Crafting Arrows and Bullets should not train skill? (Discuss)

[Stevensonz]

http://smf.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?topic=1985.msg25087#msg25087 apparently people were wondering how crafting arrows/bullets makes you a better shot which in reality it shouldn't as your not aiming then shooting at something. a probable mechanics change.

[ejseto]

Weapon skills probably should be reworked entirely. Having a single number determine 1) accuracy, 2) critical chance, 3) critical damage multiplier, and 4) attack speed is way too powerful. In most games these are all separate statistics.

This is all on top of the fact that you don't even actually have to fight to improve that number.

[KA101]

Re OP: Making one's own arrows implies some understanding of how they'll perform, but I'd agree that such a bonus shouldn't transfer to other arrows, and shouldn't apply to bullets.

1) Accuracy is a function of familiarity with the weapon and the techniques involved in its use. 2) Crit chance, without a hit-location system, is also a function of accuracy: the ability to effectively hit a vulnerable spot should improve with the attacker's skill. 3) Crit multiplier can also be a function of skill--how well you hit that vulnerable part--but also should reflect the weapon's interaction with the vulnerability* and just how vulnerable that area really is**. 4) Better you are, the better you can re-ready your weapon.

In short, single-skill seems workable enough to me. Not perfect, but understandable and useful enough.

_A Piercing spear would probably do nastier damage than a Bashing baseball bat. *_However, a zed doesn't really have much to worry about in terms of vital areas--it's not like they bleed.

[ejseto]

There is basically no other game out there where 1 statistic determines 4 out of the 5 components of aggregate dps. It's a bad, unbalanced mechanic, and it's why people complain that there are too many guns. Obviously all guns feel the same if they always crit for 8x damage overkilling the target.

[Stevensonz]

at least ranged skills doesn't exceed their intended damage cap other wise it would be seriously wrong on so many levels. (For example ratshots becoming powerful enough to 1 headshot kill the hulk)

Though I wonder if the same can be said for melee skills apparently they can increase to insane damage levels the higher your melee weapon skills are especially if you can reach 10+ levels. (Exception can be unarmed combat since your developing punches/kicks ala Fist of the North Star/ Shaolin Monk)

[darth-servo]

Shifting the skill to Mechanics only changes the nature of the argument. Why should you know how to install a V-6 engine if all you ever do is carve rocks into pebbles?

Edit: I support adding a "Weaponsmith" skill that is to weapons/ammo what Mechanics is to everything else.

[kevingranade]

You have a point, there is always some degree of wierdness possible, but firing and making weapons are substantially different endeavors. To the extent that weapon skills synergise with crafting, it could be the secondary skill.

Making thing a and making thing b are at least somewhat similar.

That having been said, if mechanics becomes too broad, we can easily split the recipes amoung some more specific group of sub-skills. There was a recommendation for a fletching skill for example. Similarly we could have gunsmithing, car crafting (stick with mechanics?), etc. The thing to be careful with there is making sure players can progress.