The Intergalactic Highway

Mystrea wrote:Great profile NK, really like the ideas behind the character. I was a bit worried by the size of some characters such as Ocariner but I came to realize it was never an issue. Would it be safe for Ironclaw to describe Landslide as not being a soldier when they first meet?

Yeah, you could have Ironclaw describe him as not being a soldier, since he fills the role of combat engineer, he does not have a past history of being a specific combat engineer. Most of the Maximals and Predacons don't have a military background, they're mostly scientists or adventurers, while Predacons were mostly just thugs with some exceptions.

In Landslides case, you could easily consider him like a giant Construction worker, miner, or even just a insecticon of old lore considering the devastation to the land from eating trees and tearing into mountains for energon to satisfy his hunger.

As for the size thing, I do agree it becomes awkward having larger characters, but I tend to see size this way. Larger characters are generally not as agile as smaller characters, or as stealthy. For someone like Rattrap, that'd make it alot easier to take down larger characters with strategy and dps/dot.

Mystrea wrote:I completely agree with OOP on the courage thing. I don't like the number just representing what kind of actions they can or can not take, whether they be brave or cowardly. I wouldn't want the numbers for a given character to change just like the rest of you (I assume). However I do think that characters will change over time. My one being a good example because he isn't just going from hero to hero, there will actually be...progression. I don't mean to pick on you Alak but just as an example, I'd be annoyed that at Ocariner would have the courage do something and Ironclaw wouldn't just because there is a courage difference of 1.

Courage is a strange stat to say the least, since it represents willpower it has the possibility to be used to overcome odds and used in many different ways.

Oh! I forgot to ask, NK, do you have any history written up for Landslide? Just curious. His bio doesn't say much about his past and where he has come from and been through, but I know it's not required.

His history is a bit vague, I imagine he probably did mining on Tykos before joining the Axalon, and construction work on cybertron at some point, probably modifying buildings to deal with the convergence of G1 to Protoform technology.

Yeah, Courage is a really hard stat to gauge since it's truly a non-quantitative trait. It's the same with Intelligence and Skill. Where exactly do we draw the line with this sort of thing? With progression, what I personally did with Orcariner was that I upgraded his Courage stat in Season 2 (I think he was at a 7 before) to a rating of 9. It'd be harder for someone like Ironclaw to get that same sort of upgrade because he's already a Transmetal, unless if we add more stat boosts in Season 3 to reflect the developments from Season 2. I can't tell players like Mystrea to play Ironclaw a certain way because his OC is built differently than mine. Orcariner would do things regularly that not even Courage 10 Maximals would consider (desperation exempt) because he's designed to do such things (step directly in the line of fire, sacrifice his health for others, aggro enemy characters, etc.). That's the point of being a stereotypical RPG-tank role. Cheetor has the same Courage rating as Orcariner but he'll never do said things because he's too fragile, therefore, it'd be just plain stupid.

However, one thing that I do try to do with Courage in my posts is to scale my OCs with the canon characters. Optimus Primal is the epitome of the Courage stat with a perfect rating of 10, so I knock Orcariner's behavior down a notch since he's only a 9. He'll show some fear when trying new things out. He'll hesitate longer than his leader would in the face of a deadly and difficult situation. It's not that he wouldn't take the same actions, it's just that he'll go about it differently and less efficiently than Optimus would. Meanwhile, Buster only has a Courage of 5. Waspinator and Tarantulas actually have the same rating, so I just make him act similar to those two. He'll be brave when he's pushed to the edge or when the odds are weighed heavily in his favor, but he'll also chicken out when confronted by someone more powerful or daunting than he is. This will also make him a brown-noser so that he'll win the favor of the more scary Predacons so that he wouldn't be the victim of their wrath in the future.

^ So that's pretty much how I see Courage. Don't see think of it as being incapable of doing something. Just think of it as a stat of dictates how your character will do it compared someone else.

***EDIT***

For Mystrea: I noticed that Rattrap has a Courage Rating of 8 in Season 2. Granted, this is based off of the toyline so take it with a grain of salt, but it could be worth researching to see how he acted in the second season of the show. He wasn't exactly as rash or hot-headed as Cheetor (Courage 9) but he was also right there at the front lines taking on characters like Inferno (Courage 10) without hesitation. Sometimes he shows fear of Megatron, but other times he downright blasts away at the guy. I dunno, just a suggestion if you're curious as to how you should proceed with your OC. Honestly, though, you've been doing a great job with his characterization and I personally don't see any need for you to change what you've been doing. Funny enough, the character Ironclaw just got done fighting with (who was also talking trash to him) only has a Courage of 5.5 lol.

