History Main / NoStatAtrophy

* Starting in [=DF2010=], ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' implements a very rough system of skill decay: a dwarf who doesn't use a skill for a while will become "rusty", and then "very rusty". Most effects of this aren't known, but it is known that a dwarf who stays "very rusty" for too long will suffer permanent experience loss in that skill.

* In ''LostKingdoms II'', the main character has an affinity level for each of the seven elements of cards used. The maximum of said level was 8 (I think, it's been a while since I played), but no matter how much you tried balancing card usage, only one element could attain (and keep) this level at any given time. [[JustifiedTrope Somewhat justified]], since several maxed-out affinities would be too [[GameBreaker gamebreaking]].
* In {{Disgaea}}, reincarnating will cause your character to lose some of their weapon and skill proficiencies. Spending more Mana will ameliorate the losses, but you can still potentially forget spells if you reincarnate repeatedly without practicing the spell.

* The H-Game ''TrueLove'' had several stats which would influence random encounters and events, if you didn't keep these up then you'd be slacking off and miss out on some interesting plot.

* Played with in the {{MS Paint Adventures}} story ''ProblemSleuth''. As this fake Adventure Game becomes increasingly more of a fake RPG, there are only three [[StatMeters main stats]] for the three main characters - [[MrImagination "imagination"]], [[MeatShield "vim"]] and [[PureAwesomeness "pulchritude"]]. Each character starts out with one stat insanely high ("pulchritude" for Problem Sleuth, "vim" for Ace Dick and "imagination" for Pickle Inspector) and the others virtually empty. Throughout the "game", each time a character gains a level their stats go up - but ''only the one they're already proficient in''. Their other pitiful stats might go up by a point or two, stay even, or drop - at one point Pickle Inspector actually had ''negative'' vim.

* In ''{{Cataclysm}}'', skills that go unused will first drop to 0% of advancement towards the next skill level, then degrade until they hit -100%, when they do degrade a level, which must be relearned. As having to relearn it as if you never had that level is quite harsh, there are options to disallow skills from going down levels or degrading in any way.

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' averts this big time - aging and its affects are a primary part of a long term game, and concocting your longevity potion, or ritual, is a goal for most magi.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has a status ailment called "Aging" which weakens the character. Fortunately, it's not as permanent as the name of the status ailment implies.

* ''Franchise/TokimekiMemorial'' has some of your stats decrease slightly almost every time you perform an activity (e.g. focusing on increasing your Art parameter tends to decrease your Fitness), so you'll have to rotate between various activities to keep all of your stats high enough to pass the school exams and attract the boy you want.

In {{Role Playing Game}}s, once a stat is increased it will usually never decay on its own accord. If a character uses a bow, say, and uses it a lot for a while his archery skill will increase. If he subsequently never uses it again, the skill level will remain constant no matter how long it was since he used it last. Games that track the characters' age will usually not simulate the weakening effects of aging.

This is one form of AcceptableBreaksFromReality; most players would find it tedious to constantly use various skills to prevent them from decaying. Often it's compensated by the way stats scale up as the game progresses, such that enough archery skill to kill same-level enemies at level five can't scratch them at level 20.

* ArsMagica averts this big time - aging and its affects are a primary part of a long term game, and concocting your longevity potion, or ritual, is a goal for most magi.

* ''{{Realmz}}'' always had character aging, but it didn't use to have any effect. In version 5, each race was given age groups (youth, young, prime, adult, senior) which alter stats when a character enters that age group. In order to avert whining from players, characters past their race's maximum age didn't die, but instead merely got a large penalty on XP gains as a hint that the character should be retired.

* In the original version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'', building up magic would reduce your weapon abilitys and vice versa, but this was removed in the GBA version.

* In ''LostKingdoms II'', the main character has an affinity level for each of the seven elements of cards used. The maximum of said level was 8 (I think, it's been a while since I played), but no matter how much you tried balacing card usage, only one element could attain (and keep) this level at any given time. [[JustifiedTrope Somewhat justified]], since several maxed-out affinities would be too [[GameBreaker gamebreaking]].

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* In [[TheElderScrollsFour Oblivion]] if you are put in jail, and serve your sentence without escaping, some of your stats will drop.

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* Starting in [=DF2010=], ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' implements a very rough system of skill decay: a dorf who doesn't use a skill for a while will become "rusty", and then "very rusty". Most effects of this aren't known, but it is known that a dorf who stays "very rusty" for too long will suffer permanent experience loss in that skill.

* ''TheSims Online'' features stat decay. You can train your skills like you could in the offline version, but after your total amount of stats reach a certain amount, your untrained stats will begin to decay.

* When ''WorldOfWarcraft'' implemented weapon skills, neglected skills did not decrease, but level scaling meant that if you maxed out Axes at, say, level 40, and then picked up an axe again at level 60, you'd have 20 levels worth of skill points to catch up on, during which you would be pitifully ineffective. As this proved annoying, working in practice to discourage changing weapon types rather than as a fun mechanic (Oooh, look, a shiny epic dagger. Now I have to go spend 3 hours grinding my skill up!), Blizzard dropped it in patch 4.0.

* Starting in [=DF2010=], ''DwarfFortress'' implements a very rough system of skill decay: a dorf who doesn't use a skill for a while will become "rusty", and then "very rusty". Most effects of this aren't known, but it is known that a dorf who stays "very rusty" for too long will suffer permanent experience loss in that skill.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', where a very old man has ''better'' hearing than the PCs because wisdom score always increases. The PCs [[SkepticismFailure are as surprised as the audience]].

* ''[[GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas GTA: San Andreas]]''. Physical exertion will consume the character's energy, first in the form of his reserves of body fat. If that is used up, his muscles will start to decay, making him weaker.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in OrderOfTheStick, where a very old man has ''better'' hearing than the PCs because wisdom score always increases. The PCs [[SkepticismFailure are as surprised as the audience]].

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** ''OrderOfTheStick'' lampshaded an odd side-effect of this: since Wisdom is undeniably a mental stat, and therefore increases when you age, and since perception-type skills use your Wisdom stat, your vision and hearing actually get ''better'' with age, as opposed to real life.

* Played with in the {{MS Paint Adventures}} story ''{{Problem Sleuth}}''. As this fake Adventure Game becomes increasingly more of a fake RPG, there are only three [[StatMeters main stats]] for the three main characters - [[MrImagination "imagination"]], [[MeatShield "vim"]] and [[PureAwesomeness "pulchritude"]]. Each character starts out with one stat insanely high ("pulchritude" for Problem Sleuth, "vim" for Ace Dick and "imagination" for Pickle Inspector) and the others virtually empty. Throughout the "game", each time a character gains a level their stats go up - but ''only the one they're already proficient in''. Their other pitiful stats might go up by a point or two, stay even, or drop - at one point Pickle Inspector actually had ''negative'' vim.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''[=~Sid Meier's Pirates~=]!'', all your stats (but swordfighting and dancing in particular) decay as your pirate ages. Choosing Medicine as your preferred skill at the start of the game reduces the effect somewhat.

* In the ''InazumaEleven'' series, every character has an individual total stat cap. After hitting that cap, any further stat training will cause another stat to drop by an equal amount.

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