New Skill Tree - Thoughts

Mirrors my findings so far - are you using radar dep much though?

 

Just linking these here for anyone really struggling - both are decent guides.

http://metamechs.com/mwo-guides/skill-trees/

https://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/250647-skills-tree-contest-now-with-index/page__st__20

Very different approaches so nice to see what people were thinking and why so you can plan your own skill trees.

Actually I'll link that main thread as its fascinating reading as to how people do their builds, I don't necessarily agree with them but its certainly helped me:

https://mwomercs.com/forums/topic/250647-skills-tree-contest-now-with-index/

 

I dunno about LRMs. They do seem to be hugely popular, but people seem to be forgetting that LRMs aren't awesome at close quarters combat. I've been making a point of hunting down lurmboats and showing them which missile system is really king. All those bonuses make SRMs pretty sweet.

I do find the warnings about incoming missiles to be really annoying. So finding a lurmboat all by their lonesome is extremely satisfying.

I have found the best way to reskill is to wait til I have a desire to play a specific mech before skilling it.

Still finding that the mechs that never had much in the way of quirks have benefitted most from the new system.

 

New flexibility with meaningful choices is great! I don't even mind that unlocking ALL THE THINGS takes more XP than before. Thing like ranges may need a bit more tweaking.

Too bad the implementation is SUPER DERPY. Like...all the derpy. No ability to import any kind of presets, a web interface for what is actually a linear path with lateral cross-ways, no ability to bring a test loadout into the firing range before committing. I want to like it more than I do, but the amount of time investment just to get a single mech up and running from scratch is making it really hard to justify getting back into the fight. Combined with another sink for respeccing and...well, planning may be part of the fun, but not being able to implement those plans is a major minus.

 

That's the problem is that it involves a lot of clicking and it's annoying to keep doing over and over again...Other than that I still like it a lot

 

Don't forget the amount of C bills it costs is really ludicrous they need to lower that ffs

 

As a mechspecer, min/maxer, and build scientist, I've enjoyed the skill tree so far. It has been fun finding out what combinations between different trees nets the best overall "quirks".

However, I have found myself investing in the same way for almost every single mech, just slight variations depending on weapons and weight class. Some mechs take Survival over Mobility and vis versa.

The firepower tree has always been a worthy investment to me, because EVERY single node you choose has an impact to your build and it's potential.

My overall impression is that the skill tree system is entertaining for someone who enjoys thinking about these things and optimization. In reality, the slight variations between choices equate to practically nothing. Choosing one option over another just means you mech is slightly better and this rather than that. The only thing that really matters is: is it skill or is it not skilled. Its more of an illusion of choice than anything meaningful with noticeable impact. So I've been telling people to not over-think things and just pick what they think sounds good for themselves, their build, and their playstyle.

An optimized tree vs. an optimized tree has extremely little difference.

Plenty for PGI to improve. I'd like to see: Click+Drag, MUCH better color coding, reworked node titles (that actually say what it is, for example "High Explosives" should be "Missile Crit Damage" and "Kinetic Burst" should simply be "Acceleration". I think those three things would help out a lot. I have other, more personal gripes with the tree, but these are at least general and would benefit everyone.

 

I predict the radar deprivation will be the first to get hit by the nerf hammer, fully 100 % on a fast, nimble light is way overpowered.

 

Because Derp. What other explanation is needed?

 

I'm a bit lost - to get that 100% you're all complaining about needs a minimum of 16 points. For that I can get a lot of stuff elsewhere.

I'm not even using it on most of my mechs anymore. I'll happily take the extra 16 points as a laser boat into my firepower or to beef up my structure/armour if I have quirks.

There was a definite argument when it was a module as every non LRM mech I had used it but not anymore.

 

Excalibaard, I disagree. Radar Deprivation is not game-breaking... I don't know why so many people think it is.

You know what is game-breaking / discouraging to new players, though? - Quick dropping in polar highlands without AMS, ECM, or Radar Dep. The matchmaker is too wonky as it consistently pairs you with players that don't have AMS or ECM, or pairs you with players that bring AMS or ECM but don't know how to use them effectively / communicate.

If radar dep is OP, so are things like target decay.

 

I see what you mean, not wanting to remove radar dep but leave it to only 75%. I still don't understand why some people think it's so OP, though. LRMs have strategy involved, and too many lurmers remove the strategy from lurming by sitting behind cover and hoping to have locks the whole match.

 

I hate having to explain every match that as a brawler, no, I won't be keeping locks.