Given that training up to a level in a skill can take a very long time it would be more sensible to make the development points the deciding factor in a battle.
For example (pulling some numbers out of my hat):
Player A has level 40 accuracy with, say, 20k development points needed for level 41.
With the above suggestion in mind during a battle what would be considered would not be the player's level, BUT his development points. So if player A has level 40, has been training up to level 41, and has, say, 8k development points, during a battle these would be taken into account and modify his chance to hit accordingly.
In this mechanic levels could work as "zero development" points where your total development points are reset to zero; so it would only count your development points from level 40 to level 41 instead of your total up to that point (0 to 40). In addition levels could give a small boost, retroactive, to encourage people to train up to higher levels. Finally this would give benefits to people who train/attack/train/attack, etc. as well as everybody else as they can gain immediate benefits from their rising development points as opposed to waiting days, weeks or even months for their skills to rise a level and have an effect on combat. |
~
[Suggestion] Change in skill points