sounds great.i hope the devs read this.but i still want my attributes.i mean without atributes then there wont be a significant difference in races besides special perks and looks

sounds great.i hope the devs read this.but i still want my attributes.i mean without atributes then there wont be a significant difference in races besides special perks and looks

Yes I know, but I was making an assumption based on that image, where every constelation shown there has either 3 or 4 paths, of course some might have just 2 paths. Or some could have even 5 paths. Or some could have only 5 stars, while other could have 15 stars (nodes).

Your example is also pretty interesting, though I would prefer to have it the way I described, not that I don't like yours, but it kinda "limits" the uses of, for instance, a dagger or a sword.
I can still pierce with a sword, and still slash with a dagger. You know what I mean? A more generalized way would be having each of the paths for their type of weapon, sword would emcompass short swords, long swords and even katanas, as for it being basically a sword...

I wonder if the "finishing move's" are coved in the perks,skill level or context based.

Eh, however they work it I'm pretty excited to try this new system out. I think it'll make each character I play feel that much different than the last and add to the replay value of the game. Add this to the new radiant quest ai and each play through could be very different. I liked your Diablo II reference btw, I had at least one character of each class, plus several different builds of the classes I liked best and none of them were the exact same character.

I think the perks for 1 handers will be 4 lines.. swords maces axes and shields. Then for 2 handers it will be swords axes maces and bows.. note it says weapons not melee weapons and alchemym moved from magic to stealth its just as likely marksman moved to combat...

My thoughts exactly Silvade!!

I assume that pretty much every perk is different. It wouldn't surprise me if half the perks are ones you take multiple times, to improve their effects. I would also assume that there are probably a couple of perks for every weapon, that grants some sort of special ability or move. Based off the Game informer Screenshot, it's an average of about 10 perks per skill. That's about 170-200 perks. Take into account that some of these perks can stack, and it looks like we are having MUCH MUCH MUCH more customization than before.

This is a really good assumption of how they'll be handling this but I really hope it's wrong. The perks just sound like boring stat increases. Isn't that what skills should be for? I would rather have perks that really add new tools to your playstyle rather than improve what you're already doing.

This is a really good assumption of how they'll be handling this but I really hope it's wrong. The perks just sound like boring stat increases. Isn't that what skills should be for? I would rather have perks that really add new tools to your playstyle rather than improve what you're already doing.

Yes, thinking of it made me reinstall Diablo 2!

Lately I've been looking at this http://www.gameinformer.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Components-ImageFileViewer/CommunityServer-Components-SiteFiles-imagefeed-featured-bethesda-elderscrolls-elderscrollsv/SkillsMenu.jpg_2D00_610x0.jpg a lot, and thinking about some things that concerns it.

First, I want to express my feelings on Skills and the possible lack of Attributes.
Judging by that screenshot, one can easily assume that there won't be any kind of subsections for that "Skill Menu" that could describe our stats, attributes, et cetera. Assuming this is a console screenshot, I can't see the buttons that indicate how or where you skip to the next section. There is no "R2" or Right Bumper symbol there to show how to change to the next "page" and stuff. I really believe that attributes are out, but I would love to be proven wrong.

Even though they are out, it seems like the new and revamped skills will work pretty damn good, and probably take on the attributes role in a good way. They seem deep, complex, interesting and really well crafted, especially with the perks, which sounds and looks even better.

The Destruction skill, for instance, has 10 perk nodes in it's constelation, divided into 3 paths, I would assume each path covers Fire, Frost and Lighting effects. With time, a simple fireball might have it's damage increased or speed, or even blast radius, duration of the fire depending on the perks you choose for it's path, what intrigues me most is how some perks can be chosen again to improve it's effect, which really sounds a lot like Diablo 2's skill system, which IMO is the best.

But I have a question, you see, there are these 3 paths, so lets assume we have this on the first path:

-First Node: +10% damage / +15% projectile speed
-Second Node: Adds Area/Splatter effect / +20% Duration
-Third node: Adds the ability to charge the fireball / +5% damage

Yeah, sounds about right, my concern is, those 3 nodes seems like different "levels" to a same general perk (that were mentioned in the "Inside Skyrim's Menu System" article in GI as being similar to the perks in Fallout 3 that could be chosen again to improve it's effect) that being the first node or maybe each of those little "stars" could "level" like, again, Diablo 2. eg:

-First Node (Lvl 1): +10% damage / +15% projectile speed.
-First Node (Lvl 2): Adds 10% damage over the last level / +10% projectile speed.

And it goes on and on until, maybe, 10. For each of those nodes.
Now, I really really wish it works like that, it would make specialization in a single skill much better and open a lot of room for replayability and different builds, even on the same skill! Think of the possibilities, I would love if a dev came here and explained how it truly works. Tell me, how do you think this will work?

Okay, now, moving to the spears possibilities. Once again, based on that screenshot and more specifically, the perks.
Most of the perk trees (constelations) there either have 3, or 4 paths. Implying we have instead of blade/blunt, 1 handed weapons and 2 handed weapons. I can assume that:

1 hand weapon skill will have a perk path for:
-Swords
-Mace
-Axe

the 2 handed weapon would have:
-Claymore
-Warhammer
-2 handed axes (Could be a battle axe and that big long axe that is in the concept art)

These are the same weapon types as in Oblivion. So, 1h gets a 3 path perk tree and 2 handed 3 as well. Now consider the 3 and 4, and say 2 handed skill could have 4. It opens up a new possibility:

-Claymore
-Warhammer
-2 handed axes
-Spears/Halberds or just Polearms

Add this to evidences like, concept art spears, Todd claiming he is aware of the community wanting polearms back and we could assume that there is a great chance of spears.

Now, if you apply the same concept to marksman/ranged skill, you also open more possibilities, a 3 path ranged skill could have:

-Bow
-Crossbow
-Throwing Weapons

Ain't that grand? Sure, just a hopeful post, but damn, how awesome would it be if I were right?
____________________

Now, to finish and sum up my thoughts. The new skill system looks terrific, and it sounds even better, can't wait to get my hands with. If everything I said turned out to be almost true, I would dare say Skyrim could be the best RPG of the decade, or even the best TES ever.

Also, read my whole post or don't post at all. Feedback is appreciated, do you think I am right about the perk working like Diablo system? Or the possibilities of spears and other ranged goodies coming back? Or how skills could easily take on the role of attributes? Do you think like I do? Do you like what I said? Some questions to help with your post.

Thanks.
-Silvade

im really loving the weapon perks, its really going to add a new level of tactics to combat.

BUT... what kind of perks would SPEARS have??

I could see halberds maybe allowing you to trip a character, or even pull them off a horse(!). But tbh, that's a bit of a stretch. If Beth doesn't come up with a good perk for them, they will just cut spears completely; and that makes me think we may not see them.

I definite like the way weapons act differently, and I've heard that they will also have differing effectiveness against certain enemies (this may have just been a poor interpretation of the differing finishing moves)

But I actually hope axes could be used offensively as well. Basically get in a huge swing or three, and while you're opponent is staggering and unable to attack, he is actually losing health.

But I'd actually like to see the maces do less damage in addition to not being affected by armor. The logic for this is, against an unarmored opponent, a mace strike to the arm will probably not kill him. Break the arm, yes, maybe he'll die of an infection in a week. But a sword strike to an unarmored arm could cut to the bone if not sever it, causing enough blood loss to kill or at least incapacitate.