Quote from: -E.I embrace complexity -- but the effort you took to write up your post doesn't strike me as being that complex.

The list here (your list, edited into bullet-point form) looks a lot like a character I'd play in GURPS or Hero: ........
-E.

 -E,
You did mention my favorite game system...So I took that challenge. Looked at you list and the original post  of Balbinus and this is what I came up with :

Name: Balbinus
Race: Human

Attributes [20]
ST 10
DX 10
IQ 11 [20]
HT 10

HP 10
Will 11
Per 11
FP 10

Basic Lift 20
Damage 1d-2/1d

Basic Speed 5
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native)

• .

Languages: English (Native)

• ; Italian (Accented/Semi-Literate) [3].

Advantages [8]
Animal Empathy [5]

Disadvantages [-11]
Dependent (Wife) (No more than 100%) (Friend; 9 or less) [-1]
Stubbornness [-5]
Truthfulness (12 or less) [-5]

Skills [83]
Body Language (Human) Per/A - Per-1 10 [1]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Connoisseur (Literature) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Connoisseur (Music) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Cooking IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Criminology/TL8 IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Business) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Headline News) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (High Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (People) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Politics) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Popular Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Detective! IQ/WC - IQ-3 8 [3]
Diving Suit/TL8 DX/A - DX-1 9 [1]
Expert Skill (Law) IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Expert Skill (Political Science) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Fast-Talk IQ/A - IQ-5 6 [2]
   includes: -5 from 'Truthfulness'
First Aid/TL8 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Games (Role Playing Games) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Intimidation Will/A - Will-1 10 [1]
Law (local) IQ/H - IQ+5 16 [24]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Linguistics (Human) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Literature IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Mathematics/TL8 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Mathematics/TL8 (Statistics) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Merchant IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Observation Per/A - Per+0 11 [2]
Performance IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Politics IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Psychology (Human) IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Public Speaking (Oratory) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Courts and Court systems) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Skiing HT/H - HT+1 11 [8]
Sociology IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Swimming HT/E - HT+0 10 [1]
Typing DX/E - DX+2 12 [4]
Writing IQ/A - IQ+1 12 [4]

Stats [20] Ads [8] Disads [-11] Quirks

• Skills [83] = Total [100]

The above took less than maybe 25 minutes. (Yes I used the GCA)  I didn't know what Disadvantages to give him - so that part might have taken me maybe another 5 to 7 minutes.

Balbinus , a lot of this is guesswork based on what you and  -E posted.
...... anything need adjusting or changing?

- E.W.C.

I prefer only statting out things that are necessary for die rolls and dramatic situations in a game.  For modern characters, that often means checking on skills at about the World of Darkness level.  Can your character drive really well?  Are you a computer guru?  I assume all characters have the basic capabilities common to most people who live in an industrialized country.

Quote from: Koltar-E,
You did mention my favorite game system...So I took that challenge. Looked at you list and the original post  of Balbinus and this is what I came up with :

Name: Balbinus
Race: Human

Attributes [20]
ST 10
DX 10
IQ 11 [20]
HT 10

HP 10
Will 11
Per 11
FP 10

Basic Lift 20
Damage 1d-2/1d

Basic Speed 5
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native)

• .

Languages: English (Native)

• ; Italian (Accented/Semi-Literate) [3].

Advantages [8]
Animal Empathy [5]

Disadvantages [-11]
Dependent (Wife) (No more than 100%) (Friend; 9 or less) [-1]
Stubbornness [-5]
Truthfulness (12 or less) [-5]

Skills [83]
Body Language (Human) Per/A - Per-1 10 [1]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Connoisseur (Literature) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Connoisseur (Music) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Cooking IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Criminology/TL8 IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Business) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Headline News) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (High Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (People) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Politics) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Popular Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Detective! IQ/WC - IQ-3 8 [3]
Diving Suit/TL8 DX/A - DX-1 9 [1]
Expert Skill (Law) IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Expert Skill (Political Science) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Fast-Talk IQ/A - IQ-5 6 [2]
   includes: -5 from 'Truthfulness'
First Aid/TL8 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Games (Role Playing Games) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Intimidation Will/A - Will-1 10 [1]
Law (local) IQ/H - IQ+5 16 [24]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Linguistics (Human) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Literature IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Mathematics/TL8 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Mathematics/TL8 (Statistics) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Merchant IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Observation Per/A - Per+0 11 [2]
Performance IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Politics IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Psychology (Human) IQ/H - IQ-1 10 [2]
Public Speaking (Oratory) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Courts and Court systems) IQ/E - IQ+0 11 [1]
Skiing HT/H - HT+1 11 [8]
Sociology IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Swimming HT/E - HT+0 10 [1]
Typing DX/E - DX+2 12 [4]
Writing IQ/A - IQ+1 12 [4]

Stats [20] Ads [8] Disads [-11] Quirks

• Skills [83] = Total [100]

The above took less than maybe 25 minutes. (Yes I used the GCA)  I didn't know what Disadvantages to give him - so that part might have taken me maybe another 5 to 7 minutes.

