Alternate technique points

[n***@zzo38computer.org.invalid]

I think some people have wanted to make all techniques Average rather than
Hard, although I have a different idea, which can save points if you have
a lot of techniques for one skill, but makes some assumptions:

* The technique is based on a skill.

* You are not using multiple techniques at the same time. (See Martial
Arts for some reasons this might not be valid.)

* There is no maximum limit to the skill level. (This assumption is not
valid for ritual magic; see page 242.)

* The default level is based on the full skill level plus or minus some
number; it is not based on half skill. (In other words, the technique is
increased by exactly 1 if the skill level is increased by 1.)

* Maximum effective skill level (if any) is unaffected.

The assumptions above are usually valid (I think), but not always.

If you only have one technique for a skill, use standard rules. If you
have multiple techniques for a skill, use the below rules:

* Ignore the difficulty level of techniques.

* Sort the techniques for each skill in descending order of the level
above default. (For example, if you have two techniques at default+1,
one at default+5, and one at default+3, you now have [5,3,1,1].)

* The first two techniques are worth 1 point per level above default,
the next two techniques are worth 1/2 point per level above default, the
next two techniques after that are worth 1/4 point per level above
default, and then 1/8 for the next two, 1/16 for the next two, and so on.
(For example, [6,6,6,4,3,2,1] is worth 6+6+(6/2)+(4/2)+(3/4)+(2/4)+(1/8)
which adds up to 18.375.)

* Round up this total.

The above is done individually per skill.

If someone has other ideas, please mention them here, too. The above is
merely my own ideas. (You can also please mention any comments, questions,
complaints, etc you have about the rules I mentioned above.)

[John Dallman]

Post by n***@zzo38computer.org.invalid
* Sort the techniques for each skill in descending order of the
level above default.

Unfortunately, this assumes you know what all the techniques for the
skill are, and there aren't going to be any new ones. This is a shaky
assumption at the best of times, and definitely isn't valid, for example,
with craft skills where a technique in making a particular kind of object
is possible.

[n***@zzo38computer.org.invalid]

Post by John Dallman

Post by n***@zzo38computer.org.invalid
* Sort the techniques for each skill in descending order of the
level above default.

Unfortunately, this assumes you know what all the techniques for the
skill are, and there aren't going to be any new ones. This is a shaky
assumption at the best of times, and definitely isn't valid, for example,
with craft skills where a technique in making a particular kind of object
is possible.

I was assuming that you would recalculate each time (e.g. by computer).
Even if you do know what all of the techniques are, this order can change
if you improve some of the techniques. This is also the case when you do
not know what all of the techniques are. (Note that recalculation is only
per skill; you need not recalculate all skills, although if you are using
a program like I wrote, it will recalculate everything each time anyways.)

However, there is another possible valid concern based on what you wrote,
which is that if you add or improve techniques it requires recalculation
which may be difficult or take some time. (However, I am assuming that you
would not normally add skills/techniques during the game, but rather only
between sessions. This is what I do, at least.)