The first time you started to care about stats/logistics

A lot of us when we were young probably saw the stats screen, or class system, or a game, mechanic that looked really complex and we usually just let the game handle it while we worried about the HP and levels and such.

However, as we mature, we often start taking more stock in those mechanics and numbers, using them to our advantage or just paying much closer attention.

For all of you, when did this change in thought process happen and for what game? This isn't necessarily an RPG and strategy exclusive thing, bear that in mind,

In my case, I actually started to care about stats when I first started playing the Fire Emblem series in 2006. I would cheer at a really good level up and start losing my cool when Lance hadn't had a Speed increase in several levels.

edited 3rd May '12 2:20:08 PM by hnd03

Hmmm...I think it was Super Mario RPG when I relealized I should take better care of my myself, keep an eye on those Flower Points and use them sparingly.

It's kinda like when you watch a movie as a kid and go "Oh! Wait, there's plot here!" if anyone gets what I mean.

I don't think I've ever ignored that stuff.

I really don't know when I started to care about stats... First RPG I really played was Super Mario RPG, and when I had Pokemon Blue, when I got Dugtrio, I let him go to town with Dig.

I managed to finish Super Mario RPG, KOTOR, Fable, and a chunk of Final Fantasy VIII (I gave up on Disc 2) solely by creating characters with really strong attacks and defenses, carrying a ton of healing items, and nothing else. Buff or stat affecting spells were useless to me.

As for when I started to pay attention to the details? Probably around the time I picked up KOTOR 2 did I really start to care about what difference could all those little stats make. And ironically, Fallout 3 is the first time I started to experiment with really esoteric character builds.

EDIT: Wait, now I remember: it was freaking Command & Conquer Generals that made me start to care. After being exposed to the online multiplayer community, playing with some of the more limited Generals (GLA stealth Gen and China Infantry Gen come to mind) and raging at a few of the patch changes I began to realize that micro and effective use of abilities were the keys to success, not turtling. It also showed me what all those little stat differences did and how they contributed to my success.

edited 3rd May '12 8:56:27 AM by SgtRicko

When I got the fourth gen Pokemon games. In Gen III, I just made my Swampert a One Man Party, but I started trying to balance my gameplay in the later games.

edited 3rd May '12 9:08:22 AM by Swampertrox

Diablo 2 once I found out how much my build sucked.

Dragon Warrior, but then, the only time I had seen the concept before in video games was Zelda 2, where everything will max out eventually if you don't die long enough. The harder question is when did I learn to manage my stats well. My first Monster Rancher and Pokemon guys were horrible, but then, that really wasn't my fault as they are both Guide Dang It! games. But honestly, I knew the concept of stats from card games and board games before I ever touched anything electronic.

Hm, I think it was Paper Mario. "Why is my attack doing zero damage? Wait, what if I used an attack that normally does two damage...?"

When I started to play my first RPG, Paladin's Quest/Lennus 1... Around the third or fourth or so dungeon (a volcano) I finally learned how to bring up the stat and equipment window :P. And before that, I did not know how to use items until the second dungeon.

edited 3rd May '12 10:13:07 AM by Delvarian

I didn't care about stats in my first run through Final Fantasy VII. Weird enough, though, in my second run when I did care, I ended up getting stuck at Shinra Mansion and had to grind out for a bit.

I think I'd have to back up Paper Mario. It was the first RPG I played with small enough numbers that allowed me to digest just what kind of difference a boost in attack or defense does.

Not sure, really. I remember playing Golden Sun and knowing that 'higher stats be better', but I never really paid attention to what those stats did.

I think that didn't happen until I played Fire Emblem.

You know, now that I think on it, it may have been a few years earlier. When I first played Golden Sun: The Lost Age, I didn't even try messing with the class system. All Djinn were on Standby all the time so that I could summon everything at once and if I died, well obviously I didn't try hard enough to summon rush. Of course that meant everyone had gimped stats but I didn't know any better.

A couple playthroughs later and I started working with the class system, setting Djinn that matched elements with each character, boosting their stats immensely, something that I felt really stupid for not doing sooner.

A few more playthroughs pass and I start experimenting with multi-elemental classes. I hadn't realized how much control I had over the game until that point.

edited 3rd May '12 10:33:06 AM by hnd03

I don't think I really cared about stats until I first played Kingdom Hearts.

And I do get what you mean, phoenixdaughter AM. There have been moments in the past where I've been like that.

For me I believe it was Tales of Legendia because I started to care about the weapons I was using and what effects they would have on my character. Like giving him a water or poison attribute in his normal attack.

It would probably be Final Fantasy X for me. As you all know leveling is MANUAL in that game. The end result was me starting over and actually paying close attention to the sphere grid system.

Final Fantasy Tactics for me. That game required more of my brain power to play than VII did.

Probably Digimon World 2 back in 2001-2002, where Champions had to have at least 100 HP for me to see them as "true" Champion-level digimon, Ultimates at least 200, and Megas at least 300. I also loved seeing the stats go sky-high on DNA-digivolved offspring. Lastly, affecting stats like Attack, Defense, and Speed was quite useful in battle.

edited 3rd May '12 1:36:41 PM by MrPoly

I don't really know, but I guess it was with Mario and Luigi: Pi T??

I learned about stats pretty damn quick. Two of my favorite games as a child were Monster Rancher 2 and Digimon World. Both very, very stat heavy.

Of course, I was an idiot, and decided "I'm gonna raise all the stats equally! There's no way this can fail!"

edited 3rd May '12 1:41:42 PM by Deathonabun

I started caring about Logistics in my second match of Galactic Civilizations 2; that is one incredibly useful technology to have!

But in all seriousness, probably when I first started to pick up Civilization-style games. That and competitive Pokemon.

If we're just talking about RP Gs, then either Fire Emblem or... Dungeons & Dragons. Both of which are pretty recent, and only a couple months back did I realize the secret to making a good character was just focusing on one thing and anything that somehow supports that one thing.

Min Maxing is a wonderful thing...

Ah yes, forgot about the first Digimon World. Yeah, I did the same thing you did - tried to raise everything equally. Sometimes it actually worked, but most times, I wouldn't get past Champion level

edited 3rd May '12 1:46:54 PM by MrPoly

Playing the first Dragon Warrior for the first time, I guess.

About... 15 years ago.

Master of Orion II, especially since I played hot-seat with a stat-whiz. There are a number of ways to play it right, and a crapton of ways to play it wrong. Starting race picks, the tech tree order, what tech to pick within a tree, which weapons are viable in which circumstance, how to leverage the game math to your favor, how to micromanage ALL THE THINGS, and so on.