# What is the exact meaning of [statistics]?

This question was tagged with the tag . However, I thought the term "statistics" were tied to attribute, ability scores, or any other numbers and traits which systematically specify the character's strength and weaknesses in RPG context, and there is a question which fits this meaning.

Since there is no tag wiki and there are both kinds of questions, here I present a question. What does tag mean?

• Is it tied to mathematical statistics, as the first question is tied to?
• Is it tied to statistics on a sheet, as the second question is tied to?
• Is it supposed to mean something else, or a combination of multiple candidates?
• Statistics as a tag is iffy and ambiguous. A tag wiki entry would be best. It should be about the math; stuff on sheets is called many ambiguous things, and the only time we'd generalize it would be times where a general "records" tag would perhaps be more appropriate. Feb 20, 2014 at 4:04
• Worth noting: 8 of the existing questions tagged statistics refer to math/probability. Only one refers to a character's attributes. Feb 20, 2014 at 14:18
• @AceCalhoon That's an interesting statistic. ducks Feb 21, 2014 at 19:53

I propose we make a tag synonym to and take it off entirely from questions that don't fit (they can probably just have the relevant system tags, or or whatever else).

• Good point, since I couldn't think how different [probability] and [statistics] are, but I doubt whether I have such a privilege. Feb 20, 2014 at 4:08
• For our intents and purposes they're identical. Technically, statistics mostly ignores probability and is more about data presentation, but from a game perspective probability is the only part of statistics we care about, and it's more true to the common-language usage. Feb 20, 2014 at 4:11
• [mtg:character-creation] Umm, clearly I use the MTG tag way, waaaay too much (on B&CG). Feb 20, 2014 at 4:21
• @KyleWilley Hmm. The questions I can think of as falling under the actual concept of "statistics" are few and far between. I'm imagining something like a "What percentage of D&D organized play characters are casters?" >.> Feb 20, 2014 at 4:24
• Yeah, we don't really do real "statistics", and really only care about it in the context of probability, since people usually don't come to rpg.se to ask about organized play stuff. Feb 20, 2014 at 5:33
• How about rather merging [probability] into [statistics], as probability is one aspect of RPG-wise statistics we look for? Feb 20, 2014 at 7:12
• @ArleCamille Well, our probability questions aren't really about statistics, for the most part. And going probability->statistics doesn't solve the problem of having the "statistics" tag on questions about, like, Constitution modifiers. Feb 20, 2014 at 13:19

The math kind. You could contribute to clarification by submitting a tag wiki.

We have [probability] too which is somewhat redundant with that...

For "character stats" - if that's even a valid tag, and I'm not really sure it is - we could put in something else, perhaps [ability-scores], but I am not sure it's really a valid tag.

• Character stats are usually single game related; if it's related to something like character sheet design, a record-keeping tag would be better, and if it relates to a single game it should be kept relevant to that game, as Fate, d20, and Shadowrun (to name three games off the top of my head) each keep wildly different attributes that should be measured in different ways. Feb 20, 2014 at 4:10