One possible improvement to attributes is to progressively increase costs just like with ability points (1 point at first, then 2, 3, etc.)
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It works in part because it's closer to how reality works. Beginners always make faster gains than experts who must invest more and more to push the limits of what is possible.
Firstly, this is incorrect. Also, I really don't feel that I would enjoy RPG mechanics like this.
Experts only begin to struggle when they begin to hit their biological limitations. As an example, strength training programs are generally linear until you start to approach your limit.
Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson can lift 450kg. But that's pretty much his limit. He will keep training in order to continue being able to lift 450kg, but you'd never expect him to significantly improve on this. (An RPG mechanic where you
lose stats if you don't train them enough? That would definitely be... experimental.)
I've always hated the idea of making higher stats more expensive, especially when I've felt railroaded into bland and forced generalisation. I want to at least feel like I'm able to specialise if I want to. If stats have linear effects then that really seems to be enough. 4kg is a lot more than 2kg, but 22kg isn't that much more than 20kg. I've always felt this is a natural way to incentivise diversification through diminishing returns.
For a non-physical example, I'm currently learning Chinese.
I am actually getting faster (ie, learning more words per day) than when I first started. However, once you've learned 2000 words, the next 100 words you add to your vocabulary are going to be less valuable than the first 100 words you studied.
Any system should definitely accommodate different play-styles and reflect this in character stats/abilities in a nuanced way. But at the same time, I feel that D:OS has too many stats that are unavoidably going to be dump stats for certain classes.
It's not that I want STR to make magic more powerful. I actually hate that idea. But I still want there to be situations where it's a
good idea for a wizard to have points in STR.
Like maybe there is actually a practical build for a wizard to slap people in the face sometimes?The problem is that if there is no practical or significant benefit for a wizard to have STR, then I start to wonder why I'm given the choice at all. Even
if it's worthwhile, I feel that once I put points into a sword skills, then I feel I've communicated my interest in swords, and I shouldn't have to also put points into STR just to benefit from the skill.
