Some "Is this possible?" questions:

[EmptyPepsiCan]

I've been thinking about three mods/changes:

1) Limit and randomize the total number of skill points that a mechwarrior can earn.

2) Remove hardpoints from a mech.

3) Create and apply new chassis quirks.

My limit as a modder is changing stuff in the json files if somebody tells me where to look and hat to change. And probably how, come to think of it.

With that in mind, I'm wondering if each idea is possible for me and/or possible at all.

Thanks.

 

[KMiSSioN]

1. possible, require coding
2. possible, json editing. hardpoints subsection of locations sections in chassis definitions
3. possible, require mods CustomComponents, maybe MechEngineer. Also can be done via fixed equipment for chassis applying effects

 

[Stridercal]

1.) Probably, will require coding skills.

2.) Stupid easy, just delete them in Chassisdef file

3.) Also easy. I created XL engine components by recycling the .jsons used for general_gear items and fixed chassis components from Heavy Metal mechs. The result is an all-new item you'll have to add to the manifest along with a fixed equipment addition to each chassis you want to tweak.

Any thoughts on how you'd tweak the mechs? I'm thinking along the same lines, at least for the reseen machines like the 55 ton siblings and the Thunderbolt, but i'm having a heck of a time thinking about what to give them to differential them...

 

[Eximar]

For #1 I've been using a house rule for the past couple of careers to keep from having all 4x10's by midgame.

When a pilot is at 6 in any of the 4 skills, I have to roll 2-6 on a d6 to increase to 7, then 3-6 to go to 8, then 4-6 to go to 9, then 5 or 6 to go to 10.
It gives me a stable of varied pilots and occasionally somebody ends up finishing with all skills between 6 and 8 which gives me a reason to fire them and hire someone new to train.

After all, you should never know what someone's ceiling is before they reach it.

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

Any thoughts on how you'd tweak the mechs? I'm thinking along the same lines, at least for the reseen machines like the 55 ton siblings and the Thunderbolt, but i'm having a heck of a time thinking about what to give them to differential them...

I had a whole list ready to post, but I decided it was silly and deleted it. Maybe I'll try again. Or just delete all the HM quirks and be done with it.

Anyway, I tried to come up with quirk ideas that addressed what I saw as weakness, that made mechs more effective at their stated roles, or that just added a bit of flavor. For example:

• The Trebuchet and Javelin 10N are missile boats, but the former isn't as good at it's job as a Centurion and the latter suffers from rookies who can't shoot, so both get the Missilery Suite. Ditto for the Catapult because it's as much a classic as the Archer and it deserves the same treatment.
• The Urbanmech has a big gun, but rookies can't handle the recoil and veterans have something better. Plus it's slow as molasses. It gets Stable (-1 recoil) and Low Profile (+1 hit defense).
• The Locust, Spider, and Cicada are scouts, so they get a Scouting Suite that gives them a rangefinder and sensor lock.
• The Quickdraw is supposedly quick on the draw so it gets +1 initiative.
• The Dragon is supposed to be a brawler, so it gets melee, stability, and DR buffs so it can work as a mid game tank.
• The Phoenix Hawk, Wolverine, and Battlemaster (IIRC) are often command mechs, so they get the Lance Command Module (which I'd drop to just the DR, because that Called Shot bonus is way, way too powerful).
• The Blackjack and Jagermech JM-6S get the same -recoil buff as the Rifleman.
• All of the expansion mechs that already have special gear don't get anything more.
• The Commando gets the "Can't Buy Life Insurance" quirk - "You may think you can survive a battle in a Commando, but the actuaries know better." (-1 morale)
• The Firestarter, Centurion, and a few others are all set. They get a smiley face sticker or something.

For the other hundred variants I really don't know...

For #1 I've been using a house rule for the past couple of careers to keep from having all 4x10's by midgame.

When a pilot is at 6 in any of the 4 skills, I have to roll 2-6 on a d6 to increase to 7, then 3-6 to go to 8, then 4-6 to go to 9, then 5 or 6 to go to 10.
It gives me a stable of varied pilots and occasionally somebody ends up finishing with all skills between 6 and 8 which gives me a reason to fire them and hire someone new to train.

After all, you should never know what someone's ceiling is before they reach it.

