Using Your Stats

[dumb]

I've given this a bit of thought and have done some testing. I'd like to open up for discussion, the use of your XP for your stats. This will depend heavily on how you want to play (let alone your starting profession). We can talk about particular professions or we can speak generally.

I'll start us off by discussing general theory.

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I think a general rule... stacking your stats on the ones you plan to use is much better than a broad approach. In other words, Jack of All Trades does not turn out well, unless you are playing one of the lower difficulties. If you plan to do combat, especially early on, it is important to stack on strength... My approach has been to try to be competent in boarding. At higher difficulties, I find that unless I am high pilot to start, I can't run away... and I can't trade shots. So I just need to jump in and board. In my view, the hardest part of the game (at higher difficulties) is surviving the beginning until you have enough money to upgrade/take ships and enough rep to get permits to avoid more people.

[jtwood]

Yeah, I specialize, too. I play the explorer mode, so I pump the explorer trait up to around a dozen or so, and then I set in on pilot. Once I get to a good pilot level, I'll go after negotiate next, because I like the price bumps it affords you. Basically, I'm focusing on money from the get-go and looking to get that next ship asap.

[havocme]

Just to make sure:
For combat purposes, piloting let's me advance or retreat with greater ease v the enemy. Stealth let's me avoid encounters.all together on the space map. But stealth helps with the aim of deck guns when I want to use them, and helps aim and avoid torps? Correct?

Also, how often are your base stats checked in the game, or are they just there to derive your skill stats and the max they can be raised?

[Cory Trese]

base stats are checked a lot less than skills.

This is a major lacking area in the documentation.

I am reading the code and building a table that shows

Action: Skill, Skill, (Skill *2)
Action: Skill, Stat, Ship Stat

So that there is less mystery about it =)

[princeofdarqness]

[glow=red,2,300]@cory[/glow],
Love the game bro! I just upgraded to Elite and I am enjoying fooling around with my toon on basic level, but looking forward to a forray in to higher difficulties.

So then a stat check is random then? Have you posted a table yet that shows the check formulae? Maybe an addendum to the next guide version that shows the info:(Tactics+Stealth+Quickness/2>Opponent level+strength=success) for instance after each explanation.

The game is far more interesting and playable when you have a clearer idea of what stats you need to succeed in your chosen field of expertise.

Excellent job on the game!

Tom T., Green Bay, WI

[Cory Trese]

working on it =)

[brent]

What is the maximum a stat and/or skill can be? I have a stat that is over 35. How far does it go?

A good description in the guide describing the stats and skills and how they work will help everyone.

[Cory Trese]

Agreed. I will start working on this request, Brent.

Documentation is hard

[brent]

Is there a limit or can a stat be 500?

I wish I had put my points into the stats from the beginning when they were cheap because now they are about 1.7 times the cost of skills and at my level its getting expensive to bump them up.

I do like the addition of the point cost next to the stat and skill now.

[Cory Trese]

that's the choice tho -- stats are best to raise early but then the captain is at a major disadvantage because stats aren't used like skills are.

[rich]

Was curious if there was any more insight to this? The rule of thumb I've been going by is the stats that are increased initially based on the class should be twice that of every other stat. For example, if I'm playing a military officer, and my Warrior and Intimidate skills start at 6, I try to keep them both twice as high as the remaining stats. On my MO on Difficult, I have 30 to Warrior/Intimidate, and most of the rest are right around 15, with the exception being Pilot, which is at 18. It's worked out for me on all my characters, but I wonder if there's a more optimal way of point distribution.