[quote=“Bonevomit, post:41, topic:7911”][quote=“raccoon, post:35, topic:7911”]The game is balanced so that having about 7 levels in a skill makes you an expert, and 10 levels makes you world class expert. If your character actually uses a skill naturally in his/her daily life, they’ll attain world-class skill in less than a year, and keep it. If you don’t use it all the time, then you still are able to get an expert level of skill, eventually.
Skill rust only seems annoying if you’re grinding and micro-managing those skills. If anything, becoming a world-class expert seems too easy.[/quote]
This is actually something I wanted to bring up. In my opinion skill rust isn’t the problem, excessively easy skill gains are. Right now you can become a professional chemist in like 2 days.
I wish there was a “realistic” skill-gain option that both reduces your skill gain to reasonable levels.[/quote]
Right now, I have to practice throwing more than 60 times before I can throw a spear at a zombie and make the pointy end hit that zombie half the time. It already takes too long to attain basic proficiency with skills, so a flat reduction in skill gain might not be for the best.
I shared an idea on how skill gains and skill rust could be adjusted, with three goals in mind:
–Make it easier to attain basic competence in a skill.
–Make it a realistically long-term goal to become an expert.
–Make skill rust less grindy.
My example:
[u]Level 1: Basic familiarity:[/u] You've tried a skill only a handful of times, or studied it for 25 minutes. You can finally swing a knife without cutting yourself. You can finally stick a target with the pointy end of a spear when throwing it, but not reliably. You can thread a needle, and kind of know how to patch torn clothes.
Level 4: Basic competence: You’ve tried a skill about 100 times, or studied it a few hours. (since the game year is compressed to 56 days, this seems fair). You can reliably hit a shambling zombie with a knife. You can throw a spear, and reliably hit a real target (like a zombie) pointy-end first. You can identify basic stitches (overcast, running stitch, etc.), know which is best for each situation, and know the properties of fabrics (breathability, strength, etc.).
Level 7: Expertise: You practiced a skill almost 1000 times, or studied it for more than 50 hours. You can very reliably use self-defense techniques like parrying, feinting, and counter-attacks. You can throw a spear or throw a rock, and hit a moving target from 50 meters or so. You can invent special, kevlar-reinforced survivor gear with minimal encumbrance.
Level 10: A leading world expert: You’re in it for the long haul. You challenged yourself in a skill thousands of times, or studied it few hours per day every day for several game years. You can reliably beat even expert fencers, and have revolutionized the art of fencing. The speed and accuracy of your throwing could put the pitchers in Major League Baseball to shame (if they weren’t all undead). You create articles of clothing which always combine mobility, functionality, protection, and fashion all at once.
Maybe even then, you become an expert rather fast. But at least you won’t become an expert chemist before spring of the first year is done.
