Skills

[NetherSpawn]

"These skills are genetically transferred and hidden for the player."

Genetically transferred? There's no genetics yet and hopefully never will be!
For imitating Cantr this is not correct, and for imitating reality neither portion makes sense. Skills that you train are not transferred genetically.
Hidden from the player is also inconsistent with reality AND Cantr, both of which generally have more information available.

[SekoETC]

Pfft, shut up... *frown* You can see the results by trying to use a skill and they will get better by training. In real world there is no giant number hanging above your head saying "Melee level 3". Nor should be in Cantr. Hasn't there been enough whining?

[Agar]

One "not hidden" stat I currently find hilarious is drunkedness. So far, I've been able to see it on my self and not see it on anyone else

From my experiences with drinking, it's been easier to see how drunk other people are, at least when I'm still sober, and harder to see how drunk I am myself with out some experimentation. Given the way cantr works, that would translate into hidden from yourself and visible to others.

I believe drunkedness isn't up and running yet, but when they get on it, I think that should be switched around.

[kroner]

thank you for skills! *does the dance of joy*

as for this genetically transferred business, it got me thinking. it would be cool if the skills that a newspawn recieved were based on the skills of the people in that location when they spawned (or 12 hours before. whatever) or maybe based on the starting skills that those characters had when they were spawned (since the learned skills wouldn't be "genetic"). or maybe this is what jos meant all along by "genetically transferred" and my idea is already implemented.

[Jos Elkink]

(...) or maybe based on the starting skills that those characters had when they were spawned (since the learned skills wouldn't be "genetic"). or maybe this is what jos meant all along by "genetically transferred" and my idea is already implemented.

Exactly, that is already implemented ... The trained skills are not genetically transferred, but the initial random values.

I like the idea about drunkenness being more visible to others ...

[wietse]

Having skills without knowing them or what they do or if or how they increasing is absolute rubbish.

If there are like 100 skills (there could be, you would never know) I should find out by trying all of them (but i cant, because i dont know what they are) and find out what i am best in. (but i cant because i cant compare skills, as i dont know if i am comparing to different skills or just a random thing). Once i figured out my talent i can find a carreer doing that thing the rest of my life because that's most efficient and i will get better by doing it.

But i dont want to start a character to find out what he/she is best in and then do that. I want to start a character who is going to be a soldier or a cook or a buissness mann or a politician. If he's not good at it, i could let him die and start a new one....

Ah, but this last thought will not matter as i will never find out what i am good at, because i dont know which skills to try or how to improve or compare them....

and of course some skills will come and go with changes in programming and i will never ever notice, because they are not explained, and i really dont look everyday at how much carrots i exactly dug that that. (oh look, wow, i got 1 gram more carrots today.... that must mean my skills has improved....) silly..........

[wietse]

i could of course start 15 characters, do exactly the same actions with all of them, and the compare which characters are good at what, and how much the difference is....

[kroner]

I don't mind the screcy of the skills, although it would probably be good to know the categories just so we know whether practicing attacking animals with a sabre will imporve our crossbow skills or not and other stuff like that.

But i dont want to start a character to find out what he/she is best in and then do that. I want to start a character who is going to be a soldier or a cook or a buissness mann or a politician. If he's not good at it, i could let him die and start a new one....

Killing off of your unwanted newspawns, whether it's because you didn't get the continent you wanted or because you didn't get the skills you wanted is against the rules. You should take what you get and see how it goes.

I also disagree that you should be able to choose your skills. Just as you don't get to decide what you're naturally good at IRL, niether do your characters. If they have a burning ambition to become a soldier but can't handle a sabre for the life of them, well that's too bad for them. They'll have to put in a lot of practice or find a different calling. There's no reason that what your character wants to do and what they're good at doing should coincide. This is especially true of what your character wants to do with their life at spawning, since really it's better not to have predetermined goals at that point.

[formerly known as hf]

Maybe people are forgetting the point? Or maybe I'm missing it...

Cantr is a roleplaying game - you play... a role... And, whatsmore, that role is (within Cantr limits) entirely of your choosing...

So what if there are skill levels etc... If you wanna become good at something... practice, like in real life... If you're lucky enough to find out your character has a hidden talent - good for you. If you can't find a hidden talent - though... stop whining and just play the game

[The Industriallist]

I'm now happy. I would be happier if I knew where accuracy leaves off and expediency starts, as Kroner said, so I can tell what practice would help with what...but just knowing the basic structure the world has taken on is a big help.

Skills sound good...though sailors and pirates need to get themselves sparring partners now (land soldiers too, but that's easier), at least untill some kind of combat practice is created.

Still, skills good! (Item degredation better... )

[ephiroll]

I have to agree with Kroner and The Industriallist on this. People don't get better at something if they don't know what to do to get better at, and people don't have to guess at what they're good at, they know because they spent time getting good at it.

[Pirog]

I agree too. The values should be hidden, but knowing the categories and even the ways to improve yourself would be good.
Sitting around calculating and keeping notes is such a very slow job in Cantr, since you got your 200 minutes and the game is usually slow.

I assume it isn't a CR breach to start training if you are a solder etc., even if it is OOC knowledge?

[The Industriallist]

I have to agree with Kroner and The Industriallist on this. People don't get better at something if they don't know what to do to get better at, and people don't have to guess at what they're good at, they know because they spent time getting good at it.

No, no, I don't ask for revealled skills...you don't necessarily have a sense of what you're good at (well, I don't necessarily, at least). Especially with regard to your 'inborn' talent modeled by the 'genetic' base skill.

What I do ask is some idea of what the skill categories are (don't have to be specific, but some sort of outline would be nice).

What Pirog just said

And I assume that as usual, suddenly discovering that nothing works the way it did a few days ago (and having some concept of the new world order) will be allowed. Otherwise, it should be nigh-impossible to convince experienced characters of the change...I wouldn't believe that there were now imperceptable factors effecting something that was totally predictable 5 days ago IRL.

[west]

Cantr is a roleplaying game - you play... a role... And, whatsmore, that role is (within Cantr limits) entirely of your choosing...

Cantr is a society simulator, not a role-playing game. In real society, unlike an RPG, you can't pick and choose what you're good at naturally--just what you like to do or are willing to put the time into.

I sure wish I could sing, but I can't. Course, I've never taken lessons or anything.

[Pirog]

Cantr IS a RPG...nobody can hide from that fact. But even RPG's have a long tradition of determining skills etc. randomly, like the paper & pen game where you rolled the die for your strength, intelligence etc.