TFW Contest #1 - Skill Point System

[Myhrginoc]

CONTEST #1 IS CLOSED

The first player to post the general formula for skill points will get to design a TFW set, unique item or runeword of choice. There is only one formula for all player skills, although the starting points differ. (Although this is an alpha release, the skill point system will not change with the mod's final release unless there is a fatal flaw not yet found.)

The skillpoint formula is shown here as an algorithm:

Code: Select all

nspm = 0 

for ( sl = 1 ; sl = X ; sl = sl + 1 ) 
{ 
if sl < 21 
then nspm = nspm + 1; 

if 21 <= sl < 31 
then nspm = nspm + 3; 

if 31 <= sl < 41 
then nspm = nspm + 6; 

if 41 <= sl 
then nspm = nspm + 10; 
} 

cost to increase from the current level (x-1) to the next higher one (x) = initial cost * nspm

(correct answer by oldboy 6/23/06)

A unique item or runeword design will be awarded for the first correct answer to each question below. (This is true even if the general formula has been posted, there are no end dates for this contest.) These questions refer to skillpoint allocations only, no item bonus may apply.

2. If all skills are increased equally, how many levels can each skill acquire? L27 (correct answer by oldboy 6/9/06)
   
   
3. How many skills can a single class raise to L50? Name the class on which your answer is based. Sorceress, 12 skills (correct answer by oldboy 6/23/06)
   
   
4. How high can you raise the skills if you concentrate on one skill page only? Name the page for which your answer applies. Sorceress, L41 for lightning skills (correct answer by oldboy 6/23/06)

Naturally, this contest is not open to anybody on the TFW design team, who has seen the txt file or had access to development posts.

[Disruptive Idiot]

The general formula(s) for skill points is(are) as followed:

First, how many skill points attained at each level:
10x, where x = the level attained.

Therefore, the amount of skill points accumulated at any arbitrary level is:
i=1 i->x: 10(2+3...+i+(i+1)...+x); X being the arbitrary level for calculation subtract 1. For example, a level 10 character has 540 skill points without quests factored in.

Second, the cost of buying a skill level:
C(x), where C is the cost of buying the first level in the skill and X is the level to be bought for the skill.

Then, to raise a skill from 0 to any arbitrary level follows the formula:
i=1 i->x: C(1+2+3...+i+(i+1)...+x)

Is that sufficient?

Edit1: To answer for the second question, a Necromancer can max out sixteen skills at level 200.

[JrEye]

Did a druid for this one.

You gain per level 10(x-1) where x is your level fpr a total of 199,000 skill points when you go from 2 to 200.

I got the same formula for skills as Disruptive

my answers:

A druid can raise all skills in all trees to 25.

A druid can attain 26 lvl 50 skills.

A druid can raise all skills in the summoning tree to 44.

[Disruptive Idiot]

Ah right, you don't get points at level one! Silly me!

I also revised my necromancer answer, because I forgot to take into account the fairly sizeable quest point bonuses.

[JrEye]

I didnt do any quest reqards for my calcs

Dont think it would change answers much though even if you had to. Though I wouldnt know since I havent completed all quests in all difficulties

[Myhrginoc]

Contests aren't contests if I give out feedback, so I'll do this only once. And that is because I did not say either way whether quest rewards matter. They do matter, but you will have to experience them to know how. And be sure you observe skillpoints actually expended to see if they follow the formula you derive. Unfortunately there is a bug in SkillPrereq.dll that "loses track" of the next level's requirement at certain points, so you have to watch your level-ups. That was an unintentional extra difficulty to the contest!

[JrEye]

I guess the skill formula is curved then, if not then Rewards you get from quests would have to total between all difficulties to 14K+ in order to change answer #2 for druid, 84K for #1 and would probly shift answer for #3 by 1-2 skill levels since you will probly get more then 8K from rewards

Edit: I probly wont be able to fix my equation as I dont get that much time to play. Mainly play for fun with what little time I have.

[Myhrginoc]

Ahh... The lost Horadric Scroll! What a fortunate turn of events...