Maybe a stat increase for season 3, but I don't think that'll be the case. Figuring out Transmetal 2s is going to be enough of a pain in the butt, specially with the "How" a character becomes one since the driver is bounced around a few times and then poof. Though I suppose TM2s will probably carry less equipment, but have some crazy special ability, and an item slot. (Like Cheetor and Dinobot's healing, Dinobot's hologram projector as item slot, or cheetor's thruster in beast mode as a item slot feature, while rocket launcher, optic laser, and claws as their weapons. ) maybe have TM 2s have two extra stat points.


In terms of Ironclaw's courage, if you want to boost it, you could always respec, like shifting some points off intelligence to courage.

Warning: Pretty radical idea being presented below.

All of this stat and respec talk reminds of this game I'm currently playing called Marvel Heroes. They break down their character stats by the following primary categories:

Durability (affects damage mitigation from enemy attacks)
Strength (affects which objects your can pick up and throw)
Fighting (affects damage and attack speed of "fighting" powers)
Speed (affects how fast you run/fly as well as overall attack speed)
Energy (affects damage and attack speed of "energy" powers)
Intelligence (affects experience growth rate and damage/attack speed of "mental" powers)

Obviously, there are way more stats involved, but these are the only ones relevant to this post. There are 29 characters in the game, each having his/her own unique build so there's no such thing as classes. It's similar to how we have our own characters in our BWInt RPG in that they don't easily fall into traditional RPG roles. As each character levels up, players will notice that certain stats will grow based on their specific character. For example, my Cyclops quickly increased his Energy stat and had a moderate boost in Fighting, while my Daredevil quickly increased his Fighting and had a moderate boost in Speed. However, all of my characters have received minor boosts in Intelligence. Aside from being fast-growing stat for Mental powered characters, Intelligence (and its growth) is considered to be a common trait for everyone.

***The Point Of All Of This*** (yeah, I actually was getting somewhere with that lol)

Maybe we can have "common" traits for all of our RPG characters that grow between seasons, namely, the ones that are pretty abstract (Courage, Intelligence, Skill). Everyone will obviously start at different levels based on how their character is created, but with each season that's completed, they'll add X amount of points to these categories. I mean, unless if you're planning on undergoing actual physical change, your OC won't be stronger, faster, or have more powerful cannons (if any). However, our characters can become more brave if they've gone through a lot of battles or hard times. They can become more eager to learn and quicker at picking up new information based on what they have accumulated thus far. They'll become more confident and controlled with their abilities after repetitive use.

So perhaps we could give a conditional respec to every current OC in the game right now. Whatever the point limitations are, we'll just allocate them towards Strength, Speed, Endurance, and Firepower. Courage, Intelligence, and Skill with be the same as before, except we'll add 1 point to each of those categories. Regular Maximals and Predacons will have the same stats that were originally imposed by the 45 point limit, but with 3 points respectively added to the categories I mentioned above. Transmetal Maximals and Predacons will be forced to keep Courage, Intelligence, and Skill the same as before, but with the 3 points respectively added for the same reasons as the regular transformers. However, because they're physically changed, they can reallocate their points in the other 4 categories (Strength, Speed, Endurance, Firepower). This way, the stat total will be the same for everybody which makes the game more even, but Transmetal players will still get the change that they've always wanted.

Each character will be allowed:

- 2 weapon slots (paired items such as dual pistols, wrist-mounted guns, or dual blades will count as only 1 weapon slot)
- 4 gadget slots (non-harming items used to benefit the character in or out of combat, and the TM's vehicle mode will automatically take up 1 gadget slot)

This is only a template to start off with. You could change it so that if you only want your OC to use 3 gadgets, you could switch a gadget slot to become a weapon slot. If you only want 1 weapon, then you can switch the spare weapon slot to be a gadget slot. Obviously, if your OC has the ability to fly or swim without aid from a vehicular mode, then it wouldn't take up a gadget slot. It would be hard to become overpowered by switching slots because the more weaponized your OC becomes, the less utility it will have (making it more useful as a combat soldier, and less useful as anything else). The more gadgetized your OC becomes, the less means it will have of being lethal (making it less useful as a combat soldier, but more useful in other areas).

