Proposing a somewhat Level-Based Skill Caps

[XuaXua]

I propose adding a moderately level-based skill caps that I'd love to see get playtested for viability.

Haters please read on before kneejerk reacting.

Now that skill-focusing and skill-fuzzing are in full swing, it's much easier for a player to gain a skill value well above the player's own level, which is fine and intended, but can potentially lead to situations where the player is casting spells or causing damage that should be considered out of range for a player of said level without some serious artificial aid. To nerf these situations without neutering them entirely, I suggest a modified skill cap as follows:

For the purposes of skill use, calculate the usage value of any given skill to be equal to either the lesser of skill's current value or the player's current level (fuzzed, allowing significance). If the skill's current value is greater than the player's current level, also add the difference, but multiplied by a penalization factor (say, 30%).

For example:

A level 10 player (25% to next level) has the following skills:
Maces & Flails at 7.3
Spellcasting at 15.4
Armour at 12.0
Traps & Doors at 3.7
Ice Magic at 10.2

For the purposes of calculations
1) with 25% to the next level, the fuzzed player level 10.25
2) we are using the penalization factor of 30%

Maces & Flails (7.3) would be (SKILL 7.3 < LEVEL 10.25) = 7.3
Spellcasting (15.4) would be 10.25 + (15.4 - 10.25) * 30% = 11.795
Armour (12.0) would be 10.25 + (12 - 10.25) * 30% = 10.775
Traps & Doors (3.7) would be 3.7
Ice Magic (10.2) would be 10.2

What this does (positively):
- Makes access to more powerful skill values tougher without having the appropriate level.
- Allows skill values greater than level value to still be significant at lower level
- Makes gaining levels more significant
- Makes draining penalties more significant
- Actually penalizes felids for losing a level
- Creates a new mechanic for divine opportunities (for example, instead of 30%, penalization factor for Ashenzari worshippers could be a mere 90%; Vehumet could give a magic skill penalty of 60%, etc.)

What this does (negatively):
- Makes calculating ones actual skill usage tougher
- May promote micromangement from those who actively monitor their numbers and would micromanage regardless of this change.

[jejorda2]

I'd rather see character levels done away with entirely, and let HP, MP, spell slots, and stats be distributed at appropriate experience levels. But maybe there is a good reason to emphasize character levels that I don't understand.

[XuaXua]

All of the things you listed as "positive" are clearly negatives.

That is a matter of opinion.

[BlackSheep]

I'd rather see character levels done away with entirely, and let HP, MP, spell slots, and stats be distributed at appropriate experience levels. But maybe there is a good reason to emphasize character levels that I don't understand.

What does this mean exactly? Because it sounds like you want to get rid of levels but then use levels to increase HP/MP/etc...

Character levels are one of the ways species are differentiated in Crawl. XuaXua's proposal would take emphasis away from skill aptitudes and put more on the Exp aptitude.

[Blade]

Haters please read on before kneejerk reacting.

I read it and I still hate it. The current system is easily understandable and works very well. This proposed system is overcomplicated, unintuitive, artificially limiting, entirely unnecessary, and generally bad.

Seriously, there is absolutely no reason to limit skills like this. It's a bad solution to a nonexistent problem.

[Deimos]

Xua, if you think that unlimited skillscaps gives players access to certain skills faster then they should have them, why not just make the power gradients more gradual? This seems like a much easier change then this... overhaul type deal you have going on.

Maybe I'm not seeing something; I'll let you explain things before ripping into this...

[galehar]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Seriously, before coming up with a complicated system, you should really think about what you are trying to fix. Players can have skills with a level higher than their XL. So what? What is wrong with it? Does it create any problem? I don't think so.

[danr]

The OP may have little merit, but most of what follows has even less.

Let's try to be constructive. The old rule of not saying anything if you can't say anything nice is a good one on this forum. If the idea has no merit, it will die just fine without everyone else pointing out how much cleverer they are than the OP.