However, you can use multiple types of XP to unlock distinct Nodes within a Branch.

As mentioned earlier, individual Skill Nodes can only be acquired using one type of XP. You cannot use 1000 XP and 500 GXP to unlock a single Node, for example.

As mentioned earlier, individual Skill Nodes can only be acquired using one type of XP. You cannot use 1000 XP and 500 GXP to unlock a single Node, for example. However, you can use multiple types of XP to unlock distinct Nodes within a Branch.

In this case, the player has chosen to use GXP for half of the Nodes they are unlocking, and 'Mech XP for the other half.

In this case, the player has chosen to use GXP for half of the Nodes they are unlocking, and 'Mech XP for the other half.

Unlocking 10 Skill Nodes in total to receive a 40% boost to UAV Range and a 15s boost to UAV Duration will require that this player spend 1,000,000 C-Bills and 15,000 XP.

As the player is purchasing all of these Skill Nodes at once, with no previous UAV Skills unlocked, the Current values for both Skills are 0.

In the example below, the player is intending to purchase all of the UAV Range and UAV Duration Skill Nodes for this 'Mech. The Current 'Mech Enhancements window conveys which Enhancements are being acquired, the value of any Skills currently applied, and what the value of the Skills will be after the purchase of the Skills.

The 'Mech Enhancements window contains everything you need for tracking your current Skills, your experience values, and your purchase details within the Skill Tree.

There are two important alert elements you'll want to keep an eye out for when evaluating which Skills you want to unlock for your current 'Mech in the Skill Tree interface.

These icons are likely to appear in at least some of your Skill Tree's at any given moment, and will help you keep track of which Skills are relevant to your current 'Mech, its current Loadout, and the in case of Clan OmniMechs, its current Hardpoints.

If you are unlocking a Node which is incompatible with your current Loadout, the standard confirmation window for purchasing a Skill Node will warn you of the conflict.

When the yellow caution symbol is present you are still able to unlock Nodes within that Skill Tree.

When a particular Skill Tree contains any Node(s) that are incompatible with your 'Mechs current Loadout, that Skill Tree will contain a yellow caution symbol.







Skill Restricted Alert

When a particular Skill Tree is strictly incompatible with your current 'Mech, whether due to its current Hardpoints or a fundamental lack of support for a given piece of Equipment, the Skill Restricted symbol will appear inside any applicable Skill Trees.

Unlike the milder Skill Warning, the Skill Restricted status will prevent you from unlocking any Nodes within that Skill Tree.

BattleMechs cannot re-configure their available Hardpoints or bypass inherent Equipment restrictions. As a result, Skill Restricted alerts will always be permanent for BattleMechs when present.

OmniMechs will encounter the Skill Restricted alert and the purchase lockout when applicable, but unlike standard BattleMechs, OmniMechs have the flexibility to remove a Skill Restricted alert and open the Skill Tree for use by adjusting their OmniPod configurations.





Example





In the compiled example below, the player is viewing the Skill layout for a 'Mech solely equipped with Pulse Lasers in its Energy Hardpoints. The 'Mech does not have any PPC weaponry equipped.

The Pulse Laser Skill Branch therefore has no alert attached, while the PPC Skill Branch has a yellow warning symbol. In this situation the player is advised of the compatibility issue, but they are not restricted from unlocking PPC Skill Nodes. The player may wish to equip PPC weaponry after unlocking PPC Skills, and we do not want to prevent them from doing so.





This BattleMech does not possess any Missile Hardpoints, and is incapable of equipping any Missile weaponry. They are therefore restricted from unlocking any LRM Skill Nodes, as indicated by the red symbol.













Loadout Compatibility Alert





When necessary, compatibility alerts are also provided when changing the Loadout of your 'Mech.

If a Loadout change you're committing causes an applied Skill to become inert, such as removing all Pulse Lasers when you have Pulse Laser Skills presently applied, the usual Loadout confirmation window will contain alert text notifying you of this conflict.

