Well, I do agree the Skill system is improved over OGL 3.5. However, it breaks down at multiclassing. Jason Buhlman writes in the introduction, “too many of the basic classes lose their luster after just a few levels, leading most players to take a host of other classes or a number of prestige classes. … I wanted to give every class a reason to be followed up through 20th level.”
Here is where the design goal breaks: If you multiclass you get to add all the class skills of the new class to your list of “class skills” that gain +3. This would encourage me to multiclass.
I may want to be a fighter, but as a human character I can easily add a couple of levels of Rogue, get way improved perception, add on stealth, seach, disable device, and even if I end up as a Ftr 19/Rogue 1 I can have these skills equal to a Rogue 20. Not that a fighter has all that many points, but a high Perception Fighter, or a high Acrobatics fighter, is a real possibility.
Yes, but a fighter can have high perception or high acrobatics anyway with the system (and is that really so bad? I can imagine plenty of fighter heros who are acrobatic and perceptive). The only thing the rogue1 gave you was an extra +3 to those skills. With the old system people also were tempted to multiclass with rogue, especially at 1st level where players got x4 skill points. One other nice advantage of the Pathfinder system is that it doesn't matter what order a character takes the classes, the total number of skill points is the same. With 3.5 you had to know which order a fighter1/rogue1 took his two character levels in order to figure out the skill points.
It may not be perfect, but it's a good compromise between simplifying the skill system(which is also a goal of Pathfinder RPG), maintaining backwards compatibility, and still allowing good customization of skill selection.
Also, take a look at the Beta write ups for the classes and you'll see some real nice improvements to the rogue. Maybe other classes can step on the rogues toes with a few skills here and there, but rogues have also gotten some nice improvements to keep them unique and desirable to play.
You only got the x4 skills at Character Level 1, not at class level 1. So if you Were a Level 1 Ftr then took Lvl 1 rogue you would NOT get the x4 skill points.
Again, i don't think it works well. One thing about having different classes is to have each party member having his "space" in the party.
Anyway, my opinion. Thanks
Yes, I know. In 3.5 people were tempted to start with 1 level in rogue just for the skill points, then multiclass. With Pathfinder people start in other classes and may be tempted to multiclass into rogue. No real improvement there except in Pathfinder it doesn't matter what order the classes were taken in.
As for "space", I think rogues still have plenty of space. They still get 6 more skill points per level and now have some real nice abilities called 'talents'. And sneak attack is more effective due to less creatures having immunity to sneak attack. Overall, rogues are better with Pathfinder.