Your Least Valuable Skill

[JohnathanStrange]

As I strode down the main street of Zendar this morning, having sold a couple of maces and half a dozen wool caps in order to buy lunch at the local dive, I was arguing with Borcha about our least valuable skills. I maintained that these were,in my opinion, the prime candidates, :

* Shield: Who's going to spend their limited experience points developing the art of having an undented shield? No one except those damn Spartans. Why bother with reducing shield damage? Some Thracian has my shield - oh well, I'll get another just as good.

* Inventory Management: What? Am I a full-blooded impetuous warrior or the manager at Wal-Mart? No, I say, if I can't carry it away in a big blanket, then I've killed too many bandits.

* Trade: I'm not in it for the denars. As long as my band of ne'er-do-wells can be paid - along with my assorted bar tabs, lodgings, and occasional binges in Wercheg - then I don't care if I'm not getting top dollar.

*Beer-Drinking: What was Anagram thinking when he put this skill in? As far as I can tell, except for the inflated self-esteem and charm with the ladies, I can see very little practical value for using my skills points acquiring a taste for the local homebrews.

*Athletics: Ok, I admit I spent a few points here thinking that it would help me to run away faster if I were suddenly on foot and in the thick of it, but frankly, everyone and their brother can outrun me anyway! What a waste this one appears to be (although maybe someone has spent 8 points on this and can now run as fast as a horse?).

Anyway, Borcha and I argued for quite some time before the silly fool was knocked unconscious entering the the Eagles Nest tavern.

Your worst skills? Or, conversely, your best?

 

[slavetrader]

shield: i find very usefull for a beginner lancer who often gets stuck in groups of bandits. also a must when fighting crossbowmen.

athletics is nice when you get unmounted.


when it comes to the other skills you mentioned, i agree

 

[logcoy]

You really don´t want to develop any kind of skill in beer-drinking. It will just make it more expensive to get drunk, and whats the point in that?

I find Inventory Management to be an extremely nice skill for carrying those 14 Chargers and 6 Broadswords when youre on supply missions.
I like to experiment with my equipment between battles and use the extra room for my different weapons (currently 1 lance, 1 2-H axe, 1 mace, 1 scimitar, 1 bow, 3 arrow quivers, 1 crossbow, 3 bolt quivers, 2 jarids and 2 shields).

Not to mention those times when I get myself naked before battling river pirates to even the odds a little bit

 

[Ancientwanker]

I dont think much of shield. Would be a better skill if it influenced a shield bash as well.

Trade, meh.

Athletics is useful at the highest levels. Ive got a 7 and can out-perform most infantry even in my black armor.

Inventory managment is not sexy but ive got a point or two. If it was switched to maybe "Scrounger" or "Packrat" or something and also influenced the chance of finding stuff after combat it might seem more useful.

 

[Wanderer]

And the oddball shouts from the back...

My trade and inventory management are maxed. I typically can gather all the trade goods from Swadia, head to Veagir, sell them off for a tidy profit while collecting a bunch for the return trip, and then selling those off when I get back.

It helps a LOT when you're suddenly faced with a 'I want 13 warhorses' mission. Damn little beggars are expensive.

My character is a trader who happens to have an army. These skills are a lot of fun to me.

The skill I find the absolute least useful is riding after level 3. There's no reason for it once you can get on a decent horse.

 

[OddjobXL]

Prisoner Management. I get plenty of money doing missions and liberating plunder. Why slow my unit down with alot of prisoners who only go for 100 gold a pop?

Also agree with athletics. Might be useful in the arena or at high levels but once you get a horse...if you get knocked off it the next order of business is killing some other fool and taking -his- horse. Name of the game ain't Dismount and Blade.

 

[Ilex]

The skill I find the absolute least useful is riding after level 3. There's no reason for it once you can get on a decent horse.

4 is minium for charger and if I am right, the more points in riding the better you can handle the horse. VERY useful skill if using great lance (IMO).

 

[Nairagorn]

Beer drinking is always a useful skill to have. Don't wanna look like a lightweight in front of the barbarians.

 

[Worbah]

I've been drinking a lot of beer today, and it's incredible. (When I'm drunk, I make no types and such. I get more accurate than ever.)

 

[Sir Gillits]

Prisoner Management. I get plenty of money doing missions and liberating plunder. Why slow my unit down with alot of prisoners who only go for 100 gold a pop?

I disagree, it makes me feel like a big man when I sell off 15 dark knights as galley slaves.

 

[tsuken]

I think trade is the most useless, or inventory management. Even if you're a merchant, eventually you'll have too much money to spend anyway.

I'm going to make a foot archer with 8 athletics, but I'm not sure how long what will take. Athletics is great for tournaments and getting around Zendar without having to take off all your armor.

 

[Poet]

I'm going to make a foot archer with 8 athletics, but I'm not sure how long what will take. Athletics is great for tournaments and getting around Zendar without having to take off all your armor.

If you put everything into strength and agi, then you'll have atheletics 8 at about lvl 40.

 

[Lhorkan]

Beerdrinking? Hmm? Could someone explain? I think I missed something. <_< Or are you just making up stories... Hmm...

 

[PhreezePeach]

Tracking ... I don't value tracking

I have yet to put points in shield or athletics ... but I can see their worth for a foot soldier. I play as a horse archer and have sacrificed my shield for extra arrows and only keep a blade with me for when I get de-throned ... then it's usually over for me in short order .. especially with the new battle mechanics

 

[alesch]

I always dump my less useful kills on either MArnid or Borscha, but I find them all useful to a certain extent.

I've been playing as a sortof skirmisher trooper recently, so most of my points have been going into athletics, power throw and power strike. MArnid is my medic, and Borscha is my scout.

Jarids are so much fun.

 

[Sir Saladin]

Yeah, tracking seems like it isn't finished. It would be more fun if you could click on the little arrows and find out what you are tracking.

 

[jothki]

Yeah, tracking seems like it isn't finished. It would be more fun if you could click on the little arrows and find out what you are tracking.

Only at higher levels, of course. I never put anything into it past 3, what are the higher levels like?

 

[Lhorkan]

Maybe I should train Borscha a little more in tracking, and have a look. Now I already know how long ago the party past, and a rough number (like 40-49).

 

[Cleitan]

Since I got my Steel shield, it never got broken. So I wouldnt really need the shield skill.

Tracking is probobly the least useful skill, especially in comparison to spotting =P

 

[Wanderer]

Yeah, tracking seems like it isn't finished. It would be more fun if you could click on the little arrows and find out what you are tracking.

Only at higher levels, of course. I never put anything into it past 3, what are the higher levels like?

Right now I've got tracking 5 and I can see *most* parties. But not all. I'm still not sure what conditions I can see the track names under. Friendly or Foe doesn't seem to matter.