This alert operates under the same principle as the Skill Warning, in that you will not be prevented from saving your Loadout changes. You will simply be alerted to the conflict.

Loadout alerts are integrated directly into the existing Loadout confirmation window, and don't require any additional confirmation or clicks.









The method for converting 'Mech XP into GXP has also undergone a redesign as part of the new Skill Tree. All 'Mechs with 'Mech XP present are now listed in the Convert XP interface, and XP can be converted from multiple 'Mechs in a single transaction.

The XP Conversion interface can be accessed either through the 'Mech Enhancements window of your Skill Tree, or from the existing button in the Home screen.







As part of the transition to the new Skill Tree, any spent or unspent 'Mech XP (or spent GXP) previously associated with a specific variant under the original Skill system will be converted into a shared pool of HXP for that variant. This pool of HXP is locked to the variant on which it was spent, but can be assigned as you desire to all duplicates of that variant in your possession.



For example: Under the previous system you spent a combined total of 50,000 experience points (XP and GXP) on your SDR-5D. With the release of the new Skill Tree, all SDR-5Ds in your MechLab will possess a shared pool of HXP equal to the amount of experience you previously spent on that variant. From the above example, the HXP pool for all SDR-5D variants in your MechLab would thus be 50,000 HXP. Historical XP can then be transferred to any SDR-5D variants in your collection. You could transfer 25,000 Historical XP into 'Mech XP for one 5D, and 25,000 HXP into 'Mech XP for the other.

There is no cost associated with transferring HXP into 'Mech XP. However, keep in mind that HXP transfers are permanent. Once you transfer HXP to a specific 'Mech you cannot reverse that transfer.

In the example below, the player owns the BattleMaster BLR-1G and the BattleMaster BLR-1G [P]. Under the original Skill system these 'Mechs were treated as duplicates, and thus shared the same Skill status and 'Mech XP values. Under the new Skill Tree, you are now able to set distinct Skills for all of the 'Mechs in your possession. These two variants are now considered distinct. If a 'Mech has a pool of HXP from which to draw it will be marked with a new HXP icon in its Select 'Mech portrait, as seen in the example below.



When viewing the Skill Tree for a 'Mech possessing an amount of HXP, the 'Mech Enhancements window will contain a section dedicated to allocating any amount of that HXP onto the 'Mech you're currently viewing. In the example below the player is intending to transfer 251 HXP from their pool of 580 total HXP for the BLR-1G variant class.

















The fundamental changes to 'Mech potential facilitated by the new Skill Tree will inevitably introduce new challenges and balance questions. We've taken care to address a few balance components in this PTS, but as with inherent 'Mech Quirks the state of balance under the new Skill Tree will be an ongoing process of iterative improvements.





Component Health





With the Skill Tree bringing with it a global reduction in inherent Quirk values, we knew this change would disproportionately impact the Inner Sphere more than the Clans. This prompted us to take a hard look at the baseline systems in the game and how they contribute to Clan/IS balance. We have identified a series of core imbalances that we will be attempting to evaluate further and address in the future, while still attempting to maintain distinct differences between the two technology bases.





The first of the changes you'll see in this PTS as a result of this review is to address the Critical Hit system, the faction-level imbalances present within it. The previous Critical Hit system was globally too lax in its distribution of health and damage, leading to Critical Hits rarely occurring unless it was directly the result of Critical Hits from high-damage weaponry - primarily PPC and Gauss. This resulted in minimal concern being paid to Critical Hits, even when receiving damage from weaponry with boosted Critical Chances or damage bonuses.





We've gone through all of the equipment currently in the game, and have taken a pass at giving each Component its own unique Critical Health value.





On the Inner Sphere side, smaller/lighter Components will see their health reduced. Mid-sized components will stay where they are, while large components will see a health increase.

The overall aim here is to increase the threat of Component destruction from a Critical hit when Structure is exposed. We have also made a series of weapon and equipment changes to further support this system.





When it came to the Critical Hit system for Clans, we have identified that this was a fundamental point of imbalance. Due to the fact that Inner Sphere Components are larger and heavier, Inner Sphere Components were much more prone to being critted out directly because they had less overall Component Health to 'pad' the crit damage in comparison to their Clan counterparts.