For pilots I made a chart with max skill points from 20 to 40 on a bell curve. I figure a mercenary company would give a potential hire some sort of aptitude test, so I'm comfortable giving them a number before they get there. It's an abstraction of an abstraction, so whatever.

I'll assign numbers to the PC and starting mechwarriors on day one. For the hiring hall I'll number the available mercs 1-?, then roll for them all. It actually ought to make for some interesting choices. Which is better, a 5/3/8/4 mechwarrior who tops out at 25, or a 2/3/2/2 mechwarrior who can reach 33?

Knowing what you get from the start also let's you plan out your pilot builds. It's on a curve so 80% should land in the 25-35 point range. A pilot with 25 points can be a solid specialist, and 35 points gets you a versatile master of destruction (even if they're not quite a wizard).

Having said all that, a mod that did the following would be sweet:

• Put a randomly generated skill cap (20-40) on all mechwarriors, including the PC.
• Put a random modifier on each mechwarrior's XP gains, making them learn at a variety of rates.
• Simulate an in depth pre-hire screening by giving each mechwarrior traits that give the player an idea of that mechwarrior's growth potential.

For example:

• Tags like "Quick Study" and "Slacker" indicate that the MW will gain XP more rapidly/slowly, with the precise bonus/malus chosen randomly from a preset range.
• Tags like "Huge upside" and "Just happy to be here" indicate about how many Skill Points the MW can earn. The idea is that the player has a sense of the MW's potential (like within a 5 point range) but not perfect knowledge.

I think that combo of where they are right now, how far they can go, and how fast they can get there would make hiring decisions a lot more interesting. It could also be tied to Argo upgrades, with the simulator and improved simulator giving the player more precise information.

So yeah, it's a lot and the basics can be covered with a printed chart and an RNG on my phone, but it would make for a deeper game.

 

[ronhatch]

I'll assign numbers to the PC and starting mechwarriors on day one. For the hiring hall I'll number the available mercs 1-?, then roll for them all. It actually ought to make for some interesting choices. Which is better, a 5/3/8/4 mechwarrior who tops out at 25, or a 2/3/2/2 mechwarrior who can reach 33?

Very interesting idea.

FWIW, I'd take the 2/3/2/2 any day... other than Ronin and KS pilots, that's all I hire anyway. Sure, the salary isn't much different, but I like to save where I can and the lower they start out the less you have to pay them.

Edit: Thinking about it a bit more, I think I'd make the tags probabilistic too... so "Gifted Pilot" (for example) would definitely be assigned to someone that can reach 10 piloting, but might have a 75% chance of showing up on someone that can "only" reach 9. In other words, someone that does NOT have the tag MIGHT be able to get up to 9. Hmm... in fact, maybe "just" a 95% chance the tag gets assigned to a potential 10. Some potential slips under the radar regardless of how good your testing is.

2nd Edit: Oh, hey... if the pay scale varied depending on the tags (a.k.a. how good they did on the aptitude tests), that could make the low-ceiling pilots really useful when you're just starting out and don't have a lot of cash flow.

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

Very interesting idea.

FWIW, I'd take the 2/3/2/2 any day... other than Ronin and KS pilots, that's all I hire anyway. Sure, the salary isn't much different, but I like to save where I can and the lower they start out the less you have to pay them.

I think it would need to be paired with a significant easing of hiring restrictions. Otherwise you typically don't have the MRB rep to hire a pilot that experienced. By the time you've got the rep you no longer need that guy because you've got 8 that are better. So it's not really a realistic scenario. But it could be.

Edit: Thinking about it a bit more, I think I'd make the tags probabilistic too... so "Gifted Pilot" (for example) would definitely be assigned to someone that can reach 10 piloting, but might have a 75% chance of showing up on someone that can "only" reach 9. In other words, someone that does NOT have the tag MIGHT be able to get up to 9. Hmm... in fact, maybe "just" a 95% chance the tag gets assigned to a potential 10. Some potential slips under the radar regardless of how good your testing is.

So for each skill area they have a trait that reflects the probability of them reaching 10? With what, like a skill check roll each time the player tries to assign a skill point, and if the roll is missed the rest of the row grays out? That would be interesting. It's a lot more complex than what I was thinking.

2nd Edit: Oh, hey... if the pay scale varied depending on the tags (a.k.a. how good they did on the aptitude tests), that could make the low-ceiling pilots really useful when you're just starting out and don't have a lot of cash flow.

