Better than 7x GM

[Ahbuddy]

My crafting mule wouldn't benefit from using a weapon to get over 100 skill.
In that case is there any advantage to having crafting real skills 100 if stats get those unreal skills to 100?
Like Tinkering, smith, tailor, alchemist, carpenter, mining, lumberjack.
If the case then couldn't you have a 7x GM mule character with a few points to spare, like to get fetching high enough to make arrows/bolts?

[morgan1109]

Your spread between real and total shrinks as you level. At 50 you might have a 10 points spread between shown and real, but at 99 there might only be .1 difference between shown and real. so no you can't have 7XGM and still have point left over. Some skills like cooking will show 30+ with zero real skill (if you have high INT) so you will always have "some" outside of the 7XGM, but none of those actual points will be "real" skill points if 7XGM.

[SighelmofWyrmgard]

Morgan is correct: the actual formula in question runs thus,

([ValueOfInfluencingStat * PercentageOfStatInfluence] * [100 - BaseSkill] %) + BaseSkill = ActualAbility.

I've Golded the important bit: whatever the base stat influence is, that is multiplied by [100-BaseSkill], before it is added to BaseSkill to determine total Ability; 100-100 is 0, and 0*StatInfluence = 0, so there is NO stat influence at all when BaseSkill reaches GM; Likewise, there is only 10% stat-influence at 90 Skill, 5% at 95 Skill, etc.

Ahbuddy, you are thinking in the right direction: depending on playstyle, there DO EXIST skills that do not need to be GMed, and ALSO skills that offer worthwhile, practical returns at lower levels.

PvPers don't have much "wiggle-room" when it comes to manipulating templates in this fashion: non-fighting skills are not in the template at all, and fighting skills need to be GMed; no PvM character, however, "needs" to be 7xGM.

c.f.,
skill complexes

and,

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SS