So I am looking at learning some new skills in game and here are the rules for doing such...

LEARNING NEW SKILLS
The more skills a character possesses, the longer it takes him to learn a new skill. A character’s Skill Total is calculated by summing the levels of each skill (level zero skills count as zero). A character with Mechanic 1 and Gun Combat (slug pistols) 2 would have a Skill Total of 3.

To increase a skill, a character must train for a number of weeks equal to his current Skill Total plus the desired level of the skill. So, to advance from Pilot 2 to Pilot 3 with a current Skill Total of 3 would take (three, plus three)six weeks. A character may only train one skill in a given week.

Would you take it as having to learn each rank? ie: (starting skill total 3) Pilot 2 up to Pilot 3 = 6 weeks training, then Pilot 3 up to Pilot 4 would be 8 weeks training? For a total of 14 weeks training?

Or

If I had Pilot 2 and wanted to go to Pilot 4 would it be only 7 weeks training?

I think if I understand Traveller's rules correctly, this is how it would work:

Rank 1 = 0+1 = 1 week training.
Rank 2 = 0+1+2 = 3 weeks training.
Rank 3 = 0+1+2+3 = 6 weeks traning.
Rank 4 = 0+1+2+3+4 = 10 weeks training.

Each rank step requires the previous rank (so you can't move from 1 to 4 ranks... you need to do the training for each rank).

This means it would take 16 weeks of training to move from Rank 2 to Rank 4. If you were looking to go from Rank 2 to Rank 5, it would take 31 weeks of training.

Slow going, for sure.

That is kind of what I was thinking as well, but I wanted to get someone else's take on it... because my character already has a 25 skill total, so I will have to train for almost 3 years to get to my desired skill level... :/

Thank you

I know nothing about traveler, but it seems like there should be a cap somewhere. Or at least be able to increase in another skill while you're in your 3 years of training.

Like, spend the first few weeks of those years increasing something, and then once you get that to, say, 20, you can't increase it at the same time anymore, so you go for another skill to increase, and so on. Maybe.

Or just say "increasing in a skill can't take any longer than half a year" or something. Unless if this is a computer based game and not "tabletop-RPG-but-online" like other stuff here.

Traveller is a tabletop RPG, but rather than levels it works on "terms" that are 4 years long each... So taking 2-3 years to learn a skill is fairly normal based on the term progression.

Here is a link to the main traveller rulebook (Mongoose Edition)