CF: First Impressions & suggestions for improvement of a promising game

[Mikkel Ejrnaes <ejrnaes@squid.umd.edu>]

[Note, Mikkel isn't on the list -- Kjetil T.]

Hi,

I recently grabbed Crossfire. Compiled it and started playing it, and
here are my views about the game. I think that you have made _a lot_
of work so far with the game, and I'm impressed. Crossfire is not
perfect yet, but it definately has potential to become a very good
game.

I do not have time to do any programming, so I cannot help out in that
department, however the input from me might be of good value to help
you improve the game. The following is a list of suggested changes, it
is most likely not complete, I more or less had emacs open when I
play, to note small things I encounter along the way. I hope you are
not offended by my proposed changes, keep in mind that I think the
game has a good chance of ending up in the realm of Ultima Online and
the like.

Data:	Crossfire+client+maps ver. 0.95.3
	Client+server run on FreeBSD 2.2.2
	XServer on Ultrix DECstation 5000/200
	I don't know which specific map I was playing, except that it
	was the default map.
	I played human (and can not report on any other race)

1) The game slows down when playing and the longer you play the slower
it gets. I have no idea why it does this, but it is a nusciance, and
if the game is going to end up in the server/multiple-clients type of
game this is a serious hindrance.

2) I find that there are too many monsters, which turn the game too
far into the hack'n'slash realm. I would suggest that there should
never be more than monsters in 1/4 of the space in a
house/dungeon-wherever. If this makes for too slow advancement in
Melee/Missile xp, make monsters give more xp.

3) Get rid of generators. A generator is not a sound solution to the
question: How does monsters arise in the 'monster areas'? I agree that
for certain kinds of monsters a 'generator' is ok (like ants, but then
again, maybe not) but for a large majority, generators are a wrong way
of making monsters. As an alternative, I'd suggest making the
generators a monster which can produce monsters of the specific type,
through a spell or something. This would making a more 'real' fantasy world.

4) Get rid of mice (or make them unable to increase in numbers). Mice
causes scenarios to be polluted with so many mice that it is
impossible to complete a house/dungeon because you the abundance of
mice a) slow down the game to a crawl, and b) makes movement very hard.

5) An inventory screen, ala Diablo. Some 'slots' for armor, weapons,
etc. In my mind I have the picture of a character, carried items on
the side. Wielded stuff, on the character. (Drag'n'Drop into zones?)

6) Make containers (bags, etc) pop open a new window when looking
what's in it. This would simplify the use of them. (Drag'n'Drop
between/into containers?)

7) The screen is small, I would like to see a bigger screen,
possibly by just double every pixmap?

8) Get rid of	a) Diarrea
		b) Farts
		c) Warts
	Unless they serve as specific purpose because they eat up 
	a) CPU.
	b) Player patience.

9) No moving graphics/small animations. I really slows down the game
for me.

10) I would like to have a Skill window. I could be a Small window
where you can click on a specific button (icon/text/both) to activate
a skill. Going through the 'use_skill <>'-command or the binding
procedure is painful. The 'use_skill' should probably be abandoned,
except for binding (unless this can be made easier as well).

11) The command 'drop' doesn't work. At least not in the 'drop <item>'
configuration. There is no help on drop either.

12) When moving stuff, make it possible to only move a specific number
instead of everything. By pressing shift+button?

13) A possibility of doing the same operation on a large number of
different items? Like sell all this stuff.

14) There is a lot of magic/special items in the scenario I played,
too much in my opinion. Two ways of fixing it Either:
	a) Reduce the amount of magic/cursed/special items or
	b) introduce cheap 'charactarize item' scrolls. Which have to
	   _very_ cheap since there is so many things which you'd
	   want to charactarize.
	c) It migh fix itself, if the proposed reduction in monsters
	   is done .

15) Make a buttonbar with bindeable buttons, same thing as the bind
command, but this is just for the people who does not want to let go
of the mouse to type a combination of letters, it is a lot easier just
to keep hold of the mouse.


That's my first impressions, and the wish-list which followed it.

Keep up the good work, thus making (at least me) happy, and waste more
time with gaming.

Mikkel
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