Benefits of Shaping Skill Points?[G5]

[Blurb]

I've got a Sorceress going now. I have four creations (as opposed to the seven I have with a Shaper). I raised Battle Shaping to 7 early in the game and put a point or two into magic and fire later on, just enough to make higher level creations. When I played as Lifecrafter and Shock Trooper, I usually pumped up Battle to over 10 (usually 13 or 14) and put about 6-8 into magic.

 

I don't have any statistics to back me up, but I do have some observations. Early in the game, when I have clawbugs, the high Battle Shaping numbers seem to make a noticeable difference. However, when I reach the point of making rotghroths or rotdhizons, the level of stat doesn't seem to make all that much difference. Powerful creations are still, well, powerful with any Battle Shaping numbers.

 

Does anyone have any magic numbers on this? Is there a level beyond which any more points are a waste in the Shaping skills?

 

Thanks.

[A less presumptuous name.]

Hmm, I have noticed this as well, after hearing DVs praise of bugs. I think that the levels just don't do as much in higher level creations.

Sorry, but I come bearing no magic numbers.

[Feo Takahari]

Apparently, a lot of people invest virtually nothing and just hang on to items that boost shaping skills when equipped. After all, shaping skill is only required to make the creation, not to keep it around once made.

[Mea Tulpa]

There is an answer, it just isn't magic. The bonus you get from shaping skill is consistent for any investment in that skill, and it is flat. It does not vary with creation types. This means that 20 points invested will give you a +20 level bonus (including +10 to all stats and a hefty bonus to HP and energy). This is a gigantic bonus for a lower level creation with a base level of 10. For a war trall with a base level of 32, it is less noticable.

 

Note however that the "less noticable" bonus is still good enough to outshine many other uses of the PC's skill points, if you are a shaping-heavy class. Once you have enough magic skill to cast the spells you need, and enough basic skills like Strength and Endurance to keep the PC alive when under fire, you get a better increase in offense from shaping skills than from anything else. The only other skill that can potentially be as useful when pumped is Mental Magic.

[Alorael at Large]

You can think of it best as a ratio. If the ratio of your shaping skill to the creation's base level is high, you'll see a huge difference. If the ratio is lower, the difference will also be lower.

 

You'll notice the same thing about gaining levels. Your first fyora will become much more effective very rapidly as it gains experience. A drakon will not. The effect is due to the fact that five levels will have the same impact on damage either way, but adding 10 damage to a fyora might be upping damage by a third and adding 10 damage to a drakon's attacks can be unnoticeable.

 

—Alorael, who will point out that G5 is in fact a step forward, depending on your opinion, in that raising your shaping skills past 10 doesn't give diminishing returns. You get +1 level for your creation for each point in the skill, and each level gives you exactly the same benefits.

[Mea Tulpa]

The general idea is correct but the example is wrong. For breath attacks, five levels will *not* have the same impact on damage. For a Fyora, you might see an increase of 4-6 damage on average while, for a Drakon, you might see an increase of 10-15 damage on average. 5 damage may still mean more to a Fyora than 12 does to a Drakon, but the rates of actual damage increase are not identical, because they use different damage dice.

[Blurb]

Thanks, Slarty. Exactly what I was looking for, and I was hoping you'd peek into this thread.

 

I'm playing a Sorceress now, but I was honestly wondering more about the Shaper classes, since those are the ones I normally play. You answered my questions. I did wonder if a Shaper could branch out more, pumping points elsewhere (still having a great essence edge), but I see that playing to the strengths is still a good bet. I think I've been doing the right thing with the Shaper characters in terms of point spread.

 

Sorceress... Maybe focus on one shaping skill, like I did here, but maybe even less than up the 7 points I ended up with. Dazing and charming are powerful and most of the time make up for weaker creations.

 

ETA: I wanted to thank you, too, for your observations, Alorael. In previous games, perhaps the earlier ones, the leveling up of creations (especially when allowed to level up natively) was a bit off. There is a subtle difference in the higher level creations, yes, but with the consistent, across-the-board benefits of Shaping points, that subtle difference can mean a rogue is dead faster. That's what it's about.