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Your thoughts on my skill list

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a.noble.wolf
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Joined: 10/25/2014

This is a list of the skills I currently have for my game.

Please give me your thoughts on this list:

Unarmed -
This is the skill of beating people up with your fists and feet, from boxing to brawling to the martial arts. The better you are at this skill, the more likely you are going to hit them in combat. This skill also covers the use of weapons that enhance unarmed combat such as brass knuckles.

Melee -
This covers the use of melee weapons – basically, any weapon used in close combat to bludgeon, stab, slash, or wallop a target.

Ranged -
This covers the use of simple ranged weapons such as bows and spears.

Explosives -
This skill covers not only arming or disarming explosive weapons such as mines, but also the use of explosives weapons from grenades, to missile launchers.

Pistols -
This skill covers the use of small arms such as pistols a revolvers.

Rifles -
This skill covers the use of rifles such as the average hunting rifle to military sniper rifles.

SMGs -
This skill covers the use of small machine guns such as Uzis.

Shotguns -
This skill covers the use of shotguns from sawed-off the pump-action.

Heavy Guns -
This skill covers the use of large firearms from heavy machine gun the mini gun.

Energy Pistols -
This skill covers the use of energy based pistols from laser to plasma.

Energy Rifles -
This skill covers the use of energy based rifles from laser to plasma.

Heavy Energy Weapons-
This skill covers the use of heavy energy weapons from EMP cannons to Laser mini guns.

Medical -
This skill covers everything from first-aid to brain surgery.

Chemistry -
While Chemistery is used to treat wounds, Chemistry is used to craft medicine and other drugs.

Stealth -
The skill of being able to move quietly or out of sight.

Lockpick -
If you need to open locks without the proper key, this is the skill for you.

Pickpocket -
If you desire something that isn't yours this is the skill for you. Use it to grab that shiny key off the belt of the guard.

Disguise -
Sometimes hiding and being silent just isn't enough. Sometimes you need to be someone else entirely. Disguise covers both hiding your identity as well as impersonating someone.

Science -
Science is the skill of working with electronic devices such as computers. It also covers how intuitive a character is. Characters with a high Science skill will notice things that others might miss.

Repair -
Repair is the practical application of the Science skill. As things are constantly breaking, a person with a high Repair skill is always good to have around. Repair covers fixing all manner of mechanical things, from guns to vehicles, arming and disarming traps, and can also be used to intentionally sabotage or disable mechanical things.

Pilot -
This skill is how well a character can drive land-based, sea-based, and air-based vehicles

Persuasion -
The art of arguing.

Intimidation -
I ability to instill fear.

Deception -
The are of lying.

Barter -
The skill of trading. Currency is not always commonly used. Barter will allow you to get more for less when trading equipment, weapons, and other items.

Gambling -
The Gambling skill covers a knowledge of and adeptness at games of chance. Someone with a high Gambling skill tends to win these games more often, or might notice if the game is dirty or rigged.

Survival -
This is the skill of outdoor living and survival in hostile environments. Basically, what they teach in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Survival has many uses, from finding food and water to avoiding hostile creatures to knowledge about what plants and animals will help you or kill you.

Jump -
This skill not only covers the ability to do high and long jumps but also to survive falls.

Climb -
As you might expect, the Climbing skill measures how well a character can climb. This includes not only finding purchases on sheer rock walls, but also covers avoiding falling when high above ground.

Swim -
Naturally, the Swim skill measures how well a character can swim. Swim includes distance swimming, diving, and swimming underwater.

Thank you for your participation.

Tbone
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Joined: 02/18/2013
Wooah

I feel like this can be condensed quite a bit... Having Heavy energy weapons AND Heavy Guns? Maybe create a heirarchy table. Maybe the starting Skills are Combat, Weaponry, Intelligence, Knowledge, Physical Ability. Then branch out from there. Having them all out like this makes me queezy.

Almost like a tech tree but for your character. If you've ever played Borderlands 1 or 2 on the consoles or PC, they have a very interesting character tech tree. Its not as intricate as this but could spore some new ideas.

If you think this is condensed and you don't want to condense it any further I don't think it would hurt but you're audience/fan base will be extremely miniscute.

Good Luck!

laperen
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Joined: 04/30/2013
I would prefer some context

I would prefer some context on how the skill physically exists to the player, and how the skill is used, maybe even the basic rules of its usage.

Right now all I can really say about it is that its a wide variety, with a hard focus on current and future technologies. It makes me question why you have the old weapons at all if you are not going to expand on them like you did for the guns for example.

In unarmed, you could expand into martial arts, maybe based on whether its a striking, throwing, or submission fighting style.

In melee, there's difference between a sword, claymore, a hammer, and a dagger, in terms of reach and flexibility in usage.

In ranged, there's differences between long bows, short bows, crossbows, and throwing knives, in range and reload time.

