Re: Biggest flaw in the game?

jes.t.er@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Nikolas Landauer <nlandauer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hey, there's that "player behavior" thing again. I *hate* people who
force others to cookie-cutter spec.

Which leads me to one of my personal gripes about the game, but it is
a fundamental philosophical issue with the mechanics for characters.

First off, I *hate* level based systems and prefer skill based systems.
(e.g. I preferred UO's system to EQ/WoW/etc). Beyond my old dislikes
of the level system, thanks to EQ and beyond I also hate how they
really reinforced the cookie cutter modes (tank, healer, dps).

When it comes to tabletop RPGs, I also dislike level-based systems.

The problem is, if you try to implement a non-level-based system in a *computer* game (online or not), it *always* ends up being about skills improving as you use them, in proportion to how *frequently* you use them, which in turn leads to extremely repetetive behaviour exhibited by the player characters. Doing the same (utterly un-dangeorus) thing again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

This even happens in some computer games that do use levels, such as Daggerfall and Morrowind and (AFAIK) Oblivion.

And that solution rewards the wrong kind of player: The idiot savant who does not mind doing the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

99% of the world's population, including you, me and the vast majority of people who post in here, do not enjoy doing the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

And with *that* said, I favor skill trees that are both *very deep* and *very wide*, with a large
variety of useful skills. Provide "archetypes" (ie classes) that would
orient you to a somewhat pre-destined path (for those that don't want
to think for themselves) and let the chips fall where they may.

Sure, no matter what happens you're still going to end up with X number
of pre-determined uber-builds, but careful manipulation can alleviate that
somewhat.

Even if there *are* uber-builds, is it a crime to want for there to be more than 1 or 2 such uber-builds per character class?

Barring something that radical, while maintaining the current system -
I'd simply grossly increase the size & scale of the class talent trees.

In addition to that, I'd be in favour of fewer Talent Points and a bigger effect of each point spent. I can't be excited about a 5% increase in my sword damage, or a +1% chance of getting a critical. Fewer Talent Points, and more bang for each Talent Point spent.

--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
.

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