Skill Book Skill Acquisition a bit too limited

[KD7BCH]

I like the skill books. I don't find the restrictions that anytime you are in the red on any condition or suffering a medical condition that you cant learn at all. I think it would make far more sense if you'd learn at a reduced rate. Such as if you are tired, you learn at 50%, if you are tired and cold, you learn at 25%. In this way you'd still incentive good condition but not eliminate time spent learning while hypothermic.  

[Hiemalis]

Never noticed that, but I wholeheartedly agree.

[nicko]

not sure. I have skill books that say I am too skilled and the book is pretty much useless for now?

Thefore I just place those on a shelf for later and see if they become useful.

 

[Dirmagnos]

Dont like in general how skill books work, giving flat skill bonus. Id prefer that each book gave some specific bonus, like performing actions faster, using less resources, teaching new or superior recipe, adding bonus to newly crafted items, etc. Most definitely not skill bonus.

[KD7BCH]

I also think that if you are going to do skill books, and have a skill system, a radical change in how the percentages work should occur. Learned knowledge via survival skill books is going to come fast, early and then slow later on. Slowly increasing your skill over time makes sense for skills.

Skills such as as how to build a fire,

how to fix a bandage,

how to prevent infection,

how to cook,

these should all basic things which should load the skill on the early side of learning. 

Example, say for the fire starting one, assume your base chance, regardless of materials and number of times you've lit a fire, say you are "read up on the subject"

only 1 hour, this would increase your chance of starting a fire by 5%, cumulative 5%

the next hour, another 4%, cumulative 9%

next hour another 3%, cumulative 12%

next hour, another 2%, cumulative 14%

next hour another 1%, cumulative 15%

next two hours 1%, cumulative 16%

next four hours another 1%. cumulative 17%

next eight hours 1%, cumulative 18%

next sixteen hours 1%, cumulative 19%

last sixteen hours 1%, cumulative 20% increased chance to light a fire. 

Starting a fire is pretty basic once you have the materials you need, Oxygen, fuel and heat is all you need, Heat is typically the hardest one to come by since that is usually the primary reason you are building a fire in the first place. Oxygen is limitless but is rate limited based on how you craft the structure of your fuel. Surface area and etc. The point being all of this can be explained in the first hour or two of reading and then the skill is much more about practice, trial and error to find out what doesn't work based on the know how you have. This is loosely how the current skill system is implemented and I like that when you succeed at building a fire you increase skill as well. 

An example of what should be experience based after lots of knowledge is the fire bow drill. You should be able to read up on this but the experience of making the drill and then using it is what will get you making fires.