maybe a bit like more like dungeon siege where more usage of certain skill areas will make your character better in them. unfortunately all skills in dungeon siege are means to kill & not anything else. so i hope skills/abilities in future larian games, maybe DD2 can have plethora range of skills other than ones use for killing. there's barter, diplomacy, persuasion, stealing, lockpicking, perform(bard-like), etc... .
Best example of the above (skills getting better through use) is Morrorwind - Elder scrolls 3. There are no experiance points in game, you level by using you skills and you wont get better in any skill you dont use. Some skills are combat, some are theiving, spells, talking, running...every thing.
You have 10 main skills, and loads of secondary ones...every time you gain a point in a main skill you get one point towards leveling. You need 10 points to level.
This would not suit riftrunner, it's not that type of game. It mainly combat and quest awards, not skill use.
Both systems are good, but both only work in their respective game engines.
