Skills and Perks

Skills were added to the game in the Alpha 13 update. Skills affect things such as crafting time, repair time, repair amount, etc, depending on the skill. Improving skills over time improves a character's speed and efficiency of doing work.

Increasing Skill Levels

There are two ways to increase skills; directly and indirectly. The direct way to improve skills is by performing actions related to the skill. For items, this is designated by the actionskill property in items.xml. Each time the action is performed, skill points are awarded directly to the actionskill. Using, crafting and repairing items related to the skill increases its level. Once enough points are earned for a given skill, it will level-up automatically and the player will be awarded a number of unassigned skill points.

The second, indirect way to increase skills is by using earned, unassigned skill points to increase skills or perks of the player's choosing, using the Skills Menu.

Additionally, when a character levels up, earned skill points—5 points per level—can be used immediately or accumulated over time to improve skills using the Skills Menu.

Skill Progression

Each skill starts at Level 1 and can be improved to a maximum of level 100. In the menu, there is a progress bar that indicates progress towards the next level. Below this progress bar is a list of the bonuses earned by using the skill and improving its level.

For example, one can use a Stone Axe to damage and destroy blocks in order to raise the Construction Tools skill to Level 2. At Level 2, the character gains a bonus 3.5% block damage with construction tools. However, these bonuses are not obtained just by hitting each numerical level. These bonuses are gained in tiny increments as you use the skill. Every action is constantly boosting your skill bonuses as you progress to the next level (i.e. you would receive the 3.5% extra damage over time rather than all at once upon reaching Level 2).

Perks

Perks further modify the effectiveness of actions or they can provide a new and unique skill, such as Concrete Mixing.

Perks are normally only available after an associated skill level has been obtained (gating). For example, a character must reach level 20 with Construction Tools before the option is available to purchase the Concrete Mixing perk. Perks can be gated by character level or another skill level or even a combination of both.

A few perks cost 5 points, but most cost 10 points to unlock.

List of Skills

Firearms

• Gun Smithing (Skill)
• Pistols (Skill)
• Rifles (Skill)
• Shotguns (Skill)

Weapons

• Archery (Skill)
• Blade Weapons (Skill)
• Blunt Weapons (Skill)
• Weapon Smithing (Skill)

Player Skills

• Athletics (Skill)
• Heavy Armor (Skill)
• Light Armor (Skill)
• Scavenging (Skill)

===Tools/Traps

• Construction Tools (Skill)
• Mining Tools (Skill)
• Tool Smithing (Skill)

Clothing

• Armor Smithing (Skill)
• Heavy Armor (Skill)
• Leatherworking (Skill)
• Light Armor (Skill)
• Tailoring (Skill)

Scavenging/Trading

• Barter (Skill)
• Scanenging (Skill)

===Health/Fitness

• Athletics (Skill)
• Medicine (Skill)

Crafting/Miscellaneous

• Miscellaneous Crafting (Skill)
• Science (Skill)

List of Perks

Firearms

• 9mm Round Crafting
• 10mm Round Crafting
• .44 Magnum Round Crafting
• 7.62mm Round Crafting
• Shotgun Shell Crafting
• The Outlaw
• Dead Shot
• Better Lead Than Dead
• Boom Stick
• Splatter Gun

Weapons

• Knife Guy
• The Decapitator
• Pummel Pete
• Breaking and Entering

===Tools/Traps

• Concrete Mixing
• Steel Smithing
• Workbench
• Chemistry Station (perk)
• Miner 69er

Clothing

• Leather Tanning (Perk)

Scavenging/Trading

• Fast Eddie
• Quality Joe (Perk)
• Treasure Hunter
• Secret Stash

Health/Fitness

• The Survivor (Perk)
• Run Forest Run
• The Camel (Perk)
• Health Nut
• Sexual Tyranosaurus

Crafting/Miscellaneous

• Quicker Crafting (Perk)
• The Fixer (Perk)

Notes

Source: Game play Alpha 15 (b83)