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[GlyphGryph]

Now, what I DO think would be cool is, if working with a high XP pool and building something, you were suddenly struck by inspiration. Suddenly, you get a message:

"You have a flash of inspiration. You can make this thing more than it ever was, something special, something unique"
and maybe a couple options as to the way in which you'll make it unique.

So you get a special crafting option (for a limited time), based on your skills, and you need to gather the materials before the inspiration passes if you want to build it. And completing it takes a big chunk out of your xp (and only having enough xp will trigger the event).

That could be interesting, in my mind.

An "xp shop" though? That sounds incredibly dull to me.

Edit:
It's not about inspiration. It's about mood and theme. It doesn't need to be realistically, but it shouldn't feel out of place. And I think this would feel majorly out of place.

[Aklyon]

I don't see the problem with the crafting part, as long as you need a sufficient level in mechanics or electronics to do it as well. Very experienced people can make very nice things, the XP cost would just be to prove you haven't 'forgotten' how to do that kind of thing.

Also agree with FuctionZero. if this was realistic, the only danger would be wolves and NPCs (possibly triffids too), the zombies would be dead again by the end of Summer.

[jc6036]

I said nothing about lasers, I said buffs. Such as speed, or hitting power, no lazers. (though thats what was in my comic a while back )

[trees]

I would be totally supportive of some kind of "strange mood"-type thing that you could have, like Glyph posted. It would also give you an incentive to go exploring to gather materials in the midgame when you've got enough food and water to last you for ages.

[Whales]

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

[Angle]

I don't want a formal xp shop where you go to a screen and say "800 xp for that artifact, thank youvery much". That would be silly. But I do think xp should be consumed over time to give increases in your stats, skills, etc. Using it faster if you've got more is also an awesome idea. For example, whenever you do something that's at the limits of what your character can do, say reading a really difficult book, you invest a little xp in that stat. Then, when you've got enough, say 1 or 2 thousand, you gain a point in that stat. for artifacts, I already posted a system, located here.

For temporary boosts, that should probably work kinda like the adrenaline trait. when stuff happens, and your character finds themselves in danger, they experience a boost that costs xp.

a thought - I was thinking, and maybe the xp pool should be renamed? as glyph said, "It measures a characters coping ability and will to live, thanks to spots of light in a bleak situation, and reflects upon how well they adapt to this new harsh environment." maybe it should be named accordingly? oh, and I think we shouldn't get to see the numbers in it. just a measurement, e.g. "coping", "thriving", "struggling", etc.

[DalGren]

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

EDIT: Still I wouldn't mind having support to do a critical hit or run faster or correct your recoil instantly or ignore pain temporarily by spending XP. I wouldn't mind spending 400 for a good run or some cinematic (emphasis on cinematic) actions.

[Angle]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

I don't think you should have that kind of control over your xp. and you shouldn't have to save up, you should be able to just spend it when you've got it and once you've spent enough, you get that increase.

[Whales]

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

Well, it wouldn't be so dramatic.  Maybe if you're above 5,000 XP, it can be spent in 20-XP chunks towards stat increases, and 10,000 total XP would be required to increase a stat.  Of course, I'm just making these numbers up off the top of my head; it'd take some testing and long-term rebalancing to find the right ones.

[DalGren]

I don't think you should have that kind of control over your xp. and you shouldn't have to save up, you should be able to just spend it when you've got it and once you've spent enough, you get that increase.

Isn't this contradictory? I shouldn't control it, but I should spend it freely...?
I don't mean hoarding XP, I mean getting the wrong upgrades without any control. Having a menu would solve that, basically what you just said...I think.

[jc6036]

Yay! Support for buffs! Bursts of strength and speed under certain conditions would be great.

[DalGren]

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

Well, it wouldn't be so dramatic.  Maybe if you're above 5,000 XP, it can be spent in 20-XP chunks towards stat increases, and 10,000 total XP would be required to increase a stat.  Of course, I'm just making these numbers up off the top of my head; it'd take some testing and long-term rebalancing to find the right ones.

Well, on the other hand, natural systems lead to grindy actions. "Got ??? XP! Gonna kick doors until I get ??? STR!"
edit
disclaimer: I don't oppose that system, just putting the opinion for debate/brainstorming purposes.

[Angle]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

Well, it wouldn't be so dramatic.  Maybe if you're above 5,000 XP, it can be spent in 20-XP chunks towards stat increases, and 10,000 total XP would be required to increase a stat.  Of course, I'm just making these numbers up off the top of my head; it'd take some testing and long-term rebalancing to find the right ones.

Well, on the other hand, natural systems lead to grindy actions. "Got XP! Gonna kick doors until I get STR!"

hmm. You've got a point. Maybe we can minimize this through careful balancing? hmm.

whales was tailkng earlier about how practicing your shooting in gun shops might be okay, because it uses up resources and involves risk. maybe we can ensure that anything you might be tempted to grind with does these things? for example, if kicking down a door is strenous enough to give you strength, you should have to risk injuring yourself while doing it.

[DalGren]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well, let's not forget that XP already is a currency, albeit one that is spent in a more natural fashion, by using the skill you want to spend it towards.

Artifact crafting wouldn't be any kind of magical "I spent 8,000 XP and now I have the Ravage Crossbow of Inequity" system.  It'd represent the accumulated drive to craft a specialized, powerful item.  You'd still need the knowledge and components to be able to do so.

It could also represent the drive needed to perform dedicated self-improvement (e.g., a stat increase).  Maybe this could be done in a more "natural" way like nethack does it--with above 5,000 XP in your pool, large chunks get put towards an Intelligence increase every time you read, or a Strength increase every time you bash down a door, for example.

For now, I do like the idea of increased XP spending on skills when it's above a certain level, and that's easily doable by modifying the player::train() function.

That natural system might be a bit unpredictable...uncontrollable rather. You might hit those 5kXP the moment you are bashing a door, which is annoying if you were saving to get a point in INT or DEX. Just saying.

Well, it wouldn't be so dramatic.  Maybe if you're above 5,000 XP, it can be spent in 20-XP chunks towards stat increases, and 10,000 total XP would be required to increase a stat.  Of course, I'm just making these numbers up off the top of my head; it'd take some testing and long-term rebalancing to find the right ones.

Well, on the other hand, natural systems lead to grindy actions. "Got XP! Gonna kick doors until I get STR!"

hmm. You've got a point. Maybe we can minimize this through careful balancing? hmm.

I am of the opinion that a direct menu is the best way to do that. Although my field-of-research is arcadey roguelikes, so I am a bit biased on giving direct control to the player. Whales' idea might differ though!

[Angle]

Oh, and another idea - How about a unified trait system that includes stats, skills, mutations, and the current traits? I'm thinking something like GURPS, except on drugs. Any thoughts?