Hello! I'll put a line of dashes when I get to my point instead of rambling on because I do like to ramble. The important summarized bit is at the bottom.
I have played Project: Gorgon and so far I have been enjoying it. I have to wonder about the number of abilities we have access to though, it seems rather limiting.
Now, I am all for preventing people from using everything all together or even too many things, but perhaps I am a bit more in preference of the old-fashioned MMO/Game feel where you have dozens and dozens of actions you can do and lots of situational abilities you'd like to have at the call that aren't worth keeping on a general rotation.
But as it sits right now, you're only able to use two skills with six abilities per skill, as well as potentially six support skills. The rigidity of this system is only further augmented when you consider how some skills are tied in to the specific weapon that uses them, which to me seems really silly (for example, using sword and unarmed together isn't terribly effective, and fire magic with a shield... hrm, I'll have to try that!)
So what this got me to thinking more about is the fact of... other than "variety" or "because you can" or even some people willing to keep enough gear items on them on hand and switch them around when they enter dungeons to handle them more efficiently, why should anyone learn more than two skills? Some have special "support" abilities, but in a way it seems like it would be nice for every skill set to have "support" abilities in a way... but currently things are locked into "active" and "support" only and it breaks apart.
Martial Arts has "kick" which knocks an enemy away and, sometimes, that'd be nice to have when I am on a shield and sword using fighter. Even a fire mage may want to do that and really, what's preventing you from using at least a modicum of your sword skills when using a staff and throwing fireballs?
What if nearly every skill had abilities for support or could be put into the support bar anyway? Kick is a basic unarmed attack everyone can learn, but if you have a sword and shield, you can't do it anymore? Daft! What if instead of explicit "support" skills, any skill could be put on the support bar, but only ONE from each skill archtype to prevent it from just becoming "another hotbar"?
What if you could be a fireball horking staff mage, but you could put a "harrying shot" archer ability as a support skill to slow the enemy approach (or slow their escape!)
What if the Cow Psychologist was a martial arts master with Headbutt III and wanted to sometimes slam/gore with their head while mooing unflattering things about somebodies linage?
Heck, even some abilities could be slightly decoupled from their weapon reliance. Rain of Blows is "swords" only? What's to stop you from applying all that sword skill and training and working it into a Rain of Blows with your staff, or even a buckler if it's light enough?
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REVAMP SUPPORT SKILLS!
I propose we allow the Support Skills bar to be used for more than "explicit" support skills. I think that every skill class should have some way to carry over at least ONE skill from an active skill group that they can use in their basic setup. Here are some bullet point listed ideas about how, why, what, and how to balance.
- Only one skill from a specific active skill group can be on the support bar at any given time. You can bring health weave and kick OR body slam, but not both kick AND body slam.
- Any skill using as a support skill has increased cooldown and/or reduced effectiveness and/or increased power cost to drive home the "support" aspect of the skill and signify the extra effort of using skills you're not focused on.
- Skills that require specific weapons (swords, archery, etc) either cannot be used (archery?) or with even more reduced effectiveness/higher costs. (trying to use aquatoxin bomb without holding a flask?)
- You do not gain experience for active skills used as a support as it is not your main focus in combat.
Anyone else have any thoughts? Yea, nay? Been talked about before, am I late to the party?
Thanks for reading, specially if you read my whole ramble.
I have played Project: Gorgon and so far I have been enjoying it. I have to wonder about the number of abilities we have access to though, it seems rather limiting.
Now, I am all for preventing people from using everything all together or even too many things, but perhaps I am a bit more in preference of the old-fashioned MMO/Game feel where you have dozens and dozens of actions you can do and lots of situational abilities you'd like to have at the call that aren't worth keeping on a general rotation.
But as it sits right now, you're only able to use two skills with six abilities per skill, as well as potentially six support skills. The rigidity of this system is only further augmented when you consider how some skills are tied in to the specific weapon that uses them, which to me seems really silly (for example, using sword and unarmed together isn't terribly effective, and fire magic with a shield... hrm, I'll have to try that!)
So what this got me to thinking more about is the fact of... other than "variety" or "because you can" or even some people willing to keep enough gear items on them on hand and switch them around when they enter dungeons to handle them more efficiently, why should anyone learn more than two skills? Some have special "support" abilities, but in a way it seems like it would be nice for every skill set to have "support" abilities in a way... but currently things are locked into "active" and "support" only and it breaks apart.
Martial Arts has "kick" which knocks an enemy away and, sometimes, that'd be nice to have when I am on a shield and sword using fighter. Even a fire mage may want to do that and really, what's preventing you from using at least a modicum of your sword skills when using a staff and throwing fireballs?
What if nearly every skill had abilities for support or could be put into the support bar anyway? Kick is a basic unarmed attack everyone can learn, but if you have a sword and shield, you can't do it anymore? Daft! What if instead of explicit "support" skills, any skill could be put on the support bar, but only ONE from each skill archtype to prevent it from just becoming "another hotbar"?
What if you could be a fireball horking staff mage, but you could put a "harrying shot" archer ability as a support skill to slow the enemy approach (or slow their escape!)
What if the Cow Psychologist was a martial arts master with Headbutt III and wanted to sometimes slam/gore with their head while mooing unflattering things about somebodies linage?
Heck, even some abilities could be slightly decoupled from their weapon reliance. Rain of Blows is "swords" only? What's to stop you from applying all that sword skill and training and working it into a Rain of Blows with your staff, or even a buckler if it's light enough?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REVAMP SUPPORT SKILLS!
I propose we allow the Support Skills bar to be used for more than "explicit" support skills. I think that every skill class should have some way to carry over at least ONE skill from an active skill group that they can use in their basic setup. Here are some bullet point listed ideas about how, why, what, and how to balance.
- Only one skill from a specific active skill group can be on the support bar at any given time. You can bring health weave and kick OR body slam, but not both kick AND body slam.
- Any skill using as a support skill has increased cooldown and/or reduced effectiveness and/or increased power cost to drive home the "support" aspect of the skill and signify the extra effort of using skills you're not focused on.
- Skills that require specific weapons (swords, archery, etc) either cannot be used (archery?) or with even more reduced effectiveness/higher costs. (trying to use aquatoxin bomb without holding a flask?)
- You do not gain experience for active skills used as a support as it is not your main focus in combat.
Anyone else have any thoughts? Yea, nay? Been talked about before, am I late to the party?
Thanks for reading, specially if you read my whole ramble.