Pilot skills could have been better

[Lord_Broccoli]

I don't think I had high expectations for pilot customization through skills. Mercs was pretty bare bones. But what they gave us is a huge step back. Instead of six generic all-encompassing skills like in mercs, we get six more dialed-in skills...that you can't choose. Want to run a UAC 20 boomstick? Well, it's a good thing you maxed out your energy weapon range boost...

I like that they gave more specific skills like reducing missile spread or increasing projectile velocity, but then they just picked six of what could have been a multitude of options. Why not give a tree? You would work down the heat management tree, but that would take points away from becoming a master of energy weapons...something like what was done in the Battletech TBS. It would have been an interesting decision to make along with the affinities to really hone in on a specific play style and chassis build. And this game needs more interesting decisions. Unlike in mercs where a few mistakes could see you facing bankruptcy forcing you to spend hours grinding for c-bills in a beat up light lance, clans has you sprinting down a hallway lined with millions of kerenskys and free assault mechs until you choose ending A or ending B.

Let me at least pick how my pilot likes to shoot things.

[ImHelping]

With so much burnout over "You will suck forever until you are at max level at which point you will be barely adequate at 2/5 of the gameplay options" They accidentally did a good thing with the ♥♥♥♥ tier "who ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ cares, dump everything into dodge and turn speed then call it a day by the end of the second planet" design.

Yes, they should have let you tune your options more when you are the lead of people who started out in light mechs so can't exactly have a lifelong dedication yet. But "Why isn't there more grind where your lance gleefully walking into a fuel tanker because they treat those like cardboard buildings causes massive debt!?" sure is the most boring filler way to look at things.

God. Every time my lance fires missiles into the side of a hill because they detected a jeep on the other side I am so glad we are not paying for ammo in this one. "Guys take out that entirely exposed clifftop sniper... guys? guys-god ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ damnit are you serious? This ♥♥♥♥ is why I am addicted to ER large lasers over PPCs, I need as much dumshit insurance extra tons and crit space possible"

I am making long range sniper shots at aircraft with a solid slug AC20 sometimes just to try and shame my lance that all have LRMs, bap, and long range energy weapons. Yeah, the more years go by the less I feel like my team deserves to be paid in any mechwarrior/battletech game.

*distant flashbacks to all the suicidal idiots even in fan beloved MW4 mercs*

[DarkFire]

I like the idea of each mechwarrior having different skills with which to build a coherent star, but I'd have preferred it if I was able to assign those skills rather than having them chosen for me. A mechwarrior skill tree would have been a much better option.

[Booba]

I like the idea of unique skill sets for unique characters in theory. The problem is the lack of utility in most of these skills for your bots. I tried giving Mia a variety of the ballistic weapons available in the early game, and as a consequence, she was the team Thumper. She. Did. Nothing. Bronze damage every map. Fighting Yuichi was like hitting a brick wall until I gave up on playing to my sibko's 'strengths' and just gave everyone ER lasers and armor.

These rather random skill sample platters would lend themselves more to an XCOM style game than Clans: if you weren't limited to a tiny cast of insufferable teenage twits and instead had options as to who you were bringing where, when and why. It would have made sense to assign a mech warrior an affinity for a light mech if you had cause to create and use a scout lance after the first few levels. As it stands, Clans is so linear, and such a continual slog up a narrow corridor, the whole concept of skills and levels is just eh.

[Sir Twist]

I agree that the "NPCs" should stay as is with a "set skill set", but you as Jace, should be able to pick what skills you want to spec into..

[Ferranis]

Another lost opportunity and a windows in the game development at PGI