So I was reading over the GI information combat and something struck me when it started to talk about combat perks, and that was that it seemed to mirror what Diablo 2 did with its skill system, where you could specialize in particularl weapons or spells giving them extra benefits as well as allowing for the unlocking of special skills that were based on those basic skills that could prove very beneficial.

And Skyrim's perk system seems to mirrot that. And quite frankly I would be overjoyed to see if that is precisely the case, more or less, as Diablo 2's skill system is one of my favorites.

Indeed. It does sound an awful lot like it. And I welcome the change as well.

I'll take perks specializing you over perks enhancing you (Fallout style) in an Elder Scrolls game any day.

Diablo 2's skill system is still one of the best around. Lots and lots of choices.

Not only this, but Diablo 2 is a great game.

From what I've heard it sounds more like a rehashed Fallout perk system.

It also kind of reminds me of the feats you could take in the various Dungeons & Dragons games. Which isn't bad either, I'm really looking forward to playing with them in Skyrim. Sometimes, it's all I can do not to :twirl: while making some high-pitched squealing sound of joy and impatience.

I would say it's an "improved" Fallout perk system. Not so ridiculous, and it actually makes sense for TES.

OK, sure, but I wouldn't exactly say it's mirroring Diablo 2 since this concept really isn't a new thing, nor is it unique to Diablo. It may be similar, but saying it's mirroring or influenced by it is like saying having a gold/silver/copper money system is an attempt at mirroring Dragon Age.

It does sound like Diablo 2's skill system. But the skill system was great with many choices to choose from.
It would be kinda cool to be in TES.

Yes, it does sound like a similar system. I am excited by the potential, as it leads to more flexibility in developing your character. I hope that the perks have immediate and significant benefits, so they truly effect your playing experience. there also seems to be a good number of the perks, the image in Game informer showed 9-10 perks per constellation for the fully visible ones. that would be 160-180 perks covering all 18 skills!

I like what I've heard about the system so far. If you level up a skill meaning it goes up from 25 to 26 a certain percentage goes towards your leveling up meter and when you level up you'll be able to choose perks that give you better abilites. A lot of it is speculation but so far it sounds good and is a welcome change from Oblivions ok but flawed leveling system.

I have played plenty of Diablo 2 and yet I don't follow how they are similar. How is the perk system in Skyrim like the Diablo 2 skill tree again? And about 'specializing in certain weapons' only a few characters really had the option. Assassins could specialize in claw mastery and Barbarians in a few weapons themselves. Maybe I am forgetting one skill, but I'm not seeing the similarity between the two systems.

WHAT!??? How can you all say it looks like Diablo's skill system!?? I have been playing diablo for many years, so I know what I'm talking about, and you are just not correct. In Diablo you unlock a skill you haven't had before, in Skyrim you pick a skill to improve something. Like Sneak mode. Also wenn you have picked that perk you can't necessarily pick it again to improve it further. You say it's a mirror. I say it's east and west

This is the greatest "news" I have heard after the announcement.
I'm very relieved that this system -hopefully- won't be fallout-ish...

One more MMO/Action game kid.
Really RPg days are dead...sad.

That is a very vague correlation. Diablo had skill points each time you leveled and you could put points into to key skill bonuses and they could continually be increased in rank up to a max, perks are much different. They are available at intervals and the perks are special bonuses that you choose.

@succellus Just so you know, MMORPGs are still RPGs.... (not saying Diablo 2 is, just pointing out that Succellus also bashed MMOs in his statement, which I'm assuming is a sleight at MMORPGs)

I believe my friend the term "RPG" is ambiguous and means different things to different people. I am of the opinion Bethesda is doing some very exciting things with their combat system that I have written on these forums about in the past before Skyrim was released. Although I believe I understand what you are communicating by "rpg days are dead" I think if you could sit in on some of the reasoning behind the current direction games like The Elder Scrolls are taking you might be inclined to agree with their decisions.

How in the world is the detailed Perk system any "less RPG"?


Especially considering Oblivion already had a Perk system, but was super simplified and terrible compared to the new one.

agreed, it's also super balanced.

every character in diablo is built to kill another character(s)

Sorry, but no. I can't even begin to describe how inaccurate and for that matter unnecessary that comment was.



Not necessarily. I was making the connection in how perks in Skyrim might actually turn out in what they do for your character and what raising certain skills in Diablo did. You raised a certain Mace skill on your Barbarian and your abilities with a mace got better. This is how perks seem to function in Skyrim as well. I never really asserted that the perk system worked the same way as the skill system in diablo (though they are incredibly similar, unless I misinterpreted something) so yeah.

Maybe I should try Diablo 2 another time. I got it on sale a couple years ago and tried it and it seemed like a generic and bland hack and slash game with a maddeningly annoying inventory system. I stopped playing it after five hours or so into the first episode.