What are proficiencies trying to model?

[anothersimulacrum]

@Vastin

Bump the skill learning tracks, probably bump skill/recipe granularity from 10->100.

To me, this just makes it more grindy, because it reduces the accomplishment of gaining a level. It turns ‘I got from level 6 to level 7, now I have a bunch more I can do’, into ‘I got from level 71 to 72, nothing’s really different, and I’ve got a few more levels until there’s anything meaningful’. It basically kills the reward in advancing a level.

Having more distinct steps makes the march towards where you want to be just seem longer.

@Vastin

I think you want to get rid of ‘shared pool’ character gen options. Stats, Skills, and Traits should have permanently separate pools. Why? Because right now most characters are created as amnesiac imbeciles with great stats and no life experience whatsoever - because doing otherwise is foolish and crippling.

I think we should ditch both systems.

@Vastin

Probably will have to rework focus considerably. It’s a frustrating mechanic as is, and dragging out the focus maintenance game-play over MONTHS rather than days is a recipe for tooth grinding tedium of the worst kind. Not saying trash focus, but seriously rethink how the pool works, how fast it drains/recovers, what factors affect it and so on. It isn’t scaled for the kind of time factors you’re suggesting.

Yep, focus should turn into a long term monitor of skill gain. It should turn into a ‘I learn X minutes worth of this Y, so I lose Z focus’ sorta thing - representing your capacity to learn things over some sort of period.

@Vastin

4. Consider changing books into ADJUNCTS to skill use and practice, rather than an either/or replacement. You always advance skills by use, but if you have a book on you that covers the relevant skill levels, it significantly speeds xp gain and reduces fail rates for challenging projects - again, some effort needs to be made to tone down the emphasis on sitting still and reading for skill gain if the process is going to be exponentially longer.

This one’s easy - books no longer teach skills, they contain recipes and practice methods. You learn skills from performing this practice, not just reading the book.

@Vastin

it will make found gear and weapons far more important than crafted ones

Awesome, that’s one of the primarily goals.

@Vastin

you’ll have trunks full of medieval weapons scrounged from mansions and pawn shops

The quantity and quality of the various medieval gear you find is probably too high and far too good.

And yeah, if you want to be an apocalypse savant who wants to do everything, that’s a significant time expenditure. But you aren’t alone. You don’t have to be good at everything - you have friends. Maybe you can’t keep your couple of cars all up and running, but hey, Natalie, who was a mechanic before this all happened can. Or you can’t make and repair a bunch of the clothing you need, but Dave, who was a student before the apocalypse who enjoyed tailoring in his spare time, learned how to.