why don't skill %'s drop based on how long it has been since we used it.
Just imagining the outcry has me breaking out in hives.
There are a lot of things that could be done with training, but that doesn't mean we should. Personally, I think our PK is fine. I'd like to see some skills that require rp and interaction beyond hack'n'slash to improve. We were thinking about racial languages for a while.
Changing the leveling and training system to make it that much faster would fundamentally alter the game. If we're totally honest with each other, the availability of quality games these days means that we will probably never return to the glory days as some of us remember them. What we strive to do is stick to an ideal - to remain true to what FL has stood for... even if that means we lose people to the inevitable march of maturity and responsibility.
If we made radical changes, FL wouldn't be FL anymore. It'd be something else, catered to administer to the needs of instant gratification. We may retain some, but we'd have abandoned our roots, and I'm sure we'd lose plenty of players for that, too. Call me a traditionalist.
This isn't a cop-out or excuse against progress by any means, but I think there are some things that can't/shouldn't be significantly altered.
Just my opinion, though. Can't speak for the staff.
I dont mean like the skill deteriorates down to 75 or anything, but you lose a point or two from not using the skill. You could even have it train back faster than it did initially to reflect remembering what you have not used in a while. So if you have not used an axe in ten years, you may have lost a point, then when you pick up axes again you start to remember what it is you forgot in combat.
I mean hell, I used to be awesome at CoD: Black Ops, but I have not played in prolly a year so I would probably spend a few matches getting raped before I remembered everything and was able to play smoothly again.
While the idea makes sense from an RP and realism perspective, I don't think it helps from a gaming perspective, as in the end it just forces people to spend more time training - unless the loss is so small as to be insignificant, in which case, why bother adding it?
Hell, lets just add a **** load of new zones for me to memorize 
With regards to training - consider:
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You master defenses;
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Rotate your weapons every 5% on the way to lvl 50. This usually results in 90% or greater on all weapons by the time you get there (even on warriors);
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Don't train anything else - rank to 50.
Now, you're XX hours ahead because you didn't train (someone said 40 but that sounds rather high to me....). So you know spend XX hours equip'ing, PK'ing, running and gear tripping. IMHO, I think this is a hell of a lot more fun than sitting and training.
You take a few more deaths (maybe) from un-mastered skills - but when was the last time you burned 60 deaths anyway?
So, in conclusion, if you can swallow your pride and put up with a few more deaths you can enjoy a character for more of their life. Eventually you're skills will train up (is faster skill learn vs players still implemented?) and you'll be at the same power level. You'll just have XX hours more PK/running/gear finding and enjoyment at the price of a few deaths - something that is the least valued commodity around here.
L-A
And harden up princess... Can't forget that. I have generally only trained weapons and defenses whilst ranking. I can't stand training...
I never understood why people hate training, it is probably the easiest thing to do in the game.
Yeah, its great, you turn on quiet mode to avoid character interactions, write a simple yet observable script. You then take your fl window put it aside and do something else till your rdy to swap items or are done compleltly
I think anything that promotes absentee gaming over interaction in a game that encourages interaction needs looking into.
So what do you suggest K?
Advself with all skills mastered eh?
So what do you suggest ... ?
+1% for skill as reward for (certain type of?) guild quests. Maybe idea is not usable just like that, but someone with better wits may improve it.
I don't think that is viable either. That still accomplishes the same thing. You are declining interaction with other characters to "train" even if you are doing it to master your skills/level.
I think maybe it could be just level based, and tweak the way exp penalties work a bit to reflect the extra effort of leveling power combos.
I actually REALLY enjoy training and LVLing very much. One of my favorite parts of FL is the pleasure of mastering my skills/spells, and hunting with people/killing mobs. Don't get me wrong, I like RP and PK at 50, but I do miss training and LVLing sometimes too. I don't understand why everyone hates it so much. And as for setting up scripts, I rarely do this. I like to run around and backstab stuff, and watch it die as I RP with it to the death!!!
IKFL
'So, in my decadeish of playing FL i've never hit pin. never. not once. The closest I got was a level 47 ogre warrior, Tarako. I either couldn't find groups, or just died/was killed so many times in a row that the xp penalty was too overwhelming. So, I have no idea what this end game is that you speak of. It doesn't really matter to me.
'I have the most fun, and keep coming back to this game, because I enjoy the leveling. I really enjoy the roleplaying while leveling, or taking a break from the leveling to rp. The occasional pk is cool, but I really don't have a problem with the leveling, and most of my training seems to happen while hunting/gear trips. I only ever seem to have to train a few skills, if I feel like it.
'So, in my decadeish of playing FL i've never hit pin. never. not once. The closest I got was a level 47 ogre warrior, Tarako. I either couldn't find groups, or just died/was killed so many times in a row that the xp penalty was too overwhelming. So, I have no idea what this end game is that you speak of. It doesn't really matter to me.
'I have the most fun, and keep coming back to this game, because I enjoy the leveling. I really enjoy the roleplaying while leveling, or taking a break from the leveling to rp. The occasional pk is cool, but I really don't have a problem with the leveling, and most of my training seems to happen while hunting/gear trips. I only ever seem to have to train a few skills, if I feel like it.
You've been playing for a decade and never hit pinnacle? Wow. That's pretty wild. I hope ya make it on your next character!!!!
IKFL
And harden up princess... Can't forget that.
LOL. I loved that one, and I actually use it IRL at work because people piss and moan about some things that make me think of it. They usually stop pissing and moaning about it to at least me anyways.
I don't think that is viable either. That still accomplishes the same thing. You are declining interaction with other characters to "train" even if you are doing it to master your skills/level.
Learning the areas would be much more play-vice efficient way to train skills than set up a trigger and read a magazine. That's why I suggested this in the first place.
What if it's a quest that requires a group? Basically, it could be a quest that grants the benefits for every participant as well, then it wouldn't just be a trek for one guy and his 1% (which alone would sound ridiculous). As I said "maybe idea is not usable just like that".
Or it could be a quest that tells you to go and poke Pali. That would require interaction between characters, and in some cases, seeking of a character. Not to forget the possible IG consequences.