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Suggestions / Re: Aptitudes are the real problem with the new skills system
« on: April 14, 2021, 07:19:18 PM »
I really haven't had an issue with either of the skill trees, as I've just played with what was available. However with the comments that I've seen here, I'm wondering if some sort of compromise can be done due to various playstyles. Myself, for example - in every game I play I'm always interested in building things up, so naturally I'm drawn towards making colonies. As was said by Alex, this is a combat focused game, but that doesn't mean that there are other facets of the game that others like myself enjoy... and mods only make them better.
I'm thinking to allow anyone to get any skill they want right away. Don't lock it behind anything. They can obviously be linked to the four categories, but give those their own individual boost. The base skill will be ok, but it needs to be improved with story points for it to be really good. Story points can either become even more valuable or the amount you get can be slightly increased per level - and maybe even an option to spend an ever increasing amount of credits to get them. Unless that is already a thing and I just haven't found it yet.
The process:
So... you start a new game, and Helmsmanship is definitely the first thing you want. So you dump your first skill point into it. It gives +10% Maneuverability and +2% top speed. Doing this also gets you +1% universal weapons damage for picking a 'Combat' skill. You can dump up to 4 story points into Helmsmanship to boost it up to the full +50%/+10%, which will also unlock the Helmsmanship elite skill of the permanent 0-flux speed boost when not generating flux, and put you at +5% Universal Damage. You could potentially split it further and make everyone choose a path - Maneuverability only, top speed only, or the average mix of both like it currently is?
Next up you want to pick up Energy Weapon Mastery, so with skill point 2 you get that. It also grants +2% Sensor Range for picking up a technology skill. Again a choice, damage boost per level, or increased range, or a mix of both? Then the mastery skill of -10% flux when it is done, and you'll also be at +10% sensor range.
Skill point three goes into Phase Mastery because you found one of those early and want to play with it. Same as the previous two, with options for reduced cooldown or reduced hard flux generation, etc etc.. The universal damage can increase to 6%, and would cap out at 25% unless it was capped at say, 10% and another skill was boosted, like increased shield strength or armor.
This way, if I was actually ready to start a colony, I could finally get one when I was level 13 or 14 and not be forced to get one at level 5 if I wanted to go into the Tier 2 Leadership tree, for example.
I'm thinking to allow anyone to get any skill they want right away. Don't lock it behind anything. They can obviously be linked to the four categories, but give those their own individual boost. The base skill will be ok, but it needs to be improved with story points for it to be really good. Story points can either become even more valuable or the amount you get can be slightly increased per level - and maybe even an option to spend an ever increasing amount of credits to get them. Unless that is already a thing and I just haven't found it yet.
The process:
So... you start a new game, and Helmsmanship is definitely the first thing you want. So you dump your first skill point into it. It gives +10% Maneuverability and +2% top speed. Doing this also gets you +1% universal weapons damage for picking a 'Combat' skill. You can dump up to 4 story points into Helmsmanship to boost it up to the full +50%/+10%, which will also unlock the Helmsmanship elite skill of the permanent 0-flux speed boost when not generating flux, and put you at +5% Universal Damage. You could potentially split it further and make everyone choose a path - Maneuverability only, top speed only, or the average mix of both like it currently is?
Next up you want to pick up Energy Weapon Mastery, so with skill point 2 you get that. It also grants +2% Sensor Range for picking up a technology skill. Again a choice, damage boost per level, or increased range, or a mix of both? Then the mastery skill of -10% flux when it is done, and you'll also be at +10% sensor range.
Skill point three goes into Phase Mastery because you found one of those early and want to play with it. Same as the previous two, with options for reduced cooldown or reduced hard flux generation, etc etc.. The universal damage can increase to 6%, and would cap out at 25% unless it was capped at say, 10% and another skill was boosted, like increased shield strength or armor.
This way, if I was actually ready to start a colony, I could finally get one when I was level 13 or 14 and not be forced to get one at level 5 if I wanted to go into the Tier 2 Leadership tree, for example.
During my unmodded run I had nearly twice as many AI and like 5 alphas by this point.