Character Age

A Character's age has two important implications in the game: 1. Illness: The older a Character is, the greater the chance he has of becoming ill. Once past the age of 35 there will be a steadily-increasing chance of any illness also being terminal - meaning that within at most a few game years of being diagnosed, it will kill him. It might even kill him on the following week. Although a Character's Stamina characteristic is the main factor used in determining the severity of any illness, age has an important modifying effect, usually to the detriment of the character concerned the older he is. 2. Boss Age: When you join a new game of Vendetta you will be able to state the age of your Boss Character in this game, from 20 to 50, with the default being 20. All Characters will age by 1 year for every 52 days of real-time play (1 real-time day = 1 week in the game). For every 3 years you choose to add to your starting character's age before the game begins, you will receive 1 Experience Point. This may be added to any one of the ten Skills or ten Abilities possessed by your Character before you join the game, up to his natural Aptitude for each Skill or Ability (which will itself have been determined by your chosen Character Background). When you join a new game with this Boss Character you may once again set a different Background and a new Starting Age. Other Characters joining your Organization will vary from approximately 17 to 55 years of age. Generally speaking, the older they are the more skilled they will be, but this is by no means always the case. When first joining a new game and deciding on whether or not to trade Age for increased Abilities or Skills, it is important to bear in mind that this feature of the game is designed to provide a degree of Boss Character variety. It is by no means a way of producing some sort of 'Super Boss' from the very beginning. Not only is an older character more likely to become ill - perhaps even terminally so - he will also be longer recovering from wounds or illnesses than would most younger men, and has more chance of dying from wounds. In addition, experience gained within the game is of far greater benefit than are pre-game 'Experience Points' bought with age increase. In simple terms, a Boss Character surviving 30 years in the game will, by the time he reaches 50, be much, much more experienced in Abilities & Skills than would a Boss whom started the game at the age of 50. Perhaps more important still, not many Bosses starting at the age of 50 are likely to even survive 30 years in the game, whether or not they are killed by rivals. The starting age of your Boss Character is an important decision to make. It is especially important to bear in mind that any Character over the age of 35 will have an ever-increasing chance of developing a terminal illness, so it is quite possible your older Boss Character could die within just a few weeks of joining the game. Do not make such a decision lightly. 'Old Age' in the game kicks in at the age of 65. From this age onwards a Character's chance of developing a terminal illness increases considerably. The era is also taken into consideration, in that many illnesses in the 1920s & 30s would swiftly prove fatal to an older man, but by the 1950s & beyond life expectancy will have increased considerably due to major advances in medical science. Life expectancy increases steadily throughout the 50 year period simulated in the game, so in a later era older men will, in particular, have more chance of living longer than would have men of their age during an earlier era. No Character in the game will ever live past the age of 99, and very few are ever likely to come anywhere close.