Capping Minimum and Maximum Parameter Values to More Conservative Estimates

[Neophyte Ronin]

This one is simple.  It would also kill off everyone's criticisms of Speed Save/Adrenaline.  I noticed long ago that Speed can be revved up to 50 and that Power and Magic get to 99 apiece.  Now, I've noticed a lot of people who will short-change or even remove abilities that have anything to do with boosting Speed to eleven.  It has much to do with how the game operates, how the CT for Spells are written in stone, and how much of a cheat it is to go faster than an enemy (I've done it before on Bosses in Vanilla; I'm guilty of this as well).

But with people getting rid of and taking away at the expense of players, isn't it a little odd that nobody has delved into the game data to actually adjust these maximums and minimums?  Is it hard-coded or what?  There is the effect that, if you equip gear that boosts these amounts, then you can't reduce it to beyond that +1, but if there was a minimum cap of 5, let's say, and then a maximum cap of 15, 17, or 20, then we'd have less abuse.  I'm gunning for 17 myself.  Either way, is it possible?

[formerdeathcorps]

I support the minimum cap as a number but the maximum cap as a percentage of existing stats.

1) Minimum cap being a number makes sense to prevent someone from doing zero damage, or having no turns.
2) Maximum cap being a fixed number is unfair early because 18 SPD is 3x the base SPD of 6 while only 3/2x a level 40 unit's 12 SPD.  That cap, I think, should be 100% of base stats as it currently stands on the unit.

Or alternatively, we can only apply the above system to PA/MA and change spell CT to drop by 10% for each gain in 20 levels (we always round up, of course).  But even then, that's not exactly fair because it's really only damage magic that suffers, not status magic (which is awesome late).  You'd probably still need to change the way status magic works to count the number of turns it lasts on a unit, rather than the number of clockticks.

As for feasibility, Xif made a hack for SP/MA/PA Save and I can certainly update it.

[Neophyte Ronin]

I should have clarified that my objective was to create a hack version that would bring everybody's Level to 99 from the git-go, and restructure all the equipment that once worked only with low-level characters into comparable gear with unique, peculiar effects.  Units would have stats comparable to Level 99 in the regular game.  In the context of the regular game, where levels are from 1 to 99, this hack is inappropriate.

In the context of everyone being 99 from the start, that's another matter.  Considering that most hacks make Deep Dungeon require Level 99 to begin with, the proposition that you only use rare or high-tier equipment when inside is just banal in my mind.  If you were 99 from the start, the only thing you'd worry about is getting JP for Abilities. 

The idea of capping Speed based on initial stats of the character should work both ways: half for minimum, one-and-a-half for maximum.  If that exists, I'm for it for regular level growth games, but I would hesitate to apply it in the LV99 case.

Thanks for the input.  I'll also have to consider Ability Charge Time as well.