New skill ideas for everyone (more or less)

[Morrolan]

While wandering around in a storm, I had a thought.

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

Start the skill at a useful level for rangers, or maybe even maxed.  For other characters, make it like ride is (and maybe this is the case?):  make this a skill that starts out really low, and maybe even maxes low, or gains only slowly over time.  For subguilds that might have some skill with this, make the start/cap a bit higher.  But for everyone, make it something that with long experience, they can learn at least a little.  That way your 20 day merc who has travelled the known world on his kank and fought his way through storm after storm can at least do a better job than a non-ranger that's never seen a dune before.  I'm not saying even a 20 day character would be as good as a ranger, but at least he or she would get better with time.

On the same note...I don't know if there are any skills that affect mining or lumberjacking percentages of success, but I'd like it if there were one.  Over time, it would make sense that people who mine over long periods of time would get better at it.  Maybe this would go against what mining is meant for in the game (since it's sort of a newbie-quest for many characters), and I understand that.  But a hidden skill that got better with time (if it isn't already implemented) for mining and like activities would be nice.  Another possibility would be for it to work off the forage skill (again, maybe it already does).

Just a couple of ideas.  What does everyone else think?

Morrolan

EDIT to clarify a point.

[Rindan]

I personally like the idea of storm navigation being a skill everyone gets.  I once had a 20+ day bad ass mercenary who had been to every edge of the known world and then some.  At one point he spent a few IC years in Red Storm with a group of mercenary / spice hunters.  He went out every day and collected spice.  Some days he would travel one mercenary missions.  If he was alive today, he would be shit out of luck if he had to live in Red Storm.  Red Storm would keep him penned inside for days.  Hell, one bad storm suddenly hitting would leave the poor bastard completely unable to even get back and as likely to walk into the silt sea as he would be to make it to the gates.  To me, this seems silly.  Anyone who spends enough time in the desert should eventually be able to navigate it.

If you did this, you could build on the weather code some more.  Make lesser levels of sand cause you to get lost occasionally.  Your big old mercenary could start out going out in semi-dusty weather to get a feel for traveling when visibility is poor.  Over time, he might work up to being able to travel in a full blown sand storm.  Cap it off so that only rangers can travel perfectly and make it so that everyone else screws up from time to time even after they have maxed out their abilities.  Then, make it so that it takes some quality time before one's ability to navigate in a storm builds up unless you are a ranger.

[Cale_Knight]

It really is excessively silly that only rangers can navigate in a storm.

I'm down with pretty much any given solution for the problem.

[Dalmeth]

I have had a non-forester character and a forester character.  The forester required dramatically less swings to get a tree to fall.  It seemed a bit twinky to me, but I enjoyed it.

I don't know if it's exactly a "skill" per se, but it's something you can get your character to specialize in at creation.  I suppose it's what makes a forester worthwhile.


Oh yeah, and if you want to find your way through a storm, hook up with a ranger buddy.  If you choose a warrior over a ranger, it's assumed you're spending morer time learning how to bash heads than survive out in the wilds.  Specialization happens.  Deal.

[moab]

Rangers are not the only ones that can navigate in a storm.

However, allowing only rangers to quit out in the wilderness - now that is silly.

[Cyrian20]

Rangers are not the only ones that can navigate in a storm.

However, allowing only rangers to quit out in the wilderness - now that is silly.

While I agree somewhat, it is a balance issue. Otherwise mose people that wanted to make that character that tested just how far the grasslands go would make warrior/<suitable to how they planned on playing it> rangers would really become obsolete. Especially if there is ever a sub-class that has scan or wilderness quit. Now the sandstorm thing I would like to see redone a little. Cause it is annoying when the 10 ic yr byn sergeant can't walk you around the city one lap without becoming lost.

[Halaster]

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

[RunningMountain]

Some people tend not to realize that it's not just any storm. I'd prefer the weather code to get looked at then the ranger issue. Becaus the storm that we are all talking about is massive, you can't see, you can barely move, and the sand is blinding and biting. I think it should do HP damage and stun damage personally.

