Post by auspice on Aug 14, 2015 23:38:22 GMT
I didn't want to put this in the bug reports thread even though it's a suggestion, because I didn't want to clutter that thread.
I'm fairly sure that Mercapocalypse uses an algorithm to price mercs, since the returning mercs are priced differently. Unfortunately I think there are some major issues with the price on various stats.
Experience is the most valuable stat in the game. This isn't disputable. It does practically everything. However, there are a number of lower-priced mercs with good experience (50+) and good other stats.
Shooting is the second most valuable stat in the game. This is also mostly not disputable. Although shooting "only" works while you're shooting guns (and not sniping or hipfiring), you shoot snapshot and aimed shot a lot in this game. Curiously, there are a number of lower-priced mercs with good experience and good shooting. There are even more in the middle of the pack that have very high shooting and experience.
The culprit is almost always high intelligence. I notice that formerly cheap mercs like MD (who I used as a filler prior to this mod) are now mid-priced, while they have almost nothing going for them. Intelligence can help fill a deficiency in shooting skill, and it definitely can replace sniping, which builds very quickly. It cannot replace experience. Intelligence, in my opinion, is a reward for making a long-term investment in a merc. There's very little value in keeping low-skill mercs once you're making tens of thousands of dollars per day killing baddies (or if you've got over a million in the bank late game, from bank interest). It's better to hire new, better mercs with better stats and send the old mercs home. Having a high intelligence allows you to keep mercs you like (as long as they have high intelligence) and have them be useful and inexpensive in the later parts of the game.
The weights for skills should be something like Experience >> Shooting > Gunfighting (mostly because gunfighting is hard to raise and useful) > Sniping, with all other skills basically useless. A point of Mechanics or Doctor or Sapper should be worth probably 1/100th of a point in experience. They're that useless. Heavy Weapons is probably worth about as much as Sniping, but your mileage may vary.
Eyesight, Hearing, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance and Strength are probably worth as much as sniping. They're situationally useful, or always useful in small ways. Low Strength can be a deal breaker for a merc, even if his skills are good.
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So let's get on to my other point. The free mercs that you get from various quests are pretty messed up. Paquito is unbelievably good; he has ridiculously high experience and shooting for a reject drunken mechanic tour guide. Moreover, Paquito can be recruited without ever fighting, thanks to our hero's possession of Paris Hilton porn.
On the other hand, Kelly is a seasoned police officer who comes in with mediocre fighting stats. On top of this, getting Kelly in the party requires fighting; you must deal with the Miguel questline before getting her, and there's no way to talk your way out of it. The fights in the Miguel questline are also fairly hard for low CGL players, especially if it's just you and Paquito.
Paquito's stats and skills should be much worse. He's so good and requires no effort; even if you have no intention of doing the BSM questline you can hire Paquito and then play the regular game up a free merc with over 50 experience and shooting, plus high int; letting him scale pretty well into the late game.
Kelly should have Paquito's gunfighting skills. She's a veteran cop that you have to work to get.
Benicia should probably also have better stats overall; you at least have to do some work (and probably a lot of shooting) to get her. SilverGirl's old mod version of Benicia changed her to be much better, but I think Beni should at least have high int. It's still ideal to buy better mercs than her (and was when SilverGirl made her stronger) but she should not be practically a dead spot on the team.
Robyu is about where he should be; a reward for finishing the Jingo questline.
I'm fairly sure that Mercapocalypse uses an algorithm to price mercs, since the returning mercs are priced differently. Unfortunately I think there are some major issues with the price on various stats.
Experience is the most valuable stat in the game. This isn't disputable. It does practically everything. However, there are a number of lower-priced mercs with good experience (50+) and good other stats.
Shooting is the second most valuable stat in the game. This is also mostly not disputable. Although shooting "only" works while you're shooting guns (and not sniping or hipfiring), you shoot snapshot and aimed shot a lot in this game. Curiously, there are a number of lower-priced mercs with good experience and good shooting. There are even more in the middle of the pack that have very high shooting and experience.
The culprit is almost always high intelligence. I notice that formerly cheap mercs like MD (who I used as a filler prior to this mod) are now mid-priced, while they have almost nothing going for them. Intelligence can help fill a deficiency in shooting skill, and it definitely can replace sniping, which builds very quickly. It cannot replace experience. Intelligence, in my opinion, is a reward for making a long-term investment in a merc. There's very little value in keeping low-skill mercs once you're making tens of thousands of dollars per day killing baddies (or if you've got over a million in the bank late game, from bank interest). It's better to hire new, better mercs with better stats and send the old mercs home. Having a high intelligence allows you to keep mercs you like (as long as they have high intelligence) and have them be useful and inexpensive in the later parts of the game.
The weights for skills should be something like Experience >> Shooting > Gunfighting (mostly because gunfighting is hard to raise and useful) > Sniping, with all other skills basically useless. A point of Mechanics or Doctor or Sapper should be worth probably 1/100th of a point in experience. They're that useless. Heavy Weapons is probably worth about as much as Sniping, but your mileage may vary.
Eyesight, Hearing, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance and Strength are probably worth as much as sniping. They're situationally useful, or always useful in small ways. Low Strength can be a deal breaker for a merc, even if his skills are good.
-------
So let's get on to my other point. The free mercs that you get from various quests are pretty messed up. Paquito is unbelievably good; he has ridiculously high experience and shooting for a reject drunken mechanic tour guide. Moreover, Paquito can be recruited without ever fighting, thanks to our hero's possession of Paris Hilton porn.
On the other hand, Kelly is a seasoned police officer who comes in with mediocre fighting stats. On top of this, getting Kelly in the party requires fighting; you must deal with the Miguel questline before getting her, and there's no way to talk your way out of it. The fights in the Miguel questline are also fairly hard for low CGL players, especially if it's just you and Paquito.
Paquito's stats and skills should be much worse. He's so good and requires no effort; even if you have no intention of doing the BSM questline you can hire Paquito and then play the regular game up a free merc with over 50 experience and shooting, plus high int; letting him scale pretty well into the late game.
Kelly should have Paquito's gunfighting skills. She's a veteran cop that you have to work to get.
Benicia should probably also have better stats overall; you at least have to do some work (and probably a lot of shooting) to get her. SilverGirl's old mod version of Benicia changed her to be much better, but I think Beni should at least have high int. It's still ideal to buy better mercs than her (and was when SilverGirl made her stronger) but she should not be practically a dead spot on the team.
Robyu is about where he should be; a reward for finishing the Jingo questline.
