"...someone with a lot of strength could have a lot more bum-rushing, blitzing, that sort of fighting. Someone with a high intellect could have things like flanking, tricking, sneak attacks..."

I think this is a pretty cool concept of what I've seen in a current game I've played - name escapes me. They should all have the stats but when we first meet them, they have obvious strengths in certain areas which means they are more successful in performing the relative action. For example Rush can move a dead tree trunk over a crevas(sp) yet Ko for example is too weak. Ko is built quite small and weighs alot less than Rush (obviously because he's a child) but he can cross on the trunk where Rush would be too clumsy and would refuse to because he would lose his footing.

"Group attacks could be part of Syne's group coordination ability."
No I don't think this would be exploring our options with the group co-op thing supposedly stretching across all the characters. I suggest all characters can do group attacks in any combo as well as the odd basic action but Syne's co-op skill solves story specific puzzles where he is needed specifically with another character.

"Killing an enemy by dropping a boulder onto his head or trapping him somewhere would earn you "strategy points", performing the right technical combos in the right place at the right time could earn you "strategy points" too"

This sounds like a brilliant idea! There's a big problem to be honest, though. How would these points be used? This can be explored a bit more. Bahamut ONE had some good suggestions but it goes in partnership with how we handle our characters and thier development as Temp has brought up above.

"Would our character's development be deliberate according to the story?"

Not sure exactly right now, but say a character doesn't quick have high enough INT so they can't outsmart a guarding officer, yet if they go and do something elsewhere, they get awarded higher INT (or strategy points to 'spend' on INT) which should get thier INT high enough to outsmart the guard. But then what if the character chooses to use these points up on something else? Theoretically the character would get stuck permanently or until he/she reloads. So, should the game automatically pick the relevant stat to increase? Should the INT be unassociated with the effects on the guard in my example? But then if they aren't related, would would the point of stats be?

A good example worth taking on board would be Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. The more Lara does something, the better she becomes. Say she does alot of climbing. She gets stronger, allowing her to hang for longer. She can now cross that alley way from the building roof by a telephone wire because her strength can hold out long enough.

"ii How does equipment affect these statistics?"
Now I can't quite remember what kind of world our characters live in so Vambraces of Strength adding +10 to STR would probably be a bit of a OTT suggestion. Perhaps a more realistic-ish adaption of such items? Say a character manages to sneak into a government army barracks. The elite units might have a eumonetic focusing drop-down lens on their helmet as part of thier standard issue which takes light and focuses on it, zooming the image allowing for more accurate range attacks. This may be completely out of range with the plot and setting but it's an example of how equipment might affect stats.

I think in order to start with this area, we would need to first compile a list of story and 'wilderness' NPCs we would encounter and compose accordingly, a list of possible equipment they may have. This equipment can be sold or traded to our character, be given or awarded as part of the plot/side plot, picked up after killing them-requiring no stat, removed after killing them-maybe requiring a DEX state in finding a way of removing the item, or strength to break any fixings, stolen from a sleeping/dazed NPC-requiring a stat associated with aforementioned sneak skill, or pickpocketed-requiring the same sneak-like stat except higher as the NPC would be able to notice a clumsy low sneak skilled character rifling through thier pack pack.

"iii What are the mathematical equations which use these statistics? For example, how is damage calculated?"

We would need equations, but I have no specifics in mind right now, just a few suggestions. No doubt alot of you are aware of the dice use in games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer. These give a degree of randomness. Say a roll of below 5 out of a dice of 10 would result in failure of an action and possible consequences. For example, the chance of Enna hitting a specific weak spot in a hostile NPC's armour would be 8 out of a dice of 10. If the equation equals below 8, then another equation would start taking into account the arrow type, Enna's range-related stat, weapon used, arrow used, distance, armour strength, amount of experience fighting hostiles with this armour and the result would determine if the arrow would penetrate the armour. If it does then an equation would start to determine the damage inflicted - all implementing dice rolls.

Say the hostile NPC is unaware of your location then the first arrow failing would tell them your location. A successful arrow penetrating the armour but not killing it would then also inform it of your location but possibly have different sequence of events. Say it's not a fatal wound but quite painful - adrenaline would pump through thier blood and they'd go berserk, using only melee blows harder than normal. Say it's not a fatal wound nor even a painful wound and the NPC pulls the arrow straight out and throws it to the ground. The NPC would then pity how pathetic you are and maybe attack in a more sophisticated and calmer way - thinking of how to take you down easier like maybe using the surroundings similar to how the characters would.

This would be equation inside other equations. If the roll is 8 or above then we could then set another equation for possible effects. Say the arrow is poisoned and it hits the leg. The poison affects would take longer and be less because the blood isn't as concentrated and flow isn't as much as further up the body. If the poisoned arrow hit the chest but not a vital organ (and there's another possible equation) then the poison affect would be much more intense.

I think the examples are going a bit far but they may open further discussion on whether the locations of damage afflicted using certain methods like crushing or slashing would be implemented into the gameplay.

"iv How do enemy abilities work?"
Not sure I have any suggestions here but smarter enemies might learn as you attack them? Maybe you initially start plucking arrows at them so they get a few times. They noticed a large rock nearby and seek cover where they can start lobbing grenades over at you. Cue your IQ...you notice on top of this rock is a poisonous snake so you might prod it off the rock tot he other side with a stick you pick up nearby and WHACK! Paralyzed enemy! Cue the above suggestion about looting paralysed/stunned NPCs with dice rolls etc.

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Please note: I wrote alot of this without fully reading Temp's topic opener so I might have asked the same odd question as him so sorry but if I try take them out then the flow of the text would be all over the place =P

In regards to the list of NPCs we would encounter, I've noticed we have a preliminary first draft of such a list here.

This is awesome! We're halfway there already =)