6 hours ago, Kalen said:
I hear you, but what they call it or what they intend isn't nearly as important as people's perception (at least in terms of people's reception of the feature). They can say that magazines only represent recipes, but when magazines directly control what QL you can craft things at (something that has always been determined by skill in previous alphas), magazine have functionally replaced skills. I honestly can't see how you could see it any other way.
I agree that perception trumps all. As to not understanding how I could possibly see it any other way, let's just say I've gotten good at looking at things from different perspectives. I definitely understand what you are saying and why you are interpreting the magazines as skill progression but I also see it as separate recipes. I am not nearly so bothered by it since I can view the quality levels as simply new recipes. Expanding your view to encompass different viewpoints is a skill that can be learned.
I can see it both ways but I choose to accept that the only actual skill progression in the game are those perks you purchase with skillpoints and everything else is attained by scavenging items and knowledge.
Skillpoints --> skill progression which is deterministic
Magazines --> crafting recipes which is random
Since you can't see it any other way than the one that makes the mechanic distasteful to you, I suppose you're stuck until a mod comes out.