Personally, I don't see why this is something we want to do. Whatever system
we have for skills, skill advancement will depend on some limited resource -
be it gold, time, Glory, Experiences, or some combination - and this naturally
gives a tradeoff between breadth and depth - do I have a unit with 4 1st level
skills, or one 1st and one 2nd? Do I have all skills at level 1, or
two at level 4? (These are numbers taken out of the air. I don't know if
they're the right tradeoff in current Olympia, but it shows the spirit).
Another part of Rich's post I like - get rid of the mandatory charge for
learning. If a teacher wants to charge, fine. However, keeping money as the
barrier to advancement just continues to make the game primarily economic, and
everything else secondary.
If this change went through, as well as the COMPANIONS idea with no maintenance
charges, then we get a good role for more casual players to play - that of a
band of adventurers, exploring the land for fun and ignoring all considerations
of money -they couldn't muster enough cash to raise some troops, and wouldn't
be empire-builders, but it gives a fun alternative without much of the Olympia
nitty-gritty.
Scott