I'm new to the game and am a bit confused about skill points. In most RPG games I've played, increasing a skill either makes an existing action (such as a spell or weapon strike) more powerful or gives you a new one. That does not seem to be the case here. The skill descriptions all state that they improve related skills/features (such as beam weapons or mines) but it's not clear how. Also, increasing the skills does not seem to give my character new abilities. So, what I'm asking is, how does this work exactly?
Comments
I'd recommend reading BigBadB's Character Basics article. In fact, when you have time, I'd recommend reading all the articles at his The Engines Cannae' Take It! Blog.
now if you look at high yield torpedoes II it will always launch 2 extra torpedoes (except plasma). how it really gets improved is if you have 9 ranks in projectile weapons, 9 ranks in torpedoes and 9 ranks in the appropriate type then that adds up to 100 and so the actual damage calculation for the weapon is done by taking the base Mk0 damage. multiplying that by (1+bonus/100) and then multiplying that by (1+.1*Mk). that then increases damage of the ability and torpedoes in general. (energy weapons are further affected by range and energy level).
if you were to look at mask energy signal that is affected in magnitude by your bridge officers skills in it (only ability i know of that does that). starship engineering, auxiliary maintenance and auxiliary performance. now i don't know exactly how this works but it just increases the magnitude of you hiding ability.
now if you are a science officer and you max out the hazard skill that means you can train your bridge officers in hazard emitters III. if you are an engineer and max out hazard skill that just means hazard emitters I and II will do better but you can't teach it to a bridge officer.
hopefully that properly portrays the three main areas that it affects.