Incline Skill systems (you really liked)

[NecroLord]

Arcanum's skill system was the best. It also had the best skills like Haggling and Gambling

I liked that you could Gamble for items with merchants and other traders.
Some of them don't gamble, while others will not gamble certain items.

 

[OneManArmyGames]

TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children (Korean turn based tacticool game) has a very unique and deep skill system.

You get multiple skill boards (so you can switch specs for specific missions) with several categories, each with a number of slots (some unlockable as the character levels up) and a max number of skill points allowed, depending on the specific character. You acquire new skills as you progress through the game and as you level up "jobs", and from there you can go wild trying to find synergies, broken combos, and crafting skills from other skills (as stupid as it sounds, it works).

 

[luj1]

Heard all the best about that game but I cannot stomach shounen animu

 

[NotSweeper]

(so you can switch specs for specific missions)

It's trash.

 

[Eisen]

MM7

Yes! Everyone talks about MM6 but Blood and Honor is underrated

People likes MM6 because of the big dungeons

 

[OneManArmyGames]

(so you can switch specs for specific missions)

It's trash.

Eh, the whole system is designed from the ground up to be in constant flux. You're likely to be shuffling skills around between every mission, the extra boards are there as a convenience, not as a way to respec so you can let go of past regrets.

 

[Just Locus]

I know it's a horse beaten to death but I'm a good fan of Demon's Souls' leveling system, Souls are the currency and experience points, You collect souls by defeating enemies and they are used both for purchasing items and leveling up your character. depending on how you allocate your stat points. You can focus on melee combat with high Strength and Vitality, become a spellcaster with high Magic or Faith, or create a hybrid build that combines different playstyles and how Weapons and spells have scaling attributes, meaning their effectiveness scales with certain stats.
It's quite traditional and simple but I like it for what it is.

 

[Gregz]

I can't think of a single skill system I liked.

Not even Median XL?

I regard those as combat synergies that are innate to the class, and they are indeed elegant and fun.

When I think of 'skill systems', however, I think of persuasion checks, picking locks, sneaking, foraging, gambling, etc. Wasteland was perhaps interesting in that you could solve puzzles in several different ways. I.e. Strength, Explosives, or Lockpicking. But I never liked having to anticipate a game designer's arbitrary moon logic when allocating skill points for some problem that I can't foresee in the future. Forcing the player to develop skills in order to overcome an unknown system of puzzles that will appear at some arbitrary future point is fundamentally bad design, imo.

Thus, I don't care for the 'skill system' paradigm as a whole, generally speaking.

 

[Jaedar]

Witcher 1: I really like how you move between the bronze/silver/gold talents, which lets you have the feeling of a specialized build while still having a lot of basic skills. Wouldn't fit every setting and system, but when you're playing a predefined class it works really well, a shame no one ever copied it.
Gothics: The skill system as such is a bit generic, but the fact that you have to seek out actual trainers and don't just absorb knowledge out of the ether is really good and immersive.
Blood bowl: I like the idea that you play the hand you're dealt. Some players won't really be anything special as they level up, some become godlike after rolling access to special skills or stat upgrades. Would not work well for a game without expendable characters.

 

[octavius]

But I never liked having to anticipate a game designer's arbitrary moon logic when allocating skill points for some problem that I can't foresee in the future. Forcing the player to develop skills in order to overcome an unknown system of puzzles that will appear at some arbitrary future point is fundamentally bad design, imo.

Agree with this. Guessing "a game designer's arbitrary moon logic" makes the game too close to an Adventure game.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

(so you can switch specs for specific missions)

It's trash.

Eh, the whole system is designed from the ground up to be in constant flux. You're likely to be shuffling skills around between every mission, the extra boards are there as a convenience, not as a way to respec so you can let go of past regrets.

It would be a cool game if the characters would STFU for one second.

 

[Daemongar]

I can't think of a single skill system I liked.

I came here to say Wasteland - and just saw your response above. And the designers did anticipate a little - you could use agility instead of climb, Finster's brain could be solved by skills or attributes, and they at least had some contingencies.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Heard all the best about that game but I cannot stomach shounen animu

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

I liked the skill system in MegaTraveller & Twilight 2000. Shame the actual game didn't have any use for it. Basically, you get six attributes from 1-10, each with their own set of skills. There are dozens of skills, the problem is that very few are ever used. Something about a game that gives you seemingly useless skills that actually prove to be useful in the long run is something I don't see a lot of, and I think would be very cool.

Also, to be lazy, stuff like Might and Magic VI-VIII, and Fallout. M&M had the perfect system in execution, nice selection of skills, nice amount of points, all of them used.

 

[deama]

Most favourite one for me would be something similar to path of exile, a giant passive tree with lootable crystals that you can slot in for active skills. Though in my version I would make it slot into the "body" rather than equipment, what they're doing in path of exile 2 I believe.

Another favourite of mine would be the dungeons and dragons online one too with the leveling up and enhancements, then later epic destinies, and hopefully later something else.

 

[Diggfinger]

I think it's obviously good to have classes of skills. Just look at how many different skill types does GW1 have,

Skill types​

• Attack skill
  • Pet attack

For me, skill progression felt unbelievably satisfying in the classic RPGs; Fallout, Arcanum... Might and Magic (6-9), FNV.

but, dare I say, Athletics only runs in Oblivion might knock all those right out the ring

 

[luj1]

or me, skill progression felt unbelievably satisfying in the classic RPGs; Fallout, Arcanum... Might and Magic (6-9), FNV.

FNV

It's not a classic RPG, very much post-classic... don't put it next to Fallout and Arcanum