Re: [Adonthell-general] Proposed skills

[Andrew Phillips]

On 4/28/06, Kai Sterker <address@hidden> wrote:
> On 4/28/06, Andrew Phillips <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> What I do not like about this:
> * It is easily possible to raise a skill to its maximum, since each
> rank of a skill costs 1 AP. (You get 5 AP per level). For one it makes
> sense as there are a lot of skills, but OTOH, I think some skills
> might greatly aid players and therefore disturb the balance of the
> game.

I thought it was 3 AP for an ability, rather than 1

> I see two possible solutions:
> 1. Allow to raise a skill only once per level up
> 2. Make rank 1 cost 1 AP, rank 2 cost 2 AP, and so on ...
>
> * Skills (and Attributes) can be raised just so, but Abilities need a
> Trainer. Well, actually I like having a trainer for abilities, as this
> avoids problems like the skill leveling and adds to the overall role
> playing experience. So the question really is, should something
> similar be done for skills and attributes?
>
> Like:
> 1. Skills rise by actively using them
> 2. (or, at least) only skills that have been actively used are
> available for raising on level up

I like the idea of the steeper learning curve. For example, cost = 3 + (rank-1)
rank (1): 3 = 3 + (1-1)
rank (2): 4 = 3 + (2-1)
rank (3): 5 = 3 + (3-1)
etc
Under this system, a character would have to start saving AP across
levels once he decided advance any ability to rank 4 - even if he
dumps all of his creation bonus AP into a single skill, since has to
spend all 12 points to attain rank 3.

It might also be useful to require someone to have x character levels
(5 or more) before purchasing 3+ ranks in any skill or ability, though
the learning curve may also have this effect.

I think the presence of trainers and the need to exchange value with
them may also be another useful controlling factor. Minmax
Blitzenspiel could, for example, spend all his AP on beast songs, find
a friendly chorusmaster and learn songs of the beast through rank 5,
but if the master teaches him the skill to rank 5 but only songs of
rank 1 or 2, he's effectively still a rank 2 beastsinger.

Related skills and physical prerequisites also control things. Under
the old system, if Minmax spends his character creation AP on other
things and all his leveling AP on beast songs, he can reach rank 5 at
character level 3, at which point he has earned and spent the needed
15 AP. But if his listen skill is still at rank 1 or even 0, he
doesn't have the capacity to learn anything. Also, if his strength,
hardness, and willpower are still baseline, or merely what they were
when he stopped allocating his bonus points, he still has a fair
chance of getting himself killed.

> But on to your suggestion:
>
> All in all, nice ideas :-). Having a larger list of skills to pick
> from will allow more different styles of playing the game. We just
> have to make sure to design stuff in a fashion that each skill has its
> use at some point or other.

I'll have to think over the skill proposals some more. I'll give it
some though, especially healing.

Andrew