It would be cool if you hired mechwarriors for something like 6 month contracts and had to renegotiate at the end, so that rookie who becomes a master sees a steady rise in salary, and the 5/3/8/4 (22) journeyman's salary stays steady. It would also make it a bit more complex to hire and fire people.

And if mechwarriors had traits that impacted things other than just drops. For instance:

• Handy - bonus tech points while this MW is on staff and healthy
• Teacher - faster XP gain for all MW while this MW is on staff and healthy
• Anger Issues - morale penalty while this MW is on staff
• Slacker - Slower XP gain for this MW
• Party Animal - Slower XP gain for all MW while this MW is on staff and healthy
• Tinkerer - chance for the occasional weapon upgrade
• Distracting - penalty to tech points while this MW is on staff and healthy
• Amorous - increased chance of melodramatic special events (couple pairs up and gets a bonus when they drop together, couple breaks up and gets "low spirits" tag for 30 days, love triangle leads to a fight and an injury for one MW and brig time for another, love triangle and all three get "high spirits" for 30 days, etc.)
• Chef - morale bonus
• Trainer - healthier pilots, quicker injury recovery time
• Binge Drinker - MW is sometimes unavailable for a drop
• Itchy Feet - Chance to decline contract renewal

And so forth. Bonus points of some of the traits are hidden and don't come out for a few months.

I think I just really want this game to be more of an RPG.

 

[Axterix13]

There's a mod that's part of BTE called Pilot Quirks that adds things like that to the existing character tags. So a criminal gets you a bit more money from pirate missions, a merchant lowers shop costs, a former Comstar reduces the cost of Argo upgrades, a bookworm type learns tactics faster, but piloting slower, and so on. It also lets pilots become experienced with mechs as they use them, gaining advantages for that. Then there's another mod that is meant to run with it, that adds fatigue, the piloting ejecting, and so on.

Also, tinkerer already sort of does that in the core game. There's an event where the tinkerer tag opens up an option, and said even can result in a regular weapon becoming a better version.

 

[ronhatch]

So for each skill area they have a trait that reflects the probability of them reaching 10? With what, like a skill check roll each time the player tries to assign a skill point, and if the roll is missed the rest of the row grays out? That would be interesting. It's a lot more complex than what I was thinking.

I was thinking just like you did with randomly determining potential in advance, but doing it for each skill line individually. Basically, I was speculating on what it might be like as a mod, and added complexity isn't much of a problem if the computer is keeping track of it for you.

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

I made a chart to do skill point totals by hand. Here it is if anyone is interested. It's more or less a bell curve, although it flattened out a bit on the ends. I actually like it that way. Astounding geniuses and complete duds are rare and the bulk of mechwarriors - 80% IRRC - will fall in the 25-35 range.

 

[ronhatch]

For reasons that escape me this image is absolutely gigantic. I've cut the size in half twice, but it remains absolutely gigantic. Anyone know how to make it smaller? Isn't there a forum default size or something?

This forum isn't doing image scaling, so there isn't a default size other than being able to show thumbnails instead of the full image. As far as you changing the size, I'd venture a guess that you changed the dots per inch and changed the size your editor gave for how many inches it should be. Since the forum simply doesn't do any image scaling unless the image doesn't fit in the browser window, it's giving you 1 pixel in the image = 1 pixel on the screen, regardless of what size the image metadata claims it should be displayed at. You need to change the number of pixels in the image instead (what this is called varies depending on the editor).

 

[Prussian Havoc]

@EmptyPepsiCan and @ronhatch, I’ve run afoul of this too and have since begun using an image scaler that @Timaeus recommended to me. It is a free app (though there are pay options within it so beware) - “Image Size.”

I usually settle on 300 or so pixels...

 

[EmptyPepsiCan]

You need to change the number of pixels in the image instead (what this is called varies depending on the editor).

I use Paint.net to mess with images. In this instance I copied the info from a Word doc into Paint.net and posted it using Vgy.me as a hosting service. It was huge, so I cut it from 3000 pixels in width to 1500. It was still huge so I cut it to 750 and posted that. It was still huge, but life got in the way before I could shrink it again. I'll try in a minute.

So I cut it from 700 pixels in width to 350. That seemed to work, but it's no longer a thumbnail (I assume) because it won't enlarge. Whatever. Good enough.