What if everyone had the same amount of skill points?

Well, I quite liked the combat few releases back, when we all had the exact same amount of skillpoints. I do not like levels at all, I think that players should get better by playing the game and getting to know its mechanic. In fact, I would love if everyone could use anything, the limitation of deck is good enough to let people specialize as mages or fighters or hybrids. Sadly, most RPGs have levelling system, which leads to pointless grind rather than learning how to fight. People tend to reach maximum level before they start playing... because if yo uare lower level there is not usually much you can do and you will die a lot, even if you do nto make any mistake.

 

I agree we should learn skills by useing them, I'm with you 100% on that point. I hate skill trees always have, in any game that uses them. But I don't believe we should all be the same. That's... well i wont say what that is i would be banned if I did.

 

I too wish that all our skill points be gained on what skills we actually use! If i dont use a bow, i shouldnt be good at it! I dont see what is so wrong about a skill level being earned by using skill! Granted we all can learn new skills but if we do we need to start from the beginning on thos particular skills we want to switch too! I shouldnt be a grand swordsman, then one day say Hmm!? i think i want to be a mage, clear out all my points and put them all in mage without casting one single spell ever before that!

 

Well, I am thinking a lot of Counter-Strike here, because it is the game I played a lot. There were no skill points. There was no skill tree for knife, pistol, machine gun or sniper rifle. You did not get any hidden points for using them either. Yet by playing the game and using the same weapon you have learned its weaknesses and strengths, you have learned the layout of maps and where to look. It was surprisingly easy to distinguish between noob and pro (though it was sometimes hard to distinguish pro from a cheater, but that is for another discussion).

Yes, the game required mostly excellent reactions (though tactical decissions did matter, make no mistake), but you trained them by playing the game and there was no need for character skills. Another great point is that gear mattered, but your skill was way more important. I like games that do not make you grind for equipment and skill and you get better just by playing them. Sure, it is probably much bigger challenge to balance it in the game like SotA which is so much more than arena fights of opposing teams, but the point is that I prefer player's own skills over their character's skills.

 

Still you had to learn skill there, what weapons do the most damage depending on the surrounding, how to aim each weapon, when to call in whatever special things you had that could help you survive! The only problem with that as an example is everyone used guns, knife was secondary, so there were really no other skills needed, same with pretty much all FPS games, Arma took teamwork as well skill was basically how well your team worked together, but we all basically used and learned how to use certain weapons and equipment without points, instead we got upgrades.

 

I think you just gave me an idea. Not sure exactly how.. but you did.

 

You would gain renown (or whatever to call it) same as anything... Honestly I didn't think too much about how to get these points and levels but more about what they would be used for. But likely you would get it similarly to XP by killing mobs and doing quests. Ideally there would be a lot of diminishing returns so as not to be able to grind simplistic creatures repeatedly but say accomplish task such as "explore completely an area", "learn all about a plant type", "learn all about a monster type" etc.. those kinds of things.

 

Im curious as to why the old skill system from UO wasnt implemented. It was a good system that could be refined in to something exciting and new. However let us not forget that crafting will take skill points soon, that also crafting will award experience, so we will have a diverse popoulation of characters, I just hope for the ability to leave trapped chests laying around!

 

I think the OP is arguing for horizontal instead of vertical progression. He's just not doing it very well.

 

if you can leave trapped chests around then i would hope that one can at least attempt to disarm them.

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Well then you explain it to me because I would really like to know what he is trying to get at, so far im just lost.

 

If i understood it well the OP is suggesting a system where everybody starts with the same number of Key Skills, and then your character improves those skills performance through active using as if every selected skill had his own set of skill points, with chance of raising every time you use it. Then, as you get better in a certain skill you may visit some trainer to unlock a special version of that skill. Maybe i'm influenced by Bowen's idea, but i think that is. Just matter of waiting for the word of mike11 to see if i'm right

Here's also my vision about progressions: vertical progression is what you usually get from an MMO, you need to clear a step before climbing the next one (i need to gear myself in these dungeons so i can get a few levels before getting into the next dungeons where i'll get the gear to... Hilariously captured in this comic, don't forget to push the red button at the bottom!). An horizontal progression is one where your character improvement increases the amount of places you can go and the amount of options your character have without the need of follow an specific path. That's why mike11 idea was labeled as horizontal by Alpha, because you don't need to follow any steps to get better.

Personally i'd like something more horizontal than the current system, and what i understood from this thread or from Bowen's are fine examples. I have my own pretty concept of the leveling system, but i don't know if we're too late to discuss it. There are a lot of things to do... maybe it's better to have a first concept of everything before changing what's implemented for the best?

 

Why did he not just say that instead of all the crap about everyone needs to be the same no matter their lvl? I would love to see skill progression though use... in almost any form I have heard so far. I hate cookie cutter class system's as well as skill tree's. But i was getting lost with everyone is the same, and having no variations. I like veriation it makes things funner.

 

Who knows, i may be wrong in my interpretation and he meant something else! we'll figure out soon

For what i read in the forums i take the community opinion regarding the progression system is something disliked by ones and bore by others. I honestly think something far better than the current system without putting a lot of distance between current MMO systems. I also think that for a prealpha system is bearable... just hope that the right feedback may shape it correctly

 

Dont get me wrong i what we have is alright and I'll still play no matter what we get. Iv just always liked skill progression over the cookie cuter oh you reached lvl 20 you get x skill. Skill trees are somewhat better becuse it allowes a choice... where and how do i use x points.