NOTE: I re-watched the perk system video and it doesn't really leave any room whatsoever for this speculation. So that makes the following largely pointless.

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At first, I was skeptical of the "perk-ception" statement, thinking it was lackluster reporting failing to phrase something correctly - again.

However, that statement comes directly from Pete Hines: http://gamerant.com/fallout-4-275-separate-level-perks-816/

I have a theory and what I'm kind of hoping is how the perk/skill merger works: Perks allow us to do something; the individual XP level for the perk governs how effective it is. For example, some people are really unhappy with the Wasteland Whisperer perk, but what if the first rank gives a chance off the bat that the animal is pacified and as you gain XP levels in that perk specifically by using it, the chance increases (to what I would hope would be a guarantee)?

Another example: Science! A given rank might increase your damage with energy weapons by 20%. Then, by using energy weapons, the XP rank for the perk increases which increases the effectiveness of the perk in turn (more damage). However, you have to have the perk first in order for it to start gaining XP levels (hoping that was obvious). Someone without the perk wouldn't gain any long-term benefit from using energy weapons.

This would mean instant gratification for taking a perk, but provide an incentive for repeatedly using it.

One last example for a perk that's a bit more...intangible: Strong Back. Roughly speaking, rank 1 increases your carry weight by 50 pounds, then there's other ranks for allowing you to fast travel when over-encumbered or run/sprint when over-encumbered (I believe, even if there isn't let's just say there is for this example). Rank 1 (carry more weight) allows you to gain XP levels for Strong Back at a very slow rate by carrying around stuff (keep in mind speculation here). The more weight, the faster you gain perk XP. However, fast traveling while over-encumbered gives you perk XP at a faster rate, and running and sprinting when over-encumbered gives you perk XP at an even faster rate.

Just the random speculation of the day

Exp he is talking about is the perk ranks, so as you put more ranks into a perk it "levels up" plus the Beth article about the new system makes it quite crystal clear skills are gone, its special and perks, thats it.

The system they've outlined sounds like it will work well enough. Idk why anyone ever wanted additional XP for specific perks to do what? Rank up? Like...... exactly what we could choose to do if we used a perk point when leveling up? And how do you gain XP from Strong Back, by just... walking?

Let's leave the Elder Scrolls leveling system in The Elder Scrolls, please.

OMG u make me think on Oblivion, how i hate that game leveling system, Athletic i jump over 1000000 time to level it up.

This is actually distinct from the ES skill system (well, my only personal reference is Skyrim since I didn't play anything else in that series besides Arena) in a very dramatic way: a given action gives you both level XP and perk XP. Those exist as separate entities. More importantly, "perk XP" only governs how effective the perk is. It's not a gating mechanic for a perk rank, and higher perk ranks exist to allow you to do different things and build perk XP faster for that perk.

All fine and dandy if it wasn't because its the perk ranks Pete is talking about, nothing else, he was just being cryptic because officially we weren't to know perks had ranks at the time that article was published.

I honestly don't see what the point of that would be. Are you saying that the XP that you gained for perks would be set aside into a sort of pool that you could then apply to whatever perk you want to make it more effective?

He didn't mean that using perks level them up. When you perform certain acts, you gain XP towards the character level, not the perk level. If you look at the E3 video when the player uses Science and Gun Nut to mod weapons, he gains general XP which gets him closer to leveling up the character. Which means it's not like Skyrim where you level up individual talents as you use them.

It sounds like you want us to have a 1-100 point rank for "perks" that don't actually level up to give us perks they just make that skill better. But there's also perks. So pretty much exactly how 3/NV were but you gain the skill points by using that skill? No thanks

Yea. They exist... In perk form

skills do exist, just not in point form, they are in perk form with ranks, so instead of having lockpick skill of 74 which is basically like having it at 50 [short of something like mentats etc to increase it by a couple more points] its basically the same still, so instead of having to have the skill at 25,50,75 100 to deal with each increased level of lock, you have rank 1,2,3,4, etc, so its really not gonna be any different as far as using the skill, it just eliminates the wasted skill points,, now for a skill like small guns in fallout 3 or NV the increments seemed to be smaller like having a gun skill of 90 as opposed to 80 or 100, its a bit simplified so you just have 3 or 5 ranks of a skill instead, i think i'm gonna like the special/perk skill system personaly, it seems like it will make for a more specialized character.

From all this speculation, I think it will be interesting to see what we can determine about the "under the hood" skill values from console commands (player.getav, etc.). I personally think the OP is misinterpreting the comments made and skills will NOT increase from use. I would not be overly upset if they do, but that would seem to make some of what we have seen of certain perks unneeded and I don't think they would make the system level your abilities in both ways.

I don't think that's what Pete meant by perks gaining levels, even though it would be kinda cool. I really like the idea, for the record. However, I think a perk is a perk, fixed number, and your XP gain allows you to level up and pick another perk or an increased level of an existing perk, which is what I interpreted Pete's words as saying.

Each time you level up, you gain a point to spend on a perk. Because perks have multiple ranks, you can take the same perk more than once. Take Science! one time, and you have rank 1 in Science! Take it a second time, and you have rank 2 in Science! Take it a third time, and you have rank 3 in Science!

The perc-ception statement says that the XP level (i.e. Rank) of a perk is increased by spending your level-up point on the perk, not by using the perk.

Indeed. What an asinine way to describe it on his part. However, I went back and re-watched the perk-system video; it doesn't leave any kind of room for even speculation/guesswork on how the system will work, which is sort of lame that it's so simple.

Not that it matters a whole lot now, but here's an example of what I meant (speculation just to provide an example):

The Perception Perk 1 is "Pickpocket" (assumed name). Let's say Rank 1 significantly increases the "sweet spot" area of a lock, dependent on the lock's difficulty, and increases the success chance of "Force Lock". Let's say Rank 2 significantly increases the success chance of picking someone's pocket and reduces the chance of them turning hostile if caught. These perk ranks make you instantly much better at doing these tasks.

However, what I was speculating was that the Pickpocket perk itself would have its own XP, separate from character XP. Successfully picking a lock or pocket would award both character XP and perk XP. Character XP increases character level allowing you to take addition perks or ranks of a perk. Perk XP increases perk level making all ranks associated with that perk better. So if Pickpocket Rank 1 increases the "sweet spot" area by 50% with a Pickpocket level of 1, a pickpocket level of 100 would increase the area by 100% (just throwing numbers out there).

A few random tidbits: my speculation was hoping the perk level wouldn't be used as a gate for anything - not for character leveling or enabling purchasing higher perk ranks. It's sole purpose is just to make the ranks in that perk better. It would also get rid of the "rank 1 makes you 20% better, rank 2 makes you even 20% better-er" system so that rnak 1 does something and rank 2 does something entirely different but both have room to grow and get better. Also, my speculation was that rank 1 of perks are more common actions/less risky and grant less perk XP and ranks higher for that perk. So, in my example above, picking a pocket would reward more perk XP (and character XP for that matter) than picking a lock. Finally, you don't gain perk XP or levels unless you have a rank in the related perk. So, Mr. Clumsy McBrutington wouldn't get better at sneaking just because he is sneaking. He would need to invest in that playstyle (spending points on perks) in order to get better at sneaking.

Yep, I agree - with every bit of your comment Would be kinda cool, but that video for the perk-system left very little wiggle room for speculation