Re: Olympia Times v4n1

From: Bill.Viggers@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Bill Viggers)

Date: Sun, 17 May 1992 23:47:33 +0000

Extracted from the Times...

>Lore Skill Considered Harmful
>-----------------------------
>
>The LORE command and the Lore research skill will be removed.

aww, I was just getting into it.  I don't suppose that you
	want to say why its been removed?  Oh well, I suppose in reality
	it was just a way for the slightly richer characters to learn
	lots more about the game than the newer players who were spending
	all their time (and money) just staying alive.

How do we find out lore about things like the artifacts now?  Is
	Read Magic in Entity going to be beefed up to do this?

>Something's Funny with Skills
>-----------------------------
>
>Instead of the 1-2-3 progression of skill uses, I'm considering
>having a separate skill for each of the things-one-can-do.
>
>For instance, instead of USE 110 1, USE 110 2, etc. there'd be
>a top level skill, 110, and sub-skills which you'd automatically
>pick up after reaching certain levels of the top skill.  The sub-skills
>could be studied to gain proficiency with the particular task.

Question: Can the 'new' skills be studies without the required level
	of the 'base' skill?  I noticed that the beastmasters tower taught
	several subskills, yet I have no knowledge of beastmastery.

>
>For example:
>
>	107  Shipbuilding, level 2
>	     9107  Build small boats, level 0
>	     9215  Repair ship, level 1
>

So to clarify: Can someone who does not have shipbuilding 2
	study 9107?  I take it that you get a 'free' level in Repair
	Ship (1) by getting the second level of shipbuilding.

Another clarification: How does this effect people ASSISTING
	in a task.  If I have construction 4 (which gives me fortify
	structure level 0), do all the people assisting me need to
	have fortify structure at level 1 or higher, or just construction
	level 1?

>This system has a couple of nice features:
>
>	o  It's flexible and extensible.  Skill uses don't have
>	   to adhere to a rigid 1-10 progression.  There can even
>	   be research past the "top level":
>

Forinstance a skill that you only attain after reaching level
	10 in another skill?  Or were you thinking of skills that
	progressed beyond level 10 themself?

>	     9xxx  Further shipbuilding research
>
>	o  You can specialize in the areas you're interested in.
>

Does this mean magic is going to get this too?  please?

Magic research level 1
		weather magic 0

Magic research level 2
		weather magic 0
		body magic 0

Magic research level 3
		weather magic 1
		body magic 0

Magic research level 4
		weather magic 1
		body magic 0
		meta-magic 0

etc?  Then you study the particular type of magic you want
	and that gives you access to the spells ?

meta-magic level 0
		read magic in entity 0

meta-magic level 1
		read magic in entity 0
		resist read magic 0

>	o  It has a nice feel.  The collection of things-one-can-do
>	   large, and who knows what new task research will uncover.
>	   Perhaps there's some things that can't be learned through
>	   study alone...

I don't quite understand what you mean here.  In magic, forinstance
	you may not learn a particular summoning spell, until you have cast
	a previous one?

>
>	o  I can get rid of levels on lore sheets.  No more wondering
>	   if level 4 was the last sheet Rich wrote on a topic.  One
>	   entity, one lore sheet would be much cleaner.
>

But what about skills that you don't get until a higher level?
	As for not knowing what the highest lore sheet is, well it doesn't
	matter without the lore command anyway!
>
>I'll explore this system over the next few turns.  Comments on the
>system are welcome.  Questions about how these changes affect your
>position are not.  Send no whiney mail saying that I've ruined your
>life again!  I don't want to hear it, and Graendak is sharpening his
>claws on a rock in the far north.  He really is.

Sure, and you send invisible NPC assassins after players too...
	(hmm looks like I may have to start next turn with a "stack 3306"...)

B. (aka Merlinium the Grey, Guildmaster magician of Olympia)

References

Olympia Times v4n1
skrenta@blekko.rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sun, 17 May 1992 06:14:36 +0000

Referenced By

Olympia Times v4n1
skrenta@blekko.rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sun, 17 May 1992 06:14:36 +0000