There’s a lengthy new update at the Shards Online website, in which we get some details about the skill system used in the game will work:

When we finally launch Shards Online later this year, we know there will be a fair amount of people out there who are instantly reminded of a few games – Ultima Online and Neverwinter Nights. That makes sense, especially the former, as our founder and CEO Derek Brinkmann worked for many years on UO. We believe that RPGs are at their best when they reward you for the activities you enjoy doing. And that same rule goes for our character progression system. Crafting, exploring, and looting are all big parts of Shards, but none of it means a lick if you’re not out there building your character through dozens of skills.

How Does Our Skill System Work?

There are no set classes in Shards Online. Instead, there are skills that everyone can learn and use from the word go. However, just because you know how to use a fireball doesn’t mean you’re going to be any good at doing so. The more you use any skill, the better you become at wielding it. It’s that simple. Like anything, practice makes perfect. Some skills are found easily in your opening moments with the game, while others are found through adventuring in Celador.

The Skills of Shards Online

At launch, we’ll have 30 skills for players to train in, each with their own unique uses and effects on gameplay. From swords to fireballs, animal taming to lumberjacking and potion making, we’ve got a whole lot of skills to master. At launch, each one of these skills can be leveled up in effectiveness to level 50. Certain stats boost the effectiveness of each skill too: Throwing is bolstered by Agility, while Bashing is bolstered by Strength and so on.

Each one of these skills have separate abilities ties to them, which you’ll place on your hotbar as well. For instance, in the magic line, Manifestation allows Fireball, Lightning, Heal, Resurrect, Teleport and others. Meanwhile the Animal Ken skill line will grant you Calm, Tame, Shared Existence, and more. Each skill line opens up a whole new way to play the game and fight your enemies. We’ll take a deeper look at each skill line further down the road.

Click on through for a couple more screenshots of some of Shards’ skills and abilities in action, and for additional notes on how the different skills are grouped and categorized.