Skill Discussions

Short answer: this is working exactly as intended.

Long answer: the EVE skill system is built around tradeoffs and diminishing returns (the same is true of meta level prices, really). The last level of a skill represents complete mastery of that skill, and it has only a marginal benefit. You have to make a choice: either train 3.5 skills to level 4 or one skill to level 5 (assuming they are all the same rank). This is a choice between diversifying or specializing, and both are valid options in many cases. It also allows a player to pick up the ability to do lots of things in a relatively short amount of time -- and so is good for new players. The last level of a skill is often not "worth it" for a character who isn't deeply specialized -- so skip it. In fact, skills without ancillary benefit at level 5 (access to a T2 mod or an additional skill) are often seen as very good candidates to leave at 4 or lower.

It's a good system. Players get to choose whether to specialize deeply or diversify their abilities. You can glance at someone's skill set and see something about what they value. And if someone does value specialization, you can bogle at why, for instance, anyone would choose to train Amarr drone spec 5.

I actually find it quite pathetic that I was able to train into a battle ship in 9 days. The ships are tiered to represent a difficulty between each ship, not a few hours of training. The "each ship has its unique purpose" would also mean each ship would require the same level skill to fly, which is not the case. @Zhilia there will always be skills that are pointless to train to level 5, take the ore processing skills, after level 3 you are refining at 99.5% efficiency, you need level 4 to use T2 mining crystals, what is the point of training to level 5, even the compression BPO only require level 4.

That is true, and I am not suggesting change skill requirements for modules and ships, but in that said situation, what do you plan on doing during the 30 days it takes to train sentry drone interfacing 5 and then another 30 d.ays to heavy drone operation 5. Adjusting skill training time to something along the lines of
Level 1 = 1/15 SP
Level 2 = 2/15 SP
Level 3 = 3/15 SP
Level 4 = 4/15 SP
Level 5 = 5/15 SP

The SP requirements would not change for each skill, just the amount needed at eadh level. A little longer for level 1-3 and about the same for level 4 and a bit less for level 5.

I like the current system, very easy to try something new, get into a larger ship, but to do it well is a considerable investment in time. As for the Ore skills to level 5, it does have a use if your forced to use the 30% base refine stations, but generally there is always a better option.

Well I am a fairly new player, 4 months, when I started playing I was told that Eve Online was one of the hardest MMOs on the web, I have since found that it is not so much hard to play the game it is just the bordom of the experienced playerd that makes the game hard. Due to the easiness of skill training the game is already begining to run into the ground.

It would not seem all the opponets to this idea like instant results and don't want to have to work for anything, would rather buy isk than grind rocks, or run missions, shoot straight to there final ship passing by all ships inbetween without even looking at the quality of T1 ships, buy faction and meta level items because it is faster than training tour T2 items. If there are any players that like the idea I would like to hear what they have to say also.

It sounds like your problem is not with the skill training time, but with how challenging the activities in eve are. There are loads of different PvE activities you can do in eve with different difficulty ratings. And ofcourse PVP is more challenging still. so maybe switch to one of those

The massively diminishing returns is one of they most brilliant features of the EVE skill system.

Changing it would only have bad effects.

The key word there was "massively". It's supposed to be easy to get in to a new, shiny ship. It's also supposed to be hard to fly it really, really well.

I guess I'm still not sure what your objection is to the way things work already. You've said something odd about opponents of your idea buying ISK, but I'm not sure what the logic is of your position in the first place. Could you clarify a bit?

Currently it's possible for a new player to hop into a fleet and contribute by tackling after only a day or less. Under the proposed change new players would have to spend their first few weeks training the necessary skills. What might some do in those few weeks? Become bored and quit most likely. To say the players against this are only interested in instant gratification is grossly incorrect. Most of these players, myself included, would only benefit from such a change as we're at a point where the majority of skills still on the list are level 5 skills. CCP could only redistribute SP such that we retain skill levels we've already trained, in essence we'd get millions if not tens of millions worth of free SP, and a much shorter ride to level 5. We're against the change you propose because it serves no purpose, would be unfair to new players leading many to quit, and would actually dampen much of the final gratification of hearing "Skill training completed" on Heavy/sentry drones 5, drone interfacing 5, AWU 5, BC 5, Racial BS 5, etc.

If you're only four months old you have at least 6 months of training remaining to fully utilize your battleships . And that's only one race of battleships. And at the expense of every other ship type and activity in the game.