[Ornir Elunari]

Next Topic: SPECIAL ATTACKS

This is still under heavy development, but it will affect the way combat works. A special attack is something like trip or feint – it uses one or more of your regular melee attacks to perform a special attack that can have some other effect.

Old system: Special attacks are tied in with skills and must be learned. The only check is your skill %.

New system: Special attacks are always available to everyone, but it uses skills/attributes and performs an opposed check against the opponent.

With the removal of the skill system and the introduction of feats, a new method was needed for managing special attacks like trip. As with many other decisions we have made, we looked to see how it was done in the D&D SRD – and that is with opposed attribute/ability checks. The terminology may be a bit confusing in relation to Luminari MUD so an example is in order.

Most special attacks are based on two things, an attack roll and an attribute or ability check. I will use trip as an example:

I have Bubba, a level 10 orcish fighter. He is fighting Allionwe, a level 10 elvish fighter. Bubba, being a huge brute of an orc, has a strength score of 20. Allionwe only has 15 strength, but she has 20 dex. Bubba wants to trip Allionwe and issues the trip command while in melee.

The first thing that happens is that bubba performs an ‘unarmed touch attack’ roll vs Allionwe, meaning that he must be able to grab that durned elf, ignoring Allionwe’s armor when calculating her armor class. In doing this, Bubba allows a free shot (an attack of opportunity, or AOO) from Allionwe. If Bubba had the improved trip feat, he would not have allowed this attack.
Let’s assume that Bubba is successful with his attack roll, even though Allionwe stuck him good with her rapier as he approached. Now Bubba needs to make an opposed strength check against Allionwe. Allionwe uses either strength or dexterity, whichever has the highest bonus. So – Bubba has a +5 bonus for his strength of 20, while Allionwe has a str of 15 for a +2 bonus. Her dex is 20, with a +5 bonus, so she uses that to oppose bubba’s strength. Bubba is one monster of an orc, and as such has a size of large, giving him +4 to his check. So bubba has a total of +9 to Allionwe’s +5. Let’s assume Bubba makes his roll and throws Allionwe to the ground.

If Bubba had not been successful with his trip, Allionwe would have had one chance to counter-trip him by winning an opposed strength check. This trip attempt would not have provoked an AOO from Bubba as it was taking advantage of his compromised position after failing his trip attempt.

So this is what the trip attack now looks like. We don’t have a % check against a skill anymore – The entire build of the character has more to do with success and failure, rather than just a single skill. Note, also, that wizards would have a particularly poor chance of tripping and monks would have a much better chance, due to the reliance on unarmed attacks. This just makes more sense overall and allows us to make all of these special attacks available without trashing balance.

[Ornir Elunari]

Next topic: BONUSES and STACKING

This is a big topic. In stock TBAMUD a bonus is a bonus. There is no difference between a bonus from eq, a bonus from a spell or a bonus from a potion. Everything stacks. This can lead to some pretty crazy totals, especially when calculating hit and damage bonuses. We are converting to a more D&D style of bonus stacking by giving bonuses types! The rules are simple:

Different bonuses stack. Bonuses of the same type overlap, except for: Circumstance bonuses and unnamed bonuses.

Circumstance bonuses are things like weather conditions, terrain, etc. Unnamed bonuses are any bonus without a type – Most feats provide unnamed bonuses.

The following articles say it much better than I could, using the table top D&D game:

Does it stack? (parts 1-4)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040120a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040127a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040203a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040210a

Everything should be clear once you read those articles. In Luminari MUD of course we will assign some bonuses differently, that is the nature of conversion to a digital medium. This will ultimately have the effect of reducing overall character power, across the board, but also opening up more opportunities for unique and interesting builds. This also reduces the importance of having a full set of gear with stat bonuses. It helps immensely, of course, but will be by no means absolutely necessary.

[Ornir Elunari]

Next topic: WEAPONS

This is a very important topic, because some very significant changes have/will be made regarding this most important tool in the adventurer’s toolbox. In this post I will explain, at a fairly high level, the changes made to weapons. Some of the more far-reaching implications will be discussed in future posts.

