[S] Revise Quick Learner

[fiernaq]

I have a suggested revision for the Quick Learner skill in order to make it more desirable to gain at least a few points in it without making it over powered for those with lots of points already invested in it.

Rather than a static +5% exp gained per kill, boost the base value the skill improves by and then implement diminishing returns.

Details:
The first level of Quick Learner increases the % exp gained per kill by 15% of the base 100%.
Each level of Quick Learner taken after that increases the % exp gained per kill by 80% of the benefit of the previous level of the Quick Learner skill.

Formula:
I failed to come up with a single formula to match what I'm trying to do so allow me to describe it and hopefully someone else will recognize how to merge the formula for QL0 with all the other QL levels (not being able to use n-1 with QL0 is what's throwing me off).

QL0 is obviously 100% exp gained per kill.
QLn will be QLn-1 * (100% + 15%(80%^(n-1))). Where "n" is the number of points in QL.

If "n" is 1, then: QL1-1 * (100% + 15%(80%^(1-1)))
--------------> QL0 * (100% + 15%(80%^(0)))
--------------> 100% * (100% + 15%(1))
--------------> 100% * (100% + 15%)
--------------> 100% * (115%)
--------------> 115%
So QL1 would be 115% exp gained per kill.

If "n" is 2, then: QL2-1 * (100% + 15%(80%^(2-1)))
--------------> QL1 * (100% + 15%(80%^(1)))
--------------> 115% * (100% + 15%(80%))
--------------> 115% * (100% + 12%)
--------------> 115% * (112%)
--------------> 128.8%
So QL2 would be 128.8% exp gained per kill.

If "n" is 3, then: QL3-1 * (100% + 15%(80%^(3-1)))
--------------> QL2 * (100% + 15%(80%^(2)))
--------------> 128.8% * (100% + 15%(64%))
--------------> 128.8% * (100% + 9.6%)
--------------> 128.8% * (109.6%)
--------------> 141.16%
So QL3 would be 141.16% exp gained per kill.

Rather than continuing every single formula I'll finish by posting the rest of the numbers for QL0 through QL25.

Numbers:
0 QL = 100%
1 QL = 115.00%
2 QL = 128.80%
3 QL = 141.16%
4 QL = 152.01%
5 QL = 161.35%
6 QL = 169.28%
7 QL = 175.93%
8 QL = 181.47%
9 QL = 186.03%
10 QL = 189.78%
11 QL = 192.84%
12 QL = 195.32%
13 QL = 197.33%
14 QL = 198.96%
15 QL = 200.27%
16 QL = 201.33%
17 QL = 202.18%
18 QL = 202.86%
19 QL = 203.41%
20 QL = 203.85%
21 QL = 204.20%
22 QL = 204.49%
23 QL = 204.71%
24 QL = 204.89%
25 QL = 205.04%

As can be seen by the above numbers, people with as many as 20 points in QL will still have at least as much if not more exp gained per point invested than they did before (QL20 used to be 200% and in this proposed formula it would be 203.85%). However, while the initial value of each point invested is much higher (3x as high with QL1: 5% vs. 15%) the value of each point spent decreases till it drops much lower than what it used to be (QL20 is only a 0.44% gain compared to the static 5% it used to be).

Again, the goal of this change is to make a few points in QL to be much more worthwhile than it was before without actually nerfing the total value of QL.

Just some quick New vs. Old comparisons:
QL2: 128.8% vs. 110% - gain of 18.8%
QL4: 152.01% vs. 120% - gain of 32.01%
QL8: 181.47% vs. 140% - gain of 41.47%
QL12: 195.32% vs. 160% - gain of 35.32%
QL20: 203.85% vs. 200% - gain of 3.85%

Google Docs spreadsheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... Fp4eEgyR3c

Here's the code for excel if you want to see how this looks:

