What is the point of culture (background, where are you from?) bonuses?

[sethillgard]

Se each one of these grants +1 to an attribute, which you can simply adjust for in the previous screen of the character creation flow.

 

E.G.

 

I want my char to be from the White that Wends, which grants +1 perception, which I don't need, so I just press back, set my perception to 9 (which will be 10 after I select my culture), and move my attribute point to whichever attribute I happen to need.

 

I never liked culture bonuses because they force me to make a decision between my stats and bonuses and the dialog I will get when playing the game. The system in deadfire solves this problem, but using the technique above seems like you could achieve exactly the same thing by simply not having culture bonuses at all.

 

Why not just remove them? I think the benefit of having the flavor of "chars from XXX are more perceptive" is pretty weak given that most people will adjust for it anyways.

 

Job bonuses seem more justified, IMHO.

[dam]

I'm confused, what part of POE2 solves the problem of this or that culture affecting this or that attribute ?

 

You still get +1 MIG from Rauatai, or +1 INT from Old Vaila.

[Enduin]

I have to say I dislike both bonuses to Culture and Job. I'd rather just get to choose to distribute both points. Like I get why a Job has associated skills, but I still don't like it as it almost always clashes with what I had want my character to be like so I feel like I'm wasting skill points then. 

[PugPug]

 

Why not just remove them? I think the benefit of having the flavor of "chars from XXX are more perceptive" is pretty weak given that most people will adjust for it anyways.

 

Job bonuses seem more justified, IMHO.

 

To answer your question, the bonuses matter because they let you raise a stat above 18. Otherwise you are right, you just move a stat point to adjust for it.

[Juodas Varnas]

Honestly, i'd rather have both the Job and Culture to be completely fluff with no gameplay bonuses, apart from the dialogue options that come with them.

[PugPug]

Honestly, i'd rather have both the Job and Culture to be completely fluff with no gameplay bonuses, apart from the dialogue options that come with them.

 

I'm with you, brother. I don't want class bonuses to skills, either. Or bonus stats for races. Let all roleplaying choices be free!

Edited November 21, 2017 by PugPug

[Quillon]

I like jobs defining initial skill bonuses but yeah attribute bonuses are somewhat pointless, maybe only culture should give attribute bonuses since races have traits.

[Katarack21]

To make backgrounds matter during character creation. Otherwise the *only* purpose for backgrounds is RP and the experience of variable story elements.

[dam]

I like jobs defining initial skill bonuses but yeah attribute bonuses are somewhat pointless, maybe only culture should give attribute bonuses since races have traits.

 

Problem with that (and racial bonii) is that you get pigeonholed into picking this race + this culture to min-max.

 

Now granted, not all of us minmax, and yet it's a fact, and it's happening right now.

 

 

 

Mayhap an alternative would be to allow for the selection of a background (skill bonii) and a special training (like, you were a soldier, or you were a thief as a child cause you needed to eat whatever) after one chooses a race.

 

Sacrifice realism for flexibility.

[Doppelschwert]

To make backgrounds matter during character creation. Otherwise the *only* purpose for backgrounds is RP and the experience of variable story elements.

 

You make it sound like RP and experience of variable story elements would not be enough reason to pick them up by themselves, or did I get that wrong?

[Quillon]

If min-maxers are ok with being forced to choose a specific race, they should be "more ok" with specific culture & background choices. Otherwise I want some godlike traits for my human character, Obs should let me

[anfoglia]

I would prefer if culture and background were purely role-playing choices, with dialogue reactivity but no stat bonuses.

Edited November 22, 2017 by anfoglia

[cheesevillain]

You make it sound like RP and experience of variable story elements would not be enough reason to pick them up by themselves

 

 

 

They're not for some people. And for the people who like the RP elements a whole lot, giving a small mechanical boost associated with it makes it feel more significant.

And first time players aren't really going to get how significant the dialogue changes are from picking a background culture & profession, so giving it a mechanical bonus will make them pay attention.

[esyvjrt]

Having the bonuses presented before the attributes and skills, and making sure the player know that it can be changed after, would keep the aimed feeling, and it wouldn't confront mechanics and rp.
It would be more like: "In general, someone from here that used to have this occupation would have this characteristics, but, hey, not necessarily, continue to establish who you are"

[daven]

Pretty sure people who min max don't care about role playing.

 

This isn't an issue.

[Heijoushin]

I would have preferred slightly more interesting bonuses than a stat point. Say, a tiny resistance to cold if you're from the White that Wends or something ocean related if you're from Rauatai. You know, just to spice things up a little. The +1 to a stat point thing isn't a problem but it just feels so... dry.

[Wormerine]

I would prefer if culture and background were purely role-playing choices, with dialogue reactivity but no stat bonuses.

JIJI!!!!

 

And I much prefer if a mechanic interacts with all aspects of gameplay, even if it’s not the most mind blowing.

 

And let’s be honest, one point here, one point there - it really doesn’t matter with current attribute/skill system.

[MaxQuest]

Having stats attached to a race and country, was giving possibility to have a 2 MIG character - i.e. if you didn't need MIG, you could get a +1 to a different stat. And who doesn't love free attributes?

And to a bit lesser degree of impact ,it allowed you to get 20 in other stat of your choice.

 

Now speaking of backgrounds... it allowed you to select a bonus to the skills you really need. And it was kinda important, because going from 9 mechanics to 10 would normally require you 10 skill points. So if you are intending to max mech, selecting difter, laborer or scientisc could economize you up to 9 skill points which could be invested elsewhere.

Edited November 22, 2017 by MaxQuest