The attribute system lets you add, measure, and modify detailed properties of individual game components.
Buffs and Modifiers can be used to temporarily alter stats, as well as change the costs and rewards of workflows.
Both stats and modifiers are set up on the game components themselves (per level). The Initial values of stats are copied to the component as it is added to the game inventory, and the values on individual inventory items can then be modified.
Buffs and modifiers are more like global rules, potentially applying across components and workflows. For example, an amulet may increase all gold received from any workflow awarding gold by 1 piece or 20%.
We have a handful of pre-existing, common attributes: Health, XP, and Stamina. You can also create your own from ‚Manage Attributes‘ and then apply to game components as desired.
Stats and attributes are treated similarly, but are slightly different concepts:
These represent a state or condition of a component, like health, stamina, or XP. You can design workflows to have stats of a component go up and down during gameplay, and require certain stats to have min/max/specific values to execute workflows.
Examples: an attack reduces health; consuming a healing potion increases it. Crafting an item can add XP to a skill. Stamina can be reduced by actions and recharged with potions or end turn.
Some other possible stats could be faction reputation, charisma, strength, and customer satisfaction.
These are more static than stats, and are usually used to identify if a component can be used in some way. Like item rarity (common, rare, legendary) or capability (cuts wood, catches fish), or equipment slot (head, chest, hands).
Modifiers and buffs can add a lot of depth to gameplay by giving the player more tradeoffs to consider. Their effect is passive, and comes into play either by mere ownership of the item (exists in the player’s inventory) or, if equipment slots are being used, requires the item to be equipped to get the benefit.
Modifiers and buffs could also come from consumable items (potions) that have a limited duration.
Modifiers can affect the resource requirements and inputs, or the resource outputs of workflows.
Input modifiers could reduce the cost of purchases, say, reducing gold input requirements by 10% or 1 gold piece. Then the price of everything that consumes gold is reduced by the corresponding amount.