AGING OF MELEE CHARACTERS by Alex Dwelis Following are results of testing the impact of aging Melee characters using version 3.05 with the supplemental MAINT.EXE program. I. Test Protocol - A total of eleven characters with a starting age differential of approximately 9 years were progressively aged by altering the system date, running maintenance, and observing the impact on selected characters. Four of the eleven characters had, in previous testing, maxed all of their trainable attributes, save two (DamageBonus via Ki Training and Willpower); the remaining characters were essentially untrained with attri- butes unaltered from those obtained during character generation. At the termination of the test, the oldest character who had maximized trainable attributes was aged to 50 years and 7 months. The oldest character was aged to 56 years and 4 months. This character test base has been archived should additional testing be required. The observation portion of these tests focused on determining the age at which the following events occured: 1. Notification that an attribute was decreasing. 2. Training prohibited due to aging. 3. Attributes were decreased. 4. Other observable impacts. II. Test Results - Test results will be presented in three sections: General Observations, Functional Summary, and Chronology of Events. Note that the following syntax will be observed in identifying character ages . 1. General Observations: a. Ages at which events occurred were consistent across the test character base. b. It appears that a 'trap' was functioning to prohibit any attribute to decrease less than the value of 2. c. Reduction in character ratings due to the loss of attributes was observed; however, no effort was made to validate the new rating value by manually calculating the rating based on therevised attribute values. d. Bonuses normally earned by improving selected attributes (i.e. ArmorClassBonus and ToHitBonus) were NOT decreased as a result of attribute decreases. e. All attribute decreases were for one point. f. Except for one attribute (Wounds), the reason cited for training being prohibited made reference to the aging process of the character. g. The observed losses in Constitution were observed to effect the amount of available Training time for selected characters. For example, one character whose Constitution and Will were both equal to ten, saw a one hour decrease in allocated Training time when the first Constitution decrease occured. On the other hand, a character whose Constitution and Will were at 18 and 18, saw no decreases in Training time through several Constitution decreases. h. Training in Weapon Skills and the defensive skills was never prohibited by aging. Also, no decreases in these skills were observed. 2. Functional Summary: a. STRENGTH. Notification message at 40.1 and training prohibited at 40.1 years. Decreases observed at 40.1, then yearly from 43.1 to 47.1, and semi-annually from 47.6 to 50.6 years. b. AWARENESS. Notification message at 49.4 but training had been already prohibited at 45.1 years. This is the first of three attributes in which the notification message repeated itself in sync with a decrease in the value of the attribute. Decreases and messages noted annually at 49.4 and 50.4 years. From test data, I assume that the annual decrease continued through 56.4 years. c. AGILITY. Notification message at 35.3 but training not prohi- bited until 35.1 years. Decreases observed at 35.3, 38.3, and 40.3. Annual decreases started at 41.3 and continued to 46.3 years. A loss was observed at 46.8 years (but I think that this is an error in my data record.). A cycle of semi-annual losses was observed to start at 47.3 and continued through the end of the observation period and 50.3 years. d. DEXTERITY. Training was halted at 38.1 years. This is the second of three two attributes in which the notification message repeated itself in sync with a decrease in the attribute. Both the notification message and the attribute loss occured annually beginning at 39.4 and were observed through the end of the test. e. ENDURANCE/FATIGUE. The notification message occured at 33.2 years. The first loss noted at 33.2, followed by one at 36.2 and 38.2 years. Losses ran annually from 40.2 through 43.2 years. Beginning at 43.7, the losses occured semi-annually through 47.7 years. However, the cycle of losses altered beginning with the sequence 47.11, 48.2, and 48.7 years. They then repeated themselves at this sequence. Training in the attribute was never prohibited. f. PHYSICAL DAMAGE/WOUNDS. Training was prohibited at 30.1 years. For characters who had already reached a maximum value for this attribute, the reason cited for training being prohibited did not reflect the aging process but continued to cite the maximum value as the reason. Other charac- ters were advised that they were too old to train in this attribute. No losses in this attribute were observed and, correspondingly, no notification messages were observed. g. DAMAGE BONUS (KI TRAINING). No aging effects were observed. h. INITIATIVE (NULL BOXING TRAINING). Training banned at the age of 35.1 years. No losses in this attribute were observed. i. INTELLIGENCE (NEURAL WEAVING). No aging effects were observed. j. WILL (WILLPOWER). No aging effects were observed. k. CONSTITUTION. This is the last of the three attributes in which the notification messages continued in sync with a decrease in the value of the attribute. The message and decrease were observed first at 46.5, the began an apparent annual cycle starting at 49.5 and continued to be observed through 52.5 years. Currently there is no means available to train in this attribute. 2. Chronology of Events: 30.1 Can't improve Wounds/Physical Damage 33.2 Notified of Endurance loss and saw decrease in Endurance 35.1 Can't train in Agility and in Null Boxing (Initiative) 35.3 Notified of Agility decrease as observed loss in Agility 36.2 Endurance decrease 38.1 Can't train in Dexterity 38.2 Endurance decrease 38.3 Agility decrease 39.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 40.1 Notified of and observed Strength loss. Also can't train in Strength 40.2 Endurance decrease 40.3 Agility decrease 40.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 41.2 Endurance decrease 41.3 Agility decrease 41.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 42.2 Endurance decrease 42.3 Agility decrease 42.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 43.1 Strength decrease 43.2 Endurance decrease 43.3 Agility decrease 43.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 43.7 Endurance decrease 44.1 Strength decrease 44.2 Endurance decrease 44.3 Agility decrese 44.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 44.7 Endurance decrease 45.1 Strength decrease 45.1 Can't train in Awareness 45.2 Endurance decrease 45.3 Agility decrease 45.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 45.7 Endurance decrease 46.1 Strength decrease 46.2 Endurance decrease 46.3 Agility decrease 46.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 46.5 Notified of and observed Constitution loss 46.7 Endurance decrease 46.8 Agility decrease (based on other data, this might be 46.9) 47.1 Strength decrease 47.2 Endurance decrease 47.3 Agility decrease 47.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 47.6 Strength decrese 47.7 Endurance decrease 47.9 Agility decrease 47.11 Endurance decrease 48.1 Strength decrease 48.2 Endurance decrease 48.3 Agility decrease 48.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 48.5 Notified of and observed Constitution loss 48.6 Strength decrease 48.7 Endurance decrease 48.9 Agility decrease 48.11 Endurance decrease 49.1 Strength decrease 49.2 Endurance decrease 49.3 Agility decrease 49.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 49.4 Notified of and observed Awareness loss 49.5 Notified of and observed Constitution loss 49.6 Strength decrease 49.7 Endurance decrease 49.9 Agility decrease 49.11 Endurance decrease 50.1 Strength decrease 50.2 Endurance decrease 50.3 Agility decrease 50.4 Notified of and observed Dexterity loss 50.4 Awareness decrease 50.5 Notified of and observed Constitution loss 50.6 Strength decrease 50.7 Endurance decrease III. Conclusion, Comments, and Recommendations: The test shows that the algorithms for aging characters appear to be working without any major prob- lems that require immediate attention. There are some attributes that are unscathed, that is, no losses are ever encountered. When the game progresses to the point where only 'fine tuning' is required, it might be appropriate to revise the aging algorithm to include Wounds, Initiative, Will, DamageBonus, and even, Intelligence.