Skill (VALUE)

In UO it was awesome to be a 7xGM character super specialized and powerful. This was also due to the fact that a GM in a particular skill was really the only level that skill was most useful for.

I think there should be a benefit to becoming a Supreem Master at something, but if that is the goal then people will never be satisfied with their skills unless they are maxed out.

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What I would love to see is skills being satisfying at every level. As a master you can do XYandZ, but as a journeyman it is also useful and you don't feel like you're wasting your points for not being a grand master.

Otherwise we might respec all the time, or feel unsatisfied with having only one character.
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However I wouldn't want everyone to be totally self-sufficient. Either way it looks like you guys are already on that path. I think the idea of having specialities will indeed accomplish this (as mentioned before "level 3 sword making" rather than saying GM smith).

 

I still worry about the 'needing only one' character concept. I also don't want to see the one character that can do it all but I don't want to have to respec to enjoy the full spectrum of what I want to do either.

I want to master crafting and would probably enjoy artisan type skills (RG mentioned painting for example) but first and foremost my character is more of a woodsman so there's harvesting skills and appropriate combat skills etc. I just don't see how my character can do all of what I want him to.

So for me, having the skills have some meaning at every level is just that much more important.. I agree it seems like RG at least is thinking along the same lines which I suppose shouldn't surprise me.

I don't need to master every skill I want my character to have, so long as those skills are useful enough to have meaning for my character.

 

after some of the explanations on yesterday's interviews I feel comfortable that the skill system will work well. I think it will be better having one character. At least to me it sounds like it will be fun to be able to role play a guy in game.

I can't wait for this game. I'm already thinking about options if my main "adventuring" skills will be. I want to evaluate the Weapon skills, Mage skills, and what possible combinations might work with animal taming maybe. Who knows at this point. I do like the idea that it's me not me playing something else.

 

I loved having a skill cap in UO (both for a particular skill and also in terms of skill points to distribute). I think UO had the balance almost perfect in terms of having 7 GM skills. I would have liked to see 8 personally... but I loved planning my characters and experimenting with what worked and what didn't in terms of skill mix. I actually never went 7xGM with any of my characters and at most I had a 6xGM skill char as I would always put about 80 points into hiding.

I think having a completely open uncapped skill system would be disastrous. New players would never be able to catch up to veteran players and the balance of power in the game would be almost permanently tipped to older players in terms of combat as well as economy. A system where cap limits are increased with expansions works, although it is old news.

 

If there is one character there shouldn't be a skill cap. I want it all, I want to try all, I want to master all, GOTTA CATCH'EM ALL!
But I can see how it will overwhelm most of the player base whether it's the endless grinding of becoming EVERYTHING or the long road you have to go to catch up the big boys and actually be someone. If they are sure that there will be no extra character slots, I suggest no skill cap. By "skill cap" I mean the number of skills you can master. What they should do is; make it harder. Every time you decide to learn a new skill you learn harder. Because there's so much information you have to remember, practice and thing about. So you can be anything and everything if you try hard enough. There is no limit of your potential, only obstacle you'll face is yourself! If you say "I'm good with my animals and farm. I got all I need right here." then fine be that and be happy! If you say "I want to do everything!" then do that, practice every art and craft, learn war tactics, develop your fighting skills, master your will!

There should be no limit for your skillset, yet every new skill you want to learn should get harder, harder and harder. You can't teach new tricks to an old dog.

So when you first log in the game, do what you want. Improve yourself the way you desire. When you get bored, you'll still have the chance to improve yourself even further! You can do anything, be anything as long as your life goes. I see nothing wrong with that but do you think such a big freedom should be given to us players who are mostly LOVE grinding, achieving our goal, being the master of all trades?

 

@PABS: What you suggest will destroy the crafting economy, why buy something that you can make yourself. That's why they are limiting it to one character, it is an extension of yourself, "your avatar"

The way i remember them mentioning it in dev. chat was that you only have so many skill points. If you want to change the direction of you character to a different style you would have to gain experiences in those areas and lose some in your old areas. They also said you could put in stops so it would not take from some but from others.

 

That can work too. But if it took 2 months for your first and 4 months for your second skill to master, you won't be thinking "I'm not gonna buy that sword, I'd rather make one" and just practice smithing 6 months. You'd just buy the thing.

 

@PABS: it would eventually ruin the economy, probably faster than you think for people will master combat, then go master making their favorite armor type and weapon. Also we are looking at a span of over 5 years, the original UO is still going, and WOW as well.

 

About the only thing I can think of is after you get your 7000 skill points that should come about at a good pace is to really slow down the skill points from climbing.
Maybe slower as you get more.
Maybe even have some go down slowly if you never use them.

 

I am glad to hear that in the dev chats it has been discussed that there will be a maximum number of points distributed amongst skills. UO had the system brilliantly once they introduced skill locking and reduction. The crafting economy really would be so ruined without an overall maximum amount of skill points and in such a short time.