Again, all this critique is without context. I was commenting purely from a variety standpoint. All this might dissolve away when you introduce context.

The Professor
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Joined: 10/25/2014
Context Required

To laperen's point, context would prove very helpful, as the list reminds me of the Serenity RPG where you have six-guns and computers. Having played myriad RPGs over the past 30 years, from Top Secret to Boot Hill, D&D to Traveller, Skills play such a dominant role in character creation or development, please give us a bit more information and I'll be pleased to provide additional feedback.

Cheers,
Joe

a.noble.wolf
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Joined: 10/25/2014
Ok readers, Each of the above

Ok readers,

Each of the above skills are based off of the primary attributes, allowing every character to be familiar with all skills. This game takes place in a dog eat dog world where survival is day to day.

Now this is a modified d100 system, thus all skills range between 1-100 starting skill level for each skill will be between 11-30. Each character also picks 3 of these skills to be their primary skills, representing gifted areas, points of interests or training received when they were younger. The 3 chosen skills receive an additional 15 points bringing their rang between 26-45.

Combat skills:

Unarmed
Melee
Ranged
Explosives
Pistols
Rifles
SMGs
Shotguns
Heavy Guns
Energy Pistols
Energy Rifles
Heavy Energy Weapons

The cultures of this world are as varied as the weapons in it, ranging from tribals with their bows and spears to the highly advanced groups their laser pistols and plasma rifles.

All weapons have a base damage. The more skilled a character is with a weapon type the more damage they are able to do.

Example:

Base Damage + (Base Damage x Skill %)
Base Damage 50 / Skill 50

50+ (50x50%)= 75

Perception governs ranged weapon accuracy as well as modifying range.

Each ranged weapon has a base range which is modified by Perception.

Primary attributes range from 1-10.

Range: For each point in Perception adds one 10% to the range of the Weapon allowing for the possibly of doubling the weapons range.

Accuracy: For each point in Perception is 10% to accuracy. Allowing a range of 10%-100%.

Now Range and Accuracy are also effected by things such as lighting cover and targets agility.

Melee and Unarmed skill:

All weapons have a base damage. The more skilled a character is with a weapon type the more damage they are able to do.

Example:

Base Damage + (Base Damage x Skill %)
Base Damage 50 / Skill 50

50+ (50x50%)= 75

Accuracy: For each point in Agility is 10% to accuracy. Allowing a range of 10%-100%.

Strength modifies damage by adding 1 point of damage for each point of Strength ranging from +1 to +10.

Non-Combat Skills:

Medical
Chemistry
Stealth
Lockpick
Pickpocket
Disguise
Science
Repair
Pilot
Persuasion
Intimidation
Deception
Barter
Gambling
Survival
Jump
Climb
Swim

These skills are used for challenges other than combat. I am using a Challenge Ratting system ranging from 1% to 100%.

Example:

Medical: 1% (A splinter in the finger) to 100% (Open heart surgery)

Medical -
This skill covers everything from first-aid to brain surgery.

Chemistry -
While Medical is used to treat wounds, Chemistry is used to craft medicine and other drugs.

Stealth -
The skill of being able to move quietly or out of sight.

Lockpick -
If you need to open locks without the proper key, this is the skill for you.

Pickpocket -
If you desire something that isn't yours this is the skill for you. Use it to grab that shiny key off the belt of the guard.

Disguise -
Sometimes hiding and being silent just isn't enough. Sometimes you need to be someone else entirely. Disguise covers both hiding your identity as well as impersonating someone.

Science -
Science is the skill of working with electronic devices such as computers. It also covers how intuitive a character is. Characters with a high Science skill will notice things that others might miss.

Repair -
Repair is the practical application of the Science skill. As things are constantly breaking, a person with a high Repair skill is always good to have around. Repair covers fixing all manner of mechanical things, from guns to vehicles, arming and disarming traps, and can also be used to intentionally sabotage or disable mechanical things.

Pilot -
This skill is how well a character can drive land-based, sea-based, and air-based vehicles

Persuasion -
The art of arguing.

Intimidation -
I ability to instill fear.

Deception -
The are of lying.

Barter -
The skill of trading. Currency is not always commonly used. Barter will allow you to get more for less when trading equipment, weapons, and other items.

Gambling -
The Gambling skill covers a knowledge of and adeptness at games of chance. Someone with a high Gambling skill tends to win these games more often, or might notice if the game is dirty or rigged.

Survival -
This is the skill of outdoor living and survival in hostile environments. Basically, what they teach in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Survival has many uses, from finding food and water to avoiding hostile creatures to knowledge about what plants and animals will help you or kill you.

Jump -
This skill not only covers the ability to do high and long jumps but also to survive falls.

Climb -
As you might expect, the Climbing skill measures how well a character can climb. This includes not only finding purchases on sheer rock walls, but also covers avoiding falling when high above ground.

