Currently, i think the formula for each skill point section is a little on the high side. New players to the game are less skilled then us from C1 and will struggle with C2 currently due to the AI actually being stronger, and personally, yourself being weaker, due to the skill point costs.

I personally didn't have a problem with it, but i don't think new players would be so comfortable.

Possibly make all core skills cost 2 more skill points then the previous level, starting at one. (1,3,5,7,9,11...etc) Meaning, it'll be a slower overall progression then C1 but, still easy to work with.

This will also make the "debt" I've heard mentioned for old players, go away quicker.

You know, I personally don't mind the skill point costs, but from what I have observed, people (often new players) tend to complain, get frustrated with and quit because of the difficulty of leveling. That is experience from other games. Unless player levels were reset to 1 then I think it would be very intimidating to see really high level players. Then at the same time have it be hard to level and hear of times when it was easy to level.

It's pretty easy for me to level anyways so I don't really mind, but I always enjoy having more players and I think there are already enough deterents, why make it any harder to level?

Thanks for the well thought out reply.
And yeah, this system really doesn't bother the higher levels much at all. I've seen quite a few newbies literally quit, because things were too strong for them, but i think with lower skill point costs, they would be stronger, so the AI wouldn't seem so overpowered.

"The admins are aware" of the difficulty to gain XP in beta. Most if not all AI will be re-worked to take into account the new SP costs if they go live.

Skill point cost are here to stay. AI, Missions and general content is getting refocused especially on the first 500 lvls.

That sounds insane to me

With all of the bugs still to work out of C2, you actually want to add a major rebalance of half the game to your plates? Then, you want to hear all of your new players complain forever that the older, high level players had it so much easier than them?

Please understand that I'm NOT making this argument because I care directly about the skill point costs at low levels. All of my own alts are beyond that point on the real server. What bothers me is seeing the dev team get bogged down with trying to recreate old content rather than fix bugs and make new content.

Not everyone on the dev team is a programmer or has the primary task of fixing bugs. Pulling people from content and throwing them on bug-fixing isn't going to make things go any quicker for the same reason that throwing the programmers on 3D modelling won't make new ships quicker.

Exactly, the main idea of c2 is NEW players and a new audience who didn't consider SS before. Though not to say that we end game players aren't getting a great new client with new features that will roll out all the time. As we all know the high end play is about team dynamics, base building, and uber runs. The lower end dynamic is much more about the missions and advancement. If our focus is an expanded audience for c2 we need to bridge the experience from nexus to that endgame with great mission content.

The content people are focused to get this done and the beta affords a great place to really get messy with ai balance that woln't effect paying customers until the system is established. We are able to have the most comprehensive test of our new features and content in a way that our test server fails completely.

So big thanks to all you guys for trying out the beta, but remember as fun as it all is to be under 3k for the first time in years the content focus is on a great experience for new players. Which incidentally you are all enjoying now....

Don't worry you will get your content too though =D

I absolutely hate the new skills i mean if 1 one of my friends is gonna quit (he p2p) loves ss1 but hates the new skills i have to agree it is terrible andfustrating why not jusput it back to ss1 skills and jus make ubers harder??????

I just hope they put higher leveled AI in...

I enjoy it! It brings back some challenge to leveling alts, as well as making t11-18 ships useful again!! Once the AI are balanced so some of the less organized/experienced people aren't stuck leveling it will be great for everyone!

If someone is going to quit over a Beta... they obviously don't understand the reason of said Beta, and TROLOLOLOL. Tell them to hang around at least until SS2 goes live, then have them reconfirm their frustrations.

Now that the low-mid tech range has become nearly mandatory to progress, the market will be stimulated greatly! This'll let newer players be able to get PC's in all chat and not get bombarded with 'worthless' on everything that they get as drops!

The point is that Tech20 skills can be finished at around 550. Once you have them, there is no need for the potentially large chunk of mid game content in game to be done.

Therefore, players just power level to 500, get their skills, then use a T20 ship from then on. If said player actually used a non T20 ship from mid game, it was usually for a travel ship or a slave.

Mid game, at the moment, is a very small period of time. The player named "mater" has only been playing SS for about 30 days. He's getting a pax astro. He's a new player with an annoying series of traits that makes him unacceptable for any self-respecting teams. And yet he's past mid game already.

By stretching the skill point allotment, mid game is longer and harder to bypass. Then, you actually have to use the gear in mid game to play mid game. Which means you'll do mid game content.

Too true....

Also, my suggestion still made skills cost more, i am really doubting new players keeping interest when they have to level twice just to get piloting to 2 or something. it really should be re-thought

if they are new players how will they know any different?