Let's Talk Skill Systems

[Jotari]

So skills have been around for quite a while now and our a large part of many Fire Emblem games. However unlike most aspects of the series the nature of skills and how they are obtained has varied greatly from game to game. Sometimes skills are based on units, sometimes skills are based on class and some times skills are removable and freely transferable. So I ask of you all, what skill system did you like the best and what skill system(s) would you like to see in future games in the series. Do you have an idea for a skill system that they haven't used already?

[Fírnen]

I liked the RD skills the most, since you could swap who had what, but each class had a skill uniqu to them, so you couldn't have Luna, Sol, Astra & Lethality all on the same charaters like in Awakening. Plus you didn't need to grind to teach a character a few skills.

[Vicious Sal]

RD's Skill system was the best IMO. The skills themselves.... Well, they could do with less OP-ness, especially masteries.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Vicious Sal

[Anouleth]

I liked how you learned new skills in Awakening by levelling up. Something like that, please.

[LunaSaint]

Something like PoR's, or a toned down FE4 (no I don't want pursuit problems either).

Most characters could get a skill to differentiate them, but a few classes (eg: thieves, single-weapon promotions) would get their own built-in skills too. Compare how interesting FE9 Tormod is to FE10 Tormod.

I think the occasional skill scroll is more enjoyable than just being able to remove characters' defining traits on put them on someone otherwise better.

-

Awakening would've been cool if characters started with out-of-class skills, too.

Edited July 22, 2013 by LunaSaint

[charlie_]

I would've liked a mix of Awakening and PoR, where you get skills on level up, but they're character specific.

[LunaSaint]

That would be really cool too, actually!

[Quintessence]

I'd like FE to keep RD's skill management, grant unique locked skills to chars/classes but also assign/remove/trade skills between them. However, Awakening's system of learning skills by levels is pretty good, imo, but as others said, characters can reclass "infinitely" and acquire them skills and, perhaps, ultimately, breaking the game (I say perhaps because I haven't played the game yet).

So, I'd like a mix between RD and Awakening's skill management, and as Sal said, try to balance the OPness of mastery skills.

[Dark Sage]

Tear Ring Saga had the best skill system.

[dondon151]

TRS has skills on level up, skills on promotion, skills via tutor, and terrain skills

(dammit dark sage!)

[Dark Sage]

don't be mad, you actually explained shit unlike me.

[RJWalker]

RD but less broken Mastery skills.

[Othin]

TRS/BS. Character-specific skills both from base and from level.

Main difference is that TRS had tutoring, while BS didn't. It's both good and bad: TRS offers more flexibility, while BS makes the characters more unique. I'm personally more fond of how Berwick pulled it off: half the cast has at least one skill completely unique to them, and the other half has at least one rare skill that only one or two allies can use. The only exception, Alvina, still has four skills and a personal weapon.

That and it has cool command skills like Deathmatch, Pulverize, and Rapid-Fire. And three times as many skills total.

[BrightBow]

Yeah, TRS. Character specific and you have to gain levels. Of course, the skills themselves weren't to fancy but the system is awesome.

However, TRS doesn't have reclassing. But it does have classes that automatically have skills. So for a game with reclassing, you could keep your individual skills but loose your class skills.

Such class skills would also making classes more unique. Like how Sorcerer's will only have access to dark magic as long as they stick to their class. Such things should have been done more often.

Edited July 22, 2013 by BrightBow

[NinjaMonkey]

RD's skill system... including the OP-ness.

Edited July 22, 2013 by NinjaMonkey

[Knight]

RD skill system, I would spend a good 10 minutes trying to mix and match a good combo, and I thought it was a good thing with people with unique skills.

[Jotari]

Did anyone find the capacity kind of limiting in Radiant Dawn? It seemed to me that you could rarely have enough capacity to equip two good skills without depending on the free defaults ones. Except for Tibarn who they gave more capacity then you need to equip (because you will run out of skill slots before capacity with him). Do people think the system would be too opverpowered if they just got rid of capacity and had a five skill limit like Awakening (with shove/canto being locked or not actual skills)?

[LunaSaint]

Did anyone find the capacity kind of limiting in Radiant Dawn? It seemed to me that you could rarely have enough capacity to equip two good skills without depending on the free defaults ones.

Pretty sure that was the point.

It keep starting skills relevant to that character, and puts people off dumping everything into one god unit.

[Quintessence]

Did anyone find the capacity kind of limiting in Radiant Dawn? It seemed to me that you could rarely have enough capacity to equip two good skills without depending on the free defaults ones. Except for Tibarn who they gave more capacity then you need to equip (because you will run out of skill slots before capacity with him). Do people think the system would be too opverpowered if they just got rid of capacity and had a five skill limit like Awakening (with shove/canto being locked or not actual skills)?

Err... nope. Imagine a unit with resolve/daunt/miracle/adept/wrath or something like fiona with blossom/paragon etc etc. That would make units so godly/op. I think the capacity limitation is fine as it is. Just my opinion, though.

edit: Also, Kurth is a nice candidate for it: resolve/paragon/provoke/wrath is an option, iirc.

Edited July 23, 2013 by Quintessence

[Nobody]

My biggest problem with RD skill system is that they're either a overkill or useless, because every enemy in which they'd be useful have nihil.

[Airship Canon]

Overall, I like Awakening's system the best, but the way it was handled would not work for a more linear game.

I do like how they untied the skills from the classes (Except Banes, but that's why Beastbane is terrible.)- which is cool.

Although if you think about it, a skill system like 5's (Scrolls) with Awakening's skill storage system (characters learn skills permanently, but can only have 5, and cycle them in and out during the prep screens, etc.)

Also one notable complaint that I do have with Awakening's skills: they overnerfed Pavise/Great Shield. Buff the mitigation back to 100%!! (Keep it split, Pavise/Aegis, but go back to 100% mitigation.) (And personally, as long as double shields+ doesn't exist earlier than a reliable way to get around them (I.E. high frequency Dual Strikes, etc), the + forms of Pavise/Aegis with 100% mitigation would be cool, EG a General boss with high physical defense and Aegis+. You can't harm him with your primary form of magic (tomes), so you've got to plan for that- by either powering thru his DEF or thinking to use a Levin Sword, etc.)

Edited July 23, 2013 by Airship Canon

[Othin]

Technically speaking, Awakening does have scrolls; they're just restricted to the DLC skills.

And it's kinda hard to imagine scrolls for random class skills.

Edited July 23, 2013 by Othin

[Blademaster!]

Some kind of fusion between Awakening and PoR/RD would work best ala what spotpass/DLC characters, Aversa, and Priam have. Not really a big fan of capacity and neutral on skill trading.

[The Void]

1. No random skills. Have all of them be either passive or selectable, with a decrease.

2. No skill swapping.

3. Characters gain skills through promotion or events. Otherwise they are there by default.

Edited July 25, 2013 by The Void

[Darros]

Honestly, I liked FE5 the best when it comes to skill systems. It had personal skills for characters, as well as class skills for certain classes, and learnable skills with the scrolls. Skills were had by the units the entire time so you didn't have to get them upon leveling up which was cool.