Nas92 said:
Given that BGS removed attributes in Skyrim to make the game more accessible, it is a worry for many people that SPECIAL will be done away with in F4. How high is the chance of that happening? Also, how would you feel if SPECIAL were to be removed and replaced with a simplified system like in Skyrim?
Hmm. Tough one.
I really enjoyed the Skyrim system, but it had issues. Some skills were really easy to exploit (smith iron dagger, enchant dagger, sell dagger = increase smithing, enchanting and merchant. Rinse and repeat for uber levels) whereas some (like the fighting skills) were a pain in the arse because they involved just wandering about until you found something to hit. Maybe a list of trainers in the journal would have been nice, because I kept forgetting them and having to look up a list online.
However, with Fallout 3, I stopped playing at the level cap because it was so much less satisfying when I wasn't earning XP. That said, the SPECIAL stats didn't even seem to matter that much at later levels - it didn't matter if I was especially naturally talented at lockpicking because I took a couple of perks which resulted in me having enough Skill Points to max out every useful tree.
Perhaps a blend of systems - XP is gained and characters are built as in FO3, but those skills also have a chance to increase as you use them like in Skyrim, as if you've become better by practicing. I think that would be a satisfying feeling, not quite a level-up but still "Woo, got better at lockpicking by picking that difficult lock!"