[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

There are two main problems with these kinds of questions. One is that none of us can agree on what the attributes equate to in real life. The other is what the limits for real people are.

One way to look at it is what the attributes let you do. That lead me to some ideas about attribute limits for different styles of game:

• Really very ordinary people: young healthy people have 10s and the occasional 11; older and sick people have lower attributes.
• Ordinary people, selected by attributes: Weightlifters selected by ST, professionals selected by IQ, baseball players selected by DX, runners selected for HT. 12 in the selected attribute, with occasional 13s.
• Normal people, strongly selected by attribute: sports people who compete at national levels, special operations troops, nationally leading professionals in their field: 13 or 14.
• “Cinematic realistic” games: the default GURPS mode, where characters can overcome extraordinary obstacles, but need to make plans, obtain appropriate equipment and use good tactics: 15 or 16.
• “Highly cinematic” games: 20, because that really does stretch the plausible limits of being human.