Balbinus , a lot of this is guesswork based on what you and  -E posted.
...... anything need adjusting or changing?

- E.W.C.

Aiee.

Well, I can't cook at all, other than the professional stuff looks way too low.  I get paid to give legal advice, to negotiate and to analyse issues and am recognised as being pretty good at those things (in the context of my firm, which is one of the world's leading law firms), that rates higher than a 10-11 on the Gurps scale.  I'm recognised as having one of the highest commands of English around here, which in a law firm is no small thing.

Generally though, I work at one of the foremost law firms in the world, I would expect our trainees to have higher skills.  I'm not sure what I currently bill at, I think something like $10 a minute, but even our juniors I would expect to have at least 12s in Gurps terms.

I mean, my best skill there is typing, which seems to me a bit odd.

Also, I'm generally recognised as one of the smarter guys here, in this context that's a lot more than an 11 to be honest with you.

And that's an issue I have with Gurps more generally, I am a normal person but on 3e I came in easily with more than 145 points worth of skills and advantages but then to be fair I have far more than 45 points worth of disadvanges (bad sight, overweight, fear of heights, coward, greedy (you don't go into corporate law otherwise) and a few others), it just didn't really work.

Offline I'm not stubborn by the way, that would be worth way more than -5 points in a lawyer.  Stubborn lawyers don't do deals.

More later when more time.

Oh, leaving aside the personal, any system which requires a computer program to generate characters is too complex for my tastes.

Doesn't require a computer program - but it does help.

 I will "adjust" the charactrer version of you. Now that you gave me some possible disadvantages it should balance out even  for a 100 point character.

  GURPS is not really that "complex"  - but having a clear vision of the chartacter helps.  Balbinus, you would still make an interesting NPC or "guest star " character in a campaign...without that much twealking of stuff.

- E.W.C.

Alternatively with Risus:

Smart and empathic (but bored) corporate lawyer 4
BBC4 watcher 3
Solo sports enthusiast 2
Amateur Linguist 1

And that's even without using hooks and tales.

Quote from: KoltarDoesn't require a computer program - but it does help.

 I will "adjust" the charactrer version of you. Now that you gave me some possible disadvantages it should balance out even  for a 100 point character.

  GURPS is not really that "complex"  - but having a clear vision of the chartacter helps.  Balbinus, you would still make an interesting NPC or "guest star " character in a campaign...without that much twealking of stuff.

- E.W.C.

Cool, FYI I'm a transactional lawyer, big on negotiation and advice but we never go to court (the litigation guys do that) and I don't practice criminal law (though I know some of course).

Also, if you're using me in a game, I have telekinesis, honest.

Quote from: BalbinusCool, FYI I'm a transactional lawyer, big on negotiation and advice but we never go to court (the litigation guys do that) and I don't practice criminal law (though I know some of course).

Also, if you're using me in a game, I have telekinesis, honest.

JAGS Revised
Name: Balbinus (29 Character Points/ 24 Archetype Points)
Race: Human

PHY 10
REF 10
INT 12 (15)

(5) Smart +1 (13 RES)
(-3) Fat 13 BLD, +1 DP

Traits
Likable L2 (4)
Can't Drive -1
Wears glasses -1
Greed -2
Coward -4

Skills
(.5) Computers [Amateur L1] 13-
(.5) Art Appreciation [Amateur L1] 12-
(7 ) Law [Expert L3] 15-*
(.5) History [Amateur L1] 13-
(2) Trivia: Gaming [Professional L2] 13-
(1) Sports: Skiing [Amateur L2] 13-
(3) Sports: Diving [Professional L3] 14-
(.5) Language: Italian 10- (speak and read)

Archetype Ability
(4)   Empathy (Read emotions)
(20) Telekinesis Class 5 (+10 DP, 6pt Force Field, 12 Damage Strike, Levitate)

* In JAGS terms this is quite high. High enough to compete on the national level.

