Re: [Adonthell-devel] Attribute related questions

[Nils Fohrbeck]

ups,now we do actually getintotrouble because the rulessystem is not finished 
in time. Let me try to clarify (as far as I can remember).But then we can 
still chance the rules where we want to....




Am 11.03.2003 19:39:34, schrieb Kai Sterker <address@hidden>:

>It's always the same: when starting work on something new, new questions
>pop up.
>
>The first issue regards attributes and attribute modifiers:
>
>Imagine the character equips an enchanted item, like the "Necklace of
>the Axebearer" (Hardness +1, Melee +1, Drinking +1). This raises a
>couple of questions:
>
>1. Which value should be modified? The current rank, or the maximum
>   rank? Or both?
>
>   As far as Hardness and Drinking is concerned I imagine that only the
>   last alternative makes sense. If only the maximum rank is increased,
>   the character could increase that Attribute or Skill, remove the
>   Amulet and suddenly he had a higher rank than actually allowed.
>
>   For the same reason, you couldn't raise the current rank, as that
>   might exceed the maximum. But if both current and maximum are raised,
>   everything will be fine.
>
>   It's similar for the Melee Ability. Only raising current and maximum
>   at the same time makes sense. That would allow the character to use
>   better weapons while the amulet is equipped.
>
>   So is it in order to always increase current and maximum rank?
>

I thought about two values here (like i did in that little test of mine). Ther 
is a normal rank with a maximum value (which is raised by gaining levels) 
and anotherone which is the bonus added to it (you gain this bonus via spells, 
potiohns items...), which might either be open ended or have a maximnum on 
it's own.


>
>2. When increasing (or for that matter, decreasing) an Attribute like
>   Hardness, this will also affect a number of derived properties, like
>   Health and various resistances. Their maximum will be adjusted
>   automatically, and nothing should speak against that. However, should
>   their current value also be adjusted?




>
>   I would say so. If Hardness is raised by 1 point, maximum Health will
>   be raised by 10 points, and so should current Health. Right?
>
>   But what happens when decreasing Hardness by 1 point? Imagine the
>   character has a current Health of 9 and takes off the Amulet of the
>   Axebearer. If we'd decrease Health by 10, he'd die. OTOH, we don't
>   decrease Health, we'd run into problems if current Health is at the
>   maximum: after removing the amulet, it would suddenly exceed the
>   maximum, which is also bad.
>
>   One solution could be to decrease derived attributes only if they
>   would exceed the new maximum.

Well,yes I suppose so 

 But if you think about it, this would
>   allow cheating:
>
>   Character has Health 5 of 20. After equipping amulet it'd be 15/30.
>   Remove amulet: 15/20. Equip amulet: 25/30. Remove: 20/20. Healed!

well, we could just say the amulet increases the maximum but you still have to 
sleep (cast spells) to increase your current value. I suppose that is the 
way it is done in the Baldurs Gate games (should be the same in other games as 
well)

>
>   Any ideas? I imagine the brute method (letting characters die) is
>   causing the least problems; at least for us developers ;). I've
>   played games where it's handled like this. Morrowind for example.
>
>


>
>On a completely different matter, there are some bugs in the rules doc:
>On page 5 it says: "Melee damage represents the amount of damage you
>deal in close combat. Melee damage is given in an interval of two
>numbers, the first being the minimal, the second the maximal damage you
>can inflict."
>
>On the next page, it says something like: melee damage is derived from
>strength (strength * 1), but nothing more is said about minimum and
>maximum.


I think we meant that the strenght value is added to the melee damage as a 
bonus (we were not very clear here)


>
>Also, the formula for the Ranged Damage property is missing altogether.
>
>

Ranged damage should work the same way as melee (except you do not get a 
strenght bonus!)
But you should also have a look at the mail I send you 2? days ago, were I made 
some more suggestions for combat. I think those were fairly convinient as 
well.


>Any thoughts or help on those issues welcome,
>
>Kai

On a sidenote: I guess we will just have to test all of this (could you make a 
little test with the rules, even textbased would be cool), and then write a 
new rules doc, as it is implemented.