Code: Select all

A1 through Z1: Points spent in QL so 0 through 25
A2: blank
B2 through Z2: static 5%
A3: 100%
B3 through Z3: =B2+A3 --> 5% + 100%, fill across so Z3 is =Z2+Y3 --> 225%
A4: blank
B4 through Z4: =$A$5+15%*(80%^(B1-1)) --> 115%, fill across so Z4 is =$A$5+15%*(80%^(Z1-1)) --> 100.07%
A5: 100%
B5 through Z5: =B4*A5 --> 115%, fill across so Z5 is =Z4*Y5 --> 205.04%
A6: blank
B6 through Z6: =B5-A5 --> 15%, fill across so Z6 is =Z5-Y5 --> 0.15%
A7: blank
B7 through Z7: =B5-B3 --> 10%, fill across so Z7 is =Z5-Z3 --> -19.96%

[Sarumar]

Im agains because this makes QL too good for low rank and useless in high rank. IMO current system is fine enough.

I already have it pretty high

[Avalon archer]

Yaaa I like the current system, it takes a few to build up, but once it does its great, even though I have none in QL HAA

[Pyrizzle]

I like it as is.

Sarumar: +1

[sdevaney]

Not a bad idea, same basic principle is behind the combat system.

[Wyrmspawn]

It would totally suck for people who invested in Quick Learner. Sorry to say, but I'm really against this.

[ncer]

My next QL level would be 124% lower with the proposed system than it will be in the current system. Also after level 20 no significant gains are made (<1%).

I'm not sure what the benefit would be of this. QL is obviously a skill you take if you want to level more quickly, If you are like that, would you really prefer a quick boost with the gain levelling out over a steady increase? If anything I feel people who really go deep on a skill should be rewarded rather than punished. (Maybe increase to 6% per level after you've reached level 10 and increase by 1% for each 10 levels after that?)

[fiernaq]

It would totally suck for people who invested in Quick Learner. Sorry to say, but I'm really against this.

Seeing as how this seems to be the general theme of most of the responses I have to ask why you think that. Maybe I'm wrong and there are a lot of people out there with more than 20 points in QL. The numbers can always be modified if that's the case. I was merely taking 20 as my go to number because it happened to be 200% currently and I assumed that very few people would have more than 20.

Just to be clear, even someone who has 20 points in QL will benefit from this change. It is not a negative modification that I am requesting. Also, seeing as how the game is not currently designed to allow for players over level 60, let alone 100 or 200, nobody should even have that many skill points to spend.

@ncer, I can understand the concept of increased benefits for those willing to put several points into a skill and if you look at the numbers, it actually does go up for a while (8 points being the best "bang for the buck" so to speak). My goal, however, was to make sure that while the skill does become useful, it doesn't become uber-1337-godmode where everyone just puts all points into it and forgets about everything else. In other words, what other skills out there do people put more than 5 skill points in? What should make this one any better?

Take a look at the poll that Pyrizzle ran a while back and you'll see that most people had 0 points in QL either because it wasn't considered worth using or because they wanted to take their time leveling so as to not outgrow the content and make it so easy that it became boring. You'll also see that several people took a few points into QL... not sure why since 5% or even 10% more exp is kind of lame for the cost of 1 or 2 skill points. Anywho, I based the numbers in my revision off this poll and tried to come up with a system that benefited most of the players in question.

@avalon, you might want to go back and study your math some more . The phrase "it takes a few to build up but once it does it's great" cannot apply to a linearly progressing skill. The benefit gained from 10 points in QL is exactly the same as 10 times the base value of QL, 50% in this case. However, that phrase does apply to the system I posted about which actually does "build up" before falling off.

Personally, I'm wondering if I just didn't do a good enough job explaining what I designed.

[Sarumar]

@fiernaq ... try to make it worth of getting triple or guadruple exp. Novadays there are no other use for skillpoints in cace of high level build... I used over 1/2 of my skillpoints to QL because there are nothing else usefull...

[Mino]

Having just got to level 20, I wouldn't mind the first suggestion since I'd still get a little more. The other suggestion (change it to 6% after level 10, +1% more each level after that) is also good if the extra boost is retroactive (the %, not the actual XP gained of course).