The RP stats discussion thread!

[SephiLyn]

Alright people, Fadey wants stats and I've been part of a stats based RP before. The stats will just be used for battle to prevent god-moding, not that any of us would do that anyways...right? mrgreen

On to business, here's a link to the site I was on:

Base stats with typical growth rates of classes:
http://z10.invisionfree.com/Flaming_Emblem_RPG/index.php?showtopic=64

Actual growth rates:
http://z10.invisionfree.com/Flaming_Emblem_RPG/index.php?showtopic=235

Now I know you're probably thinking, "OMG! Even my level 5 Charmander has better stats than those shits!" Just wait a sec, kay? We're here to discuss the stats issue and that is just an example of how the stats were done in that RP. Besides, it's really just a model of how to make your characters stats (based on whether or not they are magicy people/melee people/speed demons/sexy biznatches) and how to assign the growth rates (again based on whether your person's a hoe or not). If you need an example of how to adjust things, I'll make a charcter for you and show how s**t gets done. When we decide on our stats model, I'll show you how to calculate battle stats.  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

dude this sounds really complicated.  

[SephiLyn]

It's not that bad. I said I'd give an example if you wanted.

Since this is a discussion thread, let's name off the pros and cons.

The problems with stats:
They take awhile to do which can be very irritating when you'd rather just go on to describe the battle.
A person can get RNG screwed which either makes their character worthless base stat wise, or make them miss against someone their character should probably hit given the story situation.
It's easy to forget to do a level up.
New stats would need to be made for each new enemy.
Some people might not be happy with the stats that they get.
They could ruin moments where the underdog is suppose to come out on top.

The good things about stats:
No one likes to lose even if it would further the story and promote character growth. Stats would make it so a person HAD to train their character to beat certain bosses.
God-moding. I'd like to think that we wouldn't do this but if someone did then the rest of us would be too nice to say anything about it and...that'd just be bleh for everyone. Stats would prevent this since they would be adjusted to fit the story.
Stats would make clear the strengths and weaknesses of certain characters. This would make it so that if one character couldn't beat an enemy because that enemy has good physical or magical defense, then someone else might be able to come in trounce them because they can take advantage of their weakness, which would promote character growth of the individual character and growth of the characters relationship wise.
Stats show exactly what you are capable of without being vague. We've all watched animes where, at one moment, a character can move super-duper fast and then they fight a boss and they seem to be moving slower. Well, with stats, it would be pretty obvious how fast you were, meaning you'd have to work up to that supa speed instead of just doing it at one moment and then not doing it the next. Sorry, but that's just one of my pet peeves of anime. >>

More to be added as the discussion continues!  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

can you run an example here? just a quickie, I'm a visual person.  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

SephiLyn

A person can get RNG screwed which either makes their character worthless base stat wise, or make them miss against someone their character should probably hit given the story situation.

This is a big problem considering the best part about rps are the story that goes along with them.

SephiLyn

They could ruin moments where the underdog is suppose to come out on top.

again, what about the strength of the story?

SephiLyn

Stats would make clear the strengths and weaknesses of certain characters. This would make it so that if one character couldn't beat an enemy because that enemy has good physical or magical defense, then someone else might be able to come in trounce them because they can take advantage of their weakness, which would promote character growth of the individual character and growth of the characters relationship wise.
Stats show exactly what you are capable of without being vague. We've all watched animes where, at one moment, a character can move super-duper fast and then they fight a boss and they seem to be moving slower. Well, with stats, it would be pretty obvious how fast you were, meaning you'd have to work up to that supa speed instead of just doing it at one moment and then not doing it the next. Sorry, but that's just one of my pet peeves of anime. >>

These are both good things, except I'm worried about everyone beginning on equal footing. Sure one person may start at square one at defense while another square one at attack- this would appear to balance out. But I'm not sure it would. Would stats really be fair in terms of people starting out equally?  

[SephiLyn]

Of course. I'll make a thiefy.

So then, I start out with theif's base stats:
HP:17/STR:4/
SKL:4/SPD:11/
LUC:2/DEF:3/
RES:0/MOV:6/
CON:7/RSC:6/

Since we're not doing the Fire Emblem chess style moving, MOV (number of spaces character can move), CON (the character weight, prety much) and RSC (the max weight this unit can carry in the form of another unit) are pretty much useless. That, and I don't get to add or subtract from their fixed numbers anyways.
Moving right along, I now know what numbers I have to play with. I can take away one point from one stat and add it to another if I feel my character would do better having an addition to that other stat. In this case I'll take on away from HP (hit points) and add it to my DEF (defense). This makes my new stats:
HP:16/STR:4/
SKL:4/SPD:11/
LUC:2/DEF:4/
RES:0

While I'm at it, I think I'll take two points from my SPD(speed) and distribute it to my STR(strength) and my SKL(skill). So my new stats are:
HP:16/STR:5/
SKL:5/SPD:9/
LUC:2/DEF:4/
RES:0

And that's how adjustments of the base stats are done. It's not so bad, but you'll have to keep in mind your characters stat growths which I will do in a new post.  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

SephiLyn

Of course. I'll make a thiefy.

