Yes but you have all tose points exactly where you want them and independent of items, Which means 5++ additional speed on top of everything else you mentioned. And you get some of those points earlier than end game. Not a huge difference but the same can be said about points in secondary skills. Speed is so overpowered stat as we all agree (it is basically a multiplier for most other stats in the game). Something you can always use more. Unlike for exemple initiative - its usefulness is capped at the point where a given character goes before monsters almost every time. Any more is of minimal/zero value at this point.
It adds two points of initiative per level...duh. The thing is - my soldier will be as good when it comes to initiative in the end game as yours. From level 37 onward i can put all skill points on those non-crucial skills. Thats a lot of levels and skill points (especially with maxed learning). That's the whole point ! By taking learning for a class that doesn't require a lot of skill points to be effective you trade those
less than 40 skill points (not 60 as you say - you get some skill points back with additonal levels) for levels, and those levels get slightly earlier. Those ~40 skill points - in my opinion - in case of the soldier class are otherwise practically wasted on secondary skills with
only marginal use for the class.
All i wrote above is not mentioning the fact that level itself is a stat taken into account in the case of some abilities (like bard songs or some spells - not sure about that). I think the power of offensive bard songs (like stunning) increase with character levels, not with skill levels alone. In this case you cannot replicate it in any other way than through obtaining additional levels and getting them faster.
I can be wrong on that, someone clarify please ?
Im not asking to be polite, i know it is too much (this is Internet + Codex after all) but at the very least: please learn to read before making assumptions about other people (again !). I wrote clearly that my party is only level 30-something. I have still many levels to go (with maxed learning even more so) and i ALREADY have a few levels in tactics. No more
at this point because at this point of the the game my soldier goes before the monsters most of the time. More points would be a waste and the few points i have is exactly as i wrote "enough". It really isn't so hard to grasp, is it ?
Sorry for harsh words but you earned it (knowing better what other people enjoy in their games = you are an excellent material for a shitty game developer, and the one i quoted a few lines above... just
).
Besides, it is not really crucial for a soldier to go first in battle. It is crucial for a paladin (aura of protection before monsters' first attack). For a cleric with some "mass" protection type of spell. For a bard (a song of haste/victory/stunning/whatever before first attack of anyone, be it enemy or your first liners). In fact a soldier or barbarian outdoing your bard in initiative is counter productive. On the other hand you have melee/archer - it isn't as crucial for them to go first every battle. (it is the "nice to have" category imo).
As i said before - unlike both of you (Roshan and Pope Amole II) i belive both aproach are hard to compare directly and quantify with total precision - there is too much to consider, like early game vs late game advantage.
Learning is imo better for a soldier, Not learning is better for Gaulen who is not in the back row with a thief in the party. All other chars probably fall somwhere in between. I would lean towards learning but it is a personal preference because i already tested learning and it works.
I went with an all "learning" party for my first game because i don't like differences in levels between party members if i can avoid it. A second time IF i ever play the game a second time ill go "no learning" to compare for myself. The classes will not be the same tough and next time ill play on Hardcore (Veteran is a bit on the easy side) so it wont be directly comparable. The optimal setup is probably to have some characters with learning other without it but personally i don't like this solution for... other reasons.
This is all i have to say in this thread.
I am still interested in the question of character levels being used in skills (like bard songs) directly in LoX. In other words: is stunning song of a character level 30 bard more effective than the same song of a bard of character level 25, assuming the same level of the skill ?
Unleash them spell scrolls on those fuckers.
