Roleplaying with the Might attribute

[MachoGrande]

I wish someone would hurry up and mod this ridiculous stat system, it's one of the things that's keeping me from playing this game. There's no suspension of disbelief when the design is this bad. Having heavily armored "tank" characters with minimum strength because it's only used for damage is just plain stupid. The character shouldn't even be able to equip armor or carry a shield if their strength (might) stat is low. Mages should not be hulking brutes, ripping phone books in half in their spare time. Archers also, and having guns do more damage because of strength is the best example of how stupid this system actually is, They should have just bought the D&D license for this, their system sucks.

[MadDemiurg]

Actually I think they did a much better job on making all status useful than most systems, D&D included. From RP perspective it admittedly doesn't make a lot of sense though. But imo gameplay > lore.

[pi2repsion]

So... might represents physical AND magical strength, right?

 

But in the dialogue, its always used as a physical thing (like "pick him up and shake him like a rag doll"). I'm playing an otherwise delicate and fragile female wizard, but I always get options to beat people up physically!

 

So as a mechanic it works, but roleplaying wise, its just too ambigious.

 

How about for wizards, it changes to a threat to change the guy into a toad or something?

It works perfectly fine for roleplaying so long as you divorce your mind from the D&D convention of wizards being wimps because of dumping a STR attribute and instead embrace a fantasy world in which a person's might is as much about inner conviction and willingness to act as it is about physical strength.

 

If you want a real world example, superior drive can substitute for brute strength in a lot of physical activities, though not in all, pressuring the body to perform better. If somebody is to take another person up and shake him like a rag doll, I'd be much more worried about a driven person with normal upper body strength doing it than a strong person who wasn't putting his soul into it, since the body when pressed to its limits is capable of a lot more than people usually feel comfortable with doing.

 

If you want a fantasy example, the wizard's of Glen Cook's Black Company novels might be closer approximation, though admittedly Pillars of Eternity doesn't give wizards the same insane survivability potential.

[Dead Optimist]

Should be should be not .. that is not the world presented to us. In this world there is no clear divide. In this world fighter does not just stand there with shield being healed by healer and mage stands far back abusing AI casting. There is no truth to be found. If immersion is broken is because of ignorance of this world.

 

Its not funny that fighter can have 2 Mig. 2 Mig is not 2 kg as it seems to be in the Right imaginary world. 2 Mig is 85 kg for all we know. And whether he can wear full plate or not, again, anyone in this world can. Immersion in what? Not in this world. In imaginary world known from elsewhere.

Maybe there is an element of lore than ties it all together. However, I do not know that. I only have my own understandings.

 

I come into this game, and my Warrior in full plate armour, with a massive shield is there with 2-4 might and is able to consistently dodge out of attacks while in close combat, while my wizard is there with 18 might  and when we come up to an old wall I am told my wizard is able to push it over (not explode it, push with his body).

 

As I said, balance and game play wise the stats are fine. I find each of them very useful, and I have MAXed and MINed them all and used them all to various degrees. I just wish there was some way to distinguish physical power from mental power. However, it seems in the world of PoE there is not and my mages will continue to pick people up and push over walls.

 

 

 

It works perfectly fine for roleplaying so long as you divorce your mind from the D&D convention of wizards being wimps because of dumping a STR attribute and instead embrace a fantasy world in which a person's might is as much about inner conviction and willingness to act as it is about physical strength.

 

 

 

It is hard to divorce your mind when the text boxes that pop up continuously imply that might = physical brawn. If they added the option [MIGHT X][Wizard etc.] _____ and [MIGHT X][Fighter] _____ for some of the dialogue options, it would be appreciated. Some way to differentiate in game between someone who is physically capable and someone who is magically capable.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Dead Optimist

[gkathellar]

It is hard to divorce your mind when the text boxes that pop up continuously imply that might = physical brawn. If they added the option [MIGHT X][Wizard etc.] _____ and [MIGHT X][Fighter] _____ for some of the dialogue options, it would be appreciated. Some way to differentiate in game between someone who is physically capable and someone who is magically capable.

 

 

What people keep telling you is that there is no difference in Eora. The same faculty drives both things. One person swinging a sword might have mighty thews, and another might not have thews at all; if their Might is the same - if their spiritual capacity to apply force to their environment is the same - the raw power they can pack into each hit is about equal.

 

IRL, bodybuilders have gigantic muscles, which are usually pretty weak and lack the real, explosive power that aerobically developed muscles have. Their thews are lacking something essential. In Eora, Might is that something essential. One may have thews, but what fills them, drives them, and allows them to act with purpose is the spirit.

 

p.s. I like the word thews

 

edit: Also, bear in mind that plenty of the intimidation (not all of it, but plenty) is pretty non-specific. I just assume that when my Cipher is threatening to crush your head, she means it in a Scanners sort of way.

Edited April 7, 2015 by gkathellar