Spider Stomper
Posts: 236
Joined: Saturday, 2nd July 2016, 13:16
fighting/spellcasting only advance via crosstraining
I don't think the Fighting skill should be removed, since I don't think there's a way to remove it without messing up the game's math in a way that would be more trouble than it's worth. However, I also don't like how it's currently implemented, since at virtually any given point in the game the question how much XP to allocate to Fighting (a) has an objectively correct answer, yet (b) is completely uninteresting while (c) requiring information about the game's math inaccessible to the unspoiled player. Ditto for Spellcasting I guess.
To resolve the problem, I suggest the following:
- The player can never allocate XP to Fighting and Spellcasting.
- However, the skills still exist and are displayed (albeit in a different color I guess?) with the other skills.
- All non-magic skills crosstrain with Fighting.
- Similarly, all magic skills (including Evocations and Invocations) crosstrain with Spellcasting.
- Skill XP costs are increased across the board to compensate.
- First, it captures the intuitive idea that Fighting and Spellcasting represent your general competence as a warrior or magic-user, which you increase as a side-effect of mastering specific ways of being a warrior or magic-user.
- Second, it may add interesting pressure to diversify, since the only way to max Fighting or Spellcasting would be to max the equivalent of 2.5 other skills. (This is especially true for Evocations and Invocations, which would then make it easier for non-casters to break into magic skills later in the game.)
- Lastly, it means that no XP is ever totally wasted. Even if you find an exceptional randart great mace and never use a shield again, the XP you sunk into Shields still lets you hit a bit harder and gives you a bit more health.