Cost of HT.

[vicky_molokh]

Regarding unification of skills:

The opposition to e.g. unifying all sciences into Science! stems largely from the latter being branded cinematic. However, from a purely gamist PoV, there's no reason why a character knowing 20-30 sciences as 20-30 skills at IQ+1 is any more realistic than a character knowing one big and expensive Science skill that includes those 20-30 sciences.
Very importantly, for science skills, there's usually the cheaper option of getting more IQ if raising skills is too expensive.

And this, I think, gives the hint to the solution to the skill bloat:
We need to have different levels of skill breadth, with the ability to tone them down to the desired level of specialisation, with each narrower level being priced cheaper.
Escalating skill costs will probably go out the window, resulting in a scheme of something like this:
Technique or Perk: 1/level.
Specialised Skill: 2/level.
Normal Skill: 4/level.
General Skill: 8/level.
Omnidisciplinary Skill: 12/level.

Narrower skills would default to the more wide skill(s) in which they are included, but not vice-versa. Default between different same-breadth skills are a thing to think about, carefully.
Some general skills might partially overlap; this is normal.

The important point is getting rid of overpriced skill-point bloats coexisting with attributes priced at up to [20/level].

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Regarding unification of skills:

The opposition to e.g. unifying all sciences into Science! .

I have seen no one propose this. I didn't and I don't think Anthony did either

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I have seen no one propose this. I didn't and I don't think Anthony did either

I read this comment:

Originally Posted by wellspring

(And BTW, you can have Science as one skill- it's called Science! It's not absurd, just appropriate only in a certain style of game. )

As hinting that it's cinematic-only.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I read this comment:

As hinting that it's cinematic-only.

Science! comes under the heading of the box on p.175 headed Optional Rules: Wildcard Skills. The first paragraph says that experts with such Skills don't exist in the real world but can be part of the fun in cinematic games.

So "Science!" wouldn't part of any re-organisation of the Skill list but rather a replacement of the current list with an optional rule.

Even your quoted poster didn't seem to be advocating this. Just noting its' existence.

So with no one supporting such use of Bang! Skills I wonder where the "resistance" to the idea is comi9ng from.

[vicky_molokh]

I guess I just read too much into it, then.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I have seen no one propose this. I didn't and I don't think Anthony did either

Because those that think the whole goal if skill reduction is at best pointless are being polite and letting you lot have your thread but do not mistake silence for agreement.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Because those that think the whole goal if skill reduction is at best pointless are being polite and letting you lot have your thread but do not mistake silence for agreement.

Uh..unless you're proposing that all science skills should be removed and replaced with one Science! skill, this is a nonsensical rejoinder.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Uh..unless you're proposing that all science skills should be removed and replaced with one Science! skill, this is a nonsensical rejoinder.

given you missed have the point it not nonsensical

yes I Do opposed the changed the default way GURPS so that there is only one science skill on the ground is would limit GURPS to climatic options only exactly what vicky said.

But this is based on the fact the I don't the futher trimming of 4e skill tree is a good idea in the first place.

And that blithely accepting because none in this thread has opposed the idea means the idea doesn't exist, because those that do oppose it don't oppose you working together to make you house rules isn't the same think your house rules are a good idea for GURPS

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

given you missed have the point it not nonsensical

It is nonsensical as a response to what you were quoting. It's not nonsensical to be opposed to trimming the skill tree (I disagree, but that doesn't make it nonsensical), but it's utterly irrelevant to what you were actually responding to.

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

You appear to have ignored the part where I said that the list of exactly which Science Skills are available is controlled by the GM and there is no list of Canonical ones in the corebook. Just like for Hobby and Profession.

I've ignored it to the extent that it is utterly inconsequential.

GURPS RAW: A character has Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Your version: All of these skills are grouped under Science. The character has Science (Biology), Science (Chemistry), and Science (Physics).

You haven't changed anything. There are still as many skills as there were before. Nothing whatsoever has been simplified. As I said before, all you did was sweep them under rugs.

GM control over the list of sciences is likewise inconsequential as GMs can already do that and it's somewhat assumed that GMs will be doing this for any campaign they run. "Botany has no use in this campaign, you can't take it." "But... but my character is a botanist!" "He won't be acting as a botanist. Put it in his character background."