From: Otto Martin Subject: LONG post of ideas Date: 12 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT Newsgroups: rec.games.roguelike.angband Well, thought I'd post some ideas that I've been formulating. I hope some of these will find their way to future Z versions, since if I'll ever write a variant, it'll probably be based on it. :-) This post is extremely long, but I've been collecting these ideas for a long while... Some bits of this post were I've told of earlier, in my post <8864vr$2ke$1@baker.cc.tut.fi>, on the 13 Feb 2000 As starters, I'm assuming some type of skill system here. I'd also very much like to see a separation of boolean & byte-flags, (basically multiple pvals, but also extended to the monsters) cumulative resistances, possibly with different strengths (those "multiple pvals" again) and maybe a more generalized container-code. (Concerning the ego-items,) I'm assuming that dodging and the effect of armor have been separated; acid affecting first natural AC and once it's 0, then reducing the magical enchantment of AC; the addition of arms & legs slots (and a few others as well), the reworking of AC - (the last two causing that) the "new AC" would be weaker than the current one (well, you can just collect more of it, and the AC rating of most armors would go up a bit) Other things: reworking the random flavours: at least potions, rods & wands, maybe rings and staffs; using a dual flavor, for example: A bubbling/smoky/speckled/etc red/green/cyan/etc potion or A long/runed/hexagonal/etc gold/iron/tin wand Not all flavors would be used, of course. Also, it would be possible to create groups of metals/colors, that could then be used to choose from when assigning the flavors (All ball spells from precious-metal rods & wands, but NOT the same ones :-) If at all possible, the INSTA_ART-flag should be removed. It's hackish. =) (I've already looked at the k & a_info.txt which objects they could be mapped on to, but some new objects would have to be created, for instance an Amulet of Constitution for Carlammas. The necklace of Dwarves is being a pain, though. Maybe a few different types of necklaces... ) The following ideas I've written of in more detail - two-part magic system, with - a new elements system (probably defined in a *_info.txt -file) - three-level Ego-items - new classification of weapons I have this idea for magic & the elements, with the elements overlapping with some of the types of magic, and maybe giving 'U'sable abilities if the character advances far enough in the elements. Magic areas(school/devotions/disciplines) to study: Some of the powers are a bit high, but would of course require extreme skill to use. With a god-system, different gods would of course want the character to learn different areas. (Note: I've used the current names of spells & effects here, they might be renamed quite a bit. Also, I've used the [E] after the type of magic to signify how strongly dependant of the elements that type of magic is. I've also included the general "philosophy" or "ideal" of each type of magic) Healing: well, everything from CLW to *Healing*, restoration of stats & experience, curing poison, cuts & stuns... if some kind of alchemical system is included, also helps in creating potions of above and cure confusion/ blindness as well. [Internal; Improving the characters health] Detection (learning): Detections of all kinds of stuff, Magic Mapping, Enlightenment, temporary See invisible. Identify & *Identify*, Probing, maybe Telepathy. [External: Gaining knowledge of things] Mental: Cause confusion, fear, sleep, maybe wounds as well. Telepathy, of course. This area is in the current system rather weak, but I guess all kinds of stuff could find their way here... [Internal: Working with the minds of the character and surrounding creatures] Attack[E]: Bolts, beams, balls & cones of all the elements. 'nuff said. :-) [External: Doing damage] Teleportation: Phase Door, Teleport, Teleport level, Dimension Door, Teleport away, Word of Recall, Controlled WoR (trump tower). Probably other stuff (as of yet uninvented) as well. [Far External: Transportation from one place to another without travelling in the space in between] Combat enchantments[e]: Heroism, Bless, Holy Chant, Resistance to elements. Speeding spells & shields, GoI, Confusion touch, Protection from [evil/good/animals/etc], maybe temp. Free action? [Close External: Creating temporary enchantments surrounding the character which help her/him/it in battle] Item enchantments[e]: Enchant armors % weapons, special enchantments of weapons & armor (blessing, vampiric, acid proofing etc). Maybe also the wand channeling from [S] (not the items). Maybe also some kind of alchemical stuff. [External: Working with (changing, improving, creating) external objects] Summoning[e]: Summoning & banishing of all kinds of critters. [Far External: moving creatures between planes of