[passive stats]

As a long-time RPGer, I'd have to say I would have scrapped these stats by now. Most of them are very limited in how they each work, and are generally only for designing class-specific skills. I'd say that Strength and Endurance are far more guilty of this than Intelligence and Wisdom are, just from what I've seen.

Another thing to note is that these are all passive stats. That is to say, they generate absolutes based on basic numbers associated with each stat: If you get hit, you lose 1200 HP because you're level 8 going against a level 30, etc. Not only does this make no legitimate sense, it also panders to the rock paper scissors issue: rock will always destroy scissors which will in turn always destroy paper, etc. In the same way, you aren't able to move a Boulder at 69 Str because it requires 70 Str, etc. These things make no sense at all to me.

I hope to make a suggestion here as an experienced RPGer: Use active stats that calculate various factors in order to generate complex results which work in tandem with the player's skill.

Let's say, for example, that there is a stat called Athleticism. This is a vague stat, and it's meant to be, for it is a central point for various factors, such as physical strength, balance, lightfootedness (agility), flexibility, stamina per physical action, toughness of skin, bone, muscle, etc, and on and on. When you try to lift a boulder, Athleticism kicks in and begins to register the factors required for the task - how long you can struggle (stam), how much you have to struggle (str), the control you have over your body to perform the task (balance), whether or not you can slip or lose your grip (agi/flex), and on and on - and calculates these factors along with the calculated aid of assisting persons or things (such as ropes and pulleys, or someone else lifting/pushing with you). In this way, Athleticism acts in an active rather than a passive manner, and as such is an active stat.

Other factors would need to exist as well. Concerning the bodies of self and enemies, they all have weaknesses and strengths. Attacking someone in the eye should blind them. Attacking something in the arm should cut their arm off. Attacking the feet should make them trip, while attacking the wings should ground them. Each body part will need its own damage threshold. Certain effects, elemental or otherwise, should alter the damage - if you freeze a limb, it'll break easier; if you burn a limb, water will sting it.


I've grown sick and tired of basic passive stat RPing. Even if you do something to the level of what FF13-2 did as just an add-on, it'll still be better than those ridiculous shape charts.

Interesting.

I decided to just attack downward recently and found that the ground...really doesn't go that far down. It makes me wonder what dwarves' cities will look like, and how far down you'll let the world go upon full release.

That being said, one of my main prerogatives in this game is to build underground skyscrapers, and eventually ecosystems like the Rhizome Tower project. Yet I'd be a Reptilian.

The point is to build cities in which the environment is so surreal that generally only Reptilians would be able to really call it home. It would be interesting to see how Dwarven players react to this, especially if it leads to war.

I guess this also brings up another question: In what areas do Dwarves have underground settlements? How would their settlements affect aboveground civilizations with swamps and other features that rely on secure ground?