NOTE: There is no truly good way to be generically good with animals save for the Nature Friend ability which is pretty exceptional.
NOTE: The Empathy ability is in the not-yet-released Psionics book--but applies to high-level, but mundane empathetic ability. If the ability were a more generally learned skill, Psychology could be used.

-Marco

Okay,...here is my second draft on Balbinus,...I'll highlight  his highest skills in boldface. take a look :

Name: Balbinus
Race: Human

Attributes [40]
ST 10
DX 10
IQ 12 [40]
HT 10

HP 10
Will 12
Per 12
FP 10

Basic Lift 20
Damage 1d-2/1d

Basic Speed 5
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8

Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native)

• .

Languages: English (Native/Native) [6]; Italian (Native)

• .

Advantages [11]
Animal Empathy [5]

Disadvantages [-67]
Bad Sight (Nearsighted (wears glasses)) [-25]
Cowardice (12 or less) [-10]
Dependent (Wife) (No more than 100%) (Friend; 9 or less) [-1]
Greed (12 or less) [-15]
Overweight [-1]
Phobia (Acrophobia: Heights) (12 or less) [-10]
Truthfulness (12 or less) [-5]

Skills [116]
Body Language (Human) Per/A - Per+0 12 [2]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+1 13 [2]
Connoisseur (Literature) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Connoisseur (Music) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Criminology/TL8 IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Business) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Headline News) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (High Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (People) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Politics) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Popular Culture) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Detective! IQ/WC - IQ-3 9 [3]
Diving Suit/TL8 DX/A - DX-1 9 [1]
Expert Skill (Law) IQ/H - IQ+5 17 [24]
Expert Skill (Political Science) IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Fast-Talk IQ/A - IQ-2 10 [12]
   includes: -5 from 'Truthfulness'
First Aid/TL8 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Games (Role Playing Games) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Intimidation Will/A - Will-1 11 [1]
Law (local) IQ/H - IQ+5 17 [24]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Linguistics (Human) IQ/H - IQ-2 10 [1]
Literature IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Mathematics/TL8 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Mathematics/TL8 (Statistics) IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Merchant IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
Observation Per/A - Per+0 12 [2]
Performance IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Politics IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Psychology (Human) IQ/H - IQ-1 11 [2]
Public Speaking (Oratory) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Courts and Court systems) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Skiing HT/H - HT+1 11 [8]
Sociology IQ/H - IQ-2 10 [1]
Swimming HT/E - HT+1 11 [1]
   includes: +1 from 'Overweight'
Typing DX/E - DX+1 11 [2]
Writing IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]

Stats [40] Ads [11] Disads [-67] Quirks

• Skills [116] = Total [100]

 Now this is the kind of thing that I do with my players before the start of a campaign.  we usually chit chat online or sometimes in-person over lunch about what kind of  character they might want to play and what the campaign world and setting is going to be like.
 My games are never "Player vs. GM" like some groups that I've heard about.  our campaigns are more of an accidentally unintentional co-operative thing. We're just trying to have fun and see where the hell the story takes us.

 For this pass at Balbinus - I assumed he was a native of Italy and one of the best speakers of English at his law firm.  Funny thing is, one of my players may have negotiated with his firm in the late 80s or early 90s - knowing the small company that she used to have.

- E.W.C.

Quote from: BalbinusAnd that's an issue I have with Gurps more generally, I am a normal person but on 3e I came in easily with more than 145 points worth of skills and advantages but then to be fair I have far more than 45 points worth of disadvanges (bad sight, overweight, fear of heights, coward, greedy (you don't go into corporate law otherwise) and a few others), it just didn't really work.

That's a common perception of statting yourself in GURPS, and it's wrong. It's because most GURPS GMs don't give bonuses and maluses to skills, it's just a straight roll. The basic skill roll is only vaguely described in the rule books, what's the situation with no bonus or malus? They don't say. So you get things like, someone wants their character to drive a car down a straight street with no other cars, but they only have the default skill of say 6, the GM makes them roll against that and when they fail announces they've had a fatal crash. The fact is that "no pressure" and "taking time" and that sort of thing can add a lot to the skill, so that even poorly-skilled people can do things.

So for example your legal aides, let's say they've got Law-12. Sounds low - they fail 1/4 the time! Well, no. The base roll would be their chance to remember some relevant tort law off the top of their head. But if they're given a couple of hours to research, with a good library, and the chance to write up a couple of drafts to show to the boss before presenting the final one - they'll get +6 or +10 to that skill before their player has to roll for it.

