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Eagleon · 06-02-2003, 03:27 PM

I've been thinking for a while what it would take to make things a bit more realistic for the generic physical stats. I came up with this half-done system that could let you actually have different "physiques" for differently played characters.

Strength: The strength stat would be split into two parts, the first being total muscle mass, the second being the ratio between slow-twitch (weightlifter) muscle, and fast-twitch (sprinter) muscle. Of course, there'd have to be a maximum of muscle-mass possible on a body. As you do certain tasks, your total muscle mass will increase, and either slow-twitch (STM from now on) or fast-twitch (FTM) will go up. When you stop doing physical activity for a while, your muscle mass will slowly decrease, possibly replaced by fat. This could all be shown when you look at someone as several different body types, set by immortals, making a person's appearance much more fluid and realistic. Maybe you could even have different limbs keep their own stats, so as to have even more realism?

Speed: Reaction and movement speed would be determined by the extra mass (fat, taller stature, equipment, other people...) you carry, and the amount and type of muscle on your body. FTM would contribute to your speed in general, and STM to the ability to carry more without effects on your speed.

I'm not sure exactly how to do constitution/endurance, except by splitting it up into other things. Pain tolerance could be a skill or a stat, depending on how you look at it. Poison/disease resistance would be a stat. Physical endurance, ie, hitpoints... I have to say I'd rather not have that improve much beyond what you're born with. A slit throat will kill a professional wrestler just as well as a middle-aged office worker. However, muscle, skin, and fat does protect a little, so there has to be something in there. Of course, you may just leave your hitpoints alone...

All of the numbers I'd leave out of players hands. I hate numbers, and I like the way some MUDs are abandoning showing your stats. It'd also be much more easily exploited, and ruin the point of having such a complex system, that is to make things look reasonably realistic to the end audience, if people were able to exploit it by crunching numbers.

Any other thoughts?

06-02-2003, 03:27 PM	#1
Eagleon Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 147	I've been thinking for a while what it would take to make things a bit more realistic for the generic physical stats. I came up with this half-done system that could let you actually have different "physiques" for differently played characters. Strength: The strength stat would be split into two parts, the first being total muscle mass, the second being the ratio between slow-twitch (weightlifter) muscle, and fast-twitch (sprinter) muscle. Of course, there'd have to be a maximum of muscle-mass possible on a body. As you do certain tasks, your total muscle mass will increase, and either slow-twitch (STM from now on) or fast-twitch (FTM) will go up. When you stop doing physical activity for a while, your muscle mass will slowly decrease, possibly replaced by fat. This could all be shown when you look at someone as several different body types, set by immortals, making a person's appearance much more fluid and realistic. Maybe you could even have different limbs keep their own stats, so as to have even more realism? Speed: Reaction and movement speed would be determined by the extra mass (fat, taller stature, equipment, other people...) you carry, and the amount and type of muscle on your body. FTM would contribute to your speed in general, and STM to the ability to carry more without effects on your speed. I'm not sure exactly how to do constitution/endurance, except by splitting it up into other things. Pain tolerance could be a skill or a stat, depending on how you look at it. Poison/disease resistance would be a stat. Physical endurance, ie, hitpoints... I have to say I'd rather not have that improve much beyond what you're born with. A slit throat will kill a professional wrestler just as well as a middle-aged office worker. However, muscle, skin, and fat does protect a little, so there has to be something in there. Of course, you may just leave your hitpoints alone... All of the numbers I'd leave out of players hands. I hate numbers, and I like the way some MUDs are abandoning showing your stats. It'd also be much more easily exploited, and ruin the point of having such a complex system, that is to make things look reasonably realistic to the end audience, if people were able to exploit it by crunching numbers. Any other thoughts?