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How are skills unlocked in the Crowfall skill trees?

WellspringWellspring Member EpicPosts: 1,464
in Crowfall
Is it planned for the skills in the skill trees to only be unlocked based only off of the timer?

I played the Crowfall alpha in December and it appeared the only way to unlock your character's skill tree was by selecting a skill to research and then waiting for the timer to end. Is that all it is ever going to be, or is that just a temporary mechanic for testing?

Shouldn't you increase your skills by playing the game? Waiting for a timer reminds me of playing a mobile game. I must've missed the discussion on how skill trees will be handled.
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Comments

  • RhomsRhoms Member UncommonPosts: 174
    While I haven't played the game, my understanding is that skill development/unlocks are time-based in a way that is very similar to Eve Online.  You're right.

    I see advantages and disadvantages.  For advantages, I believe this will help players focus on having fun in the game rather than a leveling process.  Additionally, there is somewhat of a more player-skill based equity among grinders and casuals.  In other words, someone that plays 10 hours a day might have an advantage over a more casual player, but that advantage would be based on player skill rather than being level 50 versus being level 10.

    On the disadvantages side, it doesn't reward play-time in the game.  In regard to play-time rewards, that would come through having fun, killing players, supporting your guild, harvesting/crafting, and so on.  Additionally, folks interested in playing the game a year after release may be a little put off by being a year behind those who started at launch with no way to "grind" to the top by putting in time in game.

    Current game: Pillars of Eternity

    Played: UO, AC, Eve, Fallen Earth, Aion, GW, GW2 

    Tried: WOW, Rift, SWTOR, ESO 

    Future: Camelot Unchained?  Crowfall?  Bless?

  • WellspringWellspring Member EpicPosts: 1,464
    Thanks Rhoms for the response. That makes sense. I guess it's just a different way of doing progression than typical MMO's that I am used to (never played Eve Online).

    I will give it a chance before I cast my judgement.
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  • Arkade99Arkade99 Member RarePosts: 538
    Another advantage is that it provides character progression for a long time. In most other games, it's a race to max level and then character progression only comes in the form of better gear, which can be few and far between when you are talking about raid level gear.

    In CF, there is no real gear progression. There is a crafting progression, which will in turn produce better gear, but the power curve is much more shallow than in PvE focused games.
  • DullahanDullahan Member EpicPosts: 4,536
    I personally like a combination of both. I think it's more healthy for the game in the long-term if a player's efforts enter the equation. It keeps players playing more often. Especially post-launch, people see no way of catching up in a pure time-based system, so they simply opt out of playing altogether. You see this in Eve and Age of Wushu.


  • Arkade99Arkade99 Member RarePosts: 538
    The devs have some plans for catch up mechanics that will enable new players to get up to speed faster, but player efforts will absolutely be meaningful, regardless of how long the player has been playing the game. Those efforts won't be as much about character growth as they will be about contributing to a common goal. Instead of grinding mobs for XP or loot, players will be harvesting, crafting and fighting to contribute to the success of their guild or faction.
  • genaknoscgenaknosc Member UncommonPosts: 112
    Dullahan said:
    I personally like a combination of both. I think it's more healthy for the game in the long-term if a player's efforts enter the equation. It keeps players playing more often. Especially post-launch, people see no way of catching up in a pure time-based system, so they simply opt out of playing altogether. You see this in Eve and Age of Wushu.
    Which is why nobody new has tried EVE in 8 years...

    If grinding shit to level up your character was somehow rewarding gameplay, WoW wouldn't fluctuate between losing half of its subscriber base between expansions.
  • someforumguysomeforumguy Member RarePosts: 4,088
    Time based skills is one of the main reasons why I stopped playing EVE online.

    Skill system I prefer the most goes something like this :

    - You chose base abilties (bow, 1hnd sword, necromancy , fishing, nosepicking, whatever you can think of) and then use them in a related activity (combat or crafting if its crafting based ability) to train passive skills that belong to that tree until you reach milestones where the tree branches and it lets you specialise in that tree or something.  So the progression is based on the way you prefer to play and that way you also train the related skills.

    This is for me the most rewarding way of progressing a toon imo.

    Ofc there would be people then who turn it into a grind to reach some build they found online, but thats a choice. There is always some kind of grind some players find to do in any game.

    The trick is, and this is the hard part for the devs, is making the game engaging to play from the start. Unlike some games where your character feels obviously crippled because you can only spam that 1 ability you have in the most boring way and you can't wait to learn something interesting to use. But then gamedesign is not easy.
  • SirBalinSirBalin Member UncommonPosts: 1,300

    Wellspring said:

    Thanks Rhoms for the response. That makes sense. I guess it's just a different way of doing progression than typical MMO's that I am used to (never played Eve Online).

    I will give it a chance before I cast my judgement.


    Worked really well in Eve...but like someone else mentioned, the problem is that you don't get anything for live play in Eve so you would just log in to train something then leave.  I'm sure they have plans on ways to avoid that.  

    Incognito
    www.incognito-gaming.us
    "You're either with us or against us"

  • boris20boris20 Member RarePosts: 404
    SirBalin said:

    Wellspring said:

    Thanks Rhoms for the response. That makes sense. I guess it's just a different way of doing progression than typical MMO's that I am used to (never played Eve Online).

    I will give it a chance before I cast my judgement.


    Worked really well in Eve...but like someone else mentioned, the problem is that you don't get anything for live play in Eve so you would just log in to train something then leave.  I'm sure they have plans on ways to avoid that.  
    the reward for playing more, is gaining more gear to trade, use, lose, more money and resources for upkeep to keeps and such, and the ability to take control of sectors. The more you play, the more wealth you will have to spend on sieges and pvp. Makes sense to me. I personally prefer this. 
    JamesGoblin
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