only has one 'variant' (which would be very uncommon, I'm thinking), you'd still be able to earn 8 (or 10, if the 'Elite' tiers count) points to spend.

So, Role Points are Pilot Points. They should have used the same word if it's the same term.

[Elizander]

It would appear that the Assault/Defense tree is mostly oriented towards Assault. From my point of view, there are only 2 defensive abilities out of 9 (AMS and Cognizance) and they are indeed so far down the tree that playing Assault or Defense would be the same for quite a long time.

To me, this is what it's currently looking like (it's 7:30 am so I may be off on it):



It just looks like there isn't enough defense in the attack/defense tree right now. It also looks like there is one too many off-map attacks in the commander tree though if these are just one-time or really long CD abilities, then it would be justified. I do like the idea of putting damage in the commander tree so that they can do something even if no one listens to them in pub games.

Edited by Elizander, 03 February 2012 - 03:42 PM.

[Black Sunder]

COnfused about why assault gets the good vision modes and scout doesn't.

Also want to know if we can mount Arrow IV on our mechs.

Edited by Black Sunder, 03 February 2012 - 03:39 PM.

[verybad]

Looking at it differently
Scouts are for gaining information, they need an "offensive" destroying enemy information path as well (eg ECM specialization for breaking lines of com)
Commanders are for distributing information and getting offmap support There should be a defensive support variant also (Coolant Trucks, Ammo Trucks, Repair Trucks, Command Truck)
Attack should be for distributing damage with a split between IDF and DF possibly with a headhunter skill path also available
Deffense should be for holding positions With a split between resisting damage and reducing enemy information from that area, with good awareness (in a small area) Supportive IDF/AOE path as well as

I think the skill paths could be better defined and more separated.

Edited by verybad, 03 February 2012 - 03:47 PM.

[firefox117]

Man that sounds freaking sweet. The more info they release, the more excited I get. I was pretty set on the assault class, but looking at the command class skills has changed my mind some. Ill stick with assault mainly, but Ill cross over, cant resist using some of those unlocks.

[Pinkelton]

Sounds an awful lot like the system used in World of Tanks. I have really high hopes for this game and don't particularly want a WOT clone.

[statler]

....all my fears came true, AND hints at no mech lab.....I can't believe somebody ruined another mechwarrior attempt....boo...

magical mech improvements with time played? why? just why? my torso can twist faster because im awsome doesnt make any sense!!! its a machine dammit!

air strikes....yeah, just what 80 tons of a war machine needs...assistance from the gods blowing stuff up....thanks, oh and i can trade optics for it because i couldnt possibly have a radio and a zoom on my optics.

oh yes, and signitures of mechs fading slower....because experience lets my mech see through walls instead of just some weighty equipment,...i dont remember the force being in battletech lore guys ....a mech can track another mech behind stuff or it cant...not just for a little because you have to come up with something to give the kids besides a crazy war machine and real game mechanics....

man...no good monster hunter in the states, horrible fps releases the last few years, mech assault, and now this....why does nobody want my money....

[verybad]

Hmm, how can a Nascar driver burn circles while the average driver can't?

How can trained radar operators detect airplanes more quickly, and under worse situations? In addition, you have to install that MODULE (equipment) to get that skill...

Oh no, airstrikes, it's not like they have those in Battletech is it? Or even in Afghanistan...

They're giving the game away for free, youi'll be able to try it before you pay for DLC that isn't free, man up.

Edited by verybad, 03 February 2012 - 04:56 PM.