Skill Discussion - How can E6 improve? : V

» Sun May 10, 2015 10:48 am

Here are my thoughts on the skills and maybe how they could be improved in E6

Warrior:

Archery:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: If you want an archery character, you will want to maximize this tree. Well designed skills

Blocking:

Bad skills: Power/Deadly Bash (I just don't see the point of using your shield to do damage)

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Blocking is an effective mechanic that makes for a fun play style. Maybe a little weak in the beginning for deflecting damage. Not a great counter for someone who hides behind a shield in the late game, though.

Heavy Armor:

Bad skills: Skills aren't bad per se, just doesn't make sense in some cases (see below)

Skills that help other trees: Fists of Steel (I remember Bruce Lee wearing plate mail...), Cushioned (not sure how heavy armor is going to reduce falling damage)

Overall: Until you reach armor cap, heavy armor is a fun play style

One handed:

Bad skills: Axe skills, power attack skills

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: I find that I don't put that many points into this tree, other than the 100% bonus to 1h damage. Plus, no skills for daggers?

Smithing:

Bad skills: Light armor side of the tree is a little weaker than it should be when it comes to weapons until dragon

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Skill is Over Powered and becomes a must for any melee character or armor user. I like that even low levels of this skill are useful.

2h weapons:

Bad skills: Power skill attacks imo, axe perks

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Would be nice to have a blocking perk, I don't tend to maximize this tree either when using 2h weapons

Mage:

In general - half cost for Novice/Apprentice/etc skills are often required, but I just don't like them. For example, the novice perk doesn't help at all for casting higher level spells, and you often stop using Novice spells when you are at higher levels. It would be better if the perk also gave a 10% reduction of magic costs for all spells in that school in addition to 50% off novice. Then it would be perks that you absolutely would want to have if specializing in that school.

Alteration:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: block/absorb magic damage (does spell duration affect things outside of alteration, not sure)

Overall: While I don't find myself casting alteration spells that often, it has some nice perks that would help anyone

Conjuration:

Bad skills: Dismissing summoned undead has level restrictions, so less effective at high levels (damage bonus would have been better)

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Useful skill tree with effective summoned creatures and bound weapons

Destruction:

Bad skills: none (rune perk is less likely to be used, but only a single perk)

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Perks are good, but destruction spells are underpowered

Enchanting:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: Enchanting is useful to all playstyles

Overall: Enchanting is very useful when maxed, however it is not very effective at low levels. 3% fire resistance is useless. It would be better if it was more like an armor rating. A low level enchant is very effective against a low level spell, but you would need a higher enchant to defend against a higher level attack

Illusion:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: quiet casting

Overall: Illusion is an interesting playstyle, however level caps make it less effective. It would be better if you just had it be less effective, not ineffective as you fight creatures higher than your level, so you need the perks to boost its effectiveness. Hard caps just make you not want to use the spells.

Restoration:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: faster mana regen, remove undead immunity to spells, stamina healing, auto-health boost at low health

Overall: Essential skill that is very difficult to level. Restoration magic fits most playstyles. Hard caps on turn undead are bad - less effective against higher levels would be better.

» Sun May 10, 2015 8:57 am

Thief:

Alchemy:

Bad skills:

Skills that help other trees: 50% resist poison

Overall: Healing potions are overpowered - you can defeat any creature if you have enough healing potions. Poisons are too time sensitive to use frequently. Buffs last too short of a duration. Ways to improve: Healing potions should heal over time, and only one healing potion at a time. Buffs should last 24 hours. There should be a slot where you can slot a poison stack and the poison is used with each attack. 1 shot of a poison should last for at least 10 attacks, maybe more like 25-50. Paralytic poison should remain single shot, and be affected by level (less effective against higher level foes).

Light Armor:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: none

Overall: Useful armor tree - too powerful at high level since it can reach armor cap. Stamina regen boost should apply to non-light armor users so that it has benefits outside of the tree

Lockpicking:

Bad skills: Wax key is unnecessary; unbreakable pick is unbalancing

Skills that help other trees: perks that boost gold/treasure are beneficial to everyone

Overall: Novice/Apprentice/etc bonuses have the same problems as the bonuses to magic casting. Novice perk is useless at skill 100. It would be better to have one perk with 5 levels to enhance the effectiveness of lockpicking, and get rid of the rest.

Pickpocketing:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: +100 to carry capacity

Overall: Poisoning enemies is a nice tactic. It would be nice to have a perk where you can pickpocket a person who sees you (maybe with 50% effectiveness). One major problem with pickpocketing is that it has a cap of 90% effectiveness. So what that means is you have to save first, then pickpocket, and then reload if you get caught. That is immersion breaking. It would be better if it could go all the way up to 100% and you only have to worry about getting caught for risky items. With that design, you wouldn't feel the need to save/reload. You could only pickpocket safe items until your skill is better, and if you choose to occasionally go for a more risky target, you can do so. Since it is an occasional choice, you might be willing to suffer the consequences if you fail. Basically, it could be fun to try and get 100 skill without ever reloading.

Sneak:

Bad skills: none

Skills that help other trees: helps all playstyles that involve sneaking

Overall: Useful skill that isn't too unbalanced (although too easy at high levels). The challenge with sneaking is to be able to approach a target from behind. Bow + Sneak is overpowered. All in all, though, I don't know that I would change anything on it.

Speech:

Bad skills: bribe/intimidate/persuade perks are unnecessary

Skills that help other trees: being able to sell all items to all merchants is essential, fencing stolen goods is very desirable for all thieves as well

Overall: This skill is the one who made me write up this list. Selling merchants is a pain in the game, especially before you get the merchant perk. The merchant perk really should be standard design for the game. As it is, one of the first things that I do is get my speech to level 50 so that I can buy the merchant perk. I don't like having a skill that is so essential that I must always invest in a certain skill tree, especially all the way to level 50. Personally, I am also not a fan that merchants have so little gold too. At high levels there are items that sell for more than the total money that most merchants have.

» Sun May 10, 2015 4:24 am

Your suggestions are better off in this thread :wink:

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1517362-official-beyond-skyrim-tes-vi-56/

» Sun May 10, 2015 5:16 am

True dat.