Weapons are now standardized. What does this mean? Well, each weapon now has a type, or else it is an improvised weapon. What is a weapon type? Here is an example:

setweapon(WEAPON_TYPE_SPEAR, "spear", 1, 8, 0, 3, WEAPON_FLAG_SIMPLE | WEAPON_FLAG_THROWN | WEAPON_FLAG_REACH, 200, DAMAGE_TYPE_PIERCING, 60, 20, WEAPON_FAMILY_SPEAR, SIZE_LARGE, MATERIAL_WOOD, HANDLE_TYPE_SHAFT, HEAD_TYPE_POINT);

“ORNIR!”, I hear you say. “You said high level!” Yeah, sorry, but this is the easiest way for me to describe it. This is the part of the code that sets the weapon type (and in NO WAY is this static, so don’t ever count on it!). Again, this was borrowed from Gicker’s d20mud source code, as it is an excellent abstraction of the weapon type model. Basically, we are talking about a spear here. I will translate it into english so that it is easier to explain:

weapon type: spear

damage: 1d8

crit range: 20

crit multiplier: x3

weapon categories: Simple weapons, Thrown weapons, Reach weapons

cost: 200

damage types: piercing

weight: 60

range: 20

weapon family: Spear

size: Large

material: wood

handle type: shaft

head type: point

So this is what the line of code i presented above actually describes. Every weapon type has a block of data like this. Please don’t assume we use all of this data – we do not. Much of this data, like range, is there for future expansion.

So what does this mean for us in game? Well, as you can see there is damage dice, crit range, crit multiplier, damage type and size listed in the block of data. These fields will be standardized over all items of this type. Of course the size can change, but then the damage values will also change accordingly. This provides a BASELINE for weapons of the ‘spear’ type. Some items can differ from this, although those will be special.

As far as weapon proficiency goes, that is also based on weapon type, as well as weapon category. For example, many races/classes are proficient with simple or martial weapons. This means that most weapons are available for use with no penalty. If you wish to increase your skill with this weapon further, feats are available that allow you to specialize in a particular weapon type, giving you a bonus to attack/damage with that weapon type.

What is this crit range/multiplier business? Well, the crit range is the value that you must get on an attack to actually have a critical hit. For a spear it is a roll of 20 on 1d20. This is every 5% or so. The crit multiplier of x3 means that your damage roll is multiplied by 3 for critical hits! Different weapons have different crit ranges and crit multipliers and this is something to consider when choosing a weapon. These values will be visible in some form in game.

So that is it so far for weapon types. Another change has to do with magical weapons. Magical weapons have an enhancement bonus, which is a flat boost to attack/damage. For example, a spear with an enhancement bonus of +2 will receive a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when using that weapon. This is going to replace hitroll and damroll (save your disbelief, I will cover this later :/). The way we represent the enhancement bonus when talking about a weapon is to say we have a +2 spear, or, alternatively, a spear (+2).

Note that the enhancement bonus (EB for short) only applies for attacks made with that weapon, if you wield two weapons each attack only uses the EB from the weapon in that hand. Ranged weapons with an EB automatically impart that EB to all ammunition fired from that weapon. If the ammunition has an EB, the higher bonus applies. Thus, firing a +2 arrow from a +2 bow will not increase the EB of the arrow – However, firing a regular arrow from that bow would impart a +2 EB to that mundane arrow. Additionally, firing a +3 arrow from a +2 bow will use the arrow’s +3 bonus.

Enhancement Bonus is an important concept because it limits power for weapons. The maximum EB a NON-EPIC weapon can have is +5. Epic weapons are special weapons, level 21+, that fill a specific role in the game and can only be discovered through exploration, questing and defeating very tough mobiles . These are weapons of legend. Epic weapons have a maximum EB of +10.

Weapon special abilities have been in the game for a while now, but with the conversion to EB they will really start to shine. Each special ability ‘uses up’ a portion of EB. For example, the flaming special ability is worth +1 EB. The vorpal special ability is worth +5 EB. You will never see a flaming, vorpal non-epic weapon on Luminari MUD, as the effective EB is +6 (although none of that EB is added to attack or damage rolls! It is ‘used up’ by the special abilities, which are formidable in themselves!)

Next post we will talk about stacking bonuses!

[Ornir Elunari]

Nice work Treyorn, awesome! 🙂

[Ornir Elunari]

I really like the idea of the darklings, and I think we could include them in some of our broader lore efforts.

Malevolent creatures pouring out of cracks in the earth is a bit of a common trope, but still it’s a good ‘un! 🙂

I’d really like to see some more development here, what are they exactly? Are they creatures of the lower/outer/far planes? Abberations? Undead? Any combination of the above?

Perhaps there is something even more unique down there?

I really like the concept Awh. I think it will be interesting to discover Prisane’s true intentions (maybe her true nature as well?), even if they are exactly what they look like!

