From: jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Subject: net.rpg:  The Basics
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:36:14 GMT

(1)  The stat systems are beginning to.. frighten me!  Please please please 
please let's not let net.rpg turn into something worse than Hero. I think 
that the GURPSian way of defining only a few stats (I think we shoudl have 
more than 4 though) and then using advantages and disadvantages for 
modifiers in special situations is the best way to go. For example: Zeke 
the Dentist has a Dexterity of 8; normally he uses that 8 for all cases where 
fitness is the major stat being used.  However, he has the advantage Steady 
Hands +2, letting him use a value of 10 when doing very fiddly work (eg. 
implanting microfilm in someone's tooth).

     My view on stats is that we should have no more than 8: say Fitness (
combination strength, speed, agility, etc.), Toughness (obvious), Dexterity 
(combination of coordination, fine manual work, reflexes), Intelligence (to 
which several ads/disads apply along the lines of Aesthetic, Logical, 
Spatial, etc. if you wish), Perception (obvious), Ego (force of will, inner 
strength, etc).  Abbreviated:  FIT, TOU, DEX, INT, PER, EGO.

(2)  We *definitely* want a logarithmic scale.  I think this element of 
Torg is fantastic, and we should definitely emulate it (the fact that 
everything is logarithmic/exponential).  It makes micro-adventures (eg. the 
Rats of Nim) involving regular size things a snap to do, super adventures 
also easy, etc.  It allows for full extrapolation on both ends of the scale
, without going into terrbile small or terribly big numbers, or having to 
rescale all values.  Plus, no more multiplication (unless you want to 
simulate raising things to powers) or division - I prefer the effects of 
mult/div over add/sub, but don't like the complexity.

(3)  There's nothing wrong with stats centred on 0.  Think of them as 
modifiers from the human norm, not stats, and maybe they won't seem as 
alien?  It means smaller numbers to add/subtract, and this can only be a 
Good Thing (tm).

(4)  Don't throw out cards yet!  I'm in the process of making a very 
workable system (involving the ideas above too) where cards are used 
instead of dice.  Instead of the pip-value of the cards, you add the rank 
value (according to suit - Clubs=1, Diamonds=2, Hearts=3, Spades=4, Jokers=
5, unless changed by special card-play).  The pip-value is used to settle 
draws (rarely impossible), and to do special things, like changing the 
values of the suits.  Players each have a hand of 5 cards, which they play 
from.  At the cost of one Shock point (analogous to fatigue), they may 
refill their hand.  The GM doesn't worry about hands, except maybe for very 
important confrontations - s/he generally just draws directly from his/her 
own deck.  I'm convinced cards are another Good Thing (tm).

(5)  A call for simplicity.  Offer flexibilty though, lots of it.  I want 
something which is simple and fast to play, but which can be made more 
advanced without scrappign any rules or adding (many) new mechanics.

(6)  I'm in favour of stats being calculated from skills/ads/disads instead 
of separately or vice-versa.  This can work.  However, it *might* get
convulted for dynamically changing characters; maybe this isn't the way to 
go.  So this isn't as urgent a request as the previous 5 points (they were 
quite urgent, of course)  :-).

   ---- Robert Bridson  (using the account of jbridson)