I like the skill start up costs. They mean that if you want to
be skilled in multiple areas you have to pay for it. Personaly
I prefered it when the costs was paid per person in the unit
rather than just once for the unit. But enough of personal
gripes. If you dont have the initial costs then you are going
to get every unit of a large size knowing level 0 in each of
the assistable skills at any rate. I have a group of skilled
labourers who already do this, but they paid for their training,
and it seems reasoable that if you require level 0 to assist
people that reflects a certain amount of training, and that
basic training should cost.
Perhaps a better way to do this would be to get rid of the initial
cost, but require level 1 to assist. That way there is no
'1 day' magicly suddenly able to do things. Which actually
seems more reasonable than the current system. This is basically
how general magic works at the moment (you need level 1 in order
to be able to USE 106).
Bill.