<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: A Combat System (please critique!) --> <!--X-From-R13: E001U[GNabin.jevtug.rqh --> <!--X-Date: from babe.globecomm.net [207.51.48.8] by mx01.ca.us.ibm.net id 861372899.179964-1 Fri Apr 18 14:14:59 1997 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 01IHUI9ZFURM99DSW1#nova,wright.edu --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, A Combat System (please critique!)</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:S001GMU#nova,wright.edu"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00151.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00155.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00156.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00151.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00154">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00154">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00154">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>A Combat System (please critique!)</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: A Combat System (please critique!)</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:S001GMU#nova,wright.edu">S001GMU#nova,wright.edu</A></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 10:13:58 -0500 (EST)</LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> I have also spent some time thinking about how to get away from a typical diku combat system... (on this list, suprise suprise, eh?) I toyed with the idea of scripting combat but decided it got too complicated too quickly for the average user. Instead of fully scripting out all of your actions for a combat I prefer a somewhat more loosely defined system. My cohorts and I came up with the following, fairly simple system (please comment!! we're still working on it and would like as much input as possible): the basic premise behind the system is as follows: -Combat should be a quick and bloody afair, with the possibility of the most experienced, combat hardened vetren getting killed by some young, *INCREDIBLY* lucky punk who just picked up a sword and sed "hey.. neet". (granted, it's NOT likely, but possible). -Each character will have some skill that is used with the weapon they are using. We will probably go with some sort of skill web to default to other skills if the character doesn't have a skill for the exact weapon they are using. -Each character will have a certain, overall combat proficiency. The longer you've been fighting, the more you pick up on how things work. -Each character has only so much attention to divide among all the things going on in combat. now, to represent this we chose the following system: The overall combat proficiency determines how effectively you can split your attention among differnt tasks. The more proficeint you are, the more you can watch in a combat situation. Anybody can try any number of things in combat, but if they've never done it before, they are less likely to succeed, which is reflected by adjusting the skill they are using. For instance, the lucky punk fighting the vetran above might have a pidly 5 in the sword he just picked up (say the range is 0-100, to be arbitrary). He also has 5's in a dodging, parrying, defensive shield use, and offensive shield use. A total of 5 combat skills. Unfortunately he is so totaly inexperienced in combat that his overall proficeincy is rated at 0 (on a scale of say.. 0-20). Now, the newby may decide to divide his attention 5 ways and try to hit with his sword and his shield, as well as dodge the vetran's attacks, and if that fails, parry them and if that fails block them with his shield. This would be collosally stupid because he is so inexperienced in combat that his effective skills in all those areas becomes so low it is no longer usefull (say 0). Now, if he had been intelligent and tried to just use his sword for offense and his shield for defense, he might stand a chance of lasting a little longer. Not much longer, but you never know. He might get lucky. Combat is not divided into 'rounds', but rather is dealt with as a series of actions. Certain actions take longer than others. Combat would be initiated by one person jumping another, which would trigger the defender's defenses (which might include a nasty riposte). Once no more offensive actions occure, everyone is effectively no longer in combat and anything they type won't be overriding their combat actions. It will be possible to specify that you wish your character to take no actions when attacked (not necessarily a good idea, but why should a character be forced into a fight? :), or they might specify 50% dodge and 50% run away. One neet thing that I'd like to implement is that 'sense of danger' and an automated tensing of muscles.. something like: >enter cave ok. <cave description/graphical image or whatever> You don't like the feel of this room... switching to a more defensive mode. [ie: shift to higher precentages in the characters primary defensive skills] > or : > enter palace of pleasure ok. <descriptions of various and sundry pleasureable things> You feel very comfortable and relaxed in this room. [defenses lower... ] > Of course the player can always reset the %'s the way they were before. There will be, of course, mechanisms to change how you divide your attention while fighting, and you can TRY to do other things while fighting, but any action you type in will take precedence over your next combat action, so that could get you killed quickly! (it's a bad idea to stoop down and tie your shoe in the middle of a fight... tends to get you thumped on quite quickly) As for the speed of the combat, I personnaly like the speed of low-level diku combat... tho it may be a bit fast. High level diku combat, with multiple participants is just a ridiculous amount of spam and to be avoided at all costs.. ;) The system is still in its infancy, but I think it will work out well... one major problem is how to determine what is offensive and what isn't, but some of the posts over the past few days have given me some thoughts in that area. :) -Greg </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00151.html">Re: Ho hum (Sockets)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00155.html">Re: Issues from the digests and Wout's list</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00156.html">[MUD-DEV] Steward and other painful friends</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00151.html">Re: Ho hum (Sockets)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00154"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00154"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00183" HREF="msg00183.html">Changes to the list</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Wed 23 Apr 1997, 10:45 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00171" HREF="msg00171.html">Re: Your Message To mud-dev</A></strong>, Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Mon 21 Apr 1997, 07:43 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00166" HREF="msg00166.html">I'm back</A></strong>, Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Mon 21 Apr 1997, 04:09 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00156" HREF="msg00156.html">[MUD-DEV] Steward and other painful friends</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Fri 18 Apr 1997, 22:36 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00154" HREF="msg00154.html">A Combat System (please critique!)</A></strong>, S001GMU <a href="mailto:S001GMU#nova,wright.edu">S001GMU#nova,wright.edu</a>, Fri 18 Apr 1997, 21:14 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00151" HREF="msg00151.html">Re: Ho hum (Sockets)</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lut.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lut.ac.uk</a>, Fri 18 Apr 1997, 08:50 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00149" HREF="msg00149.html">Re: (fwd) A Mud Protocol (MUD Markup Language)</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Thu 17 Apr 1997, 12:16 GMT <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="00352" HREF="msg00352.html">Re: (fwd) A Mud Protocol (MUD Markup Language)</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Sat 10 May 1997, 02:44 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00148" HREF="msg00148.html">r.g.m.* - worthwhile thread</A></strong>, Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Thu 17 Apr 1997, 04:27 GMT </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>