Learning styles.
So there was some talk of the skill-learning methods being a bit -too- varied and that if we were to ever make this into a real game, it would be a programming nightmare.
While this is part of the reason why I prefer to keep it as a 'theoretical dream project' instead of pretending we're ever going to actually make this game, I can see the logic in keeping the programming in mind when designing.
As it stands, each character has (or should have) their own unique learning style. Additionally, each character has their own resource-use style (or combination of resource types). I think the benefit of this is that it allows us to use this aspect of gameplay to show some aspect of the PC's personality.
It also makes sure that each of the PCs handles in a unique way beyond the basic 'I have a unique skillset' thing that RPG designers have been using since like... Breath of Fire. This is essentially based on Shadow Hearts 2/FF6's school of 'everyone learns differently' because it really helps each PC to stand out in their own right. However, we have quite a few more PCs than SH2, and FF6 didn't have -that- many learning styles either.
So, as a compromise, I would propose combining a few learning styles across the board. Condensing 20 styles into about 7, let's say.
Let's look at what we have so far:
Noemi: Observational Learning. This is a pretty unique mechanic and really fits her personality, so I wouldn't want to change it, and probably wouldn't want to share the mechanic with many PCs, if any at all.
Erastus: Has all skills from beginning. Costs decrease as levels increase. The idea was to show that Erastus isn't learning new skills (he's already a veteran), simply building up his strength again.
Kasia: Plot-forced based on situational usefulness. Boring for the player, good for character development. Consider revising to have more flexibility.
Aurel: FF9-style skill-learning. Equip an armor, have access to skill. Equip for X battles, learn skill permanently. I'd propose making this one of the main learning methods.
Shao: ToP/SaGa hybrid-learning style. Shao's skills require the player to find textbooks/tomes/skillbooks/whatever you want to call'em. Once he's found the book, his INT has to surpass a certain value for the skill to 'spark'. This makes INT-buffing very valuable to him. Also, INT-boosting equipment. This strikes me as interesting, but we could definitely refine this for more general use.
Isolde: Cluster-learning and skill-upgrading. One of my favorite styles due to how it gives the player some freedom of choice and makes Isolde's skillset one of the most dynamic. Also, all of the clusters being visible from the start, and her 'choosing' which ones she's ready to start using again really reflects how she's a veteran who simply allowing bits of her too-famous fighting style to show through again as her cover becomes less important.
Faulheit: Same as Erastus, but in reverse. Starts with all his skills (he's also a veteran warrior, and far too lazy to learn new ones now), but his MP is too low to use them at first. Sticking with this style would require his MP growth to be nearly quadruple what it is for everyone else, which is apparently annoying to program. Whatever... As a humorous alternative that gives Faulheit a bit more personality, we've decided to change this to a Drinking Minigame! Faulheit challenges drunkards in pubs throughout the world! If he wins the drinking game, then clearly he's gotten drunk enough to inspire a new skill! While it sounds silly, it's oddly appropriate. However, this could easily be replaced with whatever systems we decide to focus on.
Katarine: Skill-point system, a la Grandia 2. Katarine gains her own pool of skillpoints in proportion to the experience she gets from regular fights. She can use these points to 'purchase' things from a list of available skills. In addition, she can 'level up' skills by expending points. It's not particularly original, but I love this style of skill-learning and I'd like to make it one of our main styles.
Ilona: Originally was going to be trained directly by Mirek, but her role got shuffled around, so now she has no learning style. It was suggested that she be an equipment-based learner like Aurel/FF9.
Selena: Is a late-ish joiner, and optional, so we were just going to let her start with all of her skills, period. Might end up keeping it this way out of laziness, but she could easily be given a learning style with how early she has ended up joining, really.
Mirek: All plot-learned. Kinda boring, really, but I suppose it definitely fits his character to have something passive like this.
