Guide on Novels and Games - VIDEOGAME CHARACTERS - PART 2

Here I'll talk about the "stats", how they are used in games and how they are used in novels... first, how they are used in games.

In games the stats are numerical values used for do various calculation, for example in a fight they can be used for calculate a physical damage, in this case the formula used is

A P.ATK - T P.DEF = DAMAGE

here "A P.ATK" is the attack power of the attacker while "T P.DEF" is the target's physical defence... now I'll use number for make it more clear

A P.ATK (600) - T P.DEF (500) = DAMAGE (100)

the formula I used now is a simple one since it was just something used as example but in games the list of things you have to keep in mind are mainly:


 * Attribute, when a game use attribute then you have to remember that attribute have strong and weak point, like fire weak to water but strong against wood, this affinity between attributes can lead to a 1.5 bonus damages or a 0.5.
 * Buff & Debuff, the value for the formula are always take by the current status of the attacker and the target and not from their original ones, the reason for this is that if a buff or debuff are active, altering the attack and/or the defence, than calculate the untouched original stats will fake the result giving a wrong one but let me give you a more simple example... C1 have DEF equal to 50 and use a DEF buff that increase it to 90 then C2 attack C1 with ATK 100, if I take the stat from the original (50) then the damage should be 50 BUT the fomula have to be applied to 90 (that is 50 + the buff)
 * Range, is possible that some people have already saw this but in games we don't always inflict the same amount of damages and this because the formula include a part that grant a variable result that "fluctuate" between two value where one is the max damge one can inflict and the other... I don't know how name it and I don't know the full formula of it... for give an example of this then lets say that the damage the character should inflict have a max of 100 but instead it inflict the first time 86 while another 94, this happen because the formula is setted so that the final value is something between the max, in this case 100, and another value that in this case we can say is 85 or even 80.

And now let's talk about the stats that we normally see in games and that are used in novels too:

HP AKA HEALTH / HIT POINTS
In games this stat is a numerical value that represent the "life" of an entity, for the ones that don't know this, every entity present in a game use something called "status" and depending on it the function of the entity then certain function may be activated or deactivated but here I'll just talk of the status relative to the HP.

Something that is need to say is about the fact that HP can mean "hit" points, the reason I want to line this part come from the fact that some may think that "look this way if I have 100 HP then I can be hit 100 times before die"... this logic can work only if the the ATK of the attacker is low and the DEF of the target is high but, as we all know this, in games a character don't receive a single point of damage at attack but more of them.

If the value of the HP reach 0 or less then the status of playable character change to "death" or "KO" making them unable to be used until something is done, like use an item or activate a certain action like use a spell/ability that resurrect or go in a place where this action is performed like a inn or a church.

In a novel the use of the HP can be done following two "line of thoughs", the first is "logic" and the other is "instinct", please note that this names come from my personal opinion and not from some official naming... now let's see them.

The "logic line of thoughs" is the one that involve more work, as said before HP in games are numerical values that represent the "life" of an entity but if we translate this in "real life" inside a novel then we should quantify the life of a being into numbers and then calculate every time how much a damage is... in novels we mainly have the MC that start with 100 HP that then increase with level up or whatever method is used.

Like said before, the main problem of the HP using the "logic line of thoughs" is the fact that we have to convert into numbers every type of damages and this mean from the most stupid and weak, like a paper cut, to the serious ones, like be cut in half.

The "Instinct line of thoughs"  is the one that require less work compared to the "logic" version and this come from the fact that the author mainly throw random numbers BUT using his "instinct" he just come out with values not to high or too low, this is probably the method used by all the authors... after all, you are already writing a story, there is no need to add more work to the one you already have.

My personal hint on the use of HP in a novel or manga is... don't use them... too much work with it plus there is always the danger that mad people like me would attack you in the way you use it... a possible solution for use them would be convert the HP into some kind of defensive stat that protect the true body like some kind of barrier... for example I remember a novel where the MC lived in a world where people had a "divine protection" or something like similar that basically was a natural barrier of some type, in a scene the MC ake a small cut on the throat of someone releasing blue particles, the latter was the protection being lowered, one can use the concept of HP like that converting it into some kind of protection instead of have to think to convert damages into number and things like that.

