D2:elements

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d2:elements - game mechanics
The new skillsystem

There is a new skillsystem in my mod, which was made because i think the one blizzard has in Diablo2: Lord of Destruction has some extreme flaws in it:
  • most skills are either at level 1 or at level 20 (anything in between doesn't make sense)
  • some builds are impossible because you lack enough skillpoints for them, and having all skills at lvl 15 only does not work on hell difficulty
  • if your build is complete and you have still skillpoints to distribute, you cannot do anything reasonable with them
  • there are lot of stereotype builds (zeal/fanaticism for example)
  • lowlevel skills can be maxed at characterlevel 20
  • lowlevel skills are crappy so noone uses them

To fight this, my new skillsystem features:
  • no maximum skill level at all
  • no level requirements for skills
  • more powerful lowlevel skills
  • skills where it makes sense to have them at levels between 1 and 20

Now you might say: "Hey cool, i start pushing a lowlevel skill early (as they are strong now) and reach lvl 100 when my character is highlevel (as there is no maximum skill level)". Or you even start pushing a highlevel skill immediately (as there are no level requirements any more). This will not work.

You can use your first skill point to push, for example, Might.
If you get your second skill point because your paladin reaches level three, you will, however, NOT be able to push might to level two. Reaching the second skillevel costs two skill points instead of, like in the unmodded game, one.
To reach level three, you will even need to spend three skill points!

This might sound a bit strange, and it might be. But i think it is a good solution to get things work like i want them to work.
The skill upgrade cost increase more and more with each following level. They follow a scheme, which is not as easy as skillupgradecost = skillevel. Additionaly, passive skills follow another scheme because their aim is totally different.

The schemes i currently plan to implement (might change with the beta test):

Skillevel
Cost for active skills
Cost for passive skills
1
see below
see below
2
2
15
3
3
15
4
4
15
5
5
15
6
6
15
7
7
15
8
8
15
9
9
15
10
10
15
11
12
16
12
14
17
13
16
18
14
18
19
15
20
20

The first level of a skill costs always as much as the level requirement for the skill was in the unmodded game. For example, the first level of Might costs one skill point, while the first level of Concentration costs 18 skillpoints and the first of Fanaticism costs 30.

This table is not complete of course, you can see a complete table here.

Of course, players need more skill points in this system. Because of this, the number of skillpoints players gain per level-up has been altered.
Players receive one skillpoint for levels one to three, two skillpoints for levels four to six and so on. Basically divide the character level by three and you get the skillpoints that you receive for reaching that level.