As some people have said to annoy me, " that's for me to know and you to find out!"

[oldboy]

a picturre says more then thousand words: album_page.php?pic_id=1649


formula: ( starting cost ) x summ

summ = ( 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ... ) until lvl 20, after lvl 20 it goes
summ = ( 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ... ) + ( 3 + 3 + 3 + ... ) until lvl 30, after this
summ = ( 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ... ) + ( 3 + 3 + 3 + ... ) + ( 6 + ... ) until lvl 40, ....

it goes every 10th skill-lvl this way, after the 20th.

=> starting cost x [1; 2; 3; 4; ...; 20; 23; 26; 29; ...; 50; 56; 62; .....]

omg *edit*




edit:

... viva lvl up there are 199.000 skill points available.

-in Anger Arising the char gets + 80; + 200 and + 500 points.
= 780
-in Heart of Rage he gets + 800 for the Den of Evil. which could mean
he would get + 2.000 and + 5.000 for the other Quests.
= 7.800
- for the last stage he maybe could get + 8.000 ; + 20.000 and + 50.000 skill points ( = ? !!! wtf). = 78.000

I don´t think that after each difficulty the points are going up by x10. but I just guess: from the quests he gets 86.580 extra skill points.



1. Pala (601) could have each skill at lvl 27.

[Myhrginoc]

We have a winnah!!!

oldboy has correctly answered Question #1 in the TFW Contest: if all skill points are equally allocated, a character can have L27 in each skill. That is L27 in base skill points, not accounting for item bonuses. He gets to design a unique item or runeword to be added to the mod.

Please submit your design to me as a PM, unless you want everybody to know in advance what your item's properties are. Regardless, you will receive full credit for your idea.

I realize I am tardy in acknowledging this win. The "unread message" flag stays green for three days, but it was nine before I returned from my trip since he posted.

[oldboy]

2. sorc (92/93):
when just the cheapest skills are maxed, then 12 skills would have a level of 50.

3. sorc: lightning skills (185):

when all points are used for lighning skills equally, all lightning skills would have a level of 41. 3455 skillpoints would be left, which could be used to increase the cheaper ones of this tree.



# skill formula:

sl = skill level
nspm = needed skill points multiplikator

x is the skill level you wanna reach form the current skill level (x-1)
37 is the skill level you wanna reach form the current skill level 36

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nspm = 0

for ( sl = 1 ; sl = X ; sl = sl + 1 )
{
if sl < 21
then nspm = nspm + 1;

if 21 <= sl < 31
then nspm = nspm + 3;

if 31 <= sl < 41
then nspm = nspm + 6;

if 41 <= sl
then nspm = nspm + 10;
}

cost to increase from the current level (x-1) to the next higher one (x) = initial cost * nspm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for this example it would look like this:

0 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 .... + 1 + 3 + 3 + 3 .... + 3 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6

0 + 1 * 20 + 3 * 10 + 6 * 7 = 92

Exploding Orb costs 15
to increase EO from level 36 to 37 , 15 * 92 = 1380 skill points are needed.

[Myhrginoc]

Hat Trick - We have a winnah!!!

oldboy has correctly answered Question #2 in the TFW Contest: if skill points are invested in the cheapest skills only, a Sorceress can bring 12 skills to L50. He gets to design a second unique item or runeword to be added to the mod.

oldboy has correctly answered Question #3 in the TFW Contest: if skill points are invested on one skilltab only, a Sorceress can bring all Lightning skills to L41. He gets to design a third unique item or runeword to be added to the mod.

oldboy has correctly determined the general formula in the TFW Contest. He gets to choose to design either a new TFW set with up to six items, or a fourth unique item or runeword, to be added to the mod.

Please submit your designs to me as a PM, unless you want everybody to know in advance what your items' properties are. Regardless, you will receive full credit for your idea.

For anybody who might want to use a similar formula, this is the representation I use in the skpoints field of Skills.txt:

"(X * ((blvl + 1) + max(2 * (blvl - 19), 0) + max(3*(blvl - 29),0) + max(4 * (blvl - 39),0)))"

where X is the initial cost of the skill.