Your post reminds me of Kenshi and the fact that I should really get back to the grind. I understand that your interest is more in the nuts and bolts of design, but that's where my mind went.
What are you looking to take from TES's major/minor/misc system? If you're looking to 'break' from class as a unified system, what does that mean for the game world you're building?
Are you looking at having a screen or tab that 'lifts the hood?' For instance, there's a whole tab in Last Epoch dedicated to all of your modifiers, so you can track what your gear does and where your stand in terms of 'crunch' as far as your build goes. Maybe you can implement something similar?
The other game that's worth looking at would be Dwarf Fortress, where everything character is governed by discrete skills, ruled by math. The player has little/no direct control, but the system is probably worth examining in detail from a design standpoint.
I would ask whether the SwordSkill is capped or modified by your Misc/Minor/Major choice as well. TES was mostly about xp gain, with the level you got based on your skills moderating your gamestate.
I find myself wondering if there should be a hard coded 'edge' to your prioritized skills beyond that. Even a flat "10% better if it's a major skill, 10% less if for misc skill" creates a mathematically meaningful choice at character creation, representing the hard edge specialization might give.
Your post reminds me of Kenshi and the fact that I should really get back to the grind. I understand that your interest is more in the nuts and bolts of design, but that's where my mind went.
What are you looking to take from TES's major/minor/misc system? If you're looking to 'break' from class as a unified system, what does that mean for the game world you're building?
Are you looking at having a screen or tab that 'lifts the hood?' For instance, there's a whole tab in Last Epoch dedicated to all of your modifiers, so you can track what your gear does and where your stand in terms of 'crunch' as far as your build goes. Maybe you can implement something similar?
The other game that's worth looking at would be Dwarf Fortress, where everything character is governed by discrete skills, ruled by math. The player has little/no direct control, but the system is probably worth examining in detail from a design standpoint.
I would ask whether the SwordSkill is capped or modified by your Misc/Minor/Major choice as well. TES was mostly about xp gain, with the level you got based on your skills moderating your gamestate.
I find myself wondering if there should be a hard coded 'edge' to your prioritized skills beyond that. Even a flat "10% better if it's a major skill, 10% less if for misc skill" creates a mathematically meaningful choice at character creation, representing the hard edge specialization might give.
Just my two cents