RE: Skill Costs.

[Lyle H Janney <lhjanney@adpc.purdue.edu>]

Hmmm, I'm hearing things that I'm not sure I like or understand
fully, so if Jevan doesn't mind my skepticism, I'd like to reply with
some comments, questions, and perhaps a suggestion or two.

Comments:

1)  The idea of a 'rating' equaling 2500 eeps has been around for
quite some time.  It was the basis of the original balancing of the
game.  Over the course of 100 adventures (not counting eeps given
out for role-playing since those are _meant_ to be a bonus), the
total eeps garnered equal roughly 250,000 (2500 * 100).  The typical
adventure should be worth from 2000-3000 eeps (perhaps even
lower for completely abysmal performance or higher for incredible
success).  This is way things should be working.

2)  If any GM is typically and consistently giving out much more
than the average and this is not due to the consistent remarkable
success of the party, then the GM needs a refresher course in how
to assign eeps.

Questions:

1)  Do we actually have a problem with one or more GMs giving out
too many eeps?

2)  If so, who are they?

(I am not asking that last question so that we can collectively pound
on them.  Dan needs to know who has the mistaken understanding
of the eep system so that he can take them aside in the near future
and explain it more correctly). 

3)  If that isn't the case, then we obviously have some other kind of
problem with the system, but what is it really?


Suggestions:

1)  Since 2500 has been the basis for a 'rating' from day in the AQ
system, we cannot change that value without the whole requiring a
complete rebalancing.  So, my suggestion is that we find another
mechanism for balancing the spending of experience such that we
are able to more closely model reality.

2)  Most other RP games have restrictions on how points may be
spent to increase skills/abilities; we wouldn't really be hurting the AQ
system if we investigated something similar.  (Mind you, I am _not_
advocating we go so far as to keep a character from increasing a skill
unless he has actually used it; that would be too much book-keeping
in my opinion.)

Proposal:

The system already accommodates the idea of keeping eep 'pools'
where the character stores up eeps for something really big (e.g.,
that 16th rank spell, that rank 6 Spirit Snare incant, that STR increase
from 15 to 17 so you can finally use that magic sword, etc.).  My idea
uses that as it's foundation and builds upon it.

The basic idea is this: an adventurer may spend no more than 1/4 of
the eeps from a given adventure on a particular skill between each
adventure.  Before you react to this idea, think a bit on it.

Pros:

1)  The typical time passage between adventures is 1 month and the
best case is that my non-marine can buy swimming from 0 up to 4.
(note that this actually coincides with the 1 rank/month rule)

    Proof: Assume incredible success, so there were 3000 eeps given
    out last adventure.  Thus 750 can go to Swimming.  At a base cost
    of 60; I spent 600 and have 150 left over towards my next rank in
    the skill.

2)  More realistically models learning.

3)  Helps to encourage diversity of character (you can't spend all the
eeps from a single adventure on a single skill/ability, it has to be at
least 4 separate skills/abilities).

4)  No more rate 4 Lightning Bolts.  You would have to be at best rate
11 (8100 (total eeps to get it) / 750 (max per adv.) = ~11) to be able
to chuck those things.  Much more respectable.

5)  (any others?)

Cons:

1)  Slightly more paperwork, but not much.  You only track one more
number per skill (and then, _only_ if you are pooling eeps for it).

2)  Removes ability to instantly specialize in a skill (in my opinion,
this is actually a _pro_, but not from the perspective of a power-
gamer, so I would imagine that many players will find this to be a con).

3)  (any others?)


Thoughts from the Gallery?

Lyle