[Game Design] Huh.

[pyrephox]

Random game design thought from a headachey brain.

How about a system where every character starts out in chargen dead average in all stats. Assume, for a moment, using a basic six of stats: Strength, Dexterity, Toughness, Intelligence, Perception, Will. You start out dead average in all of them.

Then, you purchase skills. Based on how many points of skills relating to that stat you purchase, that stat rises...essentially reflecting the idea that you get /better/ at a statistic that you've used a great deal in your daily work. In addition, you can also purchase penalties to stats, lowering them, and using the extra points for other things, indicating a weakness. (You'd probably have the penalities indicating specific weaknesses, like: Sickly (-1 to Strength and Toughness), Missing Foot (-2 to Dexterity), Absent-minded (-1 to Perception).

Then, in game play, skills and stats would be raised based on plot-relevant usage, or off-screen training. As your skills went up, your stats would be automatically adjusted. Also, if you /didn't/ use a skill for a while, it would lose a level, and that could also adjust your stats. No XP, just track-by-usage.

Comments

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

Have you see FATE? They support quite a bit of that in their character creation. It might be worth downloading the PDF (free!) and taking a look.

That, and I'm always pimping Rob and Fred's game. :)

[radlilim.livejournal.com]

The only comment I have is that people aren't born equal. If you added bonuses that you can buy also (Strong: + to Strenght; Fast: + to Dex, etc.) that'd help also.

But raising (and lowering) the stats based on skills and usage in game play is a cool idea.

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Nah, but it's a useful base on where to start. And if you want to raise stats, just buy skills. :)

[the-fool76.livejournal.com]

Has someone been playing a bit too much Morrowind lately?
:)

Its an intersting idea but I suspect that it would be hard to implement without having it turn into a munchkinfest. The temptation to try and do everything with a character so as to keep their stats up would be strong.

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

That's a problem, yeah. :) I might be able to tweak it further, though. And I don't know...it probably depends on the genre of the system. If you don't /need/ hideously high stats to suceed, then there's less of a compulsion.