As an add-on suggestion to allowing experienced Hearthlings to “train” apprentices and help them level up more quickly, I was thinking that they could write a Journal about their knowledge that the apprentices could read and gain xp to the same level quickly. (not instantly, though, that would be too OP). Every time a Hearthling gains a new level maybe they sit at a writing desk and update their Journal.
It would help if the higher level Hearthling dies or gets kidnapped. Also if they are busy being something else: Herbalist becomes a cleric and a new herbalist is needed. If the experienced Hearthling is alive, maybe they could have conversations with the apprentice so their xp advances quickly.
You could have a special bookshelf to keep all the Journals so that when someone starves to death as a hostage in a goblin camp, the new guy doesn’t have to start from scratch. They just go over to the bookshelf and do a bit of study. Imagine a library of knowledge from many Hearthlings!
There’s currently kind of this in the game. The Professor trait gives experience when talking to others (except if the other is a worker because workers don’t have exp bar). But the exp is only given if the hearthling he talks to is below level 3.
Yeah but even if you’re not a “Professor” if you’re working as a mason and the person you work with is stuffing up the jobs they get, even if you’re only a level above them wouldn’t you say something like “uh, if you chip at an angle rather than straight in you can control the edges better”?
Or if you’re starting work as a trapper because the last guy quit to become a shepherd wouldn’t you want to ask a few questions? and why would he not give you some tips? They live in these tiny towns with a small population but don’t pass on knowledge readily?
If you’re starting work as a carpenter because the last one died and there’s no indication how he made a chair, you’ld be super happy to read all about it in his memoirs.
It’d be good if every individual didn’t have to re-invent the wheel