The current stats system is a turn off for the non dnd players.
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I think the current stats system is complicated, you have to know extensive knowledge about what to level or look at to understand results. I think the stats should be shown in more simplified terms, for example instead of using dexterity as a stat for agility just create a stat called "movement speed" or such, since it can help people understand what stats do they or their mounts have, without doing research what do these stats are used for in dnd.
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@Vaiduoklis yes, Fractured stats are highly imported from D&D from what I've seen, but of course they'll be adapted to work on an MMO instead of a pen and paper game.
That said, what you propose sounds like the concept of secondary stats a lot of games display in their character sheets.
You have main stats on which you can directly act (by choice in character creation, by leveling up, by empowering abilities) and then you have secondary stats derived from primary ones.
I suppose this is already how it works under the cover, but as you say it would be nice to see them in clear, so that every attribute adjustment reflects into its secondary stats in real time, allowing for finer tuning on the character.
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These stats are adopted by many other games. Have you not played any rpg computer games? Besides the dexterity stat, for example, affects so much more than just movement speed. Changing that particular stat would definitely confuse people if it was simplified to just speed. Besides you set your stats at creation so doing some research before that point is important. Once you start playing you have less control over manipulating stats.
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Also in character creation you can already see which stats increase / decrease by adding / removing points of an Attribute.
It is the same as in the TSE character creator.
I have no information about D&D and was never involved with anything like it, but I have no problems understanding the stats in Fractured.
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I don't think it's an issue, but then again I've played games for a long time and I'm used to it. On the other hand, I do see an issue with skills with the proposed change. If they remove AGI and other attributes, the skills would look silly. For example, deal 8*movement speed on (insert awesome skill name) use. And then you'd probably be like, why is my character using movement speed to deal damage?
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@Grapher except maybe a charge or bullrush ability, movement speed affecting damage would indeed be confusing.
As for Fractured (and many other games) using stats reminiscent of D&D, that's pretty much axiomatic considering MMOs were directly born of a desire to take games like D&D and move them to a computer sim format. The first MMOs grew out of MUDs, MOOs, MUCKs and MUSHes, which were all written primarily by D&D and ex-D&D players. This is especially true of games like Ultima Online, which was a variation on the Ultima franchise of Computer games, which was written by a group of long time D&D players.
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TLDR; Stats are not what make your character unique or special so do not focus on them, instead start average and enjoy the process of growing your character as you play the game.
One big benefit to having few directly manipulatable stats which effect a number of derivative attributes all of which interact in variable ways is to decrease the ability, and desire, to min/max characters into dead ends and instead just build fun concept characters that all work about the same but have their own personality.
If players had direct access to each individual factor (crit chance, detection, each resistance and avoidance, hp, move speed, etc...) then there would be huge perceived reward in building some min/maxed monstrosity which seems great for single purposes but impotent at all else requiring more characters and more number crunching to create 'the best build for x' this week which will only be replaced by Y next week or worse; nerfed by devs. So while you may be able to get exactly what you -think- you want now, you are more likely to find it to be not what you want as the game play advances or new content arrives; at which point you have to go back to the drawing board and start all over with a new character.
The philosophy here, which I agree with, is that by making a more convoluted interacting stat system players are told that if they make an average character with one or two higher points then they will be able to have the most rounded and fun long term game play. Any deficits wont be significant and can be easily remedied by just one companion or investment in the talent tree. Yes people can still do some min/maxing but when compared to joe average their strengths still wont be all that much higher such that joe might not even notice the difference except over a long drawn out interaction.
The difference between characters is one more of ability, talent, and gear choices, (all of which are easily changeable in game) not of stats. So in that respect the stats are not as important in this game than they might be in others.
I entirely think that non-DnD players might actually have the most fun with the game as they are more likely to start with a balanced stat build and discover the joy in adapting their abilities, talents, and gear to the play style they want that day knowing that just about any choice they make will be well supported by their solid foundation of average stats.
TLDR; Stats are not what make your character unique or special so do not focus on them, instead start average and enjoy the process of growing your character as you play the game.
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@Farlander said in The current stats system is a turn off for the non dnd players.:
the dexterity stat, for example, affects so much more than just movement speed.
It's my bad for forming my ideas badly, but I wanted to say that the stats should be more split up, instead of a stat like dexterity, they should split it up into more specific stats like movement speed, attack speed or other stats it provides, this way, you could change the stats more accurately, and you would understand the meanings of each stat.
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@GamerSeuss
It's my bad for forming my ideas badly, but I wanted to say that the stats should be more split up, instead of a stat like dexterity, they should split it up into more specific stats like movement speed, attack speed or other stats it provides, this way, you could change the stats more accurately, and you would understand the meanings of each stat.
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@OlivePit Thanks, after reading your comment, I understand your point, and completely agree with it.
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@Vaiduoklis I could see hovering over a stat and seeing the breakdown into what mechanics in the game become. That would actually be helpful to a player seeing their movement speed, melee damage, crit damage etc...
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I agree with your point, if only because character creation presents new players with choices that can't yet be meaningful to them.
I think it's much better game design to present the choices after the player has had the opportunity to understand those choices in-game (and not expect the player to read a wiki first). That's good game pacing.
As a lesser alternative, allow the player to easily redo the character creation choices once they have in-game experience.
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@Roccandil said in The current stats system is a turn off for the non dnd players.:
I think it's much better game design to present the choices after the player has had the opportunity to understand those choices in-game (and not expect the player to read a wiki first). That's good game pacing.
From my experience, as a kind of theme park only MMORPG player, most games give additional points to increase your stats while leveling up. This is also a point in the game where you don't really have any idea what you are doing (unless you follow some guide, which you could also do for Fractured) and will need to redo your specs later anyways. Most of those games have easy stat reset functions
@Roccandil said in The current stats system is a turn off for the non dnd players.:
As a lesser alternative, allow the player to easily redo the character creation choices once they have in-game experience.
I would say being able to redo the Attribute Points after character creation is necessary anyways.
We know that players will at least get one free Attribute Point reset, since the community has been very outspoken about that
For anyone interested, there is a discussion about Attribute Points here.
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@Vaiduoklis, to bouce off of what @OlivePit posted, unless you are determined to play a very specific build with min/maxing like I do as an archer, maxing out any particular stat isn't always smart. the game has a hard cap of 25 with stats. if you get to 27 constitution in-game, you will still have the benefit of only 25. The more the game progresses and developes, the easier it will be to gain extra stats with the 'end-game' equipment and/or enchantments. so as much as you CAN get 18 in a stat, it isn't always smart...
New players are expected to go with a more generalist build, or to stick with one of the presets and not mess with the stats at all. Both the Gladiator preset and the Mage preset don't have any stat below 10, meaning players will start with no nerfs at all, from having too few stats, if they do stick to them to begin with. starting with either 5 14's and 1 10 stat or 4 13's and 2 14's is about as generalist as you can get. If you really want to be able to play as literally anything, set all your stats to 13 and choose 2 to upgrade to 14 or 1 to upgrade to 15