This resulted in Inner Sphere 'Mechs suffering much more from Critical hits than the Clans, who can pack their 'Mechs with more Components of equal health.





To address this, Clan Components will see an overall reduction in Health values - excluding cases where those Components are identical to their Inner Sphere counterparts, such as Jump Jets and Actuators.

While these changes may initially seem extreme when viewed in isolation, they are designed to account for the fact that Clans can typically mount more physical Equipment than their Inner Sphere counterparts. When viewed as total Component Health values against roughly equivalent Inner Sphere designs, the end result sees a much closer balance picture for total Component Health between the two tech bases.





Essentially, the bulkier, heavier Inner Sphere Equipment will typically now be more durable, while the smaller, lighter Clan equipment will allow for more equipment to be fielded overall at the cost individual equipment health.





We have provided two examples below conveying these dynamics. The first, comparing the Inner Sphere Jenner Oxide against the Clan Jenner IIC. The second, comparing the Inner Sphere Black Knight BL-7_KNT-L against the Clan Timber Wolf TBR-A.

These examples are intended to showcase that while Clan tech health can be lower than Inner Sphere health, the ability for Clan 'Mechs to equip a greater amount of equipment equalizes this deficiency and puts the two sides in a more comfortable state of balance.





Jenner vs. Jenner IIC (Previous) Jenner Oxide JR7-O ( Build ) Jenner IIC JR7-IIC ( Build ) Components & Component HP Components & Component HP RT 1 LT 1 RT 5 LT 1 RT HP 15 LT HP 15 RT HP 51.6 LT HP 15 RA 4 LA 4 RA 5 LA 5 RA HP 40 LA HP 40 RA HP 50 LA HP 50 RL 5 LL 5 RL 4 LL 4 RL HP 50 LL HP 50 RL HP 40 LL HP 40 CT 4 HD 4 CT 4 HD 4 CT HP 45 HD HP 40 CT HP 45 HD HP 40 Total # 28 Total HP 265 Total # 32 Total HP 301.6

Jenner vs. Jenner IIC (New) Jenner Oxide JR7-O (Same Build) Jenner IIC JR7-IIC (Same Build) Components & Component HP Components & Component HP RT 1 LT 1 RT 5 LT 1 RT HP 15 LT HP 15 RT HP 47.5 LT HP 15 RA 4 LA 4 RA 5 LA 5 RA HP 32.5 LA HP 32.5 RA HP 32 LA HP 32 RL 5 LL 5 RL 4 LL 4 RL HP 35 LL HP 40 RL HP 30 LL HP 30 CT 4 HD 4 CT 4 HD 4 CT HP 40 HD HP 22 CT HP 32 HD HP 22 Total # 28 Total HP 202 Total # 32 Total HP 210.5





Black Knight vs. Timber Wolf (Previous) Black Knight BL-7-KNT-L ( Build ) Timber Wolf TBR-A ( Build ) Components & Component HP Components & Component HP RT 5 LT 4 RT 6 LT 5 RT HP 55 LT HP 45 RT HP 58.2 LT HP 51.6 RA 6 LA 7 RA 7 LA 8 RA HP 60 LA HP 70 RA HP 56.4 LA HP 73.2 RL 4 LL 4 RL 4 LL 4 RL HP 40 LL HP 40 RL HP 40 LL HP 40 CT 2 HD 4 CT 3 HD 3 CT HP 25 HD HP 40 CT HP 35 HD HP 30 Total # 36 Total HP 345 Total # 40 Total HP 354.4

Black Knight vs. Timber Wolf (New) Black Knight BL-7-KNT-L (Same Build)

