I noticed that there are “advanced skills” (green bar) and “expert skills” (blue bar) - I’m guessing the last bar is “legendary skills”. Advanced skills might unlock after spending 4 skill points in the tree, while unlocking Expert skills seems to require somewhere between 7, 8, or 10 skill points. I wonder if ranking up skills might reduce the number of skill points needed to unlock Advanced/Expert/Legendary skills?

Discussion: What skills are you most excited about? What do you think the un-labeled skills will do? How do you feel about the new skill challenges as the way to gain ranks within skills? Are you going to focus on combat skills or non-combat skills or a mix?

Text breakdown of the known skill descriptions, ranks (what gameplay effects the skills have), and challenges (gameplay challenges that “rank up” skills) below:

PHYSICAL
  • Stealth: For a combatant who values discretion above all else, the ability to approach a target while undetected and kill with a silenced weapon is as terrifying as it is effective.
    • Challenge: Perform 10 sneak attacks
  • Weight Lifting
    • Rank: Increase total carrying capacity by 10 kilograms.
  • Wellness: By embracing an active lifestyle and good nutrition habits, one may improve their overall sense of health, and even gain prolonged life expectancy.
    • Rank: Immediately gain 30 points of health.
  • Decontamination
    • Rank 1: Slightly increased chance to recover from infections naturally.
    • Challenge: Recover from 5 infections
  • Martial Arts
    • Challenge: Deal 250 damage with unarmed attacks
SOCIAL
  • Commerce: In the Settled Systems’ free market economy, almost anyone with the right skillset can open and run a successful business.
  • Gastronomy: Access to brand new worlds means access to brand new ingredients, and there is almost no limit to the delicious foods and drinks a talented chef can prepare.
    • Rank: You can craft specialty food and drinks, and research additional recipes at a Research Lab.
  • Persuasion: In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
    • Rank: Gain an increased chance of success on speech challenges.
  • Scavenging: There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.
  • Theft: While not entirely honorable, and certainly not legal, it is nonetheless occasionally necessary to discreetly remove property from someone’s person.
  • Bargaining
    • Rank: Buy items for 5% less and sell for 10% more.
  • Diplomacy
    • Rank: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to stop fighting for a while.
  • Intimidation: The ability to strike fear into an an opponent, causing them to flee so that you can escape or attack first, can prove critical in a battle.
    • Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to flee for a limited time.
    • Challenge: Successfully Intimidate 5 different people
    • Rank 2: You can force a target NPC up to 10 levels higher than you to flee for a limited time.
    • Challenge: Successfully Intimidate 25 different people
    • Rank 3: You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to flee for a limited time.
    • Challenge: Successfully Intimidate 50 different people
    • Rank 4: Intimidated targets now flee for substantial amount of time.
  • Instigation: When combat is required, it can be advantageous to convince others to do the fighting for you.
    • Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to attack their allies for a limited time.
  • Leadership
    • Rank 1: Companions gain affinity 15% faster.
    • Challenge: Sprint 1000 meters with an active follower
COMBAT
  • Ballistics
    • Rank 1: Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a ballistic weapon
    • Rank 2: Ballistic weapons do 20% more damage.
    • Challenge: Kill 50 enemies with a ballistic weapon
    • Rank 3: Ballistic weapons do 30% more damage.
    • Challenge: Kill 250 enemies with a ballistic weapon
    • Rank 4: Ballistic weapons range is increased by 30%.
  • Dueling: Considered by many to be a lost art, close attacks with a melee weapon can often be deadlier than ranged combat when carried out by a skilled practitioner.
    • Challenge: Melee weapons do 10% more damage
  • Lasers: Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.
    • Rank 1: Laser weapons do 10% more damage.
  • Pistol Certification: Considering the popularity of the personal sidearm in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such weapons is often considered essential.
    • Rank 1: Pistols do 10% more damage.
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a pistol
  • Shotgun Certification
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a shotgun
  • Demolitions
    • Rank 3: Explosives do 30% more damage and have a 30% larger radius.
    • Challenge: Kill 125 enemies with explosives
  • Heavy Weapon Certification
    • Rank: Gain 30 Damage Resistance while aiming down sights with a heavy weapon.
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a heavy weapon
  • Particle Beams
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a particle beam weapon
  • Rifle Certification
    • Challenge: Kill 20 enemies with a rifle.
  • Rapid Reloading: In the chaos of combat, the seconds needed to reload your weapon could be the difference between life and death.
    • Rank: Gain a chance to reload your weapon twice as fast as normal.
    • Challenge: Reload 150 empty magazines
  • Sniper Certification: Only a trained sniper truly understands all the elements necessary to patiently and effectively neutralize a target at excessive range.
    • Rank: Scoped weapons are steadier and have less sway.
  • Targeting
    • Rank: Greatly increased accuracy and range when shooting without aiming.
    • Challenge: Kill 125 enemies without aiming
SCIENCE
  • Astrodynamics: Advanced technology is one thing, but it takes skill, patience, and a little bit of love to coax even more capability out of a ship’s grav drive.
  • Medicine: Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy’s many dangers.
    • Rank: Med Packs heal 10% more.
  • Surveying: Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
  • Chemistry
    • Rank 1: You can create improved chems, and research additional chems at a Research Lab.
    • Challenge: Create 10 chems
TECH
  • Ballistic Weapon Systems
    • Challenge: Deal 1000 damage to enemy ships with ballistic weapons
  • Boost Pack Training
    • Challenge: Boost jump 10 times while in combat
  • Security: While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
    • Rank 1: You can attempt to hack Advanced locks, and 2 auto attempts can be banked.
    • Challenge: Pick 5 locks
    • Rank 2: You can attempt to hack Expert locks, and 3 auto attempts can be banked. Rings now turn blue when the pick can be slotted.
    • Challenge: Pick 15 locks
    • Rank 3: You can attempt to hack Master-level locks, and 4 auto attempts can be banked.
    • Rank 4: Expend a digipick to eliminate keys that aren’t required to solve the puzzle. 5 auto attempts can be banked.
  • Particle Beam Weapon Systems: Ship weapons utilizing particle beam technology are the preferred choice for captains who prefer to damage multiple ship systems at once.
  • Payloads: Any pilot can haul cargo, but it takes special determination and training to maximize cargo space.
  • Robotics: In an age where robots and autonomous turrets are employed in a combat capacity, the study of robotics can be instrumental in gaining a tactical edge.
    • Rank: You deal 10% more damage to Robots and Turrets.