Specialist Sub-skills over Generalist Skills

[lordraleigh]

One thing I noticed in Planeshift, is that you cannot make a character that for example mastered the use of a longsword over all other weapons, or a cook that excels in Lemur's culinary or in preparing any form of meat, or perhaps someone that is better as an architect designing buildings than as a mason that works hardly to construct them. My idea is to make sub-skills, sets of specializations that will require some previous knowledge on the "generic" main skills, but will count as levels for the main skill, but with bonuses and specific techniques for the specialist field. Example:

Main Generalist skill: Sword (Maximum 70)

After level 20 you can specialize in:

- Short Swords
- Falchions
- Longswords
- Greatswords(Claymores)
- Rapiers(I hope they will be available in the future) - This one would also obviously make your character specialized into fencing
- Sabres

and so on

Explanation(This example explains for others too): The sum of both specialist and generic skill levels can't go past 70, so for example, if you already have a Sword skill of 30, you can train the specialized weapon skill until 40 and so on. Also according to the already existing level of the generic skill, the cost of the training would be higher or lower, always based on the sum of these. If you had a Sword Skill level of 20 and a Rapier sub-skill of 10 for example, it would cost the same of a level 30 sword skill training or of a considered level 30 Rapier training for example(Or perhaps sub-skills could cost the same of the main skills)

Main Skill: Masonry(Ficticious Maximum: 30)

After level 10 you can specialize in

-Building - As a pure mason, you can construct buildings faster and better.
-Architecture - Capability of designing buildings with both art and utility
-Structural Analysis(Engineering) - Capability of verifying the stability of any building and of checking architect designs more deeply  to make sure they will be stable.

Also, you could specialize in more than one sub-skill, but it would limit the maximum level of specialization you could reach on each one as the sum of the specialist skills with the generic one cannot surpass the maximum of the generic skill.

As always, open for evaluation, suggestions and criticism

[emeraldfool]

Seems to me if you're trained to be a swordsman, you'll be trained in all types of swords, and if you're trained to be a mason, you'll cover all aspects of masonry. Just like in real life

This is the medieval ages. People barely survived long enough to teach each other the basics - most knowledge was kept inside the family. It's hard enough to find a trainer, let alone someone who'll train you specifically in just what you want to know.


Besides, there's not that much difference between a falchion, a shortsword, a sabre and a rapier. They all weigh about the same, and are used about the same (one-handed, swift movements)...

Dividing skills into non-duplicate specialities would be the hardest part of this...

[Zan]

I rather disagree with EF's remark about there not being much difference in the subskills. However I think that this idea, although not bad, would lead things too far. You could make hundreds of skills this way .. the question is then, where to end?

[Nikodemus]

I been once giving idea about more detailed skills than it is right now, but in different way than this topic say.
While learning to use swords we actually learn few things, not one. Like accuracy, how to be fast, parrying, dodging and so on. This way, when you take an axe after using a sword, you won't be complete noob in it, but you also won't use it that well as a sword, in fact if there comes about axe, you will be muc worse, but still better than a guy who was never training in any weapon.
Now, to refer to this topic idea. There are differencies beatween using different kinds of swords, and we do fight better with one type if we trained in it. But switching to a bit different, we will know how to use it, but only slightly worse.
So, there are these basic skills which increase as you train in tne type of sword. The other type will also make use of these skills, but in different proportions. These skills, in different proportions would decide how well you are using a given sword type, and of course the same would count for training.

This is about every skill, from building to playing a drum.

Is it a better solution? good idea?
(and what i ask myself everytime i write: are these ideas ever considered to put in game? ;s)

[Garile]

Seems to me if you're trained to be a swordsman, you'll be trained in all types of swords

Seems to me like one of the strangest things to asume. I would asume people would be trained with one weapon as their main as different sword ask for different styles.

For example I had a friend of mine once tell me that he showed someone a sword. This person was trained fighting with a different kind of sword that is only sharp on one side. When he tried doing the same exercises with the sword my friend showed he cut himself deep in the shoulder becuase the sword in question was sharpened on both ends.

Same with shortswords and longswords. If you are trained in one why would you be trained in the other? Both require completely different kind of techniques to fight. Not even mentioning the possibilities of shields/ second sword, second dagger and so many other things that can influence styles with just one weapon.

I'm pretty sure for example a samurai was quite differently trained then a dragoon. Both used swords though.