Forum Droppings for 08.05

[Briosafreak]

From the Van Buren/Fallout3 FAQ:

How skills are derived in the new SPECIAL:

· they start at 0. tag! skills start at 20.

· they do not have a % symbol behind them, as it makes no goddamned sense

· the cost on a per-rank basis is 1 for ranks 1-50, 2 for 51-100, 3 for 101-150, and 4 for 151-200 (maxxxx). each rank bought for a tag! skill is doubled.

· each skill has a bonus applied to all rolls that is equal to three ability score values (AG*3 or CH*2 + IN or ST + AG + PE, etc.)

· perks that require skill values only look at the rank, not the rank + bonus. e.g.: you want to take Advanced Research; the prerequisites are IN 8, PE 6, science 175. If the character's science only has 168 ranks, but it's effectively 182 because of his high IN and PE, he won't qualify.

If you had a 55 Medic, it would cost you two points to increase it one rank -- but you would get an additional rank for free.

It's not half-cost; it's double ranks. I`m not opposed to skills with 100+ ranks. Penalties can always bring the ultra high skill characters back into the realm of reality. It does make the late game difficulties high enough that only people with high skills have a chance of making the checks, but i don't think that's so bad.

I think that perks don't actually all have to be the same value. However, the higher value perks should only be accessible by people with high (inefficient) skills. a skill generalist will get more bang for his or her buck by spreading points around. a skill specialist will make less overall progress, but will have access to more perks that make him or her even more badass with a skill than the rank alone would indicate

[atoga]

Okay, sounds good.

[DarkUnderlord]

Yeah, so compare that with Fallout 2, where tagging Small Guns can net you around 70% at game start and it only takes 15 skill points to boost that to 100%, it's quite a significant change.

each skill has a bonus applied to all rolls that is equal to three ability score values (AG*3 or CH*2 + IN or ST + AG + PE, etc.)

I'm not sure I totally agree with his Stats not affecting ranks except in calculations though. It just means I have to figure out the calculation in my head first, rather than having a simple skill rank number I can look at and understand easily.

If AG affects Firearms for argument's sake, and my AG was 6, than x3 that's 18, which makes for a 38 rank in Firearms after I tag it. So (for example) every shot I take has a 38% chance of hitting, yet my rank is only showing me "20" which (for example) equates to 20%. I don't see any benefit for making me do the calculation. That's what I've got my over-powered graphics displaying computer calculator for!

[Spazmo]

There a simple fix there, DU, on they use on any D&D 3E character sheet you can name. Simply have multiple colums in the skill ranks thing. Three colums for ability score modifier, ranks in the skill and miscellaneous modifiers and one more column for the effective total. Badabing, badaboom.

[DarkUnderlord]

I think there might be a reason for splitting it up in D&D, but this is Fallout. The 'Firearms' skill rank doesn't need to be displayed in three different columns. If every time I take a shot, my Firearms skill is added to my Agility *3, why not just make it so that Agility *3 is added to the rank in the first place? (Which incidentally, is what is done in FO1 and FO2.)

[atoga]

In D&D, the three columns are there so that players can add them up easily, not so that skills are divided into three different parts. Each skill is still expressed as a single number, ie. 'Pick Pockets +12.'

And I don't see why JE's getting rid of the % symbol. It makes plenty of goddamned sense. n00b.

[Spazmo]

atoga is right. That's just for reference. It's doesn't change anything to the game mechanic.