Characteristic

 

RPS
Emotional
Mental
Physical
Luck
Category Index

Characteristics represent innate characteristics of the life force based on the manner in which the the life force is constructed. These characteristics have a nominal value which is based on the idea that nothing out of the ordinary is done to effect the ability and an effective value which is the result of deliberate attempts to change the normal value. Training is an example of a deliberate attempt to change the value.

Characteristics are structured in a tree. When generating a character, you determine how many points are supplied near the top of the tree and then allocate the points to each level of the tree. Thus the character definition can be defined to what ever level of detail is required for the game in play. Only the top most levels are mandatory to make the system work.

For example: you could determine by some mechanism that your character has 100 points of Physical abilities. These can be allocated between the Physical characteristics in the next level to tally to 100 points. Say you allocate 30 points to strength. However, you decide that your character has exceptional legs and only a weak upper body. At the next and optional level, you could allocate 10 points to the upper torso and 20 points to the lower torso. If this level was not used an average distribution would be assumed by the system.

All the characteristics are represented mathematically by the following scheme:

The characteristic has a maximum overload value that represents the peak performance achievable. Think of an athlete who builds up to a peak performance at a particular event.

The characteristic has a normal value that is achieved in every day life unless put under duress. Unless other action is taken, the characteristics will generally revert over time back to this level. For some characteristics it is possible to change this value by methods such as training.

The ability has a minimum overload value that represents the level at which the person is simply incapable of functioning with this ability. In extreme cases this may result in the death of the character.

The above characteristics have a trained value. These are the effective normal value, effective maximum level and effective minimum level and achieved by the application of training. If training ceases then this value will slide over time back to the normal value. This is the value used for most calculations within the game.

Finally the ability has a current value. This is the actual snapshot, at the moment, of the state of the character. Some characteristics do not change much from one instance to another, bot other such as fatigue can change considerably.

See

Master Index
Category Index

Click Here!

 


[ Environments ] [ Characteristic ] [ Life ] [ Mechanics ] [ Time ] [ Things ] [ Links ] [ TOC ]

21 April, 2000 (c) Brian Yap All rights reserved.

The contents of this web site are distributed under the Open Content Licence.

Helper - A Java Applet that calculates the success percentages.