Let me use Orcariner as an example since he's already been through Season 1:

Season 1 stats:

Strength: 10.0
Intelligence: 8.0
Speed: 3.0
Endurance: 8.0
Rank: Irrelevant
Courage: 7.0
Firepower: 3.0
Skill: 6.0

After Becoming a Transmetal

Strength: 10.0
Intelligence: 9.0
Speed: 4.0
Endurance: 10.0
Rank: Irrelevant
Courage: 8.0
Firepower: 0.0
Skill: 7.0

The stats that are bolded are cemented from Season 1 with only 1 point added to each category (if a stat was already a 10, it'll become 10+). So, that leaves me with 24 points remaining to play with based on how I originally designed Orcariner back in Season 1. Based off of his changes, I maxed out Strength and Endurance, I wiped out Firepower, and I poured the remaining ones into Speed. Ta-da! You're now looking at a character who has been altered stat-wise, but remains balanced compared to the rest of the cast due to his point total being locked at 45. Now, let's take a look at how I would utilize his gear with the slot system that I proposed.

Weapon slots

1) Energo-sword
2) Energy shield

Gadget slots

1) Helicopter mode
2) Bubble shield
3) Tactical headset
4) Deployable motion sensor devices

Not a bad fit, right? So let's see how this would compare to a normal transformer. Buster is my second OC and he's not a TM. He's also a newly introduced character, which makes it tricky since he's unable use an older build to go off of. Therefore, we'll just allow newly created characters to enter the game with a point total of 48 (since 3 points would have been added anyway).

New Guy Stats

Strength: 6.0
Intelligence: 6.0
Speed: 5.0
Endurance: 7.0
Rank: Irrelevant
Courage: 5.0
Firepower: 10.0
Skill: 8.0

Yeah, it's exactly the same as it was before but let me just go ahead and show you what his slots would look like:

Weapon slots

1) Assault Rifle
2) Side-Arm
3) Urban Rocket Launcher
4) Energon Grenades
5) Combat Knife

Gadget slots

1) Spit jar (yes, I would seriously keep this)

Now, compare the two character builds that I've just posted. Both stats limits are equal at 48 and both have slot totals of 6. Orcariner has fewer weapons than Buster, but at the same time Buster has fewer gadgets than Orcariner. Does one character seem to be obviously more powerful than the other? No, which is good because this means we won't have to deal with the "can normals stand a chance against Transmetals" argument. Having a set amount of item slots for all characters will also mean that we won't have to fret over who gets how much and such.

Reiteration

Keeping the same stats for regulars helps us see that those characters are physically the same as they were before, and allowing the TMs to respec certain stats will show us how they've changed. Yet, everyone keeps Courage, Intelligence, and Skill because those are core components to a character's personality and behavior and they don't change just because said character got a new body. We still add points to them due to the experience obtained from previous encounters which helps us show how they have grown over the course of time. We'll still give these additional points to newcomers despite their lack of presence because we would like to maintain balance to the game. I know there is still controversy over what each stat represents and how they translate into gameplay, so here's what I'll also do:

Original Description

Strength: The physical power of the character and how much damage its melee attacks/weapons will do to an opponent per strike.
Intelligence: How much information the character knows and how quick it can learn new information.
Speed: The optimal running or flying speed of the character.
Endurance: How much punishment a character can take before falling into stasis lock.
Rank: Where the character stands in its respective faction's hierarchy. [Assigned by the staff]
Courage: How brave the character is in the face of danger.
Firepower: How much damage the character's projectile weapons can deal to its opponent per projectile.
Skill: This rates how well a character can translate its knowledge into action.

vs.

What I Think They Should Mean In-Game

Strength: Affects which objects a character may lift and throw. Affects damage of melee attacks.
Intelligence: Affects how fast your character is capable of learning.
Speed: Affects how fast your character moves as well as his/her attack speed.
Endurance: How much damage your character can mitigate from enemy attacks.
Rank: Highest rank in a given party gets to lead it. Rock-Paper-Scissors breaks ties.
Courage: Affects how your character will react to danger in combat.
Firepower: Affects damage of projectile attacks.
Skill: Pretty much the same as the original description, but also affects attack speed due to experience with weapon(s).


