🎉 Celebrating 25 Years of GameDev.net! 🎉
Not many can claim 25 years on the Internet! Join us in celebrating this milestone. Learn more about our history, and thank you for being a part of our community!
Character stats, whadya use?
Author
I''m currently trying to specify the mechanics of my game design and I''ve been slowed by the first hurdle of character design. Is there a universal set of statistics that you can use to fully define a character or do you normally wing it, adding stats when the necessary actions and mechanics spring to mind.
Having played Whitewolf games for a while the only stats that present themselves in my head are the ones used in their system and I feel I might be blinding myself to the obvious by thinking this one dimensionally.
This is for an RPG/RTS style game (as much as I hate to pigeon-hole anything :-)) and I need stats for everything from basic movement to combat to character-character interaction.
Help, as ever, appreciated.
Mike
I am currently making a small rgp like game, this is how i proceeded. I design the combat and magic system and during this proecss I found out which "stats" I needed, i.e. something that affects the weapon damage, something to base the attack succes on, etc. I came up with a couple of stats and added one or two a little bit later in the devlopment process. For names I inspired myself from Ad&d, Might And Magic, etc.
It is a relativly simple process. As for the scale of the stats I established that that all players would start with stats ranging from 3 to 21, before any race modifier applies (i.e. +2 intellect for elves). I have not set any upper limit for this but as the possible devlopment of such stats will be limited through the number of occasions you have of raising them during the game, that should''nt prove to be a problem.
The key is not to create a list of stats because other game have them, and try and find use for them, that''s how I initially approached the problem but I later found out it was a little silly.
Don`t know if it helps at all, but heres my input, if you want more specifications or anything just let me know.
It is a relativly simple process. As for the scale of the stats I established that that all players would start with stats ranging from 3 to 21, before any race modifier applies (i.e. +2 intellect for elves). I have not set any upper limit for this but as the possible devlopment of such stats will be limited through the number of occasions you have of raising them during the game, that should''nt prove to be a problem.
The key is not to create a list of stats because other game have them, and try and find use for them, that''s how I initially approached the problem but I later found out it was a little silly.
Don`t know if it helps at all, but heres my input, if you want more specifications or anything just let me know.
I have two suggestions.
1. Use the D&D system. Wizards is adapting their d20 basic system (used for D&D and the new Star Wars) to an open source-style. See www.opengamingfoundation.org for information. (This open gaming thing is ironic, considering it's Hasbro.)
2. Create your own. Look at the goal of your game, what things are stressed and decide what the characters need to be able to do. Then look at other systems and see how they handle these actions. Develop something new that suits your game's goals.
Pax
Edited by - pax on September 26, 2000 2:09:58 PM
1. Use the D&D system. Wizards is adapting their d20 basic system (used for D&D and the new Star Wars) to an open source-style. See www.opengamingfoundation.org for information. (This open gaming thing is ironic, considering it's Hasbro.)
2. Create your own. Look at the goal of your game, what things are stressed and decide what the characters need to be able to do. Then look at other systems and see how they handle these actions. Develop something new that suits your game's goals.
Pax
Edited by - pax on September 26, 2000 2:09:58 PM
Author
I think you''re both right. The more I define the game in terms of functionality and *gasp* gameplay, the easier it will be for necessary stats to fall into place.
I''m just doing things back-to-front as usual :-)
Cheers,
Mike
I''m just doing things back-to-front as usual :-)
Cheers,
Mike
MMmrph !
I won''t start a Jyhad again, so let''s just say that there are many many many games out there that are NOT AD&D. I realise that if you are playing Vampire, you are probably a newbie, but believe me or not, AD&D invented the RPG, but many people improved it, not necessarily by just fixing the bugs from the AD&D system.
To name a few ancients of the RPG industry :
the Chaosium system (Call of Chtulhu, Stormbringer, Hawkmoon, probably forgot others).
GURPS (Generic Univers Role Playing System) by Steve Jackson''s games.
Rolemaster, the venerable.
I think in the newcomers Heavy Gear seems to be popular, but I never tested it myself.
My personal favourite is Simulacres, a little french game, so I guess you can forget that one (it doesn''t fit in the computer model very well, anyway, which is why it works so nicely).
You could even try Amber system, the diceless game !
youpla :-P
But please, don''t be fooler by the obvious establishment and profesionalism of AD&D... it''s old, virtually every CRPG seems to be based on its system, and it didn''t make them that better.
youpla :-P
I won''t start a Jyhad again, so let''s just say that there are many many many games out there that are NOT AD&D. I realise that if you are playing Vampire, you are probably a newbie, but believe me or not, AD&D invented the RPG, but many people improved it, not necessarily by just fixing the bugs from the AD&D system.
To name a few ancients of the RPG industry :
the Chaosium system (Call of Chtulhu, Stormbringer, Hawkmoon, probably forgot others).
GURPS (Generic Univers Role Playing System) by Steve Jackson''s games.
Rolemaster, the venerable.
I think in the newcomers Heavy Gear seems to be popular, but I never tested it myself.
My personal favourite is Simulacres, a little french game, so I guess you can forget that one (it doesn''t fit in the computer model very well, anyway, which is why it works so nicely).