You think warriors can't navigate in a storm? Go out when it's terrible, biting sand and you can navigate just fine, and see only 1 room. But when it becomes a huge storm that nearly knocks you off your mount, things change, you need the knowledge and instinct of someone who has spent years in the desert. And warriors don't fit the bill. They are fighters. Not guides. No matter how much you want them to be.

[jhunter]

The ability to navigate in a storm should be something any pc that spends enough time in the outdoors can learn.
I think this is a fantastic idea to make it a skill that everyone has. Make rangers start out with the skill maxxed. Non-rangers start at 0 with perhaps a bonus dependant upon their wisdom.

Then, if you don't ever use it as a non-ranger you won't magickally be good at it. If you are playing a pc that deals with the wilds every day, you will logically get good at it.
And it will be difficult to get better at it because you will have to risk travelling in a bad storm while you suck at it. Trying to do so could get you killed. Safely waiting out the storm isn't going to help you get any better at it.

I think that this is a way better idea than the way it currently stands.

[Delirium]

Not to mention those that undergo survival training and/or end up having their lives take an unavoidable shift toward spending a lot of time roaming the wastes.  As it is now, they can't ever adapt.  I'm willing to accept the thought that if they spent 10 IC years surviving out there, they'd learn to deal with the storms, if not perfectly.  This would also make a certain branches of clans viable for other classes (with some hard work) rather than open to nobody but rangers.

[Ghost]

I think the fear of the storm code is being exaggerated.

I am currently playing an outdoorsy character, and my PC is spending most of his time being very close to one of the city-states.  And I have not yet seen a storm that would make non-rangers lose their way yet.  Yes, I have seen storms.  Annoying ones, that you can only see one room ahead.  But even that was not a "Blinding" storm.  So around the place where my PC lives, I have not yet seen a storm needing a ranger's skill to venture through.

I'm willing to accept the thought that if they spent 10 IC years surviving out there, they'd learn to deal with the storms, if not perfectly.

I agree with that.  Someone putting 10 years out in the wastes can have it.  But if it is made a skill, most probably anyone will be able to learn it in 1 IC month.  So instead of a skill, I would prefer it to be given by imm intervention.

[Morrolan]

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

Awesome.

[flurry]

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

This sounds like a good idea to me.  

I haven't liked the idea that you are either perfect or terrible at navigating harsh weather.  One because it seems like there should be shades of gray, particularly if you have non-rangers spending much of their lives outdoors.  Also the perfect/awful setup just adds to guild-sniffing.

[Recharge]

If this were to ever become a skill I think it would be best to have rangers at 100% when they start, so they never fail and perhaps every other non-ranger guild could have a max cap at say, 80%? Maybe higher based on guilds and subs.

[Ritley]

Here is a few skill ideas:

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

[Tamarin]

Here is a few skill ideas:

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

This is unrealistic, because most of the "one room up" rooms are not really rooms at all, but cliffs that no mortal could possibly ever hope to ascend with a single bound.  And usually, they are climable, which is already a skill.

[Dakkon Black]

No freaking way man, are you insane?

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Is poison not enough of a lesson for you? I can just see this happening for like, months on end till your skill is up

torture elf

You attempt to hit the elf, but whip yourself in the face instead

[Ritley]

No freaking way man, are you insane?

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Is poison not enough of a lesson for you? I can just see this happening for like, months on end till your skill is up

torture elf

You attempt to hit the elf, but whip yourself in the face instead

So? this would resolve many issues with torture. Templars would start off with it maxxed anyway. In response to Tamarin: Yes throw the crappy jump idea out the window.

[sarahjc]

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

I'd say noway on this one too. I can't see how following you would justify a boost in how good they would be at doing something. You just standing there doesn't make them a better fighter or merchant. Also what if the skill sets are different?

we have the teach command in the game, which I think makes sense. That if someone is actually teaching you something you will get better. And that's done via emoting and Rp'd out lessons, then using the command. That said, they have to be REALLY good at it to teach you.

Sorry Ritley.