The same goes for Physician, or other similar professional skills. Having good equipment, being able to take time to think about the task, having other people to help and advise you - these all add to the skill. So the officially "professional" skill level of 12 starts looking pretty good, because in practice it'll be an effective skill of 16 or more.

It's just that most GMs forget those bonuses and maluses, so any skill less than 16 looks like shite.

Then when we reverse things, and look at the character first and then try to figure out the skills from their performance - like when we stat ourselves -, we consider their effective skill. "Well, me legal aid only really fucked up a few times out of 100, they must have a skill of 16." Nope, they had an effective skill of 16, making their actual skill somewhat lower.

So Balbinus is probably not a 145 point character.

Much the same goes for Advantages and Disadvantages, too. The phobias, for example - a -15 phobia dominates your life, like some poor bastard who's agrophobic or has cleanliness OCD. When people stat themselves or others, they go to the extremes, and give themselves these huge traits, then wonder why they've ended up with a genius cripple.

Quote from: JimBobOzThe base roll would be their chance to remember some relevant tort law off the top of their head. But if they're given a couple of hours to research, with a good library, and the chance to write up a couple of drafts to show to the boss before presenting the final one - they'll get +6 or +10 to that skill before their player has to roll for it.

Nah, nobody is expected to recall more than the broad points off the top of their head, research with access to a decent library is to me a normal use, not a situation meriting a bonus.

In practice though, in an actual negotiation, people take a view on the spot and if they get it wrong may not always be able to take it back, if you get that wrong one time in four you're unemployed.

The discrepancy is the level of answer, you have to get the right ballpark off the top of your head, but only a fool wouldn't research it* if a precise point of law was relevant.  If nothing else, there may always have been some recent case.

I mean, I take your overall point, but that's not how it works in this business.

Also, the juniors are legal professionals, therefore a skill of 12 might work for them, but for their more experienced colleagues that's just not right.  Hell, a two year qualified lawyer is a professional able to advise a client on many issues on their own, but an eight year qualified should be a hell of a lot better.

Ironically except possibly at law, junior lawyers are often better at technical law (black letter law) than their senior colleagues as they studied it more recently, senior lawyers are better at applying it and recognising risks and commercial significance, but that's beyond most systems to measure.

It's all about the instincts, you feel that something is ok or not right, assuming you get that right and you don't let yourself be bullied out of it the rest follows.

Actually, in Gurps 3e you'd do it with specialisation, I'd take something like law 12 specialised in commercial, which would give me general at 11 and commercial at 16 IIRC.


*To be more precise, tell a trainee to research it.

Quote from: BalbinusNah, nobody is expected to recall more than the broad points off the top of their head, research with access to a decent library is to me a normal use, not a situation meriting a bonus.

Then you're a poor GURPS GM, because you've not read the rules. I'm taking this from 4e.
   p. B345, "Task Difficulty [...] 0 - Average. Most adventuring tasks, and the majority of skill use under stress. Example: A Driving skill roll in a car chase."
With that and the other descriptions in mind, having access to a legal library is definitely a bonus to Law skill use, it's not the "average" situation. It might be "average" to you to have a library, but it's not an "adventuring average" task.

Compare another description,
   p. B345, "Task Difficulty [...] +4 or +5 - Easy. Most mundane tasks, including rolls made by ordinary people at day-to-day jobs. Example: A Driving roll to commute to work in a small town."
In GURPS terms, you legal aides with their library have got an "easy" task. The +4 or +5, combined with their skill level of 12 in Law, means an effective skill of 16 or 17. On mundane legal questions they'll rarely fail, though obscure ones might cause them some trouble occasionally.

If you say that the legal aide with the legal library gets no bonus to their skill roll because they have a library, then you're saying it's an "average" situation - you're saying that a legal aide looking something up in the firm's library is equivalent in difficulty to driving in a car chase. You're saying that your legal aides have challenges equivalent to having a car chase every single working day. So either you didn't read that part of the GURPS rules, or else you have a remarkably challenging workplace.

As I said, most GURPS GMs ignore those bonuses, and only ever give penalties to the skill rolls. Most GURPS GMs, in other words, don't know or use the rules they're so fond of. And so they end up concluding that everyday people are a superheroic level of ability, with hundreds of skill points.

