Author Topic: No numbers  (Read 924 times)

Talad

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No numbers
« on: January 06, 2002, 05:37:40 pm »
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elmundo
    Guest
                            posted 03-01-2002 21:41 GMT      

                         I would like the game to be absolutely free from character numbers like ST: 15 or Swimming: 23. I find theese numbers only
                         practical for manual calculations as in a book bases adventuregame, but otherwise compleatly out of character.
                         Having a numberless game could be achived by using the english language. As a newbie my stats could be something like:
                         Weak, Puny, Clumsy, Stupid, Foolish and Repelling.
                         As I grow they could become something like Strong, Robust, Quick, Smart, Learned and Enchanting.
                         Skilllevels could be named with an adjective and a nouns like \"fishing: novice beginner\" if you where VERY untrained at fishing,
                         and \"Sword: superior veteran\" if you ware very good with a sword.
                         Character levels could be Newbie, Peasant, Champion or Overlord in stead of level 1, 2, 15 or 30. This character level could also
                         be a part of your title.
                         I have loads of name sugestions if you are interrested.
    whitti
    PS W.T.B. Member
                            posted 03-01-2002 22:33 GMT            

                         Nice Idea I think that system ould really be cool :). If I owned this game I\'d use that system...BUT i dont ;). I dont really know
                         what system we\'re using but its up to the Rules team, Luca and the rest of us :P. Maybe you could join the Rules team if you
                         like this sort of thing? Just email info@planeshift.it with some info about yourself and you should get a trial task to test if you\'re
                         good enough
    Shadow
    Guest
                            posted 03-01-2002 23:52 GMT            

                         But that system would be a point based system, first point is super novice second novice etc. etc.
                         But it would be more into character to use them.
    Tikysal
    Guest
                            posted 04-01-2002 01:12 GMT            

                         The system would be basically the same thing as what PS has now, but what is displayed to the user are words not numbers.

                         I think this is a good idea. It helps roleplay and reduces out of character messages.
    Bigfoot
    Guest
                            posted 04-01-2002 06:40 GMT            

                         unfortuantely discriptive systems dont work well in practice... An example is the EQ skills, they use discriptive words untill you
                         go over 100 (at which point they show you the stat value for that skill). no one uses them. One of the main reasons RPG\'s utilise
                         stats is sicne there are mainly 2 types of players in them... There are those that play for the interaction with others, and there are
                         those that like to stat watch.

                         There is a particularly good artical about this somewhere, i think it was on gamasutra. Stats are exciting to watch, to work them
                         out and watch your characte grow. The other problem is that word descriptions cant be used to tell others your level of skill...
                         they wont know exactly how \"superior veteran\" you are untill they see you bring speedy death to a mob. People will also get
                         annoyed at not being able to tell how good they are... i mean exactly what is \"superior veteran\" in a numerical value. When
                         fighting a monster some one with a numerical indication will tend to notice there skills improve.. some one with a descriptive
                         indication would not notice them selves getting better, since they wouldnt have any indication of what superior veteran is... could
                         be 20/150 for all they know. not to mention most words mean teh same thing... in EQ you got things like...

                         Feeble, appaling, fair, very bad, bad, average, good.. and so on.. but all those first ones indicate the same level of badness. what
                         is being done is that instead of numbers to indicate skill which every one can see and understand, regardless of age and
                         education. you replace it with a system that confuses and can mean many things for many people. to me there is no differance
                         between very bad, and feeble. but there is a noticable differance between 10 and 54...

                         not trying to sqwelch ya.. but the stat system has been in use for decades in RPGing, and th reason its still around is because it
                         works so well...

                         have teh stats... but give some indication as to what a persons skill level might be in word terms. Like in UO with the old \"Adept
                         miner\" or \"apprentice carpenter\", \"master alchemist\" and so forth... plaeyrs cna see tehre numerical stats but there also given a
                         word they can attribute to others about there level... with out resorting to numbers all th time. then again numbers give a far better
                         and finer detailed indication... 34-35-36 etc... but having, almost novice, almost almost a novice, novice, alittle better than a
                         novice... wont work.

                         main thing is... let teh state watchers have there stats (im a stat watcher by teh way ^^). Since the roleplayers have got teh
                         brains to create there own discriptive indications of there numerical skills... (im also a roleplayer as well)
    Shadow
    Guest
                            posted 04-01-2002 15:50 GMT            

                         Then both would be the best solution, first it reads \"stupid newbie\" 1, meaning that your stats in that ability would be 1 and your
                         skills is that of a stupid newbie.
    elmundo
    Guest
                            posted 04-01-2002 16:26 GMT          

                         I agree that you should always have a feel about progress, I just don\'t see that this shuldn\'t be possible without numbers.

                         For the other point about not being able to compare absolutely, I just don\'t find it realistic that you know for a fact that you are
                         0,243 points ahead of me in alchemy.

                         Btw. i don\'t think my sugestion wouldn\'t let you completly in the dark. (10 adjectives x 10 nouns is 100 skilllevels).

                         I\'v seen a numberless system at work in a rather successfull mud called genesis, please have a look if you are interrested.