Spell Skill Revision Suggestion

[Harroghty]

It's the people who already don't focus too much on it because they are busier RPing/Adventuring that are going to stick around long-term anyway.

Yes, it is not a question of "role-play verse grinding" (that model is not productive for discussion because I believe that the goal should be entertaining the most players while keeping up the level of integrity in role-play asked of us as players, not entertaining only one type of player). It is a question of what happens when you reach level fifty and now you cannot improve at anything else. That is when any type of player, with any kind of motivations reaches level 50 with a PC. There are those times when you just want to blow off some steam by yourself or maybe no one else is on-line that you know. Or maybe you just need a new skill to support new role-play. Is that possible in the system that you are proposing?

[Nysan]

Hmm, I do get tired of 'grinding' spells, especially defensive spells. Doesn't bother me as much if magic missiles or acid blast deals light damage to a mob compared to casting iceshield and "affect" shows it up for "a little while".

On a similar note, Gilain bugs the heck outta me. I'll take spell grind any day of the week over trade grind. Honestly, try GMing armoursmithing AND maintaining a decent RP presence... *shudder* Can't count the number of nights I fell asleep at the keyboard working on his trades. lol

Enough ranting for me for today.

[Julthain]

I like the game the way it is, it could perhaps use a bit of tweaking here and there, but suggesting that you remove skill completely from the game so everyone can be the same and RP more would just make things worse. Without skill levels, a PC could just rush to L50, then find all the skill/spells trainers they can, and wallah! They have a masterful and all-powerful PC in a month, then it would just boil down to has the better equipment. A MUD cannot exactly mirror PnP and changing things to try to do that would ruin the game.

As for components, I think one of the problems is they are being valued for what spells they can be used to cast, instead of what the component is. For example, you would think a piece of brain spiders brain, or a harpy's voicebox would be rare and fairly expensive, but they are dirt cheap, while holly, a widely accessible plant, sells for around 2-3 platinum a leaf. I would say, for the spells that are powerful but use ingredients that would (in a rl perspective) be cheap, the spell itself should be harder to find and more costly to learn, while the components stay cheap and available.

That way, the means to cast the spells is there, the job would be adventuring to find those who can teach you the spells.

[Brodnur]

I actually agree with Solaghar's idea, about the "clearing house" for items in exchange for skills/spells/ etc. I know I've got a wizard with way too many pounds of enchanted armour, which of course he cannot use, as well, I've a fighter that has a couple of wands, which he also cannot use. I'm sort of on the fence about eliminating the spell levels, it has several pros and cons for each, though I am leaning towards a streamlining of the process somewhat.

[Sei]

i'd like to see a forum like the applications forum where people can post logs of this or that rp that would affect their skills positively, like:

* a pair of fighters having a killmode spar battle to practice their skills, roleplaying a heavy focus on trying to better themselves at the skill while battling
* a lesson on magic between a couple of characters, emphasis on how to better chant or better use the spell in question
* a thief whose time is devoted to finger-agility workouts and other ways to improve how they operate
* a bard practicing their singing, or learning a new musical pattern on an instrument

a member of staff would read over the roleplay, determine whether or not the character(s) in question deserve(s) one or more skill raises, in relation to what the roleplay focuses on, and gives out the raises accordingly.

thoughts? comments?

[Bellayana]

I personally love this idea, I think it promotes roleplay and helps the characters in question. There should be a set limit on how many logs you can submit in a period though.

[Kallias]

I like the idea, Sei, but I think the application of such a system would have a poor result. Too much discretion involved on one end, and too much difference in player styles on the other end. One style of play should not be favored over the other as long as that style isn't harming anyone else.

Why not just practice and rp during it?

[Dalmil]

A good idea... but even then there still has to be some sort of system dividing the weak from the strong, and if skill levels were removed on spells it would remove the one advantage specialists have of being able to GM their preferred School of Magic.

Now... heres my idea to implement such a division, but also remove some of the stress off of the wizards. Instead of each and every spell having its own "skill level" you would base the spellcasters ability off of their spellcraft skill. So in short, a wizard with "apprentice" in spellcraft would be able to cast all the spells they know at an "apprentice" level and so on. As per PnP, specialists would get a +2 to their spellcraft when using their specialty, thus reflecting the equivalent of GM in FK.

EDIT: Left out the spell focus feat... instead of raising the skill level of the spell, it would give you a +1 to it (i.e. you have spell focus on lightning bolt, and novice spellcraft, your ability with it would be novice + 1.) This could open the door for Greater Spell Focus, which stacks with SF, and gives you +2. Essentially allowing you to "specialize" a spell. Say you got a mage, but have a favorite spell.... here you go. (PnP actually applies spell focus over a School of Magic instead of one spell, and applies it to difficulty rating to save against the spell instead of your ability to work the spell, but I do not know how saving throws work in FK...)

[Algon]

i'd like to see a forum like the applications forum where people can post logs of this or that rp that would affect their skills positively, like:

* a pair of fighters having a killmode spar battle to practice their skills, roleplaying a heavy focus on trying to better themselves at the skill while battling
* a lesson on magic between a couple of characters, emphasis on how to better chant or better use the spell in question
* a thief whose time is devoted to finger-agility workouts and other ways to improve how they operate
* a bard practicing their singing, or learning a new musical pattern on an instrument

a member of staff would read over the roleplay, determine whether or not the character(s) in question deserve(s) one or more skill raises, in relation to what the roleplay focuses on, and gives out the raises accordingly.

thoughts? comments?

I like this idea alot. Algon is getting really old and he has been thinking about starting training young ones in the art of battle. So lets say this happens and Algon starts his own little fighting school. Today's lesson is on the techniques and skills of riposte. After a full day of teaching young ones this new skill. Why would they not have gained some xp in this skill?
Post a message in the forum or send email to the account saying "Players A, B, and C were in my class for 4 hours today. We studied and practiced the riposte skill, could you please add X amount of ticks to their practice meter in that skill."
I am not saying that a few classes and your a master, but it seems like one would certainly learn a little each new class.

It does bug me to no end when a fighter, who has only played 400 hours and 350 of those hours were killing giants, beats him in a spar. It has gotten to the point where I do not spar at all now simply because it feels like Algon is being punished skill wise for not grinding a few hours every day and the young'un is getting rewarded for not applying his/herself in any rp outside of grab a buddy and go kill something.

[Dapher]

Looking at the game lately, and the AC system that is implace, I can agree with Algon to a certain degree. I have spoken to players reguarding the newer younger fighters beating up the older more experienced ones. I have to admit, my ranger has 1700 or so, and yes, quite a few grandmastered skills, but he is beaten by a fighter who has less than 400 hours and 0 grandmastered skills, not even a grandmastered weapon. After speaking with the player, I came to realize that the AC difference is incredible, I could not believe it. I then went and spoke to another ranger, and another old fighter. None of us could get our AC anywhere close to legendary, and the fighter who happened to be lvl 45 was legendary on all body parts. Now granted after a lot of tweaking, and and work on things I got my AC close to legendary, but a ranger has more resources that he can use than a fighter does. My point is the new characters may not be grinding, and spending all of thier time twinking. It may be a simple case of an AC difference