I've been a bit busy with my own project as well, but because I enjoy GK, I've got a few simple suggestions that could spare a lot of what already exists and re-purpose it for a smoother transition to a more simplified, useful system of classes.
First of all, a few preliminaries about overall proposed changes:
- Lower levels to 100 directly. 110 is superflous. Intervals of 10 help with scaling things nicely.
- Separate the skills by what classes they're already assigned to, and then make an additional category for 'universal' skills.
- Grades of materials for things like gathering professions need to be scattered throughout the world in THEMATICALLY APPROPRIATE dungeons.
- Enemies need to have their stats re-scaled to be based on a certain percentage of the player's current experience requirements, and put in dungeons that fit. (Vampires in Haunted Houses, Ice Fiends in the Ice Cave, Worms in Treasure Map Caves, etc.)
- Similarly, the amount of materials required to level up in gathering professions should also be percentage based, as should the crafting materials required for that level.
- Skills should be just as useful, and no set of sub-skills like 'spells' or 'prayers' or whatever should have proportionally more than another category. A lot of spells can be spared this way and better controlled.
- Wands are for Magic spells, Staves are for Intelligence spells, Rods are for Wisdom spells. Special spells you can't cast by learning.
- All skills are learned through literacy.
- Possible other limits like endurance or similar things might be well introduced to the more 'melee' system that cost points to use just like spells do. Just an option though.
- Each dungeon should be outfitted with a chest system based on that dungeon's level range when it comes to monsters. It's very similar to the way lords drop stuff, but a little more rewarding.
- Old content (xmas dungeon, halloween dungeon, easter dungeon, treasure maps, main island and kingdom dungeons, and so forth) should be re-purposed for becoming permanent game content.
- Item crafting should be difficult, but reward players well, and still allow players to level by doing what they're good at. Good items can still be made rare through things like low drop rates or difficult crafting.
- Basically, every skill should have a use, as well as a way to help the player earn experience.
- Spells, Arrows, and Melee Weapons need to be made more 'on-par' with each other in terms of damage. Weapons should also show their true gani time and not be misleading.
- Attack is determined by (Damage - Armor).
- Hit is determined by (WC - AC). If it succeeds, it inflicts a status effect (Attack Type) on the target.
- Resistance reduces the amount of time or the chance of success a status effect has of working. (Reduced freeze time, less burn time, less poison time, smaller stun success rate, etc.)
- If you're wanting players to play as multiple classes on different slots, you can't allow everyone to do everything, which means skill scrolls would probably need to go.
- Leveling should also be sped up substantially, but amounts should be based on what percentage different things are
rewarding players for. So if you slay the strongest enemy in the game, (Let's say Kvasir since there's the hour lock.) it might give you 50-70 percent of the experience you need for your current level.
- Armor separated into what classes can use them.
Current Skills
(For copy-paste purposes!)
HTML Code:
Universal
- mountaineer
- bargaining
Physique (Strength)
- throwing
- agriculture
- mining
- fishing
- melee weapons
- punching
- karate
- missile weapons
- jumping
Agility (Dexterity)
- disarm traps
- use tools
- stealing
- hiding
Mental (Intelligence)
- find traps
- use magic item
- literacy
- baking
- crafting
- thaumaturgy
- woodsman
- smithery
- jeweler
- alchemy
- bowyer
- smithery
- woodsman
Wisdom (Wisdom)
- praying
Magic (Power)
- wizardry
- sense magic
- sense curse
Personality (Charisma)
- oratory
- singing
Updated Skills
New skills marked with *.
HTML Code:
Universal
Notes: This is for the player's overall level, which is normally a combination of all level category experience amounts added together.
- Literacy (Read books to increase player level.)
- Cooking (Make various dishes to increase player level.)
- Baking (Bake various tiers of goods to increase player level.)
- Crafting (Craft various tiers of objects to increase player level.)
- Agriculture (Farm various grades of crops to increase player level.)
- Mining (Mine various grades of minerals to increase player level.)
- Fishing (Catch various grades of fish to increase player level.)
- Use Tools (Successfully use miscellaneous tools to increase player level.)
- Questing (Successfully completing quests from the tavern to increase player level.)
Physique (Strength)
Notes: Possibly diversify skills more. Perhaps make some special melee moves or move sets.
- Melee Weapons (Sword, Axe, Hammer) Perform enemy kills with melee weapons to increase physique levels.
- Throwing (Practice throwing objects to throw them further. Kills increase physique levels.)
- Punching (Kill enemies with unarmed punches to increase physique levels.)
- Karate (Kill enemies with unarmed kicks to increase physique levels.)
- Mountaineer (Gain tiny amounts of experience with each step to increase physique levels. )
Agility (Dexterity)
Notes: Traps could be combined into one new skill, but I've set them up separately for skill balancing.
* Swift Weapons (Bow, Crossbow, Dagger) Perform enemy kills with swift weapons to increase agility levels.
- Set Traps (Kill with traps successfully to increase agility levels.)
- Disarm Traps (Disarm enemy traps successfully to increase agility levels.)
- Stealing (Steal valuables from enemies successfully to increase agility levels.)
- Stealth (Earn kills while stealthed to increase agility levels.)
Mental (Intelligence)
Notes: Mental uses its own point bar. Spell selection involves spells currently tied with mental skill functions.
* Magic Weapons (Wand, Staff, Rod) Perform enemy kills with swift weapons to increase mental levels.
- Jeweler (Cut various tiers of gems to increase mental levels.)
- Alchemy (Transmute various tiers of reagents to make potions and increase mental levels.)
- Inscription (Write or Read various tiers of scrolls to increase mental levels.)
- Tailoring (Craft clothes and other cloth items to increase mental levels.)
Wisdom (Wisdom)
Notes: Still relies on grace. Do away with the half-full system and let it regen to full like SP. Spell selection involves spells currently tied with wisdom skill functions.
* Magic Weapons (Wand, Staff, Rod) Perform enemy kills with swift weapons to increase wisdom levels.
- Praying (Pray to a god for grace and to increase wisdom levels.)
* Blessing (Bless weapons to increase their power and your wisdom levels.)
* Healing (Successfully heal others to increase wisdom levels.)
* Smiting (Successfully kill enemies with spells to increase wisdom levels.)
Magic (Power)
Notes: Still uses Spell Points (SP) to cast spells. Spell selection involves spells currently tied with magic skill functions.
* Magic Weapons (Wand, Staff, Rod) Perform enemy kills with magic weapons to increase magic levels.
- Wizardry (Perform enemy kills with magic-based spells to increase magic levels.)
* Charging (Raise number of charges on rods using spell points and increase magic levels.)
* Focusing (Focus magic concentration to regenerate spell points and increase magic levels.)
* Summoning (Perform enemy kills with elements or elementals to increase magic levels.)
Personality (Charisma)
Notes: I don't really care what weapons this uses. Kind of like a miscellaneous category that could be made into its own class.
* Exotic Weapons (Mace, Javelin, Hook, Pole, Instrument) Perform enemy kills with exotic weapons to increase personality levels.
- Oratory (Convince monsters to become your followers and perform kills to increase personality levels.)
- Singing (Sing to enemies to soothe them and increase personality levels.)
- Bargaining (Play a game of luck against shopkeepers on any purchase to get a shot at additional experience toward personality levels.)
* Dancing (Dance to keep your party's morale up and gain experience toward personality levels.)