Player skills and skill points

Some of you may be aware there is a discussion topic over in Game Discussion collecting suggestions for new features for the game, and I feel a few of these could merit some expanded debate on their own, so I'm copying a few of my favourites to the Suggestion board to get a bit of discussion going and see how other people feel about them, and maybe tweak or expand upon them. These are largely an amalgamation of ideas of multiple people so I'm not claiming credit for any idea in its entirety.

This idea hasn't really been fleshed out much, so I'd appreciate some suggestions and brainstorming to expand on this.

Essentially this idea involves having a series of skills attached to a player's account, which can be levelled up using skill points you earn. Levelling up a particular skill will give you bonuses to related tasks, and/or ability to perform certain tasks. The higher the skill, then bigger the bonus. Depending on how you play the game some skills would be more useful to you than others, so this would provide some uniquely customisable gameplay. Skill points could be acquired by levelling up your player level, e.g. 10 points per level, then you could choose how the points were distributed.

Ideas for skills:
- Showing skill, which could do things like provide small bonuses to showing, or allow horses to enter more shows per day, or provide a financial discount to related tasks, etc.
- Saddlery skill, which could provide the ability to craft your own tack, discounts for repairing it, perhaps other things?
- Horse care skill, which could provide discounts for vet/farrier/others?, small training bonuses, etc
- Farming skill, which could provide bonuses related to the farming feature(s) that we may be getting later. (As per Abbey's comments here.)
- Luck skill, which could do things like give a bonus in games, or reduce the element of luck in a horse's show performance, or give better chances of rarer colours in the EC.
- Some other crafting related skills?

I like this idea because I fee like it would be nice for a little change. Sometimes I'm completely broke and spend all the rest of my money on almost all the stuff you posted up there⬆️. I think this idea would help a lot of EV members.

It is a wonderful idea.

keep thinking, you might come up with some even better ones!

I like the idea, but maybe a different way to earn skill points could be included? Especially relating to the skill itself, ie. grow 100 of x crop, place 1st in 10 shows, etc. Skill points from leveling up would take the fun out of it for players already at max level and give them an automatic bonus. There could be a set skill point for each level, and you can gain more skill points by completing achievements.

@maple
I really like this idea! I've seen suggestions regarding achievements (or similarly quests), much like what you describe, but with simple cash or item rewards. Integrating it into this suggestion and awarding skill points instead (or as well as this?) would be a great idea.

I love this idea. It was really spruce up the game and make it more custom to each player. Great suggestion! I also support moreso Maple's idea of gaining skill boosts.

I really want to expand this with some sort of job or crafting type thing. So far we've got farming and tack making. Can anyone think of anything else?

Well with the farming after a certain point maybe you could open up a farmer's market stand?
Maybe you could also have a farrier skill with discounts and then being able to become essentially a farrier? idk

Vet and farrier skills sound like a great idea, but I'd like it to be able to do more than just provide discounts. Perhaps if it allowed the crafting of horse shoes, bandages/medicines, etc. This would also require the existing vet and farrier function to be expanded. The vet skill could include studying genetics, allowing you to do your own gene testing? The farrier skill could allow different quality horse shoes to be crafted, with the better ones lasting longer, and maybe even giving bonuses? I don't know. I'm just thinking aloud.

For genetics, that could involve a quiz as an "exam" of sorts to be qualified, etc. I feel it'd make the game more informational for younger players to grasp basic knowledge of horses from information around the site as well as help with the current genetic questions.

If special tack/shoes can be crafted to give show bonuses, I reckon they should have a limited lifespan. Normal tack can be repaired infinitely, special shoes etc should have a finite lifespan to prevent super horses/players.

Yes, horseshoes should definitely be finite. So more similar to the current system where horses have to be re-shod every week.

You could add a training/teaching skill so that when you put your horses in a riding school, your horses can earn more stats... Maybe?

^ Good idea. Perhaps make it a riding skill, so it can affect both riding schools and trail riding. Levelling up the skill could get you better chances of items and stats in schools, plus higher experience, and greater chances of items (or good items) when trail riding.