Late TL8 skills (almost) everyone has

[oneofmanynameless]

I'm sure this has been extensively discussed in other places but I've tried a few searches and can't find it and am not sure what supplements to check.

What are skills that most people from developed nations in late TL 8 have? (assuming adult, high school graduate+, status 0+) Basically I'm trying to put together a comprehensive list of skills that if you don't have it would be considered a gap in your knowledge or skills base instead of having it being considered unusual or a special skill.

So far I've got:
Computer Operation
Driving (automobile)
Swimming
Bicycling?
Housekeeping
others?

but what about basic knowledges? Are there any?
Geography (political)?
Current Affairs (headline news)?
History (of some kind)?
Area Knowledge (locale where you grew up?)
any sort of hard sciences?
soft sciences?
Literature?

[shadowjack]

Kromm, in this post here (http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...97&postcount=4) recommends the basic list of:

• Area Knowledge of your home
• Computer Operation
• Current Affairs of some sort
• Housekeeping unless you're rich enough to have never done it yourself

Plus at least one of a range of personal interests: Carousing, Connoisseur, Games, Hobby Skill, Musical Instrument, Singing, Sports, etc.


Many people have Bicycling, Driving, or in some areas Boating… but many people also don't. Ditto Swimming.


Geography, Literature, and other scholarly / scientific skills are a bit more in-depth than I would expect of the average person.


(As for adventuring skills, there's this other Kromm post here: http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=369148)

[Donny Brook]

I think the Dabbler perk is a good way to model school education.

Each person might have an 8-skill version covering Biology, Physics, Chemistry, each type of Geography, human Physiology, History, and ?

Plus a 4-skill version with Math, Literature, Research and a subject they cared more about than others.

In addition to your list, Typing ("Keyboarding") and Savoir Faire might qualify as skills most people now have, and many will have some kind(s) of Games, Sports, Hobbies, Skating and Skiing.

My impression is that most people don't have Housekeeping, but rely on extra time and the +4 for routine activities.

First Aid, Erotic Art, Sex Appeal, Singing, Musical Instrument, Gardening, Administration, a sport version of an unarmed combat skill, Makeup, a Professional skill, Teaching and Writing would all be common, but certainly not universal. Any military veteran would have Soldier or some type of Crewman appropriate to his or her branch of service.

[Sorenant]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I think the Dabbler perk is a good way to model school education.

For basic education I think it only gives appropriate defaults. Most normal people use it with positive TDM and takes extra time.
Dabbler might fit for a particularly dedicated student, and higher than average IQ and talent covers thoses that deals with some subjects better than others.

[Anthony]

I would dispute the average person having computer operations -- just modern software has generous bonuses to your default.

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I would dispute the average person having computer operations -- just modern software has generous bonuses to your default.

I think there is a clear category of adults who aren't inherently incompetent but don't know how to operate a personal computer and struggle with smartphones. To me that strongly suggests there is a skill which most people have and they don't. Granted, most people aren't good at operating a personal computer, but 1 point and an IQ of 10 isn't going to get you very far with most things.
Same with driving, riding a bike, etc.

I am however confident that a big chunk of the adult population, possibly the majority, have no points whatsoever in the skills they were supposedly taught at school, like biology, and history. There doesn't seem to be any real difference between someone who is extraordinarily ignorant of those subjects and the average person. Mathematics might be the exception; I think average people know how decimal points work and what negative numbers are. That's more advanced than 'doesn't have Innumerate' which is basically just being able to count in your head and understand the four elementary operations.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Sam Baughn

I am however confident that a big chunk of the adult population, possibly the majority, have no points whatsoever in the skills they were supposedly taught at school, like biology, and history. There doesn't seem to be any real difference between someone who is extraordinarily ignorant of those subjects and the average person. Mathematics might be the exception; I think average people know how decimal points work and what negative numbers are. That's more advanced than 'doesn't have Innumerate' which is basically just being able to count in your head and understand the four elementary operations.

Well, the average student, at least where I grew up, has some kind of Math class every single year from the time they start differentiating subjects at all, so that does make sense.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Sorenant

For basic education I think it only gives appropriate defaults.
Dabbler might fit for a particularly dedicated student
higher than average IQ and talent covers thoses that deals with some subjects better than others.

IQ and Talent AFAIK don't actually reflect any time whatsoever having studied the subject. I think that's the point of at least taking dabbler. Using something at default is essentially "as good as if I never tried it" unless we want to model that using Incompetent.

If "incompetent in all skills" is the baseline of newborns in many skills then I guess buying that off could be seen as introductory learning via basic education. Or starting off with maxed Anti-Talents and buying those off.

Originally Posted by Tyneras

Most people likely have zero points in Computer Operation, but have worked off the familiarity penalties

B169 "if you have the skill to use a piece of equipment, you are considered familiar with a new make or model after you have had eight hours of practice"

I don't know if it would actually be possibly to gain Familiarity with relying on a default, isn't at least 1 point needed to "have" a skill? Might not even be possible with Dabbler.

Also I think most people's ability to operate computers reflects more than eight hours of practice...

[edk926]

Swimming isn't really an everyman skill. Many people have no real places to go and swim particularly big city dwellers. Driving will more depend on location. It's extremely common in the US, but only a small portion of people can drive in China for example. Computer Operation is more likely among someone younger than someone older. I've at least played around on a computer most of my life, but my dad can barely turn on a computer.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by edk926

Swimming isn't really an everyman skill. Many people have no real places to go and swim particularly big city dwellers. Driving will more depend on location. It's extremely common in the US, but only a small portion of people can drive in China for example. Computer Operation is more likely among someone younger than someone older. I've at least played around on a computer most of my life, but my dad can barely turn on a computer.

In the US, swimming is often taught in high school in districts that can afford swimming pools.