Eirwen: Essentially, she works on an item-gatekeeper system, but it's multi-tiered due to how her cooking works. Eirwen finds/buys ingrediants (they can be found earlier than bought), and then she has to choose two ingrediants to add to her DQ8 Alchemy pot. X # of battle turns later (or Y number of battles fought or Z clockticks on the main field, whatever), and the item is produced and usable, with the option of starting cooking on the next item instantly available. Essentially, cooking should happen quickly, with the main limitation being ingrediant availability. But, with enough cooking speed, Eirwen could essentially double her inventory (15 of a certain food item + 15 of each of the ingrediants = 30 uses possible in-battle for long enough battles). Her unique weapon-type should make this cooking speed possible.
Addendum: We have also considered a Suikoden-esque cooking battle scenes, though these don't have to be part of Eirwen's learning style (maybe just for her ultimate dishes, and let the earlier dishes just be based on whenever she decides to combine the correct ingrediants?).
Artur: Mini-game-based learning. Not that different from the proposed drinking game for Faulheit, I suppose. Though Andy didn't really expand on how this was to be used.
Claire: Dual-learning method! She ended up getting Ilona's proposed learning method AND her original learning method! Original method was similar to Eirwen's - item-gatekeeping. Specifically, she can find/buy fruits that have various effects (found earlier than bought, as usual). The method she inheirited from Ilona was being trained by Mirek! This really suits her story well, and is essentially a minigame-based learning style. The idea was that Mirek could talk to Claire in towns and offer to train her. This would open up a menu where Claire could choose from a variety of training battles where she was supposed to complete an objective that would inspire a skill. To complete the objectives, the player would need to maximize their chances of completing it by carefully selecting the appropriate equipment for the enemy-type. E.g. If the objective was 'get 5 critical hits in one encounter', then the battle would have 5 relatively high-HP/Def mooks and Claire should equip a high-crit weapon and use any crit-boosting skills/accessories at her disposal. Mirek and Eirwen could also be allies in these training battles. Completing the objective would earn her the skill that pushes enemies back one hex, reflecting doing 'critical damage'.
Rafael: A much more simple version of 'find the gate-keeper items', but his most certainly come with boss fights. (Optional or forced, depending on which Sigil.)
Yiu: Find the item, sell the item, mass-produce the item. His ultimate skill must be stolen from an optional (repeatable) boss.
Meilin: Equipment-based skill-learning a la Aurel/FF9. Works particularly well with her dual-weapon skillset.
Xun: Plot-based learning. He gets more pets as you progress through the game. The Hippopressor clone COULD be an optional boss that he recruits to give him a -little- more player control.
Jin: Mini-game-learning-esque. Tal proposed that he simply has to talk to other musicians throughout the world. Starts with most of his songs due to being a late-ish PC. I propose a DDR-like beatgame for each Song Tutor!
Fahim: Exactly the same as Shao. They even use the same spellbook key items and INT requirements. This helps Fahim out a bit, since you'll already have half of his learning requirements by the time you get him, but it still gives the player some freedom of when to concentrate on getting his skills (and some of the spellbooks are optional dungeon stuff perhaps?).
More concisely:
Unique: Noemi, Isolde
Already Have It/Level-learning-in-disguise: Erastus, Faulheit(original plan), Shao*, Fahim* (*half of their requirements)
Plot-scene: Kasia, Mirek, Xun, Isolde (clusters unlock based on plot)
Skill points: Katarine
Equipment-based learning: Aurel, Meilin, Ilona? (potentially)
Find the Item!: Shao*, Fahim* (*half of their requirements), Eirwen, Rafael, Yiu, Claire (+another type for her other skillset)
Mini-game Awarded: Faulheit (new plan), Artur, Jin, Claire (+another type)
So, technically, we already have only 7 learning types, but each type is just so weird in the varying details, that it feels like 20.
It is very easy to fix this simply by changing the details, but I'd like to hear from others on how best to condense it.
