It's a pointless, dated game mechanic. It pits scripters vs. non-scripters, newbies vs. veterans.
I understand it must hold some bit of nostalgic magic for some of you, but personally I think it should go.
The max rolls have already been decided for balance reasons and non-vets don't enjoy typing roll + enter forever. It's not fun and it serves no practical purpose unless the whole point of the roller is to give newbies yet another disadvantage or maybe to test people's dedication to character creation.
When I think about the least fun thing I do in game it has to be training. I'd much rather be grinding out my skills/spells than rolling though. I don't think to myself "damn character rolling sure is fun, I think I'll go roll up a character and delete him just for kicks".
With the halving of training time, making stat roller more newbie friendly, etc. there seems to be a trend towards making FL more 'fun'. I think my idea fits in that trend.
I'll do my part towards making the roller a relic of the past: I'm currently working on a comprehensive list of max rolls for everyone.
I concur with the notion of scripters vs. non, newbie vs. vet.
A more interesting approach is to have variable race stats at creation determined by a series of personality questions: ice cream flavors, social quirks, Swedish language translation and timed general arithmetic.
Why not?
As for nostalgia, yeah, the idea of rolling is fun. So why not ACTUALLY make it fun. Begin the game with a game. Problem solved*!*
As a scripter/vet I've done my best to give everyone the same chance that vets/scripters have. From creating the wiki to providing my rolling scripts (as has the guy who did muchclient roller). Not using them and then claiming it's just a + for vets is pretty in conclusive.
As a scripter/vet I've done my best to give everyone the same chance that vets/scripters have. From creating the wiki to providing my rolling scripts (as has the guy who did muchclient roller). Not using them and then claiming it's just a + for vets is pretty in conclusive.
The fact remains though that a person needs at least some bit of technical knowledge to use a rolling script; they also need to actually acquire and install the script.
A newbie logging on the first time (after finding us on a top ten for instance) probably won't have a roller installed, immediately putting them at a disadvantage. I agree there isn't a huge barrier to entry here, but just the idea of it is wrong to me.
You shouldn't NEED to have scripting knowledge to be on a level playing field with (I assume) most players here.
The fact remains though that a person needs at least some bit of technical knowledge to use a rolling script; they also need to actually acquire and install the script.
A newbie logging on the first time (after finding us on a top ten for instance) probably won't have a roller installed, immediately putting them at a disadvantage. I agree there isn't a huge barrier to entry here, but just the idea of it is wrong to me.
You shouldn't NEED to have scripting knowledge to be on a level playing field with (I assume) most players here.
Agreed. So somebody shopping for the mud needs to be motivated to stay. What's the motivation when they see a roller. "What the heck is this? What's a good roll?"
The char I just rolled logged in through the website, not checking inconvenient resources and rolled an Avian for 20. I rolled maybe 20 times before I decided that was a good number.
I agree that the roller is obsolete when everybody who is experienced is getting the max anyway.
I've never, in all my years here...used a stat roller. Always hand rolled until I got sick of it(about three minutes) and took the next number 20 or higher. (used to be 45 or higher if I remember right)
The point of rolling, just like the point of training, is to make people invest in their character right from the start. Personally, I think this is still a laudable goal, though there may be better ways to do it.
I actually enjoy rolling and training. Granted at times they can both be tedious, but at the same time knowing that I will have that much more put into a character makes me realize how much more badass they could possibly be. Or maybe I'm just twisted. Granted if they were to do away with rolling and just gave the max roll to every race/class right from the start, I'd probably choose that just to play faster. At the same time though the rolling allows me to develop a description, RP as well as whether or not I really want to play said race/class.
The matter of a couple trains is hardly a huge advantage for the script vs nonscript argument.
It is, however, very viable in the argument for remove in terms of necessity. It simply is... not necessary. It isn't 2001 and this isn't d&d. It accomplishes nothing, and is a hindrance to new players. Taking it away would not affect you in the least, but would possibly (and I stress "possibly") gain the game some players.
No harm + help new players = Win
Really, what are is the valid argument here on the side of keeping it? So far, I've seen vets say things like "I like it," and "It doesn't bother me." If that is all it takes to keep something old, broken/unneeded, and headache inducing for the new folks... well... go to that Demon castle in Banor and say "death" to the servant. It is another relic from another time, that will change your mind. 
As for the idea of more of an "Ultima" question-based system... I think it is cool but might just end up with power-gamers knowing the correct answers. I would say random stats is the key. At level 10-15 you get a handful of random stats in areas specific to your race/class choice. I loved werebeasts for that very same reason. It might upset the power-gamers to not control every facet of their character, but Anume told me quite a long time ago that a good character should go with the flow. I have to agree with that. Take what chance gives you, and kick it with that.
I like the idea of not having to roll stats, but I like the idea of it being randomized more.
I do think that coding time could be more wisely spent than eliminating a concept nearly all games of this type have. Everyone who plays a mud is familiar with character creation, and realizes that there is SOME type of rolling involved. So perhaps in an effort to be more newbie friendly the game could actually show racial max rolls, and the +/- each class offers that max roll, as well as a brief notation explaining the benefits of "maxing" versus the cons.
Whenever there is a maximum players are not getting, they will find a way to get it. IE use a rolling trigger or just keep making new characters until they randomnly get the max. I have said for years to do away with the roller, this would be a good time to introduce race/class specific starting stats. It could give slight incentives to playing underpowered combos if they had slightly better starting stats, or it could be the reverse and give races better stats when they play a class they suit more.
That cause only healers like pali's 