You could even try Amber system, the diceless game !
youpla :-P
But please, don''t be fooler by the obvious establishment and profesionalism of AD&D... it''s old, virtually every CRPG seems to be based on its system, and it didn''t make them that better.
youpla :-P
Author
Actually I''m 25 and I came into contact with my first D&D boxed set sometime around 1982.
Not exactly a newbie ;-)
Even so, Vampire''s been around many years now. If I remember correctly I started playing that in ''92 or ''93. I gave up playing AD&D around that time too.
And to Buster...."Har-har-har"
Anyhow, I like the mentality of the White Wolf system at the most base level. You have underlying attributes, you have skills, when performing an action you use one, the other, or, more commonly, one of each to define your overall ability.
Admittedly this does have some flaws, like the Marvel Super Hero''s game it was possible for Aunt May to beat the Beyonder in an arm wrestle if they both got the right rolls. I think in Vampire it wasn''t unheard of for a paraplegic to beat Bruce Lee but then all systems have their flaws :-).
Actually that''s one problem with computer games, with pen and paper RPG''s a good GM/DM/Storyteller could overcome any flawed system just using common sense...a computer can''t :-(
Either way the idea''s there and I should get on with the possible actions before defining the stats that limits and controls them. I''m currently trying to define a system that can be used to describe a human or a cheetah or the pixies at the bottom of your garden to give the game more potential for expansion and extensibility.
Anyhow, better get on with it.
Cheers,
Mike
Not exactly a newbie ;-)
Even so, Vampire''s been around many years now. If I remember correctly I started playing that in ''92 or ''93. I gave up playing AD&D around that time too.
And to Buster...."Har-har-har"
Anyhow, I like the mentality of the White Wolf system at the most base level. You have underlying attributes, you have skills, when performing an action you use one, the other, or, more commonly, one of each to define your overall ability.
Admittedly this does have some flaws, like the Marvel Super Hero''s game it was possible for Aunt May to beat the Beyonder in an arm wrestle if they both got the right rolls. I think in Vampire it wasn''t unheard of for a paraplegic to beat Bruce Lee but then all systems have their flaws :-).
Actually that''s one problem with computer games, with pen and paper RPG''s a good GM/DM/Storyteller could overcome any flawed system just using common sense...a computer can''t :-(
Either way the idea''s there and I should get on with the possible actions before defining the stats that limits and controls them. I''m currently trying to define a system that can be used to describe a human or a cheetah or the pixies at the bottom of your garden to give the game more potential for expansion and extensibility.
Anyhow, better get on with it.
Cheers,
Mike
arf, fair enough, mea culpa. 
I don''t criticise the Vampire system though, I liked it enough when I tried it. It just remind me a bit too much of a Warhammer Battle game when it comes to launching buckets of dices, but otherwise it''s nice (though I hate the corporate machine of White Wolf ... I mean ... uuuuh, Clans, tribes, kith, what else ??)
As for putting it on a computer, well, look at Vampire CRPG, it seems to hld water pretty well to me.
OK, I''ll give you a summary of the system I like the most :
there are 4 Components : Body, Heart, Instincts, Mind.
4 Means : Action, Perception, Resistance, Will(Desire).
then there are energies and realms that characterise the context the test is taken in or for.
6 realms : Mineral, Vegetal, Animal, Humanoid, Mechanic, and Void.
Energies are for magic, or are used like boosters during tests(Speed, Accuracy, Strength)
Then there are skills ...
Test are generally : Component + Mean + Realm + Skill + difficulty.
If you cross the 4 components and 4 actions you get at least 16 stats.
The problem with the system is to adapt it to the computer, other than that, I love it.
I don''t criticise the Vampire system though, I liked it enough when I tried it. It just remind me a bit too much of a Warhammer Battle game when it comes to launching buckets of dices, but otherwise it''s nice (though I hate the corporate machine of White Wolf ... I mean ... uuuuh, Clans, tribes, kith, what else ??)
As for putting it on a computer, well, look at Vampire CRPG, it seems to hld water pretty well to me.
OK, I''ll give you a summary of the system I like the most :
there are 4 Components : Body, Heart, Instincts, Mind.
4 Means : Action, Perception, Resistance, Will(Desire).
then there are energies and realms that characterise the context the test is taken in or for.
6 realms : Mineral, Vegetal, Animal, Humanoid, Mechanic, and Void.
Energies are for magic, or are used like boosters during tests(Speed, Accuracy, Strength)
Then there are skills ...
Test are generally : Component + Mean + Realm + Skill + difficulty.
If you cross the 4 components and 4 actions you get at least 16 stats.
The problem with the system is to adapt it to the computer, other than that, I love it.
In my eye''s, if you want to make it so a tiger can fight a human and have a realistic fight then you should dump attributes altogether and create specific skills for each being. ie. a human can fist fight, a lion can bite skills. You could also use natural ability statistics that are used to calculate the outcomes of skills.
I love Game Design and it loves me back.
Our Goal is "Fun"!
I love Game Design and it loves me back.
Our Goal is "Fun"!
For a REALLY long discussion on the topic of stats - have a look at the old thread "What''s with stats" on these boards. It''s also listed in the Forum Stats as one of the longest threads ever.
People might not remember what you said, or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~
People might not remember what you said, or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
