A suggestion for skills ...

Chade on 26/3/2002 at 03:59

A suggestion for skills (although it will probably be way to late to change any of this, or not, I don't know ...

One of the things that is bad about the skill system in most game (DX included), is that it makes using what you increase your skill in easier to use. This means that the palyer himself, has to be less skilled in whatever he puts skill points on than in skills where he hasn't. This is (IMO) a big problem. I'd like to see increasing a skill make you more effective in that area, but only if your skilled enough yourself to make use of that increase in efficiency.

One example where this already happens a bit is weapon skills, and making you more accurate in a cetain weapon. Being more accurate helps you fight, but if you can't aim at opponents properly, it is actaully going to penalise you for not being skilled yourself, as you're less likely to hit an opponent by accident. Another way to help htis would be to improve the accuracy when moving more than the accuracy when standing still, so the player who can shoot well while moving gets even more benefit from this skill, etc.

Now, obviously, its not going to be possible to do what I suggest in all skills, but many skills could be improved somewhat. Take swimming. You'd decrease the gain in amount of time you spend underwater, and increase the speed at which you swim underwater a lot more. This would mean, if you're easily confused and not good at navigating underwater, you'll get less benifit from the skill tahn if you're a good navigator underwater.

If lockpicking and multitools is changed to involve more than just holding down the right mouse button, the same would apply here as well.

Much the same goes for hacking.

etc ...

Dragonclaw on 26/3/2002 at 11:57

Yes, I see what you mean, but I doubt it would be very popular, and that's what a game needs...
I can imagine many people (including me, also of course reviewers and such) to say something like:
"What!?! Now I gathered all my skill points to increase my lockpick, only to see that I'll be worse at it? What is this?!?"

I think you see the problem... maybe you could build in two ways of how the skills are used, but I guess that would be much more effort than it's worth actually...

Chade on 26/3/2002 at 15:04

Hmmm ... I see what you mean, and you're probably right, as far as it goes.

BUT ... :)

Increasing accuracy for weapons has a little of the same effect that I just described, and you don't hear anyone complaining about that. And if swimming improved speed more than breath, I don't think anyone would complain about that.

I think the trick is maybe not to go overboard on my idea, just to make the skill partly confirm to what I suggested. I suppose you should make sure that putting more skill points on something always (or almost, anyway) help you with that skill, no matter how good you are. But that doesn't mean that the skill can't help those who are better at it more than those who aren't as good at that discipline.

Dragonclaw on 26/3/2002 at 16:27

I agree (though you have to get told a 'but' as well ;) it usually already helps those more who are better at it )

The problem here is, whether or not to draw a complete line between you and the Character. I heard of a game, in which improving your shooting would increase the accuracy by this: There's a "hit range" around the actual target, and the better you shoot, the bigger it is.

If you say, the Char should be complete separated from the player, then my skills and abilities (which are usually rather lousy, I guess ;) ) should not stop me from being good in the game.

If you say, that Char should interact with the player, then I guess your approach would be right.But maybe then it would be better to name those things different than "skills", in my opinion, and for me that would be more of an interactive game than a role-playing game, because in RPGs for me it is like this: even if I am not good at something, my chars can be...

But well, the main thing is what the others here say about it, so?

Chade on 27/3/2002 at 01:38

Yes, how much the character interacts with the player, I like that way of putting it. :thumb:

Quote:

But well, the main thing is what the others here say about it, so?

Too true, too true ...

Unfortunately, if you have a look around this thread; others?????????:( :(

Dragonclaw on 27/3/2002 at 11:43

Well, let's attract them then...

FREE COPIES! FREE SS1 AND 2! FREE GAMES! FREE MONEY!

Ok, that should do ;)
Now just some things to get a better search result:
Help, hints, free, games, fm, mods, and, of course, sex :cheeky:

Chade on 27/3/2002 at 13:47

:tsktsk: :tsktsk:

No no no, that will never do.

Hmmm ...
:idea:

DEUS EX 2 LEAKED ALPHA COPY!! ;)

Oh yes, and sex :cheeky:

Amorpheus on 27/3/2002 at 14:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Chade
DEUS EX 2 LEAKED ALPHA COPY!! ;)

Oh yes, and sex :cheeky:

Scratch the latter. :p

Uhhh.... I didn't say that out loud, did I...?