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

What kinds of features would you like to see in such a system?

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Hi Trey, great idea.

1st Major Question – Do we include a intro to MUDs tutorial? How to move, equip, etc… or just skip that and focus on LuminariMUD stuff? My vote is no on this.

I think we should focus on LuminariMUD stuff, but there should be some basic help files that describe how to move, equip, flee, kill, etc. along with a direction to HELP MUD in the MOTD (at a minimum).

Introduction to Trainer to explain: Feats, Practice, Train, Boost so they can immediately increase their starting stats/skills/spells.

Yes, but know this is changing now. Practice is going away and ‘study’ is taking center stage here – Skills are going away (abilities are actually skills) and Feats are coming into the picture. This will complicate the level gaining procedure and simplify all of the book keeping.

-Introduction to Leveling System/Multiclassing
-Introduction to Crafting Kit -BASICS to get started. Resizing etc.
-Introduction to Study/Memorize/Forget/Spells
-Introduction to Quest Masters (Will have a small zone with easy enemies with 3 basic quests (Go Kill Something, Bring Something Back, Find Room). A nice newbie item for completing all three.
-Introduction to Teleporter (which won’t last forever) and World Map (Wilderness)
-Introduction to Epic Races/Remort or Reincarnation

Yes.

What I need is to finish this list and get ideas from everyone who has played the game more than I have. I have spent a lot of time building and maybe not enough playing to fully grasp all of the features which is why I will need help from the coders who have made or worked on these features and the players that have experienced them. This will be an ongoing project that will likely take a long time as I will probably continue to work on “The Ordinary Well” at the same time. Any help, comments, ideas or anything would be appreciated.

That is a pretty complete list – I would stick with that until we have figured out what is going on with feats/study/skills/abilities.

A focus on some of the more interesting skills/spells might be nice, as a way to showcase some of the features.

You are right, this is sorely needed, and thanks for picking up the reigns on this Treyorn.

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Monk – Spinningfist – 5 min cool down for a no damage 1 round stun. This is something that should probably have a longer CD.

Your sarcasm is not lost on me. 🙂 I agree that we need to buff up monks something fierce – There is some really nice stuff we can do, like having feats that allow monks to add elemental attacks to their punches, changing kick for monks, headbutt, and…GRAPPLING.

Mirror Image – I believe it lasts too long and absorbs too much damage.
Stoneskin – Same as Mirror Image

Yes and yes. Spells in general are insanely op, and that all needs to be cranked way down.

Paladin – Through level 11 has no offensive abilities except Smite outside of the standard trip,kick, bash.
– Smite is broken too – If not used on a target and just the command smite is used, it will still go to cool down.

Paladins are horribly underpowered atm. Again, the class needs a rework.

Same with Warrior and Berserker – They don’t have any unique abilities early on and just can’t come anywhere close to the power of the mages.

Now warrior – That class is going to be cool once the feats are done, as they get a combat feat every other level, giving them some considerable versatility. Berserker is, i dunno, ragey and stuff. They don’t get anything cool atm, we can try to buff them up some.

I know balance is off with these, once the feats are in and working (couple weeks maybe?) then we can use that framework to try to see what we can do to make the classes more fun. Casters are way WAY overpowered – Part of this is that the implementation was rushed. Another part is the lack of restrictions to spellcasting (material components, etc.)

This topic is very importnat and is not being overlooked, I assure you, there is just so much on the plate right now that it has to take a temporary back seat.

Thanks for the testing Treyorn, it is much appreciated!

Any other ideas/opinions/discussion is quite welcome.

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

This sounds really fun Treyorn – I am behind this 100%.

The compass would be easy – given a generated coordinate, finding the direction (n, ne, e, se, s, sw, w, nw) would be pretty simple. Would the location of the well change on reboot or on some kind of event timer, where it would change once an hour or something?

I’ll let you know if I come up with anything – Maybe in deeper levels we could get some more ‘Underdark’-like creatures, umber hulks, myconid hordes, Drow, etc. Maybe even some blind, tunneling worms or something. Veto me if you don’t agree with any of this.

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Of course there is a way to boost magic – We can do anything! 🙂

I can absolutely see this race having some sort of mental immunity/resistance, yes. I would not give damage reduction vs magic however.

[Ornir Elunari]

I like the idea – But Trey is right, the resists are very OP and need to be turned down.

I am even a bit wary of the boosted stats, but I need to find some time to realyl look hard at