Timber Wolf TBR-A (Same Build) Components & Component HP Components & Component HP RT 5 LT 4 RT 6 LT 5 RT HP 45 LT HP 42.5 RT HP 45 LT HP 50 RA 6 LA 7 RA 7 LA 8 RA HP 45 LA HP 55 RA HP 42.5 LA HP 47.5 RL 4 LL 4 RL 4 LL 4 RL HP 30 LL HP 30 RL HP 30 LL HP 30 CT 2 HD 4 CT 3 HD 3 CT HP 25 HD HP 19.5 CT HP 60 HD HP 12 Total # 36 Total HP 262 Total # 40 Total HP 257





These changes are only the first level of the core changes we are currently evaluating for future patches. As mentioned in the design notes for the Clan XL Engine changes from January, more details will be conveyed as we approach implementation. We want to assure everyone that core-level tech balance continues to be a priority for us as we get closer to implementing new tech into the game.





Target Info Gathering





All 'Mechs possess inherent values for determining their Target Info Gathering capabilities at short, medium, and long range.

This PTS sees the following changes to those inherent Target Info Gathering values:







• Base Short Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 2s (from 1s).

• Base Medium Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 4.5s (from 3s).



• Base Large Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 7s (from 5s).



• Target Info Gathering time can be reduced through Skill Tree advancement.







Target Info Gathering Design Notes: The introduction of the new Skill Tree prompted us to evaluate the various information warfare mechanics currently present in MWO in an effort to determine how those systems could be refined and improved; specifically in light of the new Skill Tree.

For this PTS we have opted to increase the base time required for gathering target information for two reasons: • Increase the challenge of isolating vulnerable enemy components through a greater reliance on teamwork

• Reward players who wish to specialize in information warfare and boost their Target Info Gathering abilities through Skill Tree advancement





ECM





• Base Range of Detection Scrambling reduced to 30% (from 75%).



• The remaining 45% is now unlocked through the Skill Tree (22.5% per Node).





ECM Design Notes: In this PTS we're attempting to address the low investment/high reward characteristics of ECM equipment in its new context under the Skill Tree. With the above reduction to its base range, utilizing ECM to its full effect will require focused advancement within the Skill Tree.







Targeting Computers





Targeting Computer Mk 1:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 1.14% (from 5%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.64% (from 2.75%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.14% (from 0.55%).

Targeting Computer Mk 2:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 2.29% (from 5.50%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 1.29% (from 3%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.29% (from 0.63%).

Targeting Computer Mk 3:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 3.43% (from 6%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 1.93% (from 3.25%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to .43% (from 0.7%).

Targeting Computer Mk 4:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 4.57% (from 6.5%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 2.57% (from 3.50%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.57% (from 0.78%).

Targeting Computer Mk 5:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 5.71% (from 7%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 3.21% (from 4%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.71% (from 0.85%).

Targeting Computer Mk 6:

• 1 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 6.86% (from 7.5%).

• 2 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 3.86% (from 4.25%).

• 3 Crit Chance bonus reduced to 0.86% (from .93%).







Targeting Computer Design Notes: The Critical Chance boost provided from Targeting Computer equipment provided a disproportionate boost to the lower tiers of the equipment compared to the higher tiers. We've gone through and adjusted the distribution of Crit Chance bonuses into a more linear arrangement, based on the final Mk 7 TC, to provide a fairer distribution of the bonus through the TC line.





Ballistic Weapons





C-UAC2

• Bonuses to Crit Chance have been removed.



• Jam Duration increased to 4s (from 3s).







C-UAC2 Design Notes: In the context of the new Skill Tree and the aforementioned Crit changes, we feel there are two aspects of the C-UAC2 that need to be adjusted.



The first is the removal of the Critical Chance bonus for the C-UAC2. In the context of other changes, we felt the C-UAC2 was outpacing Crit Damage output against more specialized weapons that are more geared toward filling that niche; particularly when looking at the dynamic between the C-LBX2 and standard C-AC2 weaponry. We're removing its bonus to focus the C-UAC2 more toward a burst DPS weapon.

