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Re: CF: Experiments



Steven Lembark wrote:

> main problem with magic power potions is that they weigh too much.
> try carrying 10 or 20 of them into a nasty dungeon as a fireborn
> or wraith.  you'll either use up the whole quantity casting str
> spells or die at 0.15 speed...

 Weight of potions should probably be lowered.  I think they range from 1.5 to 3
kg or something?  Seems awfully heavy, since I dont' see the size of a potion as
any larger than that or a coke can (granted, the potion is in a glass container
and not alumimum, but even then, probably half a kg or something is reasonable).

 Some of the problem is that while it says weight, it is really encumberance (or
that is probably the idea).  A better method would be have a seperate 'space'
attribute which determines how big the item is, and use both of those.  Don't
try to use the weight field to take both into consideration.


> the crystals are a good thing but the boredom factor waiting
> for mana can be a real pain.  it's even worse in party situations,
> where fighters end up sitting around waiting for magic users
> to recharge (they don't seem to mind us casting spells for
> them, however... :-).

 I don't really have a good answer to this.  Regaining SP should take time.  It
is interesting to note that in crossfire, it takes longer to regain sp than hp. 
If you think of games like AD&D, a night of sleep will regain all your spells,
but only a few of your HP.

 I am sure some of this dates back to when crossfire was more a gauntlet clone. 
But I wonder if the regen rates should perhaps be better balanced.

 Perhaps have regen rate (or sp/grace/hp) be determined by the stat which uses
it.  Thus, a mage with a high power and low con would actually regain SP faster
than HP.  And this way, the overall regain rate between for fighters HP and
mages SP may be roughly equivalant, so that they wait for each other.


> >  This would make things much easier.  I am unsure if it should be this easy - it
> > strikes me there should be at least some difficulty in playing the game.
> > Whether that challenge should just be the creatures you meet up against or some
> > in controlling your character could be debated.
> 
> then allow a bound command to recharge.  if i'm playing on a
> notebook w/ glidepad it can take around 2 sec to pick somthing
> then having to scroll up a list of items, focus, visually pick
> out a live crystal, move the ponter, position my fingers to
> between the buttons, click the two buttons to get a `middle
> button' click [ miss, figure out where i missed, reclick,
> etc].  don't know that this is intended as part of the `skill'
> in playing the game.  it just removes a source of mechanical
> interference w/ enjoying the game.

 I don't really know by the bound command to recharge.  I won't deny that
playing crossfire on a notebook is likely to be difficult, but isn't that true
for most game?

> object structure doesn't have to know bout it, just iimplement
> it in code:
> 
>         grab random object.
>         use existing stats as average values.
>         for each number roll a value using multiple
>         `dice' w/ the number depending on the value
>         being replaced (this is why the current val
>         is an average).
>         add dice roll / total dice range - range / 2
>         to the item (might go up, might go down...).
> 
> nice thing about it is that this gives you a good reason
> to come back, since it might roll a really nice wapon or
> give you a dud...  the object itself doesn't need any
> additional storage.

 But things with a +1 in a stat would only have a minor difference. On the good
side, such a method above is easier to do.  The maps would still need to be
updated so that the program knows to mutate the item - I can certainly see a few
artifacts which should really be somewhate fixed.

 However, I think it is almost always better to let things be setable in objects
than have the program make changes.
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