Post Career Education/Training - End of October draft

[CosmicGamer]

Now, for a fighter pilot, marksmen, athlete, gambler, turret gunner, swordsman, etc - does it make sense that it takes years of experience/learning for each skill level? Nope. Evidence points to the fact that these skills are not directly linked to time spent at all.

A football player doesn't have to spend time training and practicing to advance in skill? A marksman never has to spend time firing a single shot and somehow they advance in skill? Really, time is not directly linked to improving ones ability?

But then I thought, well, you are kinda right. If I sit on the couch and just watch TV will I "level up"?

I agree that time is not the one and only factor for leveling skills; and not just fighter pilot, marksmen, athlete... not sure why some skills keep being brought up in regards to the time issue.

Going back to the TV thing to be silly. I could be a sought after partner on trivia night at the local bar. End up on a game show and be skill level 4 "renowned" TV trivia star doing comercials and... :roll:

On the less silly side, I could possibly be watching game footage that might help improve my football skill. Maybe watching a poker tournament on TV, learning more about the game and the tells my future opponents might have... things that take time.

Time is a huge factor, is it not? Whatever other factors you may come up with, study hard, working out, practicing, do take time don't they? And I think time is something all skills would need unlike working out at the gym or some other factors that go into improving different skills.

So I'm not sure what your point is in regards to time. What is this "evidence" you site? Maybe if you can point us to it we can get a better understanding of what you are talking about.

You indicate not wanting to discuss alternatives to skill leveling for character progression and of course the game is supposed to be fun so while the following are not the only two options...
What is more fun?
Option 1: Sitting around the table RPing with absolutely no leveling.
Option 2: Sitting around the table increasing skills every 5 minutes for no reason at all.
A little silly, but if rapid skill leveling all by itself is supposedly the way to have more fun, why not make the game as fun as possible? Like the discussion of time above, perhaps skill leveling is not the one and only factor to be discussed?

I'm fine with the core rules having it's default training system one that fits the rest of the rules.
- The rules describe what skill levels represent (and indicate time).
- The character generation rules imply a rate during a four year term (time) for which characters gain skills.
- The game mechanics and design support slower skill progression

I'll elaborate on the last point. The Traveller game mechanics that should be considered in regards to limiting leveling. Things different from other game systems where leveling can be more rapid.
- Traveller is a classless system where characters can gain any skill in the game. In Traveller there are no classes creating weapon, armor, equipment, or skill restrictions. A game system with classes limits what skills a character can gain and/or what weapons and items they can use and helps give each member of a party of characters a purpose and significant role to play in the game. The role and difference between characters is only enhanced as characters level within their class. As Traveller characters gain skills the opposite is more likely as characters start gaining new skills and improving on skills which make other characters skills less unique. Yes, players CAN (but need not) choose to only improve skills which do not overlap but this brings up the next point.
- Traveller is a 2d6 system with finite granularity where every +1 can make quite a difference. Skill levels in a 2d6 system need to be limited as compared to a system with skills that can go into the double digits and perhaps use something like a percentile system.

I don't want to keep anyone from having fun playing their way. Perhaps some logic, reasoning, or tangible argument could be provided that shows and quantifies how and why someone would have more fun with a quick leveling system vs alternatives.

 

[CosmicGamer]

A) what defines training/time spent learning?
The publisher or house rules? You are probably talking about something else but you'd have to be more specific as in real life entire books can't cover this for even just one skill.

B) should all skills be equal? What about profession skills?
The current system has variation depending on the skill level.
The current system also does support some variation between different skills - athletics.

There could easily be more variation but as a game mechanic, I support something that is not too complicated. I prefer rules that make sense and can be memorized to things that need the books opened up, looking things up on tables, and so on.

C) why can't I raise stats?
To me, improving athletics skill covers some of this. For a little plausible reasoning, a person has a certain genetic makeup and taking someone who starts with a 2,2,2,2,2,X character and somehow allowing them to raise to F,F,F,F,F,X without the use of augmentation seams unrealistic to me.

D) evidence has show us that experience is the best teacher, how can we simulate that?
The current system completely allows "experience" during a study period. I have personally supported wording the description of training such that practice is stressed so that people realize it's more than just book learning. Time in a pilot simulator. Time in the cargo bay with a holographic swordsman to spar with...

For an on the job type or real life experience system which is not proposed to be covered in the core rules: Several systems have been suggested with varying degrees of additional paperwork and record keeping. I'm pretty sure one or more may be seen in the Traveller Companion publication.

I have brought up before that advancement is a very complicated matter. Just for starters is all the possible methods. From my own documentation I have sections on: Learning by doing, Self taught, Learn from a mentor, Learn from an instructor, and Advanced learning methods (like a high tech machine that programs your brain and you learn while you sleep). Each of these categories has many possibilities too. For example learn from an instructor in a classroom setting where a course takes a set time vs learning one on one from a private instructor.