Fun with light armor

Frodo1 · Post by **Frodo1** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:26 am

I'm sure you've all noticed how quickly any given skill jumps up in the beginning of the game or when the skills still at a low level.

I decided that I wanted my character to leave the sewers with a healthy light armor skill, since that is what I will use and its not a main skill.

So, after I picked up the 3 pieces of leather armor I equipped them and whenever I found a solo goblin I just let it hit me. I am using a high elf and this character at least came with minor healing and strong intelligence and willpower skills. Anyway, the first encounter took 15 or maybe 20 minutes and boosted my armor skill from 5 to about 27. So I made it to apprentice level. By the time I left the sewers I was at level 43. I'll soon hit level 50 and get the journeyman perk of 50% less damage to armor.

It was fun, but it is quirky that you can level a skill so quickly. I also found that if I wanted to level at all early in the game I had to train most of my skills up by casting skeletons, healing, etc and then resting when my mana ran out. This demonstrates the problems with a leveling system that is based on skill use and not enemy destruction/quest completion. But that's for another thread perhaps.

Redeye · Post by **Redeye** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:30 am

Well, that is an issue with the leveling system. I did a quest in which I had to fight ghosts, who can only be damaged by magical weapons, or magic. Of course I am a warrior through and through, but luckily had one magical spell that did damage, but it took a while to kill a single ghost, and there were many, so I gained a LOT of blocking skill that quest...

Personally for me, I don't really intend to let a monster beat on me until I level, just doesn't seem as enjoyable. I'm sure I could pop open the console and raise all my skills to the max, but what's the point?

/shrug personall opinion.

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:43 am

I'm sure you've all noticed how quickly any given skill jumps up in the beginning of the game or when the skills still at a low level.

True for MW, as well. I can take a PC out to a river swarming with those nasty fish, and let a couple bite at him for 30 minutes. Jumping 20 levels is impossible in MW--and I have a hard time accepting this in Oblivion--but he would go up as much as 5 levels quickly.

Masa · Post by **Masa** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:09 am

I agree, I think the skills should come "naturally" not by this kind of cheating.
I consider that cheating.

Ashen · Post by **Ashen** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:02 am

Well I don't do things like that simply because well it's boring. It's not the real game then ... I do know people who do though. I don't know if it's real cheating, but it does kill the challenge. And I play for the challenge.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:34 am

I think it's called powergaming. I'm not into that either. Personal preference - nothing against those that like to do it.

And I like the levelling system that depends on use of a skill, NOT on how many things you kill, which is, imo, pretty stupid. How can killing things make you better at lockpicking or personal charm?

RUFFINATOR · Post by **RUFFINATOR** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:11 am

true that u can get around the skill progression by just letting things hit you or such( i stayed in sneak mode and walked into walls while there were ppl around to level sneak up)...but it is way better this go round than morrowind was...in that one you could really beat the system....oh and by the way mr. warrior guy...SILVER weapons hurt undead and ghosts just as much as magical ones do

...thats why they have them in the game, for non-magical peeps.....hope that helps

Frodo1 · Post by **Frodo1** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:36 am

Boy, some people do get offended easily. I want to make it clear that I wasn't endorsing this option. I did get swept away with exploring something that I didn't know could occur. I started another character after I opened this thread because I wasn't comfortable with the result. We should always remember that the correct way to play this GAME is however we, as individuals, want to. As long as it is a pure single player game, there is no right or wrong, correct or ruinous way to play, just personal preference. By some standards all hardcore Morrowinder's are cheaters since virtually all of us used at least one mod after playing the game for some time. Those alterations added a dimension to gameplay for us though. To each, his or her own.

As for experience vs. skill use as a measure for improving skills, I think that skill use is a much better concept. It's just that it is not as easy to implement and does not work as well. The systems of character development in Morrowind and Oblivion are proof of that. I do agree that the new character development system is much improved though. I think use-based improvement systems are preferable. One very problematic issue is that you can take a minor, but important skill like block or armorer and improve it, but it doesn't help improve your character level. Why? That is an arbitrary decision that does not make any sense. All skill improvements should affect a character in some way beyond the simple development of that skill.

PS Sorry Fable if that last ramble belongs in a new post.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:13 am

I don't see any flaming going on, but it is important to realize that everybody who pays for the game can play it whatever way they want. What's more, Frodo's not really posting about powergaming--he's pointing out problems with he perceives with skill leveling. I think that was the whole point of his initial post. So let's stick to that, shall we?