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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3747175" data-attributes="member: 35788">I was just about to post that, Nikosandros, but thanks for beating me to it.&nbsp; For those of you non-math geeks (of which I am amath-geek, so I don't mean it in a snark voice!):there is a big difference in the behavior between y = 2^x and y = x^2.&nbsp; I give a specific pair of examples because some people may not be familiar enough with math lingo to realize that a and b are often letters used to represents &quot;unknown constants&quot; where as x and y are often used to represent variables.&nbsp; To those of you that know this already, ignore this paragraph!Wulf, I find your ideas intriguing.&nbsp; As a total aside ... you could make it linear by making the staying power or damage potential a constant.&nbsp; If Hit Dice never go up, for example, the staying power never changes and the equation is now linear.&nbsp; This is a bad example, though, because if hit dice don't go up but damage potential does, it makes for very lethal combats.If hit points go up but damage potential doesn't, then combats become far less lethal (and longer).&nbsp; But the power curve is now linear.&nbsp; My assumption is that a linear curve is much easier to make a continuos &quot;sweet spot&quot; of game play than is a quadratic one.Not sure the above is helpful other than to point out that it is the human desire to need increases to damage potential and staying power that makes it so difficult.&nbsp; And the sad thing is, it is a viscious cycle.&nbsp; Damage output has to increase because staying power increases.&nbsp; That is because it helps keep combats shorter.&nbsp; So with each increase to HD, there is a perceived need for an increase to damage output.&nbsp; But that perceived need is where the problem lies.Anyway, not sure there is anything useful in this, just sayin' ....</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3747175, member: 35788"] I was just about to post that, Nikosandros, but thanks for beating me to it. For those of you non-math geeks (of which I am amath-geek, so I don't mean it in a snark voice!): there is a big difference in the behavior between y = 2^x and y = x^2. I give a specific pair of examples because some people may not be familiar enough with math lingo to realize that a and b are often letters used to represents "unknown constants" where as x and y are often used to represent variables. To those of you that know this already, ignore this paragraph! Wulf, I find your ideas intriguing. As a total aside ... you could make it linear by making the staying power or damage potential a constant. If Hit Dice never go up, for example, the staying power never changes and the equation is now linear. This is a bad example, though, because if hit dice don't go up but damage potential does, it makes for very lethal combats. If hit points go up but damage potential doesn't, then combats become far less lethal (and longer). But the power curve is now linear. My assumption is that a linear curve is much easier to make a continuos "sweet spot" of game play than is a quadratic one. Not sure the above is helpful other than to point out that it is the human desire to need increases to damage potential and staying power that makes it so difficult. And the sad thing is, it is a viscious cycle. Damage output has to increase because staying power increases. That is because it helps keep combats shorter. So with each increase to HD, there is a perceived need for an increase to damage output. But that perceived need is where the problem lies. Anyway, not sure there is anything useful in this, just sayin' .... [/QUOTE]

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