I have talked about utility skills before. In my definition I define them as non-combat or out of combat abilities (find corpse, lockpick, lighting). I think all classes will at least have a couple of these and some classes would have more.
Pantheon will use a limited hotbar (10-12 slots) from what we know. However, in the past it was mentioned that there would be other slots available for commands, items, clickies, etc.
Kilsin, My question is 2 part (if it can be answered):
1. Is this still a thing? Will there be additional non-combat skills slots for things like clickies?
2. Could this be extended to the type of utitlity skills Im talking about?
I understand and am totally on board with limited slots to make combat more strategic, but switching out your abilities all the time for non-combat abilities could get a bit annoying and wouldnt really effect combat in the same way that combat skills would. Of course there are some utility skills that while they arent necessarily combat skills, could still affect combat as well so that would need to be considered I guess. Anyways just an idea I had. Just dont like the idea of switching skills just to switch skills. But maybe Im wrong on this line of thinking?
Thanks Kilsin, I thought that might be a bit too secret of info, but I thought Id at least ask.
@Wig
If Im understanding you, yes. Keep in mind Im working off memory here and "Clickies" is a loan word from EQ, we didnt call them that in FFXI (actually I cant even remember what we called them, there were not many in XI). But Kilsin has spoken so this thread is essentially done...... for now.
What I'd likek to see is this; we start at level 1 with 10 spell slots max. Then either as we level we gain more slots to mem or we gain some slots with something like AAs. I think it would be cool if we started with 10 and then at level 30 we got 1 more slot to mem and then at 50 we get 1 more. So we would start with 10 slots max and then we would get 11 max about mid way to level cap and then once we reach max level we would get 1 more to max our mem spell slots to 12. I think 12 is a great number, I'm a HUGE fan of VGs system so I prefer having ALL of my spells at the ready and though I'm fine with 10 slots I'd prefer more. After going from EQ to VG and then back to EQ 8 slots feels constricted. The cool thing with EQ now though, haven't got to try it yet, is through AAs you can increase your maximum amount of spells you can memorize which is why I don't see why there would be any trouble with it working in Pantheon.
The reason why we wouldn't need anything else like a few extra for stuff like utility spells is because I'm pretty sure we will be able to save multiple memmed spell sets. I understand where you are coming from Amsai and agree that something like utility spells that aren't useable during combat wouldn't really hurt to have a few extra slots so that we don't have to keep rememming them and forgetting them. But as long as we can save multiple setups bringing up our utility spells won't be hard or annoying because as long as we are out of combat all we need is a single click of a button a we have access to our spells. The worst thing that can happen is having to wait a few seconds if memming requires a second or two to mem each spell.
@Noobiedoo,
I played both EQ and VG, and I much preferred EQ's limited spell sets to VG's. However, a fair compromise would be to have EQ's resource management on top of VG's skillsets. If that was in play, even if you had access to them all, you couldn't spam them or you'd easily run out of resources (mana, endurance, etc.). Basically, at that point, even if they were all there, you would still have to be selective in their use. With that said though, I much prefer the strategy that is required to plan ahead rather than be able to not have the "oh ****" moment where you realized you did not plan accordingly, or had forgot to remem a spell.
But, even though I prefer EQ's - it had 8 available spelll gems at launch, and I'd be ok with that (or the 10 that Pantheon has proposed) + obtaining mastery along the way, perhaps every 10 levels unlocking another ability slot. And perhaps that mastery is not automatic, but a part of some major epic quest, but, that epic quest is also not required.
@Amsai,
In the EQ world, "clickies" weren't really a utility skill, they were called clickies because they were right clickable while equipped and later on in EQ's existence from the inventory and they provided some sort of buff, whether that be runspeed (Jboots), regen (Fungi-Staff), HP/MANA coversion (Manastone) etc.
Utility skills weren't on the 8 memorized spell slots in EQ, as those were restricted only to spells. Skills like Lock Picking, pick pocket etc. were on a separate hotbar. Pure melees in EQ, and even Hybrids in EQ didn't have combat skills that were memorized, but rather, they were shown on a separate hotbar. It was only spells that used the limited spell gem slots. So, for example, Hybrids had their spells on the 8 gems, but all their combat abilities were on a separate hotbar. So, you could argue that they had more than 8 memorized at one time.
Now, if Pantheon has skills for melees that take endurance etc. that would be similar to spells (limited resource) I could see Pantheon using that and improving on EQ's very limited abilities set for pure melees and hybrids. And, perhaps a hybrid would be penalized in melee by having to decide by needing to memorize spells versus combat abilities; whereas, pure melees would "only" have melee abilities memorized.
@Raidan
Thanks for the clarification on how they functioned. But to be clear I wasnt suggesting they were utlity skills. Just that earlier in Pantheons development I thought I remembered a dev saying that aside from the limited hotbar for abilities (i assume at this point this is any combat action spell or otherwise) that there would be another set of slots where you could put other things like clickies, quest items, tools, or just make buttons for actions or emotes and stuff. And in the case of non combat abilities maybe they could be placed along with the other things like clickies. Did that make sense lol?
Also while we still dont have a lot of info, my assumption was that the hotbar would share any and all abilities melee or magic. And that even if its called mana for mages or stamina for melee that everyone would be using the Living Codex (cant make it too easy for melee) to set combat abilities for our limited hotbars. And that this would tie into the colored mana(or stamina?) system. Of course its possible that Im wrong. This is just my interpretation based on the limited info. But notice that in the Features section it says spells and abilities, not just spells.
Oxillion said:
I hate it when Kilsin does that...LOL
I would love to talk more about it but we are just not at that point with development yet, when we are I will be the first person to get the information to you all ;)
