ID:265510
 
I have an idea for character creation. Any feedback will be nice.

So when the player logs in and creates a new character, they are given a set amount of points. These points can be spent on various skills and abilities.

They could spend them on things such as:
-Stat Boosts
-Weapon Type Proficiencies (Spear, Sword, Staff, Mace, etc.)
-Ability to Cast spells (more points spent, higher spell levels achieved)
-Skill boosts
-Wearable Armor (includes helmets, gloves, etc.)

Then maybe every 5 levels or so they get a few more points.
Yup, lots of RPGs do this. The Exile and Avernum series from Spiderweb Software, for example. Personally I prefer it over traditional class-based systems.
In response to Crispy
I actually think it may be more to your benefit to use those points for stats, rather than skills, like in Morrowind. In Morrowind, you can still gain levels in skills. When you gain 3 levels in either your primary or secondary skills, you gain 3 stat points. You can put 1 point into any stat. Depending on the skill you used to level, you get a multiplier for that particular stat. So if you gained 3 axe levels, you'd have a multiplier of 3 for your str. So you could put 1 point into str, and get 3 points out of the 1 for gaining 3 levels in that particular skill.

I think something like that would actually be more effective myself.
In response to Lord Omega
I prefer the straight skill-based approach, myself; it gives the player more flexibility. But by all means go the Morrowind approach if you can balance it right.
In response to Crispy
I like the morrowind approach but it can lead to unbalance, esp in online games. Im basing mine off morrowind, but gaining xp off failure rather than sucess.. only time will tell if my idea works or fails..
In response to Lord Omega
It all depends on what stats do v. what skills do. Conceptually, I would think that stats encompass a broad area of ability and skills represent specific applications of ability. So a general Agility score might determine overall accuracy, evasive ability, etc. sword skill would reflect training limited to hitting and injuring things with bladed weapons. So to balance it all, a "point" might buy a 1% increase in Agility or a 5% increase in sword skill, since it is more narrowly tailored. The result is that players can broadly increase abilities, or hone their skills and become very good in a limited area.
In response to Ireus
I don't really agree with the fact that you should base exp gain off of failure instead of success. In order to bring better balance, and still gain exp, is to make it to where you gain x1.5 exp for success (because if you multiply 2x0.5, you get 1, so you'd go backwards instead of forward) and something like x2 or x3 for a failure (because you get more knowledge from trying to do something over and over, and eventually you get it right, which is what it looks like you're trying to achieve.)

That's just my own personal idea, but you can do it any way you want. You know that, and I also know you know I don't need to tell you that. But I do anyway, just because some people may not know. :)
In response to Lord Omega
I never knew they did that in Morrowind >_>