So then, I start out with theif's base stats:
HP:17/STR:4/
SKL:4/SPD:11/
LUC:2/DEF:3/
RES:0/MOV:6/
CON:7/RSC:6/

Since we're not doing the Fire Emblem chess style moving, MOV (number of spaces character can move), CON (the character weight, prety much) and RSC (the max weight this unit can carry in the form of another unit) are pretty much useless. That, and I don't get to add or subtract from their fixed numbers anyways.
Moving right along, I now know what numbers I have to play with. I can take away one point from one stat and add it to another if I feel my character would do better having an addition to that other stat. In this case I'll take on away from HP (hit points) and add it to my DEF (defense). This makes my new stats:
HP:16/STR:4/
SKL:4/SPD:11/
LUC:2/DEF:4/
RES:0

While I'm at it, I think I'll take two points from my SPD(speed) and distribute it to my STR(strength) and my SKL(skill). So my new stats are:
HP:16/STR:5/
SKL:5/SPD:9/
LUC:2/DEF:4/
RES:0

And that's how adjustments of the base stats are done. It's not so bad, but you'll have to keep in mind your characters stat growths which I will do in a new post.

and how are stats designated at the get go? Is it possible to give each person like 30 points with which to distribute amongst the categories as they choose?  

[SephiLyn]

Base stats are nice but your character can't keep those same stats forever. That's where growth rates come in. A character's growth rates play to their unit's strengths and give them an obvious weakness. For a thief these are:

Key Stats: SPD,LUC (the character luck stat), SKL

And oh crap I just realized thieves don't have a real handicap, but since this is a demonstration, I'll make it RES(resistance, could also be called magical defense).

Now, for Fire Emblem, the stats are ranked according to A,B,C,D, and F. The designers hated E. Each stat gets it's own different growth rate for these regardless of whether they are both As. For example, an A in HP is worth 90% to your total chance of getting +1 to your HP in a level up. but an A in STR is only a 60% chance to get a +1 in STR.

Now to show how this stuff is done.

First of all set everything at C level, that is:
HP: C 65% /STR:C 45%
SKL:C 35% /SPD:C 45%
LUC:C 35% /DEF:C 35%
RES:C 35%

Looks pretty bleh, but this is where your characters key stats and weaknesses come in. The stats that are key stats automatically get upgraded to B, and if it says something like SPDX2, that means it gets upgraded to A. If the stat is a weakness stat, that means it's stuck at F and CAN NOT be altered. Seems like it sucks right? But for every weakness stat you get, you get a point to upgrade a different stat. Furthermore, you can adjust these growth rates just as you did with base stats. Confused? Let me show you.

These are the adjustments made because my character is a thief. I haven't added anything else or changed anything else, these are simply the basic growths rates of my thief.
HP: C 65% /STR:C 45%
SKL:B 45% /SPD:B 50%
LUC:B 45% /DEF:C 35%
RES:F 15%

I color for you to see clearly. Now that i have that stuff done, I'm going to add my point that I get for having a fixed F in RES. I'll add one to my speed to give me an A.
HP: C 65% /STR:C 45%
SKL:B 45% /SPD:A 60%
LUC:B 45% /DEF:C 35%
RES:F 15%

Now I can move other things around. I'm going to take one point from HP to drop that to D so that I can upgrade my DEF to a B. Then I'll drop my LUC to a C so that I can upgrade my STR to a B.
HP: D 50% /STR:B 50%
SKL:B 45% /SPD:A 60%
LUC:C 35% /DEF:B 45%
RES:F 15%

This is by far the most confusing part, so don't feel bad if you need help getting it.  

[SephiLyn]

Fade_the_Pyro

SephiLyn

SUPER STUFF!

and how are stats designated at the get go? Is it possible to give each person like 30 points with which to distribute amongst the categories as they choose?

The base stats I'm using are from the site in the link that I gave. They are based off of the thief in the Fire Emblem game's base stats. Of course, we'd have to set our own class limits and what not. From what I've discovered of Roy and his two cavalier buddies, they have 47 points each and those points were moved around to form their base stats. We could do that, or we could base our classes off the site that I gave. The only issues is making it balanced.  

[Michiru Tendo]

lol wut?  

[SephiLyn]

Michiru Tendo

lol wut?

....

I'm guessing you people don't like it? Or too much text?  

[Michiru Tendo]

SephiLyn

Michiru Tendo

lol wut?

....

I'm guessing you people don't like it? Or too much text?

Too much text that I skimmed through. Um, I mean read thoroughly. Yes that's right.

...

It's Mukuro's fault! He made me!!  

[Its-a-Lyn]

Michiru Tendo

SephiLyn

Michiru Tendo

lol wut?

....

I'm guessing you people don't like it? Or too much text?

Too much text that I skimmed through. Um, I mean read thoroughly. Yes that's right.

...

It's Mukuro's fault! He made me!!

Liar! Mukuro reads things! He's good at reading! He won the reading bee back in third grade!  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

SephiLyn

Fade_the_Pyro

SephiLyn

SUPER STUFF!

and how are stats designated at the get go? Is it possible to give each person like 30 points with which to distribute amongst the categories as they choose?

The base stats I'm using are from the site in the link that I gave. They are based off of the thief in the Fire Emblem game's base stats. Of course, we'd have to set our own class limits and what not. From what I've discovered of Roy and his two cavalier buddies, they have 47 points each and those points were moved around to form their base stats. We could do that, or we could base our classes off the site that I gave. The only issues is making it balanced.

We don't have to follow the ones from fire emblem do we? Why can't we just set our own? and I don't think people should be given a different amount of points to mess around with, I dunno...  

[Fade_the_Pyro]

Its-a-Lyn

Michiru Tendo

SephiLyn

Michiru Tendo

lol wut?

....

I'm guessing you people don't like it? Or too much text?

Too much text that I skimmed through. Um, I mean read thoroughly. Yes that's right.

...

It's Mukuro's fault! He made me!!

Liar! Mukuro reads things! He's good at reading! He won the reading bee back in third grade!

xD Mukuro?

and yeah I'm totally lost. I don't know if too many people are going to want to put the work into it...