With skillsets, i here mean ...
Ah, i'd better give the examples i know:

* Fully individual and pointbased (Storytelling system).
Player buys skills and similar from a pool of points, no limitations.
* Balanced skillset period(term?) choises (Twilight 2000?).
I remember this from a Twilight 2000 edition i used to have: One may have started out as a cook or chef, and got drafted as a soldier, and was there for two periods, until one decided to to instead go naval ...
That would mean one Cook skillset, Two Soldier skillsets, and one Navy skillset.
* Unbalanced skillsets (Heroes Unlimited)
Often rolled at random, the edition of Heroes unlimited i have excel at this.
More than one skillset is possible, but not always if i remember correctly.
* Classes
.... We all know this one, i assume.

The question i have, is:
How does these different ways affect the style, mood, and general play, if at all?
For instance, Since i saw balanced periods/terms in Twilight 2000 first, i might use that for a game that i want to give some kind of realistic touch or a "structural" feel akin to military, police, doctor ... or possibly any Profession.

Or, if i want to empathise some randomness, chaos or unfairness in the setting, i go for the unbalanced skillsets instead.

Class can work in conjunction with a skill system in a few different ways, actually. For instance:
*each class has specific adventuring-related abilities, then there's a general skill system covering less important skills only (D&D). In this setup 'level' may or may not affect skill ratings, unlike other arrangements where levels probably add to skills.
*all abilities are defined as skills, classes are defined by which skills they get for free (Palladium).
*all abilities are skills, any class can take any skill but with variable cost i.e. magic skills are more expensive for fighters(Rolemaster).
*classes replace skills, what a character can do is entirely based on classes.
 
 
On play effect, I guess compared to classes being able to freely divide points seems to give pretty competent starting characters (or at least they will be in a couple of skills), whereas classed characters usually start out very weak.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;619801Class can work in conjunction with a skill system in a few different ways, actually. For instance:
*each class has specific adventuring-related abilities, then there's a general skill system covering less important skills only (D&D). In this setup 'level' may or may not affect skill ratings, unlike other arrangements where levels probably add to skills.
*all abilities are defined as skills, classes are defined by which skills they get for free (Palladium).
*all abilities are skills, any class can take any skill but with variable cost i.e. magic skills are more expensive for fighters(Rolemaster).
*classes replace skills, what a character can do is entirely based on classes.
 
 
On play effect, I guess compared to classes being able to freely divide points seems to give pretty competent starting characters (or at least they will be in a couple of skills), whereas classed characters usually start out very weak.

You missed out the 3e option which is
Classes with skills and abilities and feats at variable costs per class but with simple multiclassing so the charop guys can go nuts working out the cheapest way to increase diplomacy or sneak or whatever as a combination of the correct classes, stats, feats and skills

Thanks