Skills tangent

[Vega]

The basic description couldn't be changed after the beginning, unless maybe some time was invested in it.

And something like a project to change the description? Like when irl you have... I don't know... a T-shirt you don't like and you change it, dying it or sewing or painting something in it...

[RedQueen.exe]

Holy crap, Doug. I just realized when item repair is removed it is going to utterly destroy one of my character's whole MO.

Can we make an exception for wooden buckets? *pleads desperately*

[Doug R.]

Why, does your character have a thing for old buckets? So does one of mine.

[RedQueen.exe]

Only a very specific one in particular that he's had for a about a Cantr decade now.

[masterekat]

Now I'm wondering which of you is the one I know. Or maybe there's a third...

[RedQueen.exe]

I've already confessed to the bucket character I play, and you seemed to know him, so me, I think?

And really, would the one I play ever refer to his bucket as old? That's just begging for a whole lot of griping he doesn't want to hear. =D

I get the impression Doug's is a whole different kind of bucket char. (whatever kind of term that is)

[SumBum]

I'd like a system where you cannot even perform certain activities if you're below a skill level threshold.
Like for tailoring, sawing a pair of hide pants requires less skill than manufacturing a silk robe. You'd have to be skilled to be able to work on the second one. Maybe you could work on a silk robe only as a helper to someone skilled enough (the sensei), and this helps increase your own skill faster.

Or fighting: fist and bone knife - ok; battle axe only for experts.

Surely not feasible to implement over the existing code, but it's something I like to think about.

This is what I would have added to the topic. Again. I'd like to see skills mean something more than time because most players are willing to sacrifice time.

[Addicted]

I'd like a system where you cannot even perform certain activities if you're below a skill level threshold.

Or fighting: fist and bone knife - ok; battle axe only for experts.

This is what I would have added to the topic. Again. I'd like to see skills mean something more than time because most players are willing to sacrifice time.

No to the fighting with the limited range. You are already at a disadvantage as fighting skill is less, so twice the penalty. But yes to not being able to manufacture a steel battle axe and only limited range of weapons.

[Okud]

Imagine that only the famous smith from Blojt can manufacture/repair steel sabres. You live in a neighboring location. If you want access to them nice weapons, you have to:
1) Buy them at a very steep price.
2) Choose a promising newspawn as your future smith, give him a nice set of clothes and a heap of food, and send him to Blojt with a couple of tutors to learn the trade. Hope he comes back.
3) Mount a full scale raid to capture the famous smith from Blojt, lock him in your dungeon and make him work for his freedom. Capture his wife for more leverage if he has any.

[RedQueen.exe]

Not to mention, what about when the only people willing to work arent good enough to do any of the work you need done? There are enough things preventing employment systems already.

[Doug R.]

While rationally, limiting item creation by skill seems to work, we need to remember that players don't play Cantr rationally. As soon as you tell them that their character can't do something, instead of finding another way to do it, they just get pissed off and quit. So, I don't think this is a good system for Cantr.

[Tiamo]

While rationally, limiting item creation by skill seems to work, we need to remember that players don't play Cantr rationally. As soon as you tell them that their character can't do something, instead of finding another way to do it, they just get pissed off and quit. So, I don't think this is a good system for Cantr.

You think so? Even if players were able to choose the skills the do have?

I think giving chars a limited amount of skills will dramatically alter game-play: chars will really NEED others to build up a life. It will also change the game towards its original goal: a real society-building game.
This is the best that can happen to Cantr, apart from getting maintainable code.

[Doug R.]

While rationally, limiting item creation by skill seems to work, we need to remember that players don't play Cantr rationally. As soon as you tell them that their character can't do something, instead of finding another way to do it, they just get pissed off and quit. So, I don't think this is a good system for Cantr.

You think so? Even if players were able to choose the skills the do have?

Perhaps not. I've just seen some pretty harsh player revolts in my day. There are simply too many weapons with nothing to make the majority desirable, so linking damage to skill would solve that issue nicely.

Edit: Might also solve the same problem with ships.