Racestat modifiers, 'ere we go again!

[Creed]

It could also just be a set number, like in many MMO's.

So instead of getting a X% bonus to said stat.. you would get a +X bonus.
So no matter what, it would never be anything else than +X.

It could be made so that it increases as you level up, until reaching its maximum at veteran or something.
(If not, it would have to be some very tiny bonuses, or the noviced would be left with a 0 in some stats..)

Then we would all have the relative same options of growing stats, by how we put out learning preferences.. and some races would be better at some skills than others. But not so much that it becomes crazy.

[Strider]

Is there an official Genesis definition of what each stat actually is, somewhere?

Perhaps unfortunately, these stats are given names in English and then seemingly left to be self-explanatory. There have been a lot of posts here that suggest that they are not.

Mind you, I am not asking for an under-the-hood accounting of which numbers are used in which calculations, but rather a (only forward-looking, if need be) statement of purpose.

I would imagine that how each stat fit into each activity would flow easily from that.

[Cherek]

Strider: There is a text explaining stats when you create a new character. Not sure if it is accessible somewhere else too, if it is I havent found it...

[Zhar]

Indeed it seems that we don't have an in-game help describing what stats do past the texts during character creation.

[Cherek]

Hm, I suppose we, or most likely Mercade, perhaps can fix so that info screen is visible if you do help stats or something..?

[Mumon]

How about making racestat modifiers a function of the unmodified statavg of the character? For instance a straight %.

E.g. dwarves get a plus to str con dis(?) equal to a % of their statavg before racestat modifiers (ie the statavg they'd had if they'd been plain humans) and a minus to dex and whatever else. The sum of the plus and minus % should balance out so that the statavg w/ race modifiers would be the same as w/o race modifiers.

Also I think the percentages should be kept pretty low.

Here are some advantages of this way of doing it compared to the current one:
- You cannot "game" the system in the same way by focusing on those stats where you have a bonus and not focusing on those stats you have a negative modifier.
- It will be easier to make the different races more balanced since statavg will remain the same for the character.

If the current system works the same way it did the last time I looked at the mudlib I also think it would be possible to try this system for a period and see what people think.
And if it doesn't work out just switch back to the old system.

/M

[Cherek]

Mumon: As you probably have read in the thread (?) we have discussed your suggestion in many different forms. If you havent read, to recap: The problem with doing that is that some stats are more useful than others. Even if we do balance things like that, goblins will still benefit by having their big drawback in DIS for instance. My suggestion was to balance the combat stats in the way as you suggest, so everyone have the same combat avg, and then do the same for mentals. But we will still suffer from the imbalance of the stats themselves, so solving that is probably the best solution.

[Icarus]

A way to rectify the problem for racial differences is that when you reach a certain average, I deem that the decicion of said average must be set by the allmighty leaders of the immortals, the stats would even out more and more, regardless of race and selected focus of stats, this way the differences at a lower level will still be maintained, but as you grow very very big, these differences will even out more and more.

Just a 2 cent idea.

Ic

[Aristos]

When I started playing Genesis, I went through all the available help files and was a bit discouraged by the fact that a certain race (goblins) had the best combat stats (according to the info, and to the statements of some players). I wanted to play a human because of the story that I was, and still am, developing for my character, regardless of bonuses. I think the focus should be more on role-play and less on stats/powergaming. Should every fighter be a goblin and every caster a gnome ? Doesn't convince me. Should players suffer a penalty for playing a race they feel they could role-play well in ? I would say no.

I play a human regardless of the neutrality and the even stats. Sure, I would love to be able to fight a bit better, but it's a fact.. Some "beings" fight better than others because their body is more "made for it". Still, I think RP should be at the top of the list. I'm conscious of the race I chose, and I couldn't role-play a goblin or a dwarf well. There are people who choose a race for stats and role-play according to the guild while paying no mind to the race. I'm very much unable to do that...

Just my two cents.

[Kiara]

When I started playing Genesis, I went through all the available help files and was a bit discouraged by the fact that a certain race (goblins) had the best combat stats (according to the info, and to the statements of some players). I wanted to play a human because of the story that I was, and still am, developing for my character, regardless of bonuses. I think the focus should be more on role-play and less on stats/powergaming. Should every fighter be a goblin and every caster a gnome ? Doesn't convince me. Should players suffer a penalty for playing a race they feel they could role-play well in ? I would say no.

I play a human regardless of the neutrality and the even stats. Sure, I would love to be able to fight a bit better, but it's a fact.. Some "beings" fight better than others because their body is more "made for it". Still, I think RP should be at the top of the list. I'm conscious of the race I chose, and I couldn't role-play a goblin or a dwarf well. There are people who choose a race for stats and role-play according to the guild while paying no mind to the race. I'm very much unable to do that...

Just my two cents.

I could not agree more! Race is in my opinion mainly for roleplay, with some minor differences in skills/stats perhaps. It is too much now I think! But this is how it's always been in Genesis.

But did you know that historically different races have been the "best"?!?!

For quite a while, my race, hobbit/kender was the superior fighting race because dexterity was most important when fighting. But now str, dex and con are more evenly balanced. Goblins have been the best "normal" race for awhile now, but maybe the changes to int/wis will even things out a bit?!? At least in certain guilds. And, dont forget!! Ogres! Ogres are definitely the best fighting race, not goblins. And anyone can be transformed into an ogre!

And lets not forget another thing! There are quite a few drawbacks to being a goblin too. Several areas and guilds are not open to goblins for instance! Human are not as good fighters, but they can join any guild, travel to all places, and finish all quests instead. Soooo... not everything is great about being a goblin. And then there is the smell of course!