[Ritley]

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

I'd say noway on this one too. I can't see how following you would justify a boost in how good they would be at doing something. You just standing there doesn't make them a better fighter or merchant. Also what if the skill sets are different?

we have the teach command in the game, which I think makes sense. That if someone is actually teaching you something you will get better. And that's done via emoting and Rp'd out lessons, then using the command. That said, they have to be REALLY good at it to teach you.

Sorry Ritley.

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do. I didn't put this down because I wanted skill bonuses Lol

Shout Today we go, and kick some barbarian ass!

You shout: Today we are going to kick some barbarian ass!

The troops roar.

Leader ship troops

You increase the troops morale with your leadership ability

Do you see what I mean? realisticy speaking it works. Also, it would make the speeches before war much more enthusiastic.

[Qetesh]

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do.

Yeah, but Merchanting skills? I dunno. Just seems like something that could be twinked and is a bit unnecessary. For Templars it may be cool that they give thier troops a boost in strength and stamina for a few minutes.

[Ritley]

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do.

Yeah, but Merchanting skills? I dunno. Just seems like something that could be twinked and is a bit unnecessary.

Ok, maybe not a merchant. The effects would wear off after a while anyway. I honestly think in my hearts of hearts it is a good idea. I think it should be there, because, simply it's realistic. It would make the wars better as well. Imagine a sergent with a army of peasants beating Tek, simply because his army had better morale. Don't you see it?

[Jherlen]

So just because I'm following a templar who's in the room with me, I'm all of a sudden stronger?

No way. No way at all. That's FAR to H&S for my taste. If the templar wanted to make everybody with him stronger he'd use his crazy templar powers and make people that way.

This should have been posted in a new thread instead of derailing an old one.

On topic, I agree with Ghost... if wilderness navigation was made into a skill, people would get good at it too quickly. If your PC has been a hunter/mercenary and actively taking wilderness trips for IC years, I'd be for giving someone navigation abilities then, but not as a skill anyone can learn.

[Ritley]

So just because I'm following a templar who's in the room with me, I'm all of a sudden stronger?

No way. No way at all. That's FAR to H&S for my taste. If the templar wanted to make everybody with him stronger he'd use his crazy templar powers and make people that way.

This should have been posted in a new thread instead of derailing an old one.

On topic, I agree with Ghost... if wilderness navigation was made into a skill, people would get good at it too quickly. If your PC has been a hunter/mercenary and actively taking wilderness trips for IC years, I'd be for giving someone navigation abilities then, but not as a skill anyone can learn.

That's why it should only be given to Templars, and master warriors because they won't spam use it, and they will only use it at the right time. You would actually have to type, leadership. Bah, just forget it.

[Rindan]

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

You shouldn't be able to jump three times and be at the top of the shield wall.  If you want to go up, climb.  Generally whenever there is something that you need to go up, you are going to need to climb it.  In fact, I really can't think of any place where it would make sense.  Even the strongest of humans can only jump a few feet.  If you want to go up, you have to climb.

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

This doesn't make any sense to me.  It doesn't take any sort of skill to hurt someone.  I have never tortured anyone in my entire life, but I can say with complete assurance that I could easily beat someone across the head with a bat and knock off their stun.  I could take a dagger and start getting stabby and knock off their health.  Inflicting damage on someone who can't fight back is trivial and should not be a skill.  The only skill involved with torturing is if you can torture in such a way that the victim will talk.  Getting a victim to talk is not something that can be done with code.  It has to be done with RP and no other way.

[Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

This too is something that should be RPed out.  Leadership DOES matter in combat.  Leadership DOES need to be trained, but it is more then just toggling your leadership skill on and making it so that everyone who is following you gets a sudden combat bonus.  Good leaders teach their soldiers how to fight together as a unit.  The code already supports this.  Take two groups of five people with equal skill, have them clash, and watch how the group that has superior leadership wins.  Why does the group with superior leadership win?  They win because they know what to do in a fight.  A fight is not as simple as everyone beating up on the same person.  In a fight, the proper uses of the guard command, rescue, and any sort of special combat abilities make a massive difference.  Getting a command to use these abilities not only takes practice in training, but leadership during the battle.  This process should not be dumbed down with a 'leadership' skill.