So, what do you guys think?

One thing I would like to add to the above wall of text is this:

- Personal demons/fears
- Leadership/Taking control
- Friendliness/Meanness
- Teamwork/Synergy
- Questioning orders/Talking back

I do not consider those to be affected by stats, nor do I believe they should fall into any of those statistical categories. As players of a written RPG game, we should at least allow ourselves to have some creative freedom with character elements not dictated by numbers. It's hard enough as it is to try and figure out what stuff like Courage means in-game, and we probably would never even try if Hasbro hadn't included it into their products in the first place.

*L* It's funny you mention all those stats and more or less an Experience point system, as generally all of that came out of tabletop rpgs like dungeons and dragons, gurps, and countless other systems. As characters leveled, you focused on main parts of their stats, though other stats would rise as well.

Typically, for Dungeons and Dragons, you had these stats.(Plus certain defenses, which vairy from game to game but generally are the same.)


Strength:
Constitution:
Dexterity:
Intelligence:
Wisdom:
Charisma:

plus defenses of

Armor class:More or less attacks bouncing off you or being avoided, usually upped by certain armor types.
Fortitude:Enduring certain effects like poison or environmental sort of things.
Reflex: Fast attacks, reflex is effectively dodging.
Will: Psychological or certain typed damage attacks, this would be the equivalent of Courage.

Followed by Race Speed(How much they can move in one round),Hit points, and Infinitive which is only used when a battle first starts to add a modifer to roll who goes when in turns, though turns can be withheld to do things after other players if they choose.

With a bunch of skills that have certain points or training into based off stats above, these skills also go up and training ofcourse is increased stats with certain skills that untrained may not allow.


Now that's all fine and dandy,but there are some issues!

Generally speaking, the techspec is the least viewed thing by the players on this forum from what I can tell with some exceptions. They are more interested in the writing and storytelling, rather then comparing numbers for dramatic effect in battle. Now if the combat or the game itself was turned into a videogame as some sort of modified online tabletop game, a Moba, or some Third person shooter with RPG elements, then all these things would work. But as it is, they just aren't going to care and wont want to do techspecs over again.

The courage stat is a bit flaky if you ask me. It's supposed to reflect a character's actions on the battlefield, but also the overall courage of a character. The courage of my character would really depend on the situation. For instance she has some major phobias and if in a situation where she is forced to face those particular phobias, she would reduced to a whimpering mess. This, for instance, was shown in episode 5.5 where she had more than one panic attack. But in another situation where she can take advantage of her abilities, such as in battle, she wouldn't have such a barrier courage wise. Most characters don't even have any specific fears, it seems.

Ironclaw's courage lays in how he will persist against seemingly impossible odds, he is not afraid to go up against anyone including his superior officer, and quite frankly he is stubborn as a bull.

To be honest in some characters the high courage stat borders on the line of stupidity.. This is not always the case, of course, but for some characters it's definitely true that they rush into battle without giving a second or maybe even a first thought to strategy. But if you take a look at the courage rating of many characters, there is often a negative connection between the high courage and a low intelligence. Quickstrike, Inferno and Tantrum all have very high courage ratings but intelligence wise they may not be the most well equipped on the team.

Truth be told I wanted Nemesis courage rating to be higher but I wasn't able to do that without dropping her firepower altogether like some players have already done with their characters so they could boost their other stats at the cost of the one.

Well.. sometimes characters have dump stats. Quickstrike's lower intelligence is also fitting since.. he didn't seem that bright on the show.

Also, if you wanted Nem's courage higher, again you could shift some points from Intelligence to courage.It wouldn't be surprising since Nem generally plays as confident and not as concerned with her well being since she can heal off most damage. I know you like having Nem have high intelligence (As she's as smart as most the scientists in the Predacons), but if you want to boost her courage to reflect how she's played, that's fine.