Dude, you clipped the rest of my post where I explained why that doesn't really work.  You also clipped the bit where I said a 12 might work for the juniors, so a lengthy post telling me that a 12 might work for the juniors slightly misses the point.  I was objecting to a 12 for a senior associate at a leading firm, not in relation to the juniors.

Otherwise though...

"The majority of skill use under stress".

In a commercial negotiation you need to recognise issues as they arise, and have a broad idea of the implications, precise details will be researched later if necessary.

But that recognition of the issue and implications is under stress, get it wrong and there are real implications, get it wrong one time in four and you are fired.  And frankly, I think that being called upon by say a CEO to tell them whether they can agree a point or not is a stress situation, if that isn't then I don't know what is.  That is of course why we don't as a rule let juniors walk into situations like that if we can at all avoid it, because there is way too high a chance of them getting it wrong (the 12 in their case, though actually nerves takes them out in that context most times before skill can even come into play).

Also, you're not taking into account different working environments.  We quite simply do not get paid to do research that is straightforward, our rates don't support that, many firms now actually outsource routine law to other law firms because it's more cost effective.

12 might cut it for a senior associate in a bog standard commercial law firm (though it still strikes me as harsh, they still need to reliably advise their clients when the crunch comes), but not in the top table firms which are only paid in respect of highly complex and innovative matters.  We simply don't hire average lawyers, the competition is far too high.  Now, that doesn't mean there aren't top lawyers outside the top table of firms, there may be people who choose niche practices, or a greater work/life balance, or who practice in areas which are not corporate law driven, or a variety of causes, but the only people who last any length of time in the global law firms are the guys at the top of their game.

A doctor doing an average job in a mediocre hospital is probably at a very different skill level to a doctor doing an average job at a leading treatment centre, because the standards are simply higher.

That said, if we could take this discussion off my particular skillset to a more general discussion I'd be happier, I'm left otherwise letting stuff pass which strikes me as quite wrong (and I'm sadly too vain to be able to) or blowing my own trumpet (which I'm too British to be comfortable doing).

But overall, please note, my objection to 12 was in the context of a seasoned professional, not a junior who was doing routine stuff.

Actually guys, I am a bit uncomfortable using myself as the example, could we genericise it with a doctor or something?  I appreciate it's my fault, but I'd still appreciate it.

Jim-Bob, I do take your point about a 12 and standard activities as opposed to stress situations, as I said above my objection was a 12 at that particular level rather than the level you were talking about.

Didn't mean to embarass you , Balbinus - I just found the exercise itself enjoyable and you used  yourself as an example in your initial post.

 Stuff like this I think of as the gaming  mental version of an athlete doing stretching exercises before a big game. Those muscles may not be used - but its usually a good idea.

 What JimBobOz said is true...in my games I just skip asking my players roll for things where it would make sense that they could do whatever it is thats in question.

- Ed C.

Quote from: BalbinusJim-Bob, I do take your point about a 12 and standard activities as opposed to stress situations, as I said above my objection was a 12 at that particular level rather than the level you were talking about.

Good, because you'd earlier said that 12 was too low for even a junior.

When a GURPS player thinks that, not only does it mean they'll give themselves skill 18 in their own profession, it also means they'll give themselves skill 12 in something they did once one weekend. "Oh yeah in the Boy Scouts we shot a handgun once, I hit the target, looking up range penalties and stuff, I must have skill 13, awesome."

I've seen this many times with people developing skill sets for professions. We get for example someone saying, "what's a registered nurse got?" and someone says, "well, Lifting skill, because they lift patients" - no. It doesn't take a skill roll for two or three people to lift another person of normal weight off a bed and onto another bed.

The brings up the actual problem with GURPS, which is that the profusion of skills is an open invitation to actually buy up all those skills, when in fact the default level with task modifiers (taking time, no pressure) would do for most of the things the PC is likely to actually want to do.

Speaking more generally, that's a problem for any game system where if you don't have the skill, it's almost impossible to carry out even a simple task. When you're making fantasy or space characters people don't care too much. But when you make modern day characters, people more easily relate the character to their own experience, and start saying, "what do you mean he drowns in five foot of water?! How hard can it be to dog-paddle across six feet of still pool?" So when you've a system with stingy or no defaults, people start taking a little bit of a gazillion skills, and you end up with the big long character sheet Balbinus was complaining about earlier.

So if you want a modern day character with a broad range of skills, then you need either a way long skill list, or a system and GM which give generous default abilities.