registry: brush him
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2020
- Messages
- 126
- Thread Author
- #1
Problem Claim
I've complained about this before, but it was only that - a complaint. When the test server went up, I noticed that a lot of skills had very steep material prices for different crafting, cooking, or medical recipes. I suggested lowering the prices of the items it was possible to craft, on account that even if, say, a padlock required very specific know-how to make, the materials to make it weren't as incredible as the knowledge needed to make one.
Now that I've gotten a good feel for the skills system in the official release of the server, I've changed my stance. The recipes themselves aren't that much of a problem - it's the means required to obtain them, the skills needed to make them, and the process of levelling up skills.
From what I can tell, skills level up a single point after a substantial amount of experience is earned, RPG style. This would be fine, except the XP gain from honing your skill is absolutely pitiful. You'll be levelling up incredibly slowly - I speak from experience. I work as the chef at the Hub Pub on my BIOTIC, Kah'Taus/448, and my skill is entirely dependent on my attributes as opposed to the XP gains. Even though I'm partnered with someone who has the barter skill (Sinclaire), XP gains are still terribly scarce and I'm still a bit laxed on supplies. Profits are low despite our skills being partnered properly, and non-combat skills feel like a sorry dead end.
Solution Proposal
I suggest greatly increasing the XP gains for all skills, allowing a much quicker progression through the levels, and allow necessary ingredients and supplies to be more easily accessible, doubly so for people with the barter skill.
Consider relaxing on the price of certain recipes as well, making sure the recipe makes sense and offers convenience for people with the associated skill. I don't necessarily want to go on a scavenger hunt, or spend hundreds in the barter tab just to make a chicken sandwich or a loaf of processed bread, and for the sake of good roleplay, I shouldn't necessarily have to.
I understand that some people will be worried about making skills easier and quicker. Lavu actually pointed something out.

And this is fair; it is easy to worry about players rushing everything and undesirable people more easily getting access to equipment which others will be sensitive to.
But assuming this idea were put into place, there would be no taking from the dedication needed to be skilled enough to make metaphorical power armor. You still need to be dedicated to the server enough to max out your crafting skill and there ARE going to be steep requirements for the gear, likely requiring some collaboration with folks who have the barter skill and some hefty scavenging.
Minges and people we shouldn't trust with this kind of weaponry will not get it through crafting - they'll probably get it off the people who crafted it. In that sense, there is no reason for the skills system to be as grindy as it is. It's preventative of something that can't truly be prevented, at the cost of engaging and worthwhile use of Willard's RPG-esque style.
Too Long, Didn't Read
So, in short... I think the skills system is very grindy and very overwhelming, and I think we should make ingredients easier to obtain, doubly so with the Barter skill (perhaps reduce Barter prices), and XP gains from skills should be much more substantial. Remember that it doing this is unlikely to make obtaining sensitive materials any easier for people who shouldn't have them. In my opinion, it will only increase the benefit of the RPG elements in this server, for people who really do want to engage with it and become immersed.
I've complained about this before, but it was only that - a complaint. When the test server went up, I noticed that a lot of skills had very steep material prices for different crafting, cooking, or medical recipes. I suggested lowering the prices of the items it was possible to craft, on account that even if, say, a padlock required very specific know-how to make, the materials to make it weren't as incredible as the knowledge needed to make one.
Now that I've gotten a good feel for the skills system in the official release of the server, I've changed my stance. The recipes themselves aren't that much of a problem - it's the means required to obtain them, the skills needed to make them, and the process of levelling up skills.
From what I can tell, skills level up a single point after a substantial amount of experience is earned, RPG style. This would be fine, except the XP gain from honing your skill is absolutely pitiful. You'll be levelling up incredibly slowly - I speak from experience. I work as the chef at the Hub Pub on my BIOTIC, Kah'Taus/448, and my skill is entirely dependent on my attributes as opposed to the XP gains. Even though I'm partnered with someone who has the barter skill (Sinclaire), XP gains are still terribly scarce and I'm still a bit laxed on supplies. Profits are low despite our skills being partnered properly, and non-combat skills feel like a sorry dead end.
Solution Proposal
I suggest greatly increasing the XP gains for all skills, allowing a much quicker progression through the levels, and allow necessary ingredients and supplies to be more easily accessible, doubly so for people with the barter skill.
Consider relaxing on the price of certain recipes as well, making sure the recipe makes sense and offers convenience for people with the associated skill. I don't necessarily want to go on a scavenger hunt, or spend hundreds in the barter tab just to make a chicken sandwich or a loaf of processed bread, and for the sake of good roleplay, I shouldn't necessarily have to.
I understand that some people will be worried about making skills easier and quicker. Lavu actually pointed something out.

And this is fair; it is easy to worry about players rushing everything and undesirable people more easily getting access to equipment which others will be sensitive to.
But assuming this idea were put into place, there would be no taking from the dedication needed to be skilled enough to make metaphorical power armor. You still need to be dedicated to the server enough to max out your crafting skill and there ARE going to be steep requirements for the gear, likely requiring some collaboration with folks who have the barter skill and some hefty scavenging.
Minges and people we shouldn't trust with this kind of weaponry will not get it through crafting - they'll probably get it off the people who crafted it. In that sense, there is no reason for the skills system to be as grindy as it is. It's preventative of something that can't truly be prevented, at the cost of engaging and worthwhile use of Willard's RPG-esque style.
Too Long, Didn't Read
So, in short... I think the skills system is very grindy and very overwhelming, and I think we should make ingredients easier to obtain, doubly so with the Barter skill (perhaps reduce Barter prices), and XP gains from skills should be much more substantial. Remember that it doing this is unlikely to make obtaining sensitive materials any easier for people who shouldn't have them. In my opinion, it will only increase the benefit of the RPG elements in this server, for people who really do want to engage with it and become immersed.