Skills

1) Could you give an example of skills?

Shailejron answers:

Examples of skills that be found outside of the traditional guild system:

* Languages: Elven tongue, Orc tongue etc.
* Crafting: Woodworking, Metalworking etc.
* Craft enhancement: Heraldry, Calligraphy, Runes, Gem-mounting etc.
* Lores: Elven lore, Music lore, Weapon lore etc.
* Songs: related to race and culture
* Swimming, Mining, Gambling, Mounting etc.

2) With woodworking can you make bows and arrows?

Shailejron answers:

Yes, if you knew how to craft bows and arrows. Simply having the woodworking skill will not give a character access to a hoard of items. The character must move on and learn how to craft them separately. Quite often this learning process involves quests and perhaps only a handful will learn how to craft the most powerful items. Two characters can both have the woodworking skill, but still have two different lists of items they have learned to craft.

3) How will the experience and skill improvement work?

Shailejron answers:

In many dungeon based games you kill monsters, gain experience and spend those experience points on skills. Things will work differently in Tildruin.

Your character starts off with an initial set of skills depending on class. As the character advances within the guild he/she is taught new skills by the guildmaster. There are a lot of skills to be discovered and quested outside of the traditional guild system.

Your character will not gain any experience by killing monsters. Experience is gained by improving your characters skills. If you want to develop a skill you must use it. A skill will develop faster if it is honed against a worthy challenge.

To sum things up: Your level is based on the sum of your skills. Skills are developed through use.

4) What kind of Occupation would have such skills as juggling, acrobatics, etc, etc.?

Shailejron answers:

Okay, lets start by sorting out: classes, professions and specializations. Your character will start with one class. When he/she has risen in rank within the class guild, to the point where there are no more titles to attain, he/she can move on and select a profession. The profession is an extension of your class, so you cannot move from a priest guild to become an assassin. You could however become a shaman, cleric, druid or deathpriest. The next step after mastering your profession is specialization.

All of this is referred to as your characters path. A path consists of the three steps: class, profession, specialization. Let me know if this still remain unclear.

Now I will move on to your question. Acrobatic skills are most likely to be taught in Encharmer and Rogue guilds. Remember that many skills can also be found outside of the traditional guilds, so we will never give you a definite answer to exactly where a skill can be found.

5) Is there a stealth skill?

Sorshepsut answers:

Yes, there will be both skills for hiding and disguise. Skilled rouges may be able to surprise their victims in combat, walk among their enemies in disguise and flee the scene of crime in the shadows. It will require both experience and cunning though. For example a clever disguise can be ruined if you enter a troll village and smell like an elf...

6) Is juggling an attack?

Shailejron answers:

Juggling itself is not an attack, but it can be used to train sleight of hand.

7) Can one have more than one class?

Shailejron answers:

A characters path consists of one class, one profession and one specialization.

8) Can one dig?

DrCBVI answers:

Yes, digging would be used for mining etc.

9) Will the developers be expanding the races and classes selection?

Yes, we will be working to expand both.

10) Will there be a chef class?

Shailejron answers:

No, but you can select Cook as your trade. Everyone can choose one trade alongside their path title. Other examples of trades are Tattooer, Blacksmith etc. etc.

11) Will one get experience from killing wild animals?

Shailejron answers:

You will not gain any experience by killing creatures. You gain experience by developing your skills. The model you mention is very common in games, but it offers few alternatives for a peaceful character to level without resorting to violence. In Tildruin you can develop your character in the manner you choose. Some will choose to live by the sword while others will be content with trades like crafting. Two characters from the same guild can have the same rank, yet have a very different focus.

12) So in Tildruin we can get experience by doing activities or skills et al?

Shailejron answers:

Exactly.

13) Do you get experience from raising your juggling skill?

Shailejron answers:

Yes! As well as learning languages, gardening, crafting, heraldry, etc.

14) How many trades is one allowed to have?

Shailejron answers:

Alongside your path title, you can acquire one trade title as well. You can acquire a trade title when you have sufficient proficiency in a skill. You could for example acquire the trade title Jeweller if your Gem-Mounting skill was well developed. The trade title will be another way for you to develop and promote your characters reputation.

15) Will some skills/trades be only available by race?

Shailejron answers:

There will be skills, craft-able items and songs only available to a race. Some knowledge is well protected, as it should be.

16) How would one enhance the sight hearing and smell skills?

Shailejron answers:

You could use spells, prayers or songs. It is not limited to just that, but you get the picture.

17) Will there be a touch and taste skill?

Shailejron answers:

I'm not really sure how that would work. Taste is a very personal matter. Do you have any thoughts?

17a) Could one taste a poison in one's food before it affects them?

Shailejron answers:

Ah, yes! There is a detect poison skill that works like that.

18) Can your trade title change?

Shailejron answers:

Yes, but it will cost your character money.

19) Is it possible to do more than one Class?

Shailejron answers:

No, this will not be possible. The path system has been devised to ensure that players work together. Multi-class games tend to make players self-sufficient. It is indeed realistic, but this is one field where we are aiming for playability over realism.

20) Can any race become any class they want?

Shailejron answers:

Humans are the only race that can become any profession. Only orcs and trolls can become hunters and shamans, but on the other hand they not become rangers and clerics. Dwarves will not have the possibility of becoming invokers.

Some professions will be harder for some races to gain admittance to. An example of this would be gnomes wishing to become warriors.

21) I know there is a swimming skill, but will different waterways have required swim level to cross or will you have to guess if you are good enough to cross it and risk killing yourself.?

Sorshepsut answers:

If you are a mediocre swimmer you'll get tired quickly and risk drowning. Some lakes and oceans are too vast to be crossed by a swimmer, regardless of skill, and boats will be needed.

22) Can telepathy be used in the game :ie will u learn it or can u choose it in your stats?

Shailejron answers:

Telepathy would be a skill, if it existed.

22a) If you can use telepathy will you be able to plant thoughts into npc's head and influence them?

Shailejron answers:

That is an interesting thought.

22b) will you be able to talk to other people privately through their thoughts sort of like the dead can converse with the living when the living sleep?

Shailejron answers:

Yes, you can use tells to communicate between two individuals. There was a discussion about the unrealistic use of tells on our mailing list. We promised to develop alternative methods (in the future), i.e. messengers and pigeons. If these alternative methods turn out well we could ditch tell in the future.

23) Will there be bonuses for stealth killing (e.g. for placing first blow without being detected by victim) for assassin?

Shailejron answers:

Yes! Npc's sense nearby beings based on sight, sound and smell. To make an optimal sneak attack you would want to neutralize all of those. The above create some interesting combinations and possibilities.

24) Will there be target ranges for archers to practice on?

Shailejron answers:

Hm. No, but it sounds like a good idea.