Hard cap vs. Soft cap

[MrDDT]

I agree with the OP to a point.

I think soft cap with skill decay is best. Here is why. Fighting once in a while isnt going to effect you greatly, I do agree about the running/walking issue, and it should be addressed I posted this in another topic.

Jordi is grouping the skills up based for a soft cap, each group is going to have a soft cap of its own. So combat group will have like say 300 point soft cap, which isnt effected by crafting soft cap pool.

Using this system people can do many things but focus only on a few in each pool.

Like you might not want to swim a lot so you dont swim you might run, or dont jump a lot. While others will do jumping and not swimming/running. (I really cant see anyone NOT taking running at this point).

Samething with crafting soft cap. You might want a hunter tree logging weapon crafter. Well you likely to use axes for combat.

[Book]

One of the first things I asked my friend who told me about this game was how the skills worked. That's part of what drew me in.

I had always felt the skill mechanics of the original SWG were great, but still somewhat constricting. I wanted more freedom to make the character I wanted to make.

I like what they have in store. Is it open to exploit? Well, yeah, I guess... but the mentality that leads to the exploit will probably always find a way to game the system as I presume that's the part they actually enjoy, rather than just playing the game. *shrug* To each his/her own.

Would love to see the greatest amount of freedom on this one, whether it's hard cap or soft cap... just malleable and personalized, and ultimately revisable as your character ages and interests change.

[JCatano]

Hard cap and soft cap/skill decay are both the same at the top end if the latter is adjusted effectively.

Personally, I don't care if people macro when a skill cap of some type is involved, because in the end we're all "maxed".

I'm fine with either of the two.

[mrcalhou]

I don't like hard caps or soft caps. I want to be able to eventually, theoretically, max out every skill. What I don't want is to be able to draw from every skill at the same time like you can in Darkfall. I much rather prefer Eve's system of being defined by my equipment--where I could have maxed out frigate skills but they don't do jack for me if I'm in a battleship.

[Belight]

I don't like hard caps or soft caps. I want to be able to eventually, theoretically, max out every skill. What I don't want is to be able to draw from every skill at the same time like you can in Darkfall. I much rather prefer Eve's system of being defined by my equipment--where I could have maxed out frigate skills but they don't do jack for me if I'm in a battleship.

That works for Eve, but is not as easily implemented in a game with an actual Avatar.
I'm pretty sure DarkFall's armor system is going to be an epic failure. It does not address attributes or passive skills like mana conservation. Attributes are the number one thing that needs capped in games like this. DarkFall has shown just how valuable a skill cap is!

As far as item/gear restrictions... Sure, a ship or vehicle will restirct the vailidity of your skills, but that is much different that the clothing or armor a persons wears. It just stops making sense... Why would a chainmail shirt stop me from firing a bow? Why would it lower my intelligence or raise my strength? The only thing armor should affect is encumberance.

To make something like this work, I thought of a cool system DarkFall should implement.
You can have every skill to 100, yet you can only have so many skills "active" at one time. Like a template you chose. You could even be able to chose multiple templates, and then switch between them (Out of combat, with a cooldown). So vet players arent any stronger, but have more options when switching templates. You can grind out every single skill, and even use every skill, just not at the same time.

The attributes would then need to be capped and work a littel differently, it would take grinding to raise one and reduce another. Refer to UO where gains can be set to "raise, Lower, or Lock".

[mrcalhou]

That works for Eve, but is not as easily implemented in a game with an actual Avatar.
I'm pretty sure DarkFall's armor system is going to be an epic failure. It does not address attributes or passive skills like mana conservation. Attributes are the number one thing that needs capped in games like this. DarkFall has shown just how valuable a skill cap is!

As far as item/gear restrictions... Sure, a ship or vehicle will restirct the vailidity of your skills, but that is much different that the clothing or armor a persons wears. It just stops making sense... Why would a chainmail shirt stop me from firing a bow? Why would it lower my intelligence or raise my strength? The only thing armor should affect is encumberance.

To make something like this work, I thought of a cool system DarkFall should implement.
You can have every skill to 100, yet you can only have so many skills "active" at one time. Like a template you chose. You could even be able to chose multiple templates, and then switch between them (Out of combat, with a cooldown). So vet players arent any stronger, but have more options when switching templates. You can grind out every single skill, and even use every skill, just not at the same time.

The attributes would then need to be capped and work a littel differently, it would take grinding to raise one and reduce another. Refer to UO where gains can be set to "raise, Lower, or Lock".

Yeah I pretty much wrote something about the same type of system last year.

[Belight]

Yeah I pretty much wrote something about the same type of system last year.

Yeah I've seen alot of really good suggestions for DarkFall, yet the devs continue to ignore good ideas and instead pump (More like drip) out half assed bandaid fixes that no player has ever asked for, all the while completely ignoring the glaring bugs, issues, and exploits that have remained in game for litterally years.