The second change is an increase to Jam Duration. We provided the weapon with a fairly generous Jam Chance in a prior patch to account for its lack of an associated Cooldown Module. With the merging of all UAC types into a single Skill Tree, the C-UAC2 will now have access to Cooldown, Velocity, and Jam Chance bonuses it didn't previously possess. As a result we are adjusting the Jam Duration to better align the base weapon against other C-UAC options. We hope to keep the C-UAC2 at a relatively similar burst DPS output to where it was previously, provided a player invests available Skill Points into the UAC Branch.



Gauss Rifles (IS and Clan)

• Gauss Rifles now only provide a single Critical Hit.



• Critical Damage Dealt reduced by 50%.







Gauss Rifle Design Notes: Under the previous Crit system the Gauss Rifle was one of the only weapons capable of providing reliable Critical hits, and was the only weapon that could reliably Crit components with a single hit from 800+ ranges. We have made a series of changes to the Gauss Rifle to reduce its impact on the Critical Hit system and keep its primary focus on massive physical damage at a small heat cost.



As a hypersonic, solid-slug projectile that carries no explosive material, a Gauss slug would produce highly-focused kinetic damage to its impact area, rather than impacting with an explosive shell. To further play into this attribute, we are removing the ability for Gauss to inflict multiple Critical hits. Single Critical hit chances can still be boosted with the use of a Targeting Computer.

Additionally, its Critical Damage will now only be 50% of its physical Damage. This results in 7.5 Critical Damage Dealt within optimal range. Coinciding with Crit health changes, this damage output is still sufficient to take out small Components or Heat Sinks in a single hit, but will now requite multiple hits to take out larger weapons and components.

These changes were made to reduce the overall impact of the weapon through the Critical system to better reward other weapons more focused toward dealing Critical damage.





Energy Weapons





PPC/ERPPC/C-ERPPC

• Critical Damage Dealt reduced by 25%.







PPC Design Notes: Like with Gauss Rifle, we have reduced the reliability of the PPC line as a Crit-seeking weapon to better balance it against weapons more specialized toward Critical damage. Its Critical damage will now only be 75% of its physical damage, resulting in the same 7.5 Critical damage at optimal range as the Gauss Rifle.





Missile Weapons





SRM4

• Spread increased to 4 (from 3.5).







C-SRM4

• Spread increased to 4.5 (from 4).







SRM Design Notes: When it came to SRM balance within the weapon line, the SRM 4 has always stood out as being 'just a bit better' than the alternatives, provided you had the slots. With better spread and DPS when combined with Artemis, the SRM 4 had always produced mass-concentrated firepower on single components at superior DPS, with vastly superior spread, at only a minor heat cost.



With the new Skill Tree introducing a 10% total reduction in spread, on top of benefits from Artemis, the SRM 4 came under specific scrutiny. As a result we're bringing them down a bit to better align them against the SRM line as a whole. However, we would like to note that unlocking all of the SRM Skill Nodes will still return the SRM 4 spread values to a roughly equivalent point compared to their previous values.





LRM 5 (IS and Clan)



• Spread increased to 4.2 (from 3).



• Range decreased to 900 (from 1000).







LRM 10/15/20 (IS and Clan)

• Range decreased to 900 (from 1000).







LRM Design Notes: When it came to the dynamic between LRM launchers, the LRM 5 was often seen as the superior choice. The above reduction to LRM 5 spread has brought it in line with the LRM 10 to ensure that the LRM 5 no longer compounds its already significant DPS and tonnage benefits over larger launchers.





As for the range adjustments, the previous 1000m base range of LRM weaponry rendered additional range augmentation fairly redundant. In light of the Skill Tree, we did not wish for the Range Nodes to be seen as useless or ineffective when compared to other Nodes in the LRM Skill Branch. As a result we have reduced the base range values to provide a bit more value to the LRM range Nodes, bringing their ranges back into the 1000m+ area.









Modules

Q: Are Modules being removed entirely? All non-Consumable Modules are being removed with the release of the new Skill Tree. The benefits previously provided by those Modules have instead been integrated directly into the Skill Tree as unlockable Skill nodes. Acquiring the benefits of Radar Deprivation, for example, will require that you unlock its associated Skill Nodes within the Sensors Skill Branch.

