Re: Merged proposal

[Brian Thomas <>]

> I think the key is to design the system so that we can have N experience
> skills and a multitude of associated and misc. skills.  Someone who
  ^^^^^^

	Ok things are beginning to come together (I think :). I 
	would now request that we all start using a common 
	terminology in order to avoid confusion. For "experience
	skills" I would substitute "experience catagories" or
	"experience types". 

> Keeping N low is a good idea because then searches for awarding experience
> would be relatively quick.

	Hmm. I am not sure I follow here. The performance of the 
	"associated skill" should immediately deposit exp in the
	right "experience catagory". Each skill-as object has
	the right "experience catagory" tagged in its data field
	somewhere.

>  I and some others would ask that all players start with 
> praying, basic thievery, mage, and fighting skills.
	
	Ok. I think I can address this in the next post. Right
now everyone does start with fighting skills. As far as praying
thievery and magery, I can see a "racial" bias allowing some 
races to start with some of these, but not all races. What is 
the point of starting as a "wizard" or an "elf" if you don't
get the chance of "spellcasting"? But I dont see why "orcs" or
"trolls" or "humans" are innately capable of magic use. 
Again, Check out my next post, and we can discuss this further. 

>  Furthermore, for a Fireborn, it is not appropriate for him to
> have Hand Weapons:  a fireborn's attack is by means of fire, and
> fire composes his body.  A fireborn cannot hold a weapon.
	
	Yes I have considered this too. The fireborn should be 
	allowed some kind of hand-to-hand ("hth") attack. Not
	karate, but maybe something like "punching". 

>   I do not like starting a char with limited skills.
> Rare skills are one thing, but the 4 basic ones belong in everyone.

	I think we are getting hung up on semantics here (another
  reason to clear up our terminology!). In my conception, every
  character is allowed to acquire experience in *any* of the 
  "experience catagories". The major point is that for some race/
  profession combinations you would not start off with any associated
  skills in *that experience catagory*. Let's review what I suggested
  that a basic character start off with, and see which of the 
  experience catagories that they will get:

	'Basic' associated skill	Exp Catagory
	-------------------------	-------------
	    hand weapons		 'fighting' or 'strength'
	    throwing			 'fighting'
	    searching			 'intellegence' (but, if
					  we must have 4 cat. only
					  this would be 'thieving'
	    disarm traps		 'dexterity' or 'thieving'
	    missle weapons^1		 'fighting'

 (1 I didnt originally proposal 'missle weapons' skill as part of the 
  basic 'package' of skills, but I relent under pressure :)

	So we see (under a 4 exp catagory system) *any* character a 
player might choose to generate will *automatically* be able to start
garnering experience in 'fighting' and 'thievery'. In a stat-based 6
catagory system any basic character has associated skills in the 
'strength' 'dexterity' and 'intellegence' catagories. I would suggest
that 'spellcasting', 'prayer', 'stealing', or any of the more common
associated skills be available either to appropriate characters to start, 
or by tromping down to the wizard's guild or your local temple and 
purchasing it (for a goodly, but not steep starting fee). I believe 
someone suggested getting away from 'fixed' starting inventories and 
instead suppling a starting player with more $. Sounds good. If a starting 
character wants to have the 'spellcasting' for their 'troll/barbarian' 
let them hike over to the wizards guild and use their starting cash.
 

						b.t.