How do the skills in Fallout work?

lordcarter · Post by **lordcarter** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:07 pm

I've been playing fallout since it came out back in the 90's however, I never really understood how the skills worked, specifically the Percentages. Does the percentage on each skill represent proficiency, the chance for success, or what?

Even more importantly, and I guess this might be a stupid question, but how does the core mechanic work, if you can imagine it like that.

Thanks for your help guys.

Vicsun · Post by **Vicsun** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 3:26 am

I've always thought the percentages are your chance of success at the activity before any penalties are incurred. For example, if you try shoot someone with no armor in broad daylight at point blank range, if you have a 'small guns' skill of 90% you should have 90% of hitting him (or maybe some base percentage plus 90%). If he has some armor, the light is dim, or he is out of range you will incur some penalty to the 'to-hit' percentage, which is why having more than 100% of a skill is a good idea.

Of course, it's also possible that the 'skill levels' aren't percentages at all, and are arbitrary numbers which are related to the game by hidden formulas only the developers know

lordcarter · Post by **lordcarter** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 7:08 am

All I can say is thanks for your comments, and I wish I could program!

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 1:29 am

Skillpoints in this game are different then merly a percentage and more viewable as a skill-modifier. For instance you have 150% skill in small guns, then this skill get modified by various conditions, such as terrain, visiblity(day/night), aiming and so on, comming up with a chance to hit. (incidentely the chance to hit is a percentage, up to 99%)

The same goes for the remainder skills.

Especially seeing as skills can go up to 300%.

Erenor · Post by **Erenor** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:01 pm

[QUOTE=Xandax]Especially seeing as skills can go up to 300%.[/QUOTE]
I know in all the old manuals it states that you can never have more than a 95% chance on anything. 19/20 shot. So what exactly does 300% in a skill do for you?

Malta Soron · Post by **Malta Soron** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:07 am

Give you 95% hit chance in literarely every (valid) situation.

Da_venom · Post by **Da_venom** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:30 am

does the 300% also discharge any failures you might have? (critical failures)?>

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:02 pm

No. That is why you only have 95% chance to do something, as a maximum.

It is like in D&D where you can roll a 1 and fail irregardless of your modifiers.