Courage and Intelligence were a odd area of balance for Umbra as well, since when I envisioned a Cyberninja I assumed it was like a spy, sneaking around in shadows, hacking into enemy databanks or computers, hiding among them.. that sorta thing. To hack a computer as a more basic skill, I assumed a 7 would of been fine since that's above average. Intelligence was also to reflect his studying of the enemy's techniques,mannerisms, etc. His courage also had to be high to reflect his disguise ability, as being able to pretend your one of the enemy soldiers or hiding in plain sight while they wander around without freaking out takes some balls. Or.. at least that's how my assumptions on such would be.

There's also nothing wrong with average intelligence on characters, just like there isn't for bellow average, specially since we don't really have the sort of penalties that sort of thing would have like in older versions of Dungeons and Dragons.. where if your character had a 3 for intelligence, he had trouble tying his own shoes or bathing properly.. If anything, around a 4 or so and you'd probably just start talking like Grimlock from the cartoons.. which Tantrum kinda does.


Skill is generally a little easier, since you use that to reflect things in function. So a surgeon or a Sniper would have a high skill, but it would be for different reasons.. One for performing complicated actions, the other for pinpoint accuracy. On the other hand, it doesn't take as much skill to "Spray and pray" with a machinegun or swing a club around (Unless Optimus is doing it since he doesn't use them traditionally at all.)

Name: Nexus Prime
Allegiance: Maximal
Function: Military Commander
Alt. Mode: Transmetal cybertronian armored all-terrain vehicle with roof mounted cannons. Has the ability to become an immobile turret.
Height: 11 feet
Quote: "Remember me not for my name but for my actions."

Strength:8
Intelligence:8
Speed:5
Endurance:8
Rank: N/A
Courage:9
Firepower:7
Skill:5

Weapons:
Morning star (Spiked mace): A powerful, metallic mace to deal damage at short range.
Dual Plasma cannons: A powerful medium-to-long range weapon capable of firing projectiles rapidly. In robot form the cannons are attached to Nexus’ shoulders. The cannons are equipped with an auto-targeting system and are capable of rotating up to 180 degrees. In turret mode the cannons attach to the turret, enabling for even longer distance firing capabilities and increased accuracy.


Abilities:
In vehicle mode Nexus is able to pass through most types of terrain, including steep hills.
Transmetal mode: Turret mode
Enables Nexus to form an immobile turret mode where he clamps onto the surface, greatly increasing his range and accuracy.
History and Personality: With a lineage dating back to the house of Prime, Nexus held a prominent position within the Maximal ranks. Unwilling to let his name shape his legacy and determined to make a name for himself, the brave warrior refused to let anyone fight his battles for him and as such he was always leading his troops from the front line. This earned him an immense amount of respect among his comrade and enemies alike.
Nexus enjoys being front and center, whether it be in the battle field or while exploring new territory.
Despite his reputable past as a war hero, Nexus’ greatest strength is his ability to befriend and inspire his troops. He is well liked and has a positive attitude that often affects those around him.

Surprised no one's gotten to this yet, but I'll go ahead and say that Nexus Prime looks like a cool character. Will he have an animal for like the rest of the Maximals and Predacons, or are you just sticking with a vehicular/weapon and robot mode for him?

Nexus is actually more of a plot device than anything. He'll partake in an episode, perhaps two depending how long it drags out, but he is only meant to be a temporary character. Just figured I'd post a brief little profile for reference. There will be another profile for one additional temporary character coming soon.

Er.. Don't worry about this one Alak, as she mentioned, it's a temporary character. The plot devices are already approved. This is why I didn't jump on this.


I guess I can also note since I already did it, I modified Umbra's profile to include a Loot listing, the sonar visor he obtained(takes up the 5th weapon slot), disabled oral ink emitter but still has ink because it's default to cephalopods, raised his explosives up to 6 (because that's how many he stole in the other episode), and added the weakness that he can't use his gun while wearing that visor since he either A:Can't see through the scope or B: It messes with some depth perception.

It's kind of like what I did with the Vok Primal, but I don't even think we bothered with a profile for him because he was basically a clone of Optimus.

Thank you, Phoenix! Looks great.

I guess I can also note since I already did it, I modified Umbra's profile to include a Loot listing, the sonar visor he obtained(takes up the 5th weapon slot), disabled oral ink emitter but still has ink because it's default to cephalopods, raised his explosives up to 6 (because that's how many he stole in the other episode), and added the weakness that he can't use his gun while wearing that visor since he either A:Can't see through the scope or B: It messes with some depth perception.

Thanks, NK. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.