When you think of skills in MMORPGs, you most likely envision combat abilities. Fighting, after all, is 90% of what MMO design seems to be. But this won’t be the case with Book of Travels, which is putting a decent amount of thought into making its skill system more well-rounded.
In the game’s latest developer diary, Might and Delight explains how the four types of skills will function in the upcoming micro-MMO. Book of Travel’s skills are divided into knots (akin to magic scrolls that require preparation), teas (potions that provide a long-lasting effect), abilities (actions that can be performed in the world), and passives (which can be chained for unique bonuses). Players will also choose one of four “winds” for their characters, and these winds will provide stronger effects for certain categories of skills.
“Unlike many RPGs, your character won’t learn skills per automation upon leveling up,” the studio said. “Instead we have made gathering skills into something a bit more contextual and roleplay like (you’re likely to learn the fishing skill from a fisherman, and a master at a tea house might teach you a magical tea blend). Of course there are numerous ways to acquire skills, such as learning them from NPCs, receiving them as rewards in events, trading for them, or finding them randomly in loot. ”
