Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General Skill system poll

The discussion has been raging on different threads, let's get an overview.

I chose 'The system is good... if only we had a little more skillpoints.'

Although I'm not quite sure if I'm correct seeing that I haven't played past Act 1 yet <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So I'm being careful <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Personally I think the skill system is badly thought out, but salvageable. I would fix it by either:

1. Doubling the number of skill points
2. DRASTICALLY reducing the cost of reallocating skill points

My choice would be the latter. I doubt this would unbalance the game, even hardcode types are finding Tactical mode too difficult as it is.

Tom

I would rather have more skill pts, but be forced somehow (cap?) to put some into other skills. The problem I see is if you only put a few pts into some secondary skills, will they become useless when you're level 30 since you weren't able to put many into them?

I chose more skillpoints myself. With a cap disallowing putting more points in a skill thay one's level (ie one has to be level 10 to put 10 points in a single skill)

In order to poll "correctly" for myself => how is this meant with more skillpts?

E.g. => 1 pt per level, every 5th lvl 2, every 10th level 3? And would the level cap - as it is now per skill - still valid?

Or how, please?

or 2 pts per level until you have reached lvl 10 and from then on the old system? 1 per lvl, every 5th 2?

More points are nice. However if you think it out properly you should be able to allocate skills correctly. Buying back skills could be cheaper, I'll admit that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Wouldn't have to reduce the cost if the vendors refresh inventory and gold more often. I reallocated skill points for the first time last night. I'm near the end of Act 1 (I think) and it cost 4800 gold to reallocate... I found it to be a reasonable price. I had about 30k gold at the time.

Yeah, a lot of people complained about not enough gold from merchants in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />. strange the programmers didn't do much about it.

I honestly think the system is bad. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" /> Sorry, Larian.

It's one thing to tout "Over 290 Skills Available!" as a marketing point; quite another to find out that it takes five of those skills just to be able to use two-handed weapons (50 skills if you count the all sub-points you need to use each of those five categories... damage, accuracy, etc, etc, etc., just to be able to effectively use your limited weapon of choice). Putting precious points into 2-handed slashing ... think that means swords, right?? Ha!... only to discover that you cannot effectively use a gorgeous 2-handed "shadow" sword, or elemental damage sword, or any other two-handed weapon that does not do "slashing" only damage makes bragging about how many skills are available a tad disingenuous, IMHO.

That's why I think the system is truly poor. Doubling the amount of available skillpoints would be of help to players, but won't really "fix" a broken system, in my opinion.

Come on Kiya, to make such a poll one needs 71 poll choices and still one would be found lacking. The idea is to pick a choice (potatoe if nothing is close) and elaborate it in the text if needed.

You are incorrect. There is no way to "think it out properly" when you have no idea what exact items you will be finding at any given level. What you are doing is guessing when you make your selections that you will find items in the skill that you personally have decided to put points into. Granted you can unlearn, but this could have easily been solved by adding a more strict cap and more skill points.

I'd also like to point out how ridiculous it is that one-handed and w/shield do not go together. Like I suddenly forget how to wield my one-handed, slashing, pimple popping sword when I find myself holding a shield in my other hand.

In my opinion there are enough skill points to finish the game, but you have to keep your characters so narrowly focused that it takes much of the fun out of leveling a character. There should be more. It was fun being able to swtich between different options in DD, and I can't do that with BD.

I just said you 'should' be able to. Jeesus. What the hell is wrong with you?? Go pick a fight somewhere else.
There is a way to do it anyway. Don't do weapon specialities. Take the generic poison damage. Use spells or traps or whatever until you find a weapon that makes you go 'Sweet!' and then specialise. Not that difficult to figure out.

Agreed. A lower cap on how many skill points you can pump into things, and adding more skill points would help you explore more of the options given by the super expansive skill system as well as help keep it balanced. The narrow focus is less fun.

Your example still doesn't hold water. I was just using weapons as an example. If you get other skills you're still using or wasting those same skill points that could've gone into others. I guess the point is, as people have stated, you're forced into far too narrow of choices to be effective. The problem is, you will probably say 'Sweet!' more than 4-5 times throughout the game as you find new and better weapons. These weapons will not always be the same exact type that you have already invested skill points into.

Dorito, Womble, let's keep it civil, it is just a game after all.

Womble you have a point, but even spells of act 1, get obsolete by act 2 and it is nice to do poison damage, but only if you can actually connect a hit now and then. Unlearning is a good alternative to trial, error, reload IMHO, though to pay gold for it is weird.

Dorito, I agree with you, if not on the form, then on the substance.

I personally belive it does. You don't need the accuracy skill with a weapon to connect anyway, just pump agility. I'll try it out when I'm finished with spellforce and hopefully prove my point. (May be a few weeks)
You'll also be damn sure you'll see some sort of guide from me too and not just endless whining.

So stay tuned.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I voted bad. I feel to become a good system it needs the following

1, Change the weapon damage types to just weapon types, so you can learn Sword, Staff, Axe etc rather than Slashing, Crushing, Bone or Shadow. It would make life much simpler since you could have a main weapoon and emergency weapon for enemies that are immune to a specific damage type...BUT STILL BE SKILLED IN BOTH!

2, On a related topic Why the arrow proficencys for different arrows. It's unrealistic and unusable since there are so many different types and many enemies are immune to certain damage types. There are superior things to spend the points on.

3, Make some skills actually useful. Lockpick... how often does that work?. Embellish... 3% more gold (if there was any) per skill point, Recover Arrows... when you can find so many anyway. There are probably plenty more but my sucky skills sixth sense means I've not tested Trading, Luck, Wisdom, Feign Death, etc etc. Skill points are the most valuable commodity ingame and shouldn't be wasted on such mostly worthless things.

4, Change those skills which are limited by chapter. I understand Alchemy 3 and 4 can't be learnt until near the end of the game for example. This is the very definition of linear gameplay. If I want to learn some skills I should be able to by Act 2 at the latest, it's my choice if I want to put the points in a skill, and it only suggests the skills themselves was badly planned if they need artifically crippling like this.

Of course I could list many other things that I feel would benefit from changes, but they only tie into skills indirectly, so I won't bother.