existence] Hedge Magic: Other stuff I couldn't figure where else to put. Satisfy hunger & Stone to mud at least. [Practical, everyday magic] The elements: (Ok, I hope this'll work. I've used fixed-width 8-space tabs here) Name: of the element, Flavor: of the critters (especially their hide/scales); an [m] means that this element maps onto a specific metal used for waepons & armor, Difficulty: to learn & resist Name: Flavor: Difficulty: cold cold Easy electric Easy fire hot Easy acid Easy poison Medium light lit Medium dark dark Medium confusion bronze[m] Medium sound (&force) gold[m] Medium shard crystal[m] Medium nexus shifting Difficult chaos Difficult nether dead Difficult disenchantment [m] Difficult gravity solid Difficult (&inertia) time aged[m] eXtremely difficult mana [m] eXtremely difficult disintegration frayed eXtremely difficult air airy Medium water wet Medium earth earthen Medium good holy Difficult evil unholy Difficult The character's skills in these elements could then be used for the calculation of attack & resisting spells, enchanting equipment, what kind of monsters the character can summon and tons of other stuff. Ego-items: Ego-items could have three types, which would be cumulative (with good luck) and in extreme cases, would indeed make them more powerful than most artifacts. The type would be Race, Material, and standard Ego-type Examples: An Gnomish Bronze Dagger of Flame {not very powerful} An Dwarven Adamantite Breastplate of Resistance {could be very powerful} Racials (so far): Dwarf: Elven: Gnomish: Hobbit: swords yes Yes yes yes? bash Yes no? yes? no axe Yes no yes? no pointed no yes Yes Yes missile crossbow bow all sling Armor: body metal leather(*1) all leather shield metal no yes no head metal leather(*1) yes leather hands metal leather yes leather feet metal leather yes leather cloak yes Yes yes Yes *1 I can't say for sure, but mithril elven armor should probably be allowed. Effects: Primary +weight +to hit +magical AC +to dodge +natural AC +magical AC +/-damage dice -weight -to dodge -weight +to damage -to damage Second. +to damage +natural AC +to dodge +to hit -to hit +to dodge +to hit -damage dice +magical AC +/-to damage +/-weight +/- natural AC +damage dice +/-damage dice +natural AC +magical AC Special sustain +stealth sustain int +stealth con/str/wis +search +int +search +infravision +infravision +magic devices sustain dex +tunnel sustain free action +tunnel +con int/dex/chr -stealth res_light +searching see invisble These are possible effects - not all of them would be on a single piece of equipment, except maybe at *Very* deep levels. Usually maybe one or two Primary effects, maybe a Secondary effect and maybe a Special effect would be on a low-level find. Materials (so far): Metals: (Note: the resist has a very small chance of happening, almost non-existant with the higher resistances) Bronze: -weight, -damage dice, -natural AC (res confusion) [Iron]: default material, no text Steel: -weight[small] Silver: +weight, +value (res disenchantment) Gold: +weight[lots], -natural AC, +++value (res sound) Mithril: -weight, ignore acid, +natural AC (res mana) Adamntite: +weight, ignore acid, ++natural AC (res time) Eog: ??? Crystal: ? -natural AC? (ignore acid, res shards) Leathers: As per the elements table, with a small chance of resisting that element. Otherwise, maybe a bit lighter or slightly better natural AC. Dunno. Also, there could exist Fur, with +weight +natural AC. Am not sure, whether it would be worth it to think of different kinds of cloths (robes, cloaks, maybe 1 or two armors. Anything else?) Weapons: In a skill system, weapon skills could be defined more by the characteristics of the weapons, not just by tvals. I don't know much about weapons (old or otherwise), but here goes anyway: The weapon has two parts, the "tip" and the weapon "haft". The "tip" can be have a sharp POINT, it could have 1 or 2 EDGEs, it could be HEAVY (aves & maces) and possibly STUDDED. The "haft" can also have 1 or 2 EDGEs, it could be CURVED or SERRATED, or it could be a CHAIN (whips would probably count as such). There could also be flags or other ways of telling how long the weapon is and maybe how heavy it is as well (though this is partially covered by it's weight, but if that's transferred to encumbrance, then it would be useful for checking chances to stun & other such). I'm not sure how the materials of weapons would figure in, should hilts affect anything, or would this even be a good system :-) I do think, however, that this would ease switching for rather similar types of weapons, even if they are of different tvals. Otto Martin - still too lazy to start coding his own variant -- "Exchange information, learn to talk sensibly about any subject, learn to express your thoughts, accept new ones, examine them, analyze. Think objectively. Think toward the future." Robinton, chapter 3, The White Dragon, Anne McCaffrey