More differences between Hero's classes

Frankly, I think more definition would help with heroes. It seems like every class is fine with being a planetary governor or a fleet leader. It would be nice to see them get more focused on one or the other, class dependent.

Romeo wrote:

Frankly, I think more definition would help with heroes. It seems like every class is fine with being a planetary governor or a fleet leader. It would be nice to see them get more focused on one or the other, class dependent.

I agree with you.

As Romeo said, pretty much all Heroes can be good at both fleet management and planetary governance. I think this is because each Hero isn't really just one class, it's 3. This means that the Hero class itself is really only 1/3 of what makes a Hero unique. The way the skill trees are set up means that even a Guardian and a Overseer might have 2/3 of the same skill options. In addition, the point limits to access each level of skills means that you are forced to spread your skill points around, forcing you to diversify the skills your Heroes have, instead of specializing them.

I think the Class trees should be the place where the specialization of your Heroes takes place. In many cases, the current Class trees offer skills that help both types of assignment, but I think revamping those trees to be more specialized would help make each Hero more distinct. Basically, if you're going to have generic tree that's always the same and a Faction tree that might be the same, the Class tree really defines that Hero, and should offer more specialization than it currently does.

Now that being said, I love the way that a Heroes' Faction and Class decide what skill options they have to choose from. I really like that system, I would just also love to see it implemented in a way where all your Heroes feel distinct and specialized.

I agree with your proposal, to some extent.

One consideration is that the generic class tree is the same for every hero, which means that - aside from their political party, ship (if they are a fleet hero) and inherent system/fleet bonus, which is usually minor -  there are only two potentially unique skill trees that a hero has access to, and so you will sometimes see practically the same choice reiterated within a major faction.

That, coupled with there only being two different minor faction skill trees (and thank Amplitude for introducing a new one in Update 1, I hope they add one more per update and release), means that often actual hero diversity is somewhat low.

I'm not sure it would be a good idea for current classes - Overseer, Seeker, Guardian, Counselor - to be further specialized. I think it is good that each class has the ability to be a good admiral or governor. In this way ES2's hero system is far superior to ES1, in which specialized governor classes made for very poor admirals, and vice versa.

One change that I would like to see is reduced skill focus on specific planet types, at least within class skill trees. For example, while cold planets are inherently better at science than other types, it always hurts to level up my seeker hero with a cold-planet science bonus when she's governing any other type because I feel like I am wasting potential. If that extra science bonus were related to another factor - the presence of anomalies, luxuries or strategic resources, or population size, among many other options - that would feel less arbitrarily restrictive to me - even if it were just as arbitrary as before.

The point system being locked by tier/ring, as dragons111888 pointed out, is a further restriction on hero specialization. It's not common, but I've been forced to invest in a skill that was unrelated to my hero's focus because my hero had not unlocked the next tier of skills yet. Now, I don't think it is a bad thing that you have to invest a certain amount in a tier/ring before unlocking the next, but being forced to waste a level on a useless skill sucks, and it would be good for those negative scenarios to never take place. Whether that involves the tier/ring restrictions being relaxed or a shuffling of skills between class, faction and general skill trees at each tier - well, either is an acceptable option.

Here's a crazy suggestion: create more than one 'generic' skill tree, so that even among the same faction/class heroes, there can be variety.

Really good idea.

I think this might be one of the best way to make heroes unique.

If anything I'd like seekers to gain access to the probe skills earlier on, maybe give them an ability to boost curiousity (If they don't already have it, I may be overlooking things).

yes more differences between planet administrator and fleet commander. And more focus between defense vs attack abilities or farmers vs scientistific boost for example. The versatile abilities have to be kept but inside more specialized class.

It's not common, but I've been forced to invest in a skill that was unrelated to my hero's focus because my hero had not unlocked the next tier of skills yet.

I must do that choice pretty often, I would say it's common, I agree with your ideas and the other comments.

I know it's harder to balance the game if heros are different, but I like to care about them in games, to feel some unique aspects.

While we are talking about specialization, all heros have a ship, but a governor that will stay all the game in a system don't need/use it.

What if, at some point in the progression, we must choose between a ship or a little building (or a specific law, or else) for the hero ?

Instead of just spending a point with xp gained, some skills could use specific luxury to be choose (that idea can be bind we the topic of ideas for more use of luxury resources). It must be balanced with the tiers of resources, but it could make the market and exchanges more useful.

Less important, but can be done easily and it doesn't deserve a new topic, about their specific interface. In heros's tree, change the shape and/or the color of the skill (actually all round) depending of its purpose. Skills for battle could be in a triangle, things like that, to clarify the interface.

All good ideas there ^^

In addition to the last, which only seems to make easier the spotting of the skills by there purpose, i think it would be good to have a little more skills. 

More choice to avoid that "invest in a useless to me skill" effect.