05-10-2006, 06:21 PM
I think i've figured out a system to judge whether or not you will actually be able to do "something", be it hobby, work around the house, call some friends over for dinner, etc. etc. based on how much effort we want to put into something.
Here's how it works.
Any given person starts off with a base number of effort points in a day. Let's say..I start out with 10 effort points for the day. These are points that I spend on "activities" that go outside of the scope of my everyday life. Also note that the number of effort points you start out with depends on factors like sleep, food intake, previous day's experience, etc. etc.
For example, getting up and going to work during the week costs no effort points, since this is a fairly mandatory activity, however, this effort can also be modified by other factors...such as going to the beach instead of work, drinking the night before, etc. etc. So just because something is a "given" or "necessary" activity, doesn't mean it can't be overridden by something else.
Which brings me to the topic of effort threshhold. Effort threshold is the % that you will actually do an activity, so long as it is within your effort point limit. Every single activity has it's own effort threshold which is in turn affected by modifiers. For example. After coming home from work, with a full 10 effort points intact, I may have to cut the grass, which will take up a whopping 8 effort points just on it's own. The base effort threshold we'll say is 50%. So I have a 1 in 2 chance of actually cutting the grass, because I really don't want to, but it has to be done. The modifiers involved are:
- A naggy g/f for not cutting the grass...increasing my chances of actually cutting the grass by 20%. Now the chances of me cutting the grass are 70%.
- as a deterrent, I may be distracted by video games, or something on TV...which can add another 20%.
These are stimuli which either enhance or detract our ability to perform an action, and can vary in strength. Using the above example, my g/f can use some form of bribe (I'll leave that to your imagination) in order to coerce me to cut the grass, thus lowering my effort threshold to about 2%...meaning I have a 98% chance of cutting the grass.
Now, then you can start to define how much extra-curricular activities cost in terms of effort points for you.
1. Brushing teeth in the morning = 0.5 points (maybe you're late or just lazy).
2. Making your lunch = 0.5
3. Researching something on the internet for your mother-in-law = 2 points
4. Making arrangements for dinner tonight = 1-3 points.
etc. etc.
Based on this point system, you can then begin to accurately predict whether or not you'll be able to do "X" activity on the week-end or after work on a given day, because you'll have an idea of how many effort points you'll have to spend at that point, as well as knowing the % effort threshold for a given activity.
Ever say to yourself..."I don't feel like it"...or "Man, I'm mentally drained.", or maybe "I don't feel like going out or to the gym now." Of course! It's because you've run out of effort points and you need a chance to replenish them. A nap, maybe a work-out or other mindless activity can help accomplish this. Sleep is a given, as well as eating a balanced diet and exercise.
Looking ahead, you can also use this to figure out what hobbies and such you'll have time for.
Am I joking about this? Kind of...but I suppose it also makes sense and probably could be "measured" somehow. But I have found at times I reach a point where I could do 10 things in an hour and keep going all day, or bottom out after cutting the grass on a saturday and i don't feel like doing anything anymore.
I think it would be amusing if some psychologist actually did a study and quantitatively measured how many effort points a person had on average based on given conditions. That would be interesting because you could almost "forecast" how many effort points you could/would/should have for a month even, to see what kinds of extra activities you would have effort points for....lol.
:wink:
Here's how it works.
Any given person starts off with a base number of effort points in a day. Let's say..I start out with 10 effort points for the day. These are points that I spend on "activities" that go outside of the scope of my everyday life. Also note that the number of effort points you start out with depends on factors like sleep, food intake, previous day's experience, etc. etc.
For example, getting up and going to work during the week costs no effort points, since this is a fairly mandatory activity, however, this effort can also be modified by other factors...such as going to the beach instead of work, drinking the night before, etc. etc. So just because something is a "given" or "necessary" activity, doesn't mean it can't be overridden by something else.
Which brings me to the topic of effort threshhold. Effort threshold is the % that you will actually do an activity, so long as it is within your effort point limit. Every single activity has it's own effort threshold which is in turn affected by modifiers. For example. After coming home from work, with a full 10 effort points intact, I may have to cut the grass, which will take up a whopping 8 effort points just on it's own. The base effort threshold we'll say is 50%. So I have a 1 in 2 chance of actually cutting the grass, because I really don't want to, but it has to be done. The modifiers involved are:
- A naggy g/f for not cutting the grass...increasing my chances of actually cutting the grass by 20%. Now the chances of me cutting the grass are 70%.
- as a deterrent, I may be distracted by video games, or something on TV...which can add another 20%.
These are stimuli which either enhance or detract our ability to perform an action, and can vary in strength. Using the above example, my g/f can use some form of bribe (I'll leave that to your imagination) in order to coerce me to cut the grass, thus lowering my effort threshold to about 2%...meaning I have a 98% chance of cutting the grass.
Now, then you can start to define how much extra-curricular activities cost in terms of effort points for you.
1. Brushing teeth in the morning = 0.5 points (maybe you're late or just lazy).
2. Making your lunch = 0.5
3. Researching something on the internet for your mother-in-law = 2 points
4. Making arrangements for dinner tonight = 1-3 points.
etc. etc.
Based on this point system, you can then begin to accurately predict whether or not you'll be able to do "X" activity on the week-end or after work on a given day, because you'll have an idea of how many effort points you'll have to spend at that point, as well as knowing the % effort threshold for a given activity.
Ever say to yourself..."I don't feel like it"...or "Man, I'm mentally drained.", or maybe "I don't feel like going out or to the gym now." Of course! It's because you've run out of effort points and you need a chance to replenish them. A nap, maybe a work-out or other mindless activity can help accomplish this. Sleep is a given, as well as eating a balanced diet and exercise.
Looking ahead, you can also use this to figure out what hobbies and such you'll have time for.
Am I joking about this? Kind of...but I suppose it also makes sense and probably could be "measured" somehow. But I have found at times I reach a point where I could do 10 things in an hour and keep going all day, or bottom out after cutting the grass on a saturday and i don't feel like doing anything anymore.
I think it would be amusing if some psychologist actually did a study and quantitatively measured how many effort points a person had on average based on given conditions. That would be interesting because you could almost "forecast" how many effort points you could/would/should have for a month even, to see what kinds of extra activities you would have effort points for....lol.
:wink:
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité
Legion: TBD
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité
Legion: TBD