Base stats

[KeroTani]

I'm working on the base stats for the characters in my game. I ranked each character from 1-7 and made a curve from that giving each character that many stats per level. I also want stats on my gear as well and i'm still trying to think about how I want that too work. I was wondering how do you guys come up with stats?

 

[Tenryuga]

first i decide on a cap. The cap will determine who has what is considered high, average and low stats depending on how far someone is from it at the max level. I don't use a class system so i have each character specialized to do things. For example my stat cap is 500 for each stat. Someone in the party with high attack will probably cap out at 480ish. This same person also has the highest attack at level 1. 

 

[KeroTani]

I was thinking that if you're not going to be able to change classes using that system is not necessary. But I did just for my own favor reasons. I wanted to keep the stats low, at first they were Fire Emblem low but that was way too low. So I changed it around. I'm still playing around with have Warcraft/ Diablo like stats on gear.   

 

[Sinweaver]

The way I did it was:

Decide on how much of each stat for each class. For example:

Decide on the cap

Since I am using Yanfly's enemy level script where the enemy's stat grows by a certain percentage every level up, I adapted my growth rate to accommodate that and use excel to come up with a final value for each level

Maybe that works, maybe that doesn't.. My project is still in the writing stage so I can't say how effective this method is.

Edit:

Just noticed I was showing an old excel doc with experimental value...  a + a^0.05 is not an increase by percentage -_-

 

[Wavelength]

I usually work out a single character's stats based on balance against monsters, then equate how much of one stat is "worth" how much of another stat (for example in my game 4 DEF/MDF is generally worth about 6 ATK/MAT or 9 AGI/LUK), and based on that I give other characters stats to suit their style and personality.  Then I playtest, a lot, under lots of different assumptions and scenarios, to make sure it's fun and balanced.

 

[stupid enough to like FF13]

First off, I decide how what kind of scale I want to work with. Smaller numbers? Or bigger numbers? For the current project, I went with three-digit HP...and endgame attack stats of 500+, which was fun to work out a formula for. Next, deciding how much I want equipment to determine their power vs. their base stats.

Next, I decide upon the various party members' roles/classes/abilities/whatever. And based on that, I come up with rough figures for what their stats will be. I take note of everyone's Level 1 and Level 99 stats in a Notepad document and how much ticks left or right on the growth speed scale they are.

Once I have everyone having stats, I start noting their stats at various levels—15, 30, 50, etc.—to ensure that their stats have enough of a difference from early levels to late levels. Hyde having 100 HP and Attack over Radd at Level 50 when they're only 20 points apart in both at Level 20 doesn't make much sense. Tweak the values, adjust growth speed, recheck numbers, change ideas for character roles when I realize one character is just an inferior version of another character and the token "cleric" character is a stupid idea, retweak to balance out that new dynamics, and boom.

Well, there'll probably be plenty more tweaking to do, but that's the gist of my terrible, terrible methods on doing stats.

 

[Milennin]

At level 1 I use for regular stats something between 8-16, HP something between 40-50 and a flat or nearly flat curve for MP. There is no need for MP to increase much since I prefer to balance the skill costs and work out an MP management system around that to make it easy to restore MP back during combat using other skills.

The other stats I cap at about 10x their starting value, but sometimes a little above or under that, depending on how I want a certain character to grow.

I used to use smaller numbers than that - twice as small to be precise - but I find it lacks the precision you get when working with numbers a little bigger.

My current project has characters that have a calculated base amount of stats of 74 points at level 1 (calculated by adding up all their stats, with HP/4 and ignoring MP since they all get the same). At level 99 they'll all cap out with a calculated amount of stats of 735 points.

 

[Wavelength]

My current project has characters that have a calculated base amount of stats of 74 points at level 1 (calculated by adding up all their stats, with HP/4 and ignoring MP since they all get the same). At level 99 they'll all cap out with a calculated amount of stats of 735 points.

Interesting.  With such a system, how were you able to guarantee that all stats have the same "value" (e.g. a character that has 22 ATK and 52 LUK will be balanced with a character that has 63 ATK and 11 LUK)?

 

[lithkast]

You can balance the stats no matter what their numbers are.  Just pick the maximum amount you want in a stat and then balanced your gameplay around it.   If your players are hitting 99,999 on a monster with 9,999,999, it would take as many hits as if your characters were hitting 9999 on a monster with 999,999 health, or 999 on a monster with 99,999 health.  You shouldn't even worry about stats until you decide how hard you want your PC's to hit, get hit, and your damage formula. 

Damage formula is probably the most important thing you'd want to consider.  If you want your characters to hit for 9,999 damage then you have to have a formula set up to make use of their stats.  Even if their strength was just 99 as a max, you could make that hit 9,999 with some work. 

So, before I ever make my stats, I make the system in which my stats are used, and I balance monsters around that system.  ​

 

[Milennin]

Interesting.  With such a system, how were you able to guarantee that all stats have the same "value" (e.g. a character that has 22 ATK and 52 LUK will be balanced with a character that has 63 ATK and 11 LUK)?

Right, I forgot to mention that I don't add LUK to that number either, as I keep it the same on every character (wish I could just turn it off or hide it completely somehow).

 

[KeroTani]

So after reading these posts I have to wonder should a have the exp curve such the they won't hit the cap by the end of the game? Most games I've play I almost never hit the cap.