J Lav
Lost-Legion
Orion Empire
52
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Posted - 2013.04.14 23:15:00 -
[1] - Quote
As a designer, I look at a couple of mechanics in this game differently than as a player. I may hate a mechanic, but still recognize its function.
I will say this plainly, the SP system cannot be functioning as intended, and its proof is in the cap. What I'd like to suggest is why the cap is currently necessary, and an alternative solution to that need.
At the moment, players with 1 million SP are poorly matched against a player with 6 million SP. The match-making system struggles to be effective when the SP also may not necessarily reflect the skill of those players. The solution has been to implement caps, to avoid players from farming the game to gain unwarranted access to equipment and skills that give them an edge against less skilled players and players with less SP. (ie referred to as keeping up in the SP race)
There are several ways to combat this issue, and one is to alter where skill points can be invested, by removing individual skills like the sharpshooter skill. I have heard rumour that this may happen.
Another way to address it is by the same mentality that the dropsuits themselves are constructed. There are no definite class restrictions, however the combinations of PG and CPU resources restrict what combinations you can build in the suit. This is one of the most vocally loved aspects of this game. I would suggest that doing the same thing to how players make use of their SP in a character would enhance the SP system and create even more variety in the game.
How would this be done? By creating skill trees that require prerequisites, you've created a rewarding form of character progression. Now if there were certain branches of the skill tree that closed other branches, it would create a character class that would be customized to your liking, and definitively unique to that player. There would be significantly different experiences in playing a character who is decked out on armour, and another character that was lethal, but squishy. The fact being that on a triangular, or octagonal display, you could corner your character toward one point, or be a generalist who hits the middle.
What would this accomplish? There are people I'm sure who would not like this "restriction", but it would encourage people to play more characters, and enhance replayability. It would also have the added enhancement to meaningful spending of Aurum on tools to enhance those dedicated characters.
How would it be different from Present?
At the Moment, the shear quantity of SP that a more experienced player can pump into core skills allows a Generalist player to be better than a specialized player in their own field, by virtue of playing more or AFK farming. So specialization of skills has little to offer anything in the way of variety. Yes players can specialize in a specific dropsuit, like a heavy or a Logi, or gaining access to equipment, but the skills they invest in are predominantly the same. By creating a balancing system that allows you to create a character with skills derived into categories like CPU and PG, players can create very unique combinations, that continue to get better at what they do, without being able to out-tank a tank by virtue of being around longer. This means no need for a Skill Cap. |