Originally Posted by Fend
Originally Posted by Jabba

...I don't see the logic or point of making people buy skill books. To me it's a distraction and an annoyance and gets in the way...

That this sort of comment that lead Bioware where it was/is, and more generally where PC AAA RPG are.

Here some more example:
- Why have the complex points per level, this level up 1 to attribute, this other level up 1 to talents, this level up 1 to skills, this other level up 2 to skills? It's pointless and just get in the way.
- Why have the weapon/item damage and repair system? It's pointless and just get in the way.
- Why have to search skill books and buy them? It's pointless and just get in the way.
- And so on.

I'd highlight that a lot of caution need be applied about that sort of remarks. The point is in an RPG there's many gameplay elements that aren't relative to the core gameplay. If you look at them independently they won't survive the examination and the logic would be to remove them. and you get simplified RPG.

All those elements, level up complexity, damages and repair mechanism (streamlined a lot during Early Access), complexity about books to find and buy, identification system, some more, are building a RPG layout giving more substance to the RPG and make it less dumbed down. Each seems more or less pointless but the whole is meaning something.



Sorry I don't agree.

Removing skill books does not dumb down the game. Leveling up is an intrinsic part of an RPG. You are not providing anything of value to the game or the player experience by making the mechanism by which one has to go through to complete a basic game procedure tedious.

To take your logic to another game aspect - perhaps the game would be improved if all the items needed to be crafted...so you would not have potions or food you would have to find vendors for all the ingredients and then make the items.

The armour would just be components that random different vendors sold that you would have to find and make first.

That might seem like fun to some but to me that is just annoying is getting in the way of my enjoyment of the game.

Much like the complaint people have regarding the inventory system not being ideal and creating extra work to complete simple tasks. Just annoying.