13 replies to this topic

[Termius]

I just wanted to bring up my idea of how to improve/change the current mech upgrade system, which in my opinion uninteresting and lacks variety.

What I like about the current system is that as you use your mech, you discover ways to improve it ( exp = upgrades). What I don't like is that you always get the same upgrades in the end. I want to see a system that allows variety and choice when it comes to those upgrades.

My idea is that as you continue to get exp, you unlock certain "Tweaks" for your mech. By choosing one of them, you don't consume your xp, rather you have to make a decision which would improve your gameplay the most. You could reset your choices at anytime, letting you test out different modifications to find which ones suit you best.

For example a "Gyro" modification would make you choose between:

A ) Greater torso turn range

B ) Greater torso turn speed

This would be a basic modification, and as you use the other variants of your mech, your understanding of how to modify each one would improve therefore unlocking more branches of upgrades.

This system would create a larger variety of mechs within each variant, because even if you and a enemy/ally both have fully unlocked modification trees, your choices could be completely opposite.

Just an idea, but what do you think should be done with the Mech Trees in the future?

Edited by Termius, 18 November 2012 - 03:07 PM.

[Kelb]

Yes, suggestions help. I think it needs tweaking but I have few ideas that would improve it.

[Flyby215]

Sort of like a skill tree seen in many RPGs. Not sure if the "leveling up" concept is something that mechwarriors will appreciate; but a tried and true method of adding variety. I'd support it.

Edited by Flyby215, 18 November 2012 - 03:12 PM.

[Termius]

Flyby215, on 18 November 2012 - 03:12 PM, said:

Sort of like a skill tree seen in many RPGs. Not sure if the "leveling up" concept is something that mechwarriors will appreciate; but a tried and true method of adding variety. I'd support it.

The system is not so much of "Leveling Up" but that the more you play the mech the better you understand how it works, and therefore the more you can mess around with it.

[Harmatia]

I'd like to see a variety of options with the user only being able to select a certain number from the total available.

[aspect]

I would really like to see more tradeoff skills...for instance, greater heat dissipation at the expense of heat capacity (or vice versa). Personally I think it would be great to have mechs on the battlefield with some really crazy skills and some huge weaknesses. The FF and ES upgrades are kinda along these lines already (save weight but equip less things at once), but I think you could take it a bit farther. Increase running speed but half leg armor? Weapon cooldowns reduced by 20% but weapon convergence time increased by 400%? Increased targeting ability but once the enemy team locks you, you can never lose the lock?

It wouldn't be stuff for everybody, and it would let you be wide open to slaughter if things didn't go as planned. However, it would breed some pretty awesome team dynamics where the whole team really has to work together to make sure nobody gets caught out, with the benefit that everyone can perform their roles a bit better. It would put some incentive toward very risky builds, and I think that would be great.

Edited by aspect, 18 November 2012 - 03:17 PM.

[Ricama]

I will hold off judgement on the pilot skill tree until after the current placeholders are replaced with the actually intended mech/variant specific skills.

[BlightFang]

I really dislike the current mech skill system and this poll so far seems to concur so far (87.5% dislike it). But the sample size is way too small. Could more of you put your thoughts on the poll?

[Solis Obscuri]

I think the current 'mech "efficiencies" are mostly ok. I'd like to see some things added that are more respective to the chassis in some cases (like maybe a buff to JJ range on the Jenner and Catapult instead of non-useful convergence and arm motion changes), but most are useful.

I'd like a little more variety in how we can develop our piloting abilities, though.

[Teljaxx]

I do not think that it is too bad as it is now, but would very much like to see more mech specific upgrades. It seems silly that the Cicada has an upgrade for arm movement, when some of its variants do not have any use for it, or the Catapult has a torso twist range extension when it can already pretty much turn around backwards.

I think that having tradeoff "side-grades" for everything would also help with keeping new and veteran players on a similar level, because it would keep upgraded mechs from simply being better than new ones.

The main thing that I do not like about the current system is needing to buy so many mechs to get all the way to the highest tier. I think that this creates too much of an artificially extended grind and really makes it too intimidating for new players to consider getting into it.

[BlightFang]

Garth Erlam, on 10 December 2012 - 01:13 PM, said:

Q: What's the plans regarding XP generation? I ask because currently the XP/GXP system seems a touch adrift? Once you've unlocked all of a Mech's skills, the amount of XP you can transfer out to GXP for unlocking either skills for other mech's or for modules seems to have a fairly short longevity. [Emrys Ap Morgravaine]
A: This is something that is often confused. The Mech Efficiencies are not “end-game” material. It’s the Pilot Modules that are. There are a large number of modules planned and being implemented into the game. [Paul]

I don't think we have official word on if the mech skill trees are final yet. But from the above quote, Paul says mech efficiencies are not end-game material. Perhaps I'm reading into this wrong or too deeply, but end-game material could be read as stuff you can continue tweaking and playing with in the end-game as opposed to something you well, can't. So mech efficiencies have nothing to do with tweaking/customization and are just there to be grinded out.

If that is the case, I find that quite boring and lacking the potential and meaningfulness of having a mech tree at all. For instance, they could do a simpler, more effective, and clearer job by just giving us levels 1-100 on each mech and give us 1% of all of the current bonuses at each level. It would be effectively the same once you reach level 100 as it is now to obtain elite mastery, albeit making it more friendly for free players who are limited to 1-2 elite mastery mechs in the current system.

I really do hope mech efficiencies are made customizable in some way instead of being some stale "all or less than all" system that is now since it has so much potential to be so much more interesting.

[bob1234567890]

This is a cool idea but is asking to much of PGI. I wish they had the competency to pull this off but it would take them at least 6 months just to make mechlab able to handle the new menu. We all of course know how unbuggy the mechlab is -.-

[Red squirrel]

Just let us customize things like Gyro and Cockpit.

Also I love it: In order to get my favorite mech elite I have to get some other crappy chassis through the basic levels.
This is especially great if you get boosts like faster arm movement for mechs with no hard points in the arms.......
Hooray! My reticule moves fster now how cool!

[Tennex]

not going to lie it blows. its not creative or fun. there are no choices involved. The whole idea of a tree system is branches. or choices. you know this is a convention that has been built over the last decade by hard working game designers. And its proven to work. but no, lets make a pointless pilot system(cuz its not even a tree) were you just get everything at the end. HORAAAAYYY