Skill Level 7?

[Shonner]

Generating Mongoose Traveller NPCs With Certain Skills

http://shawndriscollrpg.blogspot.com/2015/02/rpg-generating-mongoose-traveller-npcs.html shows how likely NPCs could end up with certain skills in MgT.

 

[CosmicGamer]

From what I saw, it does not compute odds, just how many tries until the result wanted is achieved.

For example, lets say you are trying to get a level 2 in a skill. On one run, you could get lucky and get it in the first 5 tries. In another run of the program it could show that it took hundreds of attempts.

Also, without even seeing the code or really looking for problems I see a couple issues.

FYI I'm 10 minutes into the 45 minute video so the level 7 skill hasn't shown up yet but i need to pause, wake the kids, and make sure they get ready for school.

I'll be back.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Ok, saw the level 7 skills. Tens of thousands of tries.

I'm about 20 minutes in and getting bored with it. Any reason to keep watching?

 

[atpollard]

Ok, saw the level 7 skills. Tens of thousands of tries.

I'm about 20 minutes in and getting bored with it. Any reason to keep watching?

... so in a city of 1 million people, 10 to 100 of them will have a skill-7?

Frankly, an ability of 15 is probably easier to get and offers a lot more 'success' than one very high skill.

When total modifiers frequently exceed +/-3, you might not want to be using a 2D6 system ... try 3D6, roll 11+ as a base task roll.

 

[CosmicGamer]

... so in a city of 1 million people, 10 to 100 of them will have a skill-7?

Not sure if you are implying you think this is high? Low?

Inaccurate? Certainly!

Again, the odds are not the same as "it took xxx tries to get it this time".

This is only a look at trying to get one specific skill, not indicative of all the different skill level 7 people. The program could have gotten hundreds of people with level 7 in other skills but it keeps going until it gets a specific character that matches what the GM is looking for in a NPC. A simplistic and inaccurate analysis, but to give you an idea of what I'm saying, would be that for a single career with 6 possible skills in a table and at least two tables of skills to choose from, there would be at least 11 other level 7's for each one you were specifically looking for.

I could be wrong, but I think the program may be making career and table choices to maximize the chance to get the skills at the level wanted. Spending 6 terms never rolling on any of the other skill and specialist tables and only rolling on Personal Development where the Gambling skill is doesn't sound like a good representation of millions of people.

Chargen in general does not considering babies, children, or pretty much any teens. The program overlooks far more young people too as it was stated the program is (unless the skill is found earlier) taking character terms out to a certain max terms/age. I forget, I think something like in their 50's for the max? Maybe 8 terms? This also means it is not considering older people too. If did try to used the program to simulate the population it possibly would be an odd city where all 1 million people were in their 40's and 50's.

None of these should be considered criticisms of the programmer as I believe the intent is not to generate a random citizen but to get a specific character that has a skill at a level the GM is looking for in a NPC.

And last, chagen is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy
far from being anything like a realistic simulation of a spread of careers and skills across a population.

 

[Shonner]

Ok, saw the level 7 skills. Tens of thousands of tries.

I'm about 20 minutes in and getting bored with it. Any reason to keep watching?

I don't think you're in the demographic.