Q: What about Consumable Modules? Consumable Modules, such as UAV, Cool Shot, and Artillery/Air Strikes, will remain as equippable items.





Q: How are refunds being handled for the Modules we may have purchased prior to the release of Skill Tree? You will receive a full C-Bill refund for all Modules present in your inventory at the time of the February patch. The amount you'll receive will be the combined purchase value of all your owned Modules. In other words, if you own 10 Radar Deprivation Modules (with an individual purchase value of 6,000,000 C-Bills) in your inventory at the time of the patch, you will be refunded a total of 60,000,000 C-Bills just for those Radar Dep Modules alone.

Q: Does that refund include XP spent to acquire Module upgrades as well? Yes. Any GXP spent to acquire Module upgrades will be returned to you as GXP.

Q: Will I be refunded in C-Bills for Modules I own, but didn't purchase? Modules I received from a 'Mech pack for example, or from an Event. As long as those Modules are still present in your Inventory at the time of the patch, you will be provided with a full C-Bill refund for all such Modules as if you had purchased them directly.

Q: What about the special LTD Clan Modules originally provided with Clan Wave 1? As long as those Modules are still present in your Inventory at the time of the patch, you will be provided with a full C-Bill refund for all such Modules as if you had purchased their non-LTD counterparts at the regular purchase value. However, the LTD Modules will be valued an additional 1,000,000 C-Bills on top of the purchase value of their non-LTD counterparts. A LTD Shock Absorbance Module will be valued at 7,000,000 C-Bills for example, instead of 6,000,000 C-Bills.

Q: What about Modules I've sold back in-game for C-Bills? Modules that have been sold back in-game are not eligible for the Module refund. Your refund amount will only account for the Modules present in your account at the time of the patch.

Q: What if I spent GXP to upgrade Modules, but no longer have any of those Modules in my inventory?



You will still receive a GXP refund for any such cases.

Q: Do you need anything from me to make sure the Module refunds are completed and accurate?

The Module refunds will be a purely automated process run by the account database. All refunds will be provided accurately and in full according to the state of the player account at the time of the patch. Support services will not perform manual audits of player accounts to confirm the accuracy of the refund process, nor will they make exceptions for Modules sold back in-game.

Experience Points

Q: What happens to all the 'Mech XP and GXP I've spent leveling my 'Mechs prior to the release of the Skill Tree? All of the 'Mech XP and GXP you've spent leveling 'Mechs will be returned to you, in full, as Historical XP. This Historical XP is locked to the variant on which it was spent, but can be assigned as you desire to any 'Mech of the same variant type.

For example: Under the previous system you spent a combined total of 50,000 experience points (XP and GXP) on your SDR-5D. With the release of the new Skill Tree, all SDR-5Ds in your MechLab will possess a shared pool of HXP equal to the amount of experience you previously spent on that variant. From the above example, the HXP pool for all SDR-5D variants in your MechLab would thus be 50,000 HXP. Historical XP can then be transferred to any SDR-5D variants in your collection. You could transfer 25,000 Historical XP into 'Mech XP for one 5D, and 25,000 HXP into 'Mech XP for the other.

Q: What happens to all the GXP I've spent upgrading the Modules that are being removed under the new Skill Tree?

Any GXP you've spent upgrading Modules will be returned to you in full as GXP.

Q: What about experience I haven't spent? I still have 'Mechs with unspent 'Mech XP, and I still have a balance of GXP. All unspent 'Mech XP is also being refunded in full as Historical XP. That HXP will work in the same way as outlined above. Unspent GXP will simply carry over after the release of the Skill Tree in February. Your GXP balance won't be affected.

Q: Do you need anything from me to make sure the experience refunds are completed and accurate?

The experience refunds will be a purely automated process run by the account database. All refunds will be provided accurately and in full according to the state of the player account at the time of the patch. Support services will not perform manual audits of player accounts to confirm the accuracy of the refund process, nor will they make exceptions for adjusting the amount of experience received nor the distribution method of that experience.

