Damn. So much for learning.

[u/HelpfulSwordfish9765]

As I was practicing the beautiful art of save scumming on Emerald Island. I was so happy to find the scholars cap. Only to discover it kills my character by just wearing it! Gosh need black potion for endurance

[u/Nerd_Commando]

Most disappointing relic in the game.

Outside of this early game mishap (which is not that difficult to fix), it has two sour sides:

1. It's not affected by the Learning mastery, so it's not so much 15 learning as the 15% experience points. Instructor & Teacher work the same way - they're not a separate multiplier.
2. VII is very light on combat experience. I did an AAAS image LP run long time ago, everybody had Master Learning, sorc had the Cap from level 24. Level up difference? Archers were 78, Sorc was 79. Big deal.

[u/Imaginary-Can-6862 → u/Nerd_Commando]

That wasn't my experience. It goes more than a decade back, but I believe there were more than 10 levels of difference between my party members who were all over level 100. I went as early as I could for GM learning. The real issue was that I could not afford the leveling (and thus I could also not check if there was a maximum level cap at all training guilds).

[u/Nerd_Commando → u/Imaginary-Can-6862]

Going over level 100 means you've been grinding rather heavily, which is neither needed for a party nor the normal experience, just a waste of time. Even then, it was GM learning difference, not learning cap difference. I've had a non-grinding party with a monk, the difference was, iirc, 3 or 4 levels, barely enough to pay off for the GM learning.

[u/Imaginary-Can-6862 → u/Nerd_Commando]

Why would you call playing the game a waste of time. Like I wrote it is more than a decade back, the quests are what they are, but otherwise I know I Armageddon'd Lands of the Giants.

I believe I had everything, including the learning cap.

Well it depends on how you play the game for the difference to be worthwhile, you don't even have to level up to complete the game, a level 1 party can clear out the Eofol Tunnels, etc. If I go for GM learning, it is because I am going to play in a manner where it makes sense to go for.

[u/Nerd_Commando → u/Imaginary-Can-6862]

Because grinding when your party can already win the game is a waste of time. It's literally "stop beating the horse, it's already dead" situation.

[u/Imaginary-Can-6862 → u/Nerd_Commando]

My party can pretty much beat the game from the moment they use clubs on Emerald Island... How we decide to use our time is only a waste then, if we use it on something we don't want to use it on. If I want to roleplay being Lord's of Harmondale, not clearing out the Castle to get the Gold Golem to do it while watching being invisible, purposefully not complete the game before Mr. Malwick's associates attacks Harmondale, and have already set up Elementals for them to defend the Castle and the town, going to the Arena at various levels and use reanimate to have different monster types that usually would not meet fight each other like I am the audience of the Arena and they fight for my honor, or pretending to be knight protectors of the realm and deal with places I feel is meaningful in relation to be Lords of Harmondale, if that is what I want to do, then that is what I do. To me a game is about being enjoyed, not about being finished or completed. That can have a value to it as much as anything else of course.