Don't know about you, but I'd rather have player #2 with all his skills perfected.

Of course, but taking both is cheating. My example was between two players who both spend the same amount of time on their characters.

I'd rather have a learned asn tanking than a poor new guy with his skills at 75% dying because he can't parry/dodge for his life. Let's face it, we all know we're going to do better with our skills perfected.

Agreed. It's a question of magnitude, and player #2 isn't going to have 75% skills for very long. My opinion remains that the difference in combat effectiveness between a "practiced" and "unpracticed" (skills going up from adventure situations) player is just not all that large.

I think you just made the mud a little more uncomfortable for the new guys and experienced players who try to perfect parry/can't and delete in frustration because the guy with the 50 wands and decked set kills them in a few hits. Maybe its balance? But then what? It's really a fight between equipment, right?

Player skill (not the numbers that show up what you type "prac", but the experience and cleverness of the player) is vastly more important than either character skills or equipment. Give Nepenthe or Jhyrbian or Leika or Twist or whoever an average suit, a little time to gather prep items, and 75% everything, and they will find a way to thrash an average player with 100% everything and shiny gear in a one-on-one fight. Again, if you've got 50 hours to spare, choosing to spend that time on parry or whatever isn't going to trump getting out there and learning the tricks of the trade in the long run, in my opinion.

Also, again: Practicing isn't "harder". It's "different".

From the pen of:
valguarnera@carrionfields.com">Valguarnera Trisseptia