[CF-Devel] More random skill musings.

Mon Apr 28 23:03:29 CDT 2003

At 01:40 AM 4/28/03, you wrote:

>

      Ås I go and update the archs, some things perhaps strike me as odd - should perhaps the ability to learn a new spell be based more on the skill you use it on and not literacy (eg, cleric using their praying ability?)  This may reduce the usefulness of literacy, but could make more sense.

Makes a lot of sense, but I don't think I'd remove the idea that high level
spells may use "hard to read runes" or studies in "complex magic theory" in
the same way that high level books are only readable by high-level characters.

It seems that one might not want to totally get away from using literacy for
spell learning.  I think most disciplines are enhanced by knowledge that is
passed on in writing.  While its not hard to think of progressions like magic
bullet, large bullet, and bullet swarm/storm all being easier to learn by
skill XP, it is a bigger stretch to think that bullet has anything at all to
do with say snowball, fireball, etc.  But even then, is not mastering a
swarm/storm something quite different than being able to conjure a single
object.  I can be really good at swinging a one-handed axe, but that doesn't
mean I'm going to have an easy way of it when I try to excel at two handed
axes.  While some skill applies, I think it also takes  some study to
understand how one might translate ones current skill into one that is similar
but significantly different.

>

      But related to that change above (skill in archetypes of skill to use) - this does allow the potential of skills to wear armor. Eg, heavy armor skill, medium armor skill, etc.  I'm not saying this should necessary be done, but is an example of what could be done with the new skill system - you could really expand the number of proficiencies available.

     >

     >

      Another question - currently, whenever you use a skill, it changes your range to that skill even if the use may be temporary.  For example, if you read a book, it will make literacy your active skill, and update your range.  The side effect of this code is that a message like 'you switch to skill literacy' is also printed out.

     >

     >

      In the new code, this is no longer necessary - we don't rely on what the players chosen_skill is to figure out where to put exp.  Thus, if you read a book, none of your range stuff changes, and no message about now using the skill literacy is generated.

     >

     >

      In some sense, I think this is probably better.  As one does things, one never thinks about 'readying' skills, one just does it, and the new way follows that.  Players can skill explicity ready skills, and that will change the range and what not - just indirect use will not.

     >

     >

      I thought I'd post this out here and see what peoples thought on this behaviour is.

Excellent idea.  The whole "readying" thing is what keeps me from using a more
broad set of skills.  Instead, I kind of concentrate on one at a time,
especially when you can die in the moment you pause to ready something new.

Oh, and on the idea of limiting the number of skill categories...

1) Good idea in that it forces one to try to guide one's development path
   as long as it is not ridiculously limiting.  Through life we all garner
   more and more expertise in more and more disciplines, but we will tend
   to not be able to master all of them.

2) My vote is "not so good idea" if an early choice prevents one from choosing
   to let that skill rot back to general knowledge.  I am skeptical of hard
   limits that aren't reversible - heck, make the reversibility very costly
   if necessary, but allow it.  I'd like not to realize I made an awful
   mistake at level 10 that can't be undone when I am level 100, and
   therefore my possibilities are forevermore restricted in some way.

   I remember playing one game once that required an Xth level thief to be
   able to finish the game in a satisfactory manner (save the life of the 
   main protagonist).   Thing was, I got by without thief skills of 
   significance throughout the whole game.  By the time I figured
   it out, I was hosed.  There wasn't any real practical way to 
   practice up thievery, and I had to ditch the game and start
   over.  This was not something I liked.  While its not quite
   the same issue, I think that it illustrates a point that it
   would be better to be able to learn that last category if I
   knew that it meant I'd be ditching one of my other categories.

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