Aralyn Cormallen
Caldari
Red Federation
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Posted - 2010.07.02 08:48:00 -
[1]
Edited by: Aralyn Cormallen on 02/07/2010 08:52:36
I find myself on the fence on the whole issue.
I reckon the vast majority of new players (who start playing on their own volition) don't see anything wrong with Learning Skills. They are what they are, its a long-term benefit v short-term detriment. Fits very well into the feel of the game. Certainly, when I joined, I viewed it as part of the games 'flavour'. For a new player. most skills they want are trained in 30 minutes to 2-3 hours, so the Learning Skills arent causing any real block (besides, as the chap several posts above points out, you have to afford the skill books before you worry about training them).
However, for a new player who joins on the recommendations of a friend, to play with that friend, he will find them an intolerable barrier to entry. I suspect this is because they come in with an expectation of 'where the game starts'. They have a preconcieved notion that they cant have fun until they hit a certain ship or sp level; and in this case, the Learning Skills are actively stopping them get there. Such a player might have a 'isk gift' from their recruiter, so with isk not holding them back (like with a true new player), the only thing doing so is skills (As lets be fair - a new char with 1-3 +1 implants gained from early missions is going to be a lot less bothered about maximising their attributes than the new guy who got a gift of full +5's on arrival, the latter being far more aware they are missing a small poece of 'max efficiency').
As for would I like the skills gone? Personally, yes... but I am honest enough to know I am only saying that as it would be of greater benefit to me now, than keeping them would - having just hit the point where im staring at a couple of months training to get my 'mandatory' t2 gun skills, a chunky skill point reimbursement and a few bonus skill points (as my learnings are mostly 4/3, barring maxed perception) would save me sitting on my arse for a few months. From a more non-selfish standpoint, sure, removing them would make all newbies lives a little easier (and vets alts, but lets be fair, we shouldn't be doing it for them), but it would remove a bit of the flavour of the game, therefore I am against.
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