After many starts (and subsequent deaths and restarts), i believe i have learned enough to start anew once more, and play “for real” this time. and im going to cheat some on character generation… because of who i am, and how i like to play, i need/want to make “me”.
i understand that for balance purposes, or for extending gameplay, or difficulty, or any number of reasons, most games wish you to start as a slow, weak, idiot… in this thread, i request help figuring out what numbers in stats and skills will best equate to my RL abilities, without being over the top “cheaty”… im fine and very much expect to be cheaty… i also intend to create a new profession, primarily so i start with items i would have in a case such as this (And i may make a new thread for help in that regard, (items thread, wherein this is stats/skills) in the near future)
going through the list as presented in the game:
Strength: I am 5’11", 290 lbs, and im the guy the family calls for the majority of strength-related help. i am nicknamed “moose” by most who know me… i move furniture, i push cars out who get stuck in the snow in front of the house, im the “two trips are for chumps” guy after grocery shopping (loading all the bags up on my forearm, carrying everything in at once) … i’ve carried a water heater to the curb, over my shoulder… i’ve put a fridge on my foot and lifted it with my leg the 8" step into the house, through a couple rooms, installed it, then put the old one on my foot and carried / walked with it out to the curb… i’ve tried out a 45 lb weight vest and felt absolutely no strain after a few minutes of having it on, and i wore it 24/7 except when showering and sleeping, until i had to give it back to the friend i borrowed it from… what strength level in the game would this equate to?
Dexterity: I am not ashamed to say that i am not very dexterous or coordinated. im not good at catching things or aiming when i throw things, i have poor balance, slow reactions, etcetera. my average walk speed has been observed to be much quicker than the average person… but i dont/cant run… and my lack of coordination hasnt notably hindered normal life, but i recognize im not as “quick” as others.
Intelligence: I was tested at 145 IQ (legitimate test, and for clarity sake about legitimate IQ tests: 95% of people fall within 85-115, last i heard), the lowest score i’ve ever gotten on a test was 86%, i’ve never had to “study” or take notes; i read the textbook or source material, once, and i get it / i understand it / i remember it… through experience, i pick up on things very quickly and havent yet found anything i’ve tried to be difficult to understand.
Perception: i miss many things other people see or hear, and its almost at a point to be life-hindering under some circumstances. i tend to look down when im walking, to make sure i dont trip over anything someone may have left on the sidewalk, i can look in a cabinet three times and not see the spice i wanted, etcetera. i can see, and if i focus, i notice… but im not inherently observant, and i dont pick up on changes in environment as quickly or naturally as many others.
So, what levels should i set these at, in character creation, in order to make “me” ?
And now for skills:
Archery: I once had a bow, i’ve fired a bow, i’ve held bows, i’ve played with bows… i’ve never target practiced with one, never hunted with one, only had it and played with it in my yard (and once, stupidly, shot it down my hallway… where i had spot-on accuracy and broke the plaque on my door i was aiming at… which i then had to hide from my dad.) and i have enough common sense and knowledge on how things physically and mechanically work, i have no doubt i’d be able to make a usable bow… and its something i have an interest in doing. i like bows.
bartering: no input needed. this skill is at zero. im not the barter/haggle guy. well, maybe i am, if you agree with that one piece of advice “Dont be afraid to walk away” … because that is me. “How much is this?” “xyz” “Nah, too much for me” and then i walk away. dont have a price in mind, dont haggle, pay the price they say it is, or move along. partially on principle (haggling is primarily based in greed.) and partially for time (dont care enough to spend the extra time, to save x amount)
bashing weapons: i can swing a stick, i can swing a baseball bat, i can swing a sledgehammer… i can swing them each one-handed, and i can do so with enough control over the weight and momentum to not overswing… and with my strength, they are swung with much force. (although for the sledgehammer, swinging it one handed, and with any level of control, fully depends on the type of sledgehammer we are talking about here… i’ve done it before, but i believe it was a comparatively light variant, as far as sledgehammers go) … and in the impossible scenario such as something like this, the first order of business i’d have is to rip a leg off a table and get myself a bludgeon for whatever soft fleshy thing gets in my way.
Computers: alongside the family/friend “moose / mover / strong guy” i’m also the family/friend “computer guy” who builds/replaces/upgrades/fixes computers. i have very limited knowledge in programming/hacking, but i otherwise know my way around an electronic device.
cooking: i know the basics, and judge by appearance/smell when something is done cooking… or is rotten. and i know how to read the label and cooking directions… and i know how to substitute various parts and do measurement conversions within limits… but i am far from being a chef.
cutting weapons: see bashing for swords and such, but otherwise, no experience and not very coordinated… see dexterity. (though i can keep an axe somewhat sorta on target when cutting a tree)
dodging: if and when (and it does happen) i get into a fight, i dont dodge. i dont block. i take whatever they are throwing (and i have as yet never been unable to take what they were throwing… had my nose broken, lost a tooth to the root, etcetera, and i kept advancing)… i also dont strike. dont punch, dont kick… im a “grab” kinda guy. grab an arm, a leg, a throat, etcetera. various holds are my thing… the only strike i can remember throwing in a fight, was a headbutt. (this description covered more than dodging, only because i felt they are related, and this covers unarmed skill as well)
driving: im a good driver. i was a truck driver for a while, and although i have no vehicle of my own (and never have, because always been a broke guy.) i’ve been given various vehicles for various purposes… friend/family too lazy to go somewhere, so they give me keys, money, and tell me buy myself something, if i go to store for them… workers at stores around here would call me to go up there, take their vehicle and go get them breakfast while they are working… things like that… i’ve avoided many accidents, i know the speed im going, i know the width of the vehicle, i know where i will fit and where i wont, and im not sure how to describe it without making this too long to read, but im a very good driver.