Swim -
Naturally, the Swim skill measures how well a character can swim. Swim includes distance swimming, diving, and swimming underwater.

laperen
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Joined: 04/30/2013
You have posted alot of

You have posted alot of calculations, but still have not answered how the skill exists physically to the player. Is it a card? Is it written down?

why couldn't the pistol, rifle, SMG, and shotgun, be combined to a skill called "firearms"? from there, the different weapons will require skill levels to use them

what is the reason for dividing "science" and "repair" up? why couldn't they be combined to a skill called "technician"?

You will need to explain why the skills are divided and categorized the way they are, maybe its gameplay related and we just don't know yet.

The game is very complex. you might want to explain what you intend to achieve by creating this game. The most detailed RPG? or something along those lines.

a.noble.wolf
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Joined: 10/25/2014
Response to Laperen

These skills are displayed to the player on a standard character sheet.

The complexity of the skills list is to allow for more diversity and character development.

As for the separation of Science and Repair, I was thinking of it like this; my local mechanic knows more about workings of internal combustion engine than I do, where as I know more about computers than he does.

Now as for the separation of the different firearms. Each of the firearm type require different tactics in their use. Also I was looking at it as another means of expanding diversity.

The Professor
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Joined: 10/25/2014
Suggestions

wolf,

Thank you for the write-up as it provides some of the inherent math in the game you're devising, but as Laperen poster mentioned, a short blurb on the milieu into which these characters are thrust may prove a bit more beneficial..

D&D: a world of magic, high fantasy, and great adventures
Traveller: ordinary individuals during extraordinary times
Serenity: six-guns and spaceships; making a living in the black

If you don't mind, please provide us again with the backdrop/setting for your game. With regard to the Skills, you might have an over-arching one entitled Science or Firearms, from which a character can further specialize in Physics, Medical, Chemistry or Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun

Cheers,
Joe

a.noble.wolf
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Joined: 10/25/2014
Response to The Professor

Professor,

This is a post apocalyptic or Post cataclysm world. Something along the lines of "Judge Dred", "Tank Girl", "Mad Max", or "Elysium"

As for a sub-skill system, I though about that. Something along the lines of this.

Martial:
Unarmed
Melee
Ranged (Martial)

Conventional Weapons:
Explosives
Tactical
Demolition

Guns
Pistols
Rifles
SMGs
Shotguns
Heavy Weapons)

Energy Weapons
Energy Pistols
Energy Rifles
Heavy Energy Weapons

Medical:
First Aid
Doctor
Chemistry

Thieving:
Stealth
Lockpick
Pickpocket
Disguise

Technical:
Science
Repair
Pilot

Social:
Speech
Persuasion
Intimidation
Deception

Barter:

Gambling:

Survivalist:
Survival
Jump
Climb
Swim

Thank you Professor

Jarec
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Joined: 12/27/2013
This seems like a lot more

This seems like a lot more combat-y than survival (by design?)

I'd make the weapon categories more broad: Handguns, Two-handers and heavies.
I'd also remove the energy weapon variants altogether. I feel it's almost the same deal to the user whether the stuff that comes out of it is heavy lead or condensed light (excluding the kickback). But to compensate I'd make some other repair skill option for the energy weapon stuff, adding to the survival aspect some.

Then there's the bottom three that are physical traits. I find them oddly specific (but I guess you meant to gate player progress with rivers and cliffs), and weird too that there's no other physical stuff there, like brute strength (not only for combat, but for manual labor and such) or endurance (against poisons and infections).

Survival could be IMO separated in to two different ones, like flora + fauna stuff, or cooking + survival.

schattentanz
schattentanz's picture
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Joined: 02/18/2014
It's a trap!

Skill design can make or brake a game.

Looking at your list, I'd rather say it brakes the game:

You've got many skills covering the different kinds of ranged combat, but just one covering medicine?
Performing a brain surgery is not exactly the same as applying a patch and a car is operated differently than a plane, you know?

For starters, maybe you should go for categories with each each category containing the same number of skills.

Example:

Melee
- Sword
- Dagger
- Club
- ...

Ranged
- Bow
- Pistol
- Machine Gun
- ...

Medicine
- Narcotics
- Treat Wounds
- Brew Potions
- ...

Social
- Barter
- Gambling
- Bullying
- ...

Crafts
- Car
- Boat
- Helicopter
- ...

Thievery
- Lockpicking
- Pick pockets
- Backstab
- ...

Hacking
- Control droids
- Digital combat
- Data security
- ...

Dark arts
- Soul syphon
- Raise dead
- Control zombies
- ...

And so on .. those are just a few examples..

The point of using categories is, giving you a feeling for what your game is actually about, so you can create everything around the skills better in a way that actually makes sense.

Kind regards,
Kai

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