In novels till now I saw represent the HP in three ways, the first is using a bar that represent them and is one of the way used in games too where the bar is in the HUD, the second methos is using numbers, in RPG usually the HP are show using a X / Y system where the X is the actual HP while the Y is the max HP in that moment, and the third methos is using both number and bar using the bar in some kind of HUD and numbers in the status screen, in my memories is present the image of a double representation where the numerical value is on the bar but I can't recall the source of it.

MP AKA MAGICAL POWER / POINTS
In games this stat represent the quantity of magical power an entity have and its use normally is connected in the use of spells or skills, once this stat reach 0 then is not possible use magic and similar abilities.

The way this stat is represent in games is the same of the HP and this mean a bar, usually blue colored, and

In a novel the concept behind MP is not that different from its game version BUT, in my opinion, is more easy to use compared to other stats... why is that? well is more simple than one can think... one need to set a consuming list... okay, let me rework it this way... let's say that I decided that the most consuming spell I decided to put in the story eat 500 MP, using this value as last and higher one than an author can line the various grades of quantity of MP the characters can have resulting in something similar to something were the lowest quantity one have is 20 MP, a middle level have 250 MP, an high level	have 450~510 MP and a supreme level can have 2000 MP or more.

If you don't want to do this process then you can do the same of the HP and just throw random numbers.

The way the MP increase are basically the same.

STR AKA STRENGHT
Strenght is normally a value that can be used too for determine the ATK of an entity and that in some cases is even called ATK instead of STR.

In games this value is normally used together with ATK of the equipment plus eventual buff composed by eventual skills so we can say that in a way the formula of the attack an entity have can be:

(STR + other buff coming from different sources) + [ATK equipment + (buff if present otherwise is = 0)].

This formula is very rough and is not a real one because is just for understand the values used in the calculations, don't use it.

STR is not a stat that is simple used in RPG and other games like that but can be used in projects where battles are not involved... anyone can ask how is that possible and the answer is very simple, using STR as variable.

In certain type of games there are variables that are used for unlock certain results but let me make a simple example... I play game X where the only job that make possible earn money involve move heavy objects, in this case the higher the STR is the more the money I can earn thanks to the stat being high... this example is simple but can give enough the idea.

If we talk of principle, I can tell you that in RPG Maker projects I made I always used the principle "if stat ­≥ X then event 1 otherwise event 2", this "text" basically mean that if the stat is equal or major of X (value of choice) then there will be "event 1" otherwise "event 2" will start.

In real life the STR stat would represent the physical strenght of someone and we have various ways for represent that like use the "chilos" infact we can use kg for value not only the grip strength of one hand but the weight one can lift... in novels the concept is more or less the same it's just that no value is explained, with this I mean that authors give me a value but is just that, they just give a number but none of them explain what it mean but let me give you a more precise example... my status window say that my STR is 48, okay but... what mean 48? that I can lift 48 kg without problems? that my gripping strenght is 48 kg? as you can see the value gave in a novel stat loose its meaning because, while in a game is a numerical value that don't need any explanation, in a novel is not even explained... in a novel, don't ask the name because I don't remember it, the MC have a game like system with stats and he tried to give a sense to the values he have in his status window.

STAMINA
In games this is a type of energy that recovery in time and that is used for actions like run or perform heavy attacks.

In real life this term... we can say that represent the ability of one to resist to physical fatigue.

In novel the normal real life concept is the same but when we apply game mechanics than you just add some indicator that show it... in theory there are 2 main way for indicate stamina:


 * Use a bar that get short while consuming stamina
 * Have a numerical value that decrease when using stamina

When we encounter "stamina" in games we see that is mainly consumed when performing certain actions like run, perform heavy attacks and climbing but it work too in real life and in novels too? the answer is no, that one believe it or not all our actions consume stamina, is just that the consume is so little and the recover is high that we don't notice that so let me give you some example of actions that consume stamina in real life:


 * intense physical activity (run, lift weight, swim, etc.).
 * prolonged physical activity (like walk for very long time), long walks put a toll on the body and the reason we need to rest is because the walk, despite consume little stamina, in the long run put our body in a condition where can't recover the consumed quantity.
 * heal	from injuries (yes, recovery from physical injuries consume stamina too).

Since in real life the consume of stamina work like this then have a stamina stat is quite useless so if one want to really use it then	is need to study it and use it in a smart way like "stamina stat is used as supplemental reserve of energy and is consumed for accelerate healing and when something external consume it".

DEF & ENDURANCE
Before talk of how this two terms are used in games and novels I want to line the difference between them...


 *  ENDURANCE, in short END, indicate "the ability of a body of sustain damages" technically speaking it indicate our ability of be hurt or not. 


 *  DEFENCE, in short DEF, indicate "the protection an item can give". 

Now that I made clear the distinction I can start talk about them.

In games, depending on the genre, we can have two type of DEF that are the physical one (P.DEF) and magical one (M.DEF), in case of sci-fi games the magical protection can be named "energy DEF" and represent the defence against energy based attacks, like against lasers.

Is common in games call both END and DEF with a single name and both indicate the value used for indicate the resistence to damages of the entity.

The total of this stat is gave by skills, equipments and the stat of the entity.

In novels the use of this stat should represent the ability of the body to resist to damages, I can say this mainly because in most works I saw clothes being ruined while the body come out without a scratch, there were cases were the clothes didn't ripped but that, in some cases, was explained with "the aura fill the clothes that gain the same resistence of the body"... personally I would never use this stat but instead come out with alternative skills that are then leveled up... an example of such skill is "dermal armor", normally this type of skill is owned by monsters that have a strong skin like dragons but it can work with other being too.

DEX AKA DEXTERITY
This stat is sometimes called Agility, or AGI, and can represent more than one trait but lets see step by step what represent.

The first thing is need to point is that dexterity on its own is basically the ability of make nimble and swift movement, thanks to this in games the roles this stat have are:


 * Receive an attack, in games this stat is used for decide if an attack can be landed or not, the higher the stat the higher the chance of not be hit BUT if the attack is a sure hit then the calculation is basically skipped as sure hit attacks are land 100% of the times
 * Lockpick, in certain games, if the corresponding skill is not present, this stat is used for determine the success rate of lockpicking
 * Pickpocket, like in the case of lockpicking, pickpocket affect the success rate of the action
 * ATB Speed, in certain games we have a bar that once filled make possible do an action and this stats affect the speed of filling of the bar
 * Turn Based combat, in this situation the higher the speed the little is the delay between that character turns and this can even be translated into the enemy turn be delayed for some time... for example I remember that I played a RPG long time ago and due to high AGI the turn of the enemy arrived something like 10 actions but originally it was supposed to be after 2

this stat is usually the main one of characters that aim to speed, evasion and for thies/assassin type builds

INT AKA INTELLIGENCE
This stat is sometimes called WIS (wisdom) and is one of the main trait that magic oriented characters have.

This definition come directly from Wikipedia:

"Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be described as the ability to perceive or infer information, and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or context"

Just in case I want to point that despite INT is sometimes called Wisdom, in truth they are a little different... again the definition from Wikipedia:

"Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, self-transcendence and non-attachment, and virtues such as ethics and benevolence.

Wisdom has been defined in many different ways, including several distinct approaches to assess the characteristics attributed to wisdom"

From this two different definition I think we can say that while "intelligence make you learn" than "wisdom make you use what you learned with sometimes combining it with some judgement".

I remember that I saw in a manga that a character increased his INT and what he obtained was a better memory and thinking speed... taking into consideration this then is logic that INT is the main stat of a magic oriented character since use magic require, most of the times, not only imagination but remember chants and magic circles... I'll never be a mage since my memory is terrible...

In games INT can involve various things but this depend on the design of the project, for example if INT is used only for magic attack then the higher one have the more damages can do.

Before I said that depending on the project one this stat can have a different "impact" but let me give you a simple list of examples:


 * M.ATK, in this case the int influence the calculation of damages one can inflict... in games is always better divide this part because if INT is used for both magical attack and magical defence then the balance of the project will have problems
 * Minigames, in some cases I saw this stat influence minigames increasing times for them, for example if the minigames require to pair the cards on the table the INT increase the time of the game or even unlock hints or make shine things that can be usefull
 * Scholastic Scores, in a school oriented environment or game this stat can be used for exams... the higher the stat is the higher the score will be... just think this, if the INT stat is applied in real life then you can memorize all the books you want and when taking an exam at school you just to look back at your memory for the answer in the book or from the speech of the teacher and for what concern calculation then you just need to recall the formula and thanks to the elaboration speed granted by the stat you can solve the problem.
 * EXP gain, don't remember the game but the higher the INT the higher the EXP gained killing and completing quests.
 * Limiter, in certain projects, where stats are used as limiters, this stat will influence certain factors, for example certain magic weapons and spells can require a certain amount of INT for be used or learned

LUCK
This stat can be translated as the "ability of change things in your favor".

In games this stats have different applications, here I'll just list the main ones:


 * Item Drop, increase the number of times a defeated enemy drop items.
 * Drop Quality, normally the higher the luck the higher is the rarity of the drop and this mean more stats and abilities of them
 * Encounters, in cases of projects with random encounters than higher luck can increase the chances of rare monsters appearance OR decrease the encounter with monsters
 * Critical Hit, normally critical hits are connected to AGI but luck can always help in that front

In real life this stat is basically the most broken of all, just think this... you walk normally and money literally fly on your face, you walk on a field and found a treasure, you play a lottery and win the first prize... in a manhua there is a cultivator that have a heaven defying luck and an example of this is walk normally and a meteor fall close to him revealing inside rare cultivation materials

HOW INCREASE STATS
Till now I didn't said nothing about on how increase the stats but this because they follow the same logic so was useless repeat the same thing all the time:


 * Auto Level Up, most of the games have this function, the player gain exp and once there is the level up than the stats increase following the base setting of the character.
 * Manual Level Up, in this case the game give points that can be used for increase the stats at choice and is the player's decision to increase them of how much one want, always remaining in the terms of the points one have. In games like Dark Souls and Nioh this system is used using the points gained via items and killing enemies, every time the points are used and a stat is increased the level increase too so if I player increase a stat of two point this will result in the increase of the level of two too.
 * Temp Buff, in this case the stats are increase for some time
 * Equipment Buff, similar to the Temp buff but in this case the buff itself is connected to one or more piece of equipment and the buff last until the equipment is active so if for example I have a ring that increase HP and STR then until the ring is used than the buff stay.
 * Skill, in this case there is one or more passive buff that increase the quantity of HP

HOW STATS ARE SHOWED
After listed the stats I'm sure that anyone had tough about numerical value is basically the main way for show stats but, at least in my knowledge, there are 3 ways for show stats:


 * 1) Numbers, is the main way used in games. In games use number is the best way as they keep their main function that is that of numerical values that are then used for calculation via mathematical formulas. Have numbers in games is a good thing as the player itself don't really need to remember how they really work and just use them as references while keeping in mind that "the higher the value the higher is the effect of the stat"... but, what happen when we use them in novels? They lost their meaning, numebers in real life need a unit of mearurement, without it don't make any	sense, for example if I have STR 98 then what that 98 mean? I can	lift 98 Kg? I can exert a pressure equal to 98 pascal? As you can see without a measurement unit that explain it, that number can be anything for not say about the HP... if I receive a damage of 50 HP,	to what is equal? A cut on a finger, a hole in the chest? As you can see numbers are not really good in this case.  This is just my way of see the thing since I'm someone that search a meaning everywhere.
 * 2) Rank,	they are another way for the stats, the theory is that they are more	easy to use because you just make a scale of 8 or 10 ranks, usually	made with letters, giving a meaning to each one while with numbers	you need to decide to what is equal every single value.
 * 3) Description,	I saw it only in a work, this method use descriptions instead of	ranks or numbers, for example for STR can say "Anti-Army, you	can challenge an army and come out alive"