electronics: as with computers: i have a pretty good basic idea how electronics work, and with only a little research i have no doubt i could wire up my own circuits for flashlights and the like.
fabrication: common sense, understanding of physics/mechanics, and a huge interest in “recycling” / “makeshift” / “unintended purpose”, i can jury rig up a wide variety of tools. i, of course, have no experience with smithing or carpentry or other such projects… yet i have makeshifted things out of wood and metal. broom handle broke? weave some wire hangers around it and along it, apply duct tape.
first aid: the basics. i know what bandages, antibiotics, antiseptics, opioids, splints, analgesics, etcetera, are all for, and i know how to apply them, and i know how to deal with a number of injuries… but i am very far from being a doctor or an EMS or anything of the sort.
handguns: no experience, never had one, never shot one… but very much like them. have an airsoft pistol i just hold sometimes because i like the feel. were i a less-broke guy, i would definately have me an m9 or something. in an impossible situation such as this game presents, handguns would be my main ranged weapon preference (right ahead of bows)… yet, no experience in any form.
launchers: obviously no experience (not even spud guns), and no interest.
marksmanship: in my limited experience with ranged weapons, my accuracy has been observed to be quite above average, regardless lack of experience… which goes both ways: being very accurate with everything i’ve picked up and fired, doesnt mean much if i’ve only picked up and fired five times.
mechanics: i can change a tire, i can replace brakes, i can replace a battery, i can replace an air filter, i can fill oil, radiator, transmission fluid, etcetera etcetera. im not a mechanic, but on some occasions when i have a vehicle available for extended periods, i invest in it and make sure it runs how it should.
melee: see bashing and cutting
piercing weapons: no experience, and in the dexterous use of piercing weapons such as rapiers or pointy knives, i’d say no skill or ability… however, in something slightly more strength-based like spears, i feel i’d handle a little better… and i love spears. spears will give bludgeons a run for their money in my melee weapon preferences… and may even be my personal favorite option for close combat in open spaces. (and had i the money, i intend to make myself a spear to play with in my yard… PVC, paracord, a knife or two, some wood, and some time… maybe a few more materials, and i’ll have me something to grab if the apocalypse comes 
rifles: i’ve shot a bb gun a few times (one of which, i hit a gluestick off an empty case of beer from down the street… on my third shot. two shots to zero in the crappy bb gun iron sights) … and i shot a rifle once, out in the woods, when camping with friends of the family… cant remember if it was .22 or .223, but i hit the gallon of water however far away it was, i have no idea… i have little interest in rifles, however.
shotguns: up there with my favorites, alongside handguns and bows. although more like handguns, since i have a complete zero experience… i love the idea of shotguns, even if for no reason other than the versatility… slug + rifled barrel, buckshot, birdshot, flares… and if you keep your shells and have primers and powder, you can put damn near anything in the case and shoot it… love them, love the idea of them, have no experience and never shot one.
speaking: im not the speaking guy, either. i’d say put this at zero just to be on the safe side.
submachine guns: no experience, no interest (except i love HK MP5… dat a sexy gun (not the k/short version), but i’d like to treat it more like a handgun, and semi auto)
survival: i can pitch a tent, i can hash together a shelter, i can start a fire, i can makeshift tools out of rocks and wood… i have no idea whats poisonous and whats not, and i have no idea how to skin an animal, or what within it is safe to cook and eat.
swimming: i was on the swim team in middle school, i gave the lifeguard at the local pool a run for his money in a swimming contest, and i used to swim to the bottom of the 12 ft section, to pick up dive sticks, ten at a time, and as a kid we vacationed a lot to oceans and lakes, where i swam and had fun. on the flip side, i havent been in the water in probably over a decade.
tailoring: i know how to stitch and i’ve fixed a couple pieces of clothing with needle and thread, but it was a very short ordeal. one day i got bored, and decided to learn to sew, so i went on the internet, looked at a couple pages, got a bit of cloth and some needle and thread, practiced for an hour or two stitching pieces of cloth together… then fixing a pair of pants that was too long in the legs, and fixing a ripped knee part of another pair of pants… then decided it was still boring and havent stitched since.
throwing: i can throw hard, and far… but not accurately. see strength and dexterity.
trapping: snares? deadfall? no idea… mouse traps? bear traps? pits? i have enough common sense and mechanical/physical knowledge to set them or make them.
unarmed combat: see dodging.
if anyone is still here: thank you for sticking through it… and so now, could you recommend what stat and skill levels i am at, based on this information? i cannot determine what the levels equate to in real life (sometimes due to inconsistency, sometimes lack of information, sometimes other reasons) … i can also answer any further questions that’d help in the quest to make my “me” character on this amazing game.
