Defining IQ

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by VonKatzen

It actually makes a higher initial IQ even better, too, because you will never be able to improve it afterward...

Which is a serious detriment in my opinion. It makes those with rules savy keen to 'min-max' in favor of high stats at campaign start over having rounded skilled Characters, but does nothing to limit the explosive growth of skill later once the Players start investing exp into the Character.


I've found it's better to allow for stats to be raised later*, at base cost, and have Characters start out well-rounded. It makes for a smother play experience.




* Also switching to limiting Defaults to stat 16 and not allowing skills to be based on skills above 16. But then you also need to lower the cost of IQ and DX above 16, if you want Character to ever have stats above that. Otherwise just limit stats to whatever level you find plausible and call it a day.

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

However this I'm not sure I agree with, I mean it can do that as a side effect but I think a more effective way of limiting this is to just limit brute force min maxing rather than build in a bunch of disincentives to do so.

I found that conclusion odd too. I don't see how having a set of what-one-considers-realistic rules prevents players of a certain ilk from attempting to game the system. Simulation is great, and lots of players like it, but I don't think that simulation-ism is a solution to this issue. It certainly isn't the one I would consider most effective.

[VonKatzen]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Which is a serious detriment in my opinion. It makes those with rules savy keen to 'min-max' in favor of high stats at campaign start over having rounded skilled Characters, but does nothing to limit the explosive growth of skill later once the Players start investing exp into the Character.

Well I'll be using rules of training as well as maintaining skills for all skill gains. So players with tons of skills or very high ratings in them will have to spend a lot of time maintaining them - which in terms limits how many new skills they can learn. And starting out with very few skills and advantages in favor of IQ points is going to make them pretty inept at the start.

And front-loading is how you want to do it IRL. Want to have a good career? Be a high-IQ dude from a rich family born in a first world country. As the old website 'How to Be as Rich as Bill Gates' said, "Choose your grandparents very carefully."