Did a little test to find out skill levels beyond legendary are useful in themselves (that is, aside from attribute increases). I mostly wonder because the experience needed to get to the next level keeps going up (2000, 2100, etc, like normal). If further leveling of a skill doesn't raise the skill level itself, that probably shouldn't be there. Knowing this kind of stuff can help in strategic use of game time and real time while training, especially for high-level chars.
Perhaps I could have just asked Toady, and made things easier on myself; but I like experimentation anyways. All I've tested so far is the easiest to raise--throwing. My record:
code:
Extremely strong, high master thrower (Skill Lv18), throws rock at:
gremlin, batters right upper leg
batters left hand
batters lower body
gremlin, batters lower body
mangles lower body
named minotaur, bruises lower body
troglodyte, batters upper body
breaks right upper arm
troglodyte, batters left hand
antman, breaks left upper leg
large rat, batters head
breaks head
naked mole dog, batters left front leg
batters left rear leg
now agile...
antman, batters left lower arm
giant bat, bruise upper body
bruise head, unconscious
(Lv20)
troglodyte, battered head (broke brain!)
troglodyte, battered right lower arm
mighty...
gremlin, broke left lower leg
mangled right upper arm
gremlin, battered right upper arm
broke head
antman, broke right lower leg
naked mole dog, broke tail
mangled tail
broke upper body (still standing and fighting, eh?)
broke lower body (still aimin' to kill me? that's the spirit!)
lower body explodes in gore (oh...my...)
troglodyte, broke right lower arm
broke left lower leg
naked mole dog, broke upper body
battered head
bruised right front leg
gremlin, battered head
battered left hand
broke upper body
gremlin, broke left upper arm
battered head
battered right lower arm
(Lv21)...
cheetah, battered head
battered right front leg
broke upper body (and spine...that was mean)
(Lv23)...
Ultra-mighty...
troglodyte, broke left upper arm
broke right lower arm
troglodyte, broke right hand
battered right lower arm
broke left hand
gremlin, broke right hand
giant bat, bruised head
bruised upper body
bruised lower body
troglodyte, broke lower body
broke upper body
broke head, *knocked back one square*
antman, broke an arm
broke thorax, *knocked back one square*
large rat, mangled left rear leg
antman, mangled second left hand
battered abdomen
gremlin, battered lower body
large rat, battered lower body
broke left front leg
naked mole dog, battered head, broke brain
antman, broke head, *knocked back two spaces*
giant bat, did nothing
(Lv27)...
large rat, lower body mangled, *knocked into wall behind*
naked mole dog, broke right rear foot
broke left rear foot
large rat, battered upper body
battered left front leg
broke left rear leg
large rat, broke head
gremlin, battered lower body
broke upper body, *knocked two spaces back*
gremlin, battered left hand
broke upper body
antman, broke an arm
broke a leg
broke an arm
naked mole dog, broke upper body, *propelled away*
large rat, broke leg
gremlin, mangled head
very agile...
named minotaur, broke left foot
while grounded, made lower body explode in gore, *PROPELLED 8 SPACES BACK*
(Lv28)
troglodyte, battered left hand
broke right hand
broke left lower leg
giant bat, bruised upper body
battered lower body
battered left rear leg
broke lower body
large rat, broke right rear foot
broke right front foot
gremlin, battered right hand
broke left lower leg
troglodyte, battered upper body
broke lower body, *slammed into wall behind*
I mostly didn't keep track of damage done to prone enemies, because the damage done to them seems different (significantly higher) than normal damage. It's really funny; you throw rocks at grounded enemies, and they start exploding and flying everywhere!
The results are somewhat ambiguous. I mean, there SEEMED to be better damage at skill level 27 than skill level 23 (while attributes stayed the same). Basic math says damage could be 27/23 = 17% better, and it felt that way. But a hypothetical 17% difference is too statistically insignificant to prove or disprove without solid numbers (eg. "you do 4 damage to the giant bat's leg").
I'm also guessing that agility could possibly, maybe help throwing damage, but I'm by no means sure.
All that testing, no sure conclusion...how sad. At least I got to make a mythical creature explode! Game of catch, anyone?
[ May 16, 2007: Message edited by: arocoun ]