Diceless/Stats Optional

Thenomain · Jan 22, 2018, 1:14 AM

Over on AetherMUX, which was based on some modern-world fantasy game, you had the traditional Attribute + Skill combo that made the most sense for the situation, then you got to know the percentage difference between you and the target (or other character's combo), then you decided to interpret what that means. It worked embarrassingly well, and it had the bonus of not exposing the Attribute or the Skill's true value. (Okay, you could math it out, but people were scolded when they did that.)

In the Fallout series of computer games, you were told the skill and the value you needed to pass a test, and you either passed it or you didn't. Not very granular, but it does go to show that people were more than happy to play computer games that cut down on the randomness in the right situations.

Many tabletop RPGs can do this without changing the character sheet.

Botulism · Jan 22, 2018, 1:27 AM

@thenomain Oh I agree completely, and am fine with a diceless stat system, but MU*ers tend to prefer dice with their stats, and XP to grow them, and that brings in a whole slew of things I'm really trying to avoid - XP balance, power creep, vote vs. time-based XP, and so on.

If I have stats, people will want advancement. If I allow advancement, it'll invariably favor certain kinds of players over others.

I really would like to avoid that.

Thenomain · Jan 22, 2018, 1:38 AM

@botulism said in Diceless/Stats Optional:

@thenomain Oh I agree completely, and am fine with a diceless stat system, but MU*ers tend to prefer dice with their stats

I did just mention one amazingly popular game that didn't have dice at all. I suppose I could come up with more, but someone already mentioned Superhero games.

If I have stats, people will want advancement. If I allow advancement, it'll invariably favor certain kinds of players over others.

Then don't have stats. Or don't have advancement. Keep in mind you're asking a crowd of majority WoDers what they want. This WoDer said that your core idea is fine, and you're telling me it's not. I'm not sure, then, why you asked for feedback.

Botulism · Jan 22, 2018, 1:41 AM

@thenomain Because most people before you had issues. But yeah. I personally agree with you, and you're right that I'm mostly talking to WoD players here, so they aren't necessarily the target audience.

I just want the game to have the best chance it can.

Bobotron · Jan 22, 2018, 2:34 AM

An alternate idea if you want something that's not static, is a bid system. Each point in a stat gives an appropriate point to bid with, and so it's whoever is willing to risk more in a given scenario.

Thenomain · Jan 22, 2018, 5:18 AM

@botulism said in Diceless/Stats Optional:

@thenomain Because most people before you had issues.

People have issues with games they play on a daily basis. People will tell you what's wrong with something, but won't tell you why they like it anyway unless you ask them.

I just want the game to have the best chance it can.

Then let me give you the best advice I can think of: Be excited about what you're doing, and let that excitement be infectious.

Even if it doesn't become a national phenomenon, you will still have fun doing it.