Skills, skills everywhere

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by Xplo

Remember that in order to get even a default in a skill, you have to know something about it - so the fact that you know something about a skill doesn't mean you're not using it at default.

As the rules perfectly explain it, I know the Scuba skill by default. From watching the TV (and also speaking with friends who have the skill)... But I have certainly not the same default level with driving. I drive for more than 25 years, for true, which makes a huge, huge difference between my Scuba skill level and my Driving skill level.

Originally Posted by Xplo

Even if you've spent time studying the skill, you might not have a full point in it - and at 4e's resolution before Dabbler was introduced, that means no points.

And as I wrote it above, I fully do agree for most of the little skills I have... But not for Driving, for instance.

Originally Posted by Xplo

Ditto for techniques. Just because you know how to kick someone, or apply an arm lock, or whatever, doesn't mean that you have extra points in Techniques; most likely it's just part of knowing the underlying skill (which, again, you might not even have a full point in). If you can get to the end of the sentence "I have 12 Techniques" without noticing a problem with the concept of having 12 narrow specializations, you're thinking about it all wrong.

No, that's not wrong, even if it may appear.

As I explained it in my post just above, there are two ways to create a character: optimization and realistic detail.

If you think in optimization mode, of course, taking more than a couple of technique is a waste of points. It's a much better idea to improve the skill and to choose the couple of techniques for which your character is supposed to be very good...

But, in reality, we all have more than a couple of favorite techniques, and more than a couple of techniques for which we are not as good... Fine-tuning a character to that point is possible! GURPS is amazing here. But it supposes to take a lot of techniques.

Originally Posted by Xplo

Of course, I say this, and yet I'm an advocate for giving (for instance) moderately experienced drivers a point in Driving vs. those people who assume nearly everyone is operating at default. In any case, you can't assume that you have a point in every skill you know.

Of course. I never assumed that I had a full point in all skill I know. I know a lot just by default and have no problem with that. But I also know a lot more than just by default. My job (teaching all subjects to children) implies that. And my personal way of life (learning all what I can) also do it.

I don't consider myself as an exception. We all have a lot of skills in which we are better than Mr Everybody. This is especially obvious in this forum. Even if some are better than others in some subjects (and much better than I am), we all discuss about a lot of different things like science, history, combat, politics, computers, etc., with a lot of precision and detail... GURPS may be a game that requires to be cultivated.

GURPS player or GM: competent character, 50 to 75 character points. Hint: extensively use the Dabbler perk.