Discussion of changes to aging of stats

[Morgenes]

This post is for you guys to give us your thoughts and feedback on the pending changes to how aging affects stats announced here:

http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,31960.0.html

[Pale Horse]

Personally, I'm in total favor for this.


...that is all.

[brytta.leofa]

Thank you. This is great.

[aruna]

Looking forward to it.

[Archbaron]

Woo!

[elvenchipmunk]

Will the reroll when a character ages be completely random?

What I'm thinking is that the human with Exceptional strength should still be stronger then the human with Good strength once they've both reached an older age. Currently if all that's going to be done is performing another re-roll like what you get at character creation, even with stat ordering, the Exceptional strength guy could still roll an average as his highest or something and end up with stats that don't make sense (Ex: his highest is Average which goes towards Strength - he picked this at character creation- the other guy rolls all Good and ends up being stronger.)

-Elvenchipmunk

[mansa]

I also wish it wasn't random, but I do believe stats SHOULD change more easily.

It feels like this is the easiest fix possible, which is great, but I think a better change would be one outlined here:
http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,30474.msg337929.html#msg337929

[Forest Junkie]

So now stats will matter even more than they do already? I'm going to remain apprehensive about this until I'm certain the chances of this change having more adverse than positive effects upon characters proves itself to be otherwise. I'd like to welcome this change, but eh, as much as we're told stats don't matter, it's become quite clear that they do. I just have a bad feeling about this one, but again, I'll save my judgement until I notice any effects this might have on my characters.

[Tisiphone]

I also wish it wasn't random, but I do believe stats SHOULD change more easily.

It feels like this is the easiest fix possible, which is great, but I think a better change would be one outlined here:
http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,30474.msg337929.html#msg337929

[Lizzie]

OOoh....maybe more wizdomez!

-Lizzie, the wise

[Bogre]

So what happens when a character with exceptional strength rerolls and gets a poor? When he's aged a year perhaps in game? Is that going to be possible? How would that be explained?

[Forest Junkie]

So what happens when a character with exceptional strength rerolls and gets a poor? When he's aged a year perhaps in game? Is that going to be possible? How would that be explained?

Let's pray to Tek things like this won't be possible. If they do, characters would become nigh unplayable, and I'd end up storing, or never playing. I just hate to see stats receive more focus than is already due.

[manonfire]

Hey, as long as I don't take massive drops in stats on my current PC, I'm game.

[Tzurahro]

I also wish it wasn't random, but I do believe stats SHOULD change more easily.

It feels like this is the easiest fix possible, which is great, but I think a better change would be one outlined here:
http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,30474.msg338173.html#msg338173

Will the reroll when a character ages be completely random?

There will be nothing random about the effects of aging upon a character's statistics.  It will now be predictable, logical and hopefully well-balanced.  It will be automatic.  Young characters will mature, peak and decline just as was intended, based upon their age.

It is not a reroll.  It is applying modifiers to existing stats at certain time intervals of a PC's life.

This will offset the often-mentioned penalties of starting a very young character over the lifespan of a PC, and simulate the marvelous slide into feeble decrepitude. 

[Forest Junkie]

This will offset the often-mentioned penalties of starting a very young character over the lifespan of a PC, and simulate the marvelous slide into feeble decrepitude. 

Any idea on where said racial thresholds will begin/end?

[Bogre]

There will be nothing random about the effects of aging upon a character's statistics.  It will now be predictable, logical and hopefully well-balanced.  It will be automatic.  Young characters will mature, peak and decline just as was intended, based upon their age.

It is not a reroll.  It is applying modifiers to existing stats at certain time intervals of a PC's life.

This will offset the often-mentioned penalties of starting a very young character over the lifespan of a PC, and simulate the marvelous slide into feeble decrepitude. 

Ah. That's beyond awesome, then.

[Morgenes]

Just to confirm what Tzu said, this is NOT a reroll, we will be doing computations based on your current attribute and adjusting it for age.  The only way you could go from good to poor strength is if you've aged enough that this is now an issue.

[Tisiphone]

What about people who, say, already have poor strength or AI wisdom when an aging mod comes around? Just out of curiosity.

[FuSoYa]

Hey, as long as I don't take massive drops in stats on my current PC, I'm game.

I like it.  Adds some flavor.

Brandon

[Janna]

Thank you. This is great.

[Synthesis]

What about people who, say, already have poor strength or AI wisdom when an aging mod comes around? Just out of curiosity.

I'm sure the AI range for any race is basically defined as >Exceptional Range.  So, if you're already somewhere in the AI range, and you go up, it will probably still show as AI.

Same thing for poor, AFAIK.  (Has anyone ever had a stat worse than 'poor'?  Very poor? Extremely poor? Exceptionally poor? Absolutely atrocious?)

[Forest Junkie]

As bad as having poor strength is, I'd hate to see what anything lower would yield..*shudders*

[flurry]

Thank you so much!

This has long been something I griped about, so I'm thrilled. It always seemed to me that starting age modifiers were way out of synch with actual coded aging.  Even if your character lasted decades, it seemed like they were always carrying around the modifiers of their starting age.

This makes so much more sense and very much a change for the better, IMHO.

I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that it's random or will make stats matter more at all.  It will just mean that age modifiers will match the current age, and not the starting age.

[Morgenes]

What about people who, say, already have poor strength or AI wisdom when an aging mod comes around? Just out of curiosity.

It depends on what the aging modifier is.  Strength starts low then increases to a peak then goes back down.  Wisdom starts low and steadily increases.  It will follow the curve. 

As for the discussion on 'poor' vs. 'very poor', there is no such designation.  If your stat was 'poor' before and age made it worse, you won't get another descriptor, but you may notice it in other ways (unable to carry as much, lower endurance, quicker learning).

[jstorrie]

As the proud owner of a character who's aged about a dozen years in-game, I just hope my stats don't immediately jump in the crapper. The bonus/penalties from age aren't severe unless you're adolescent or getting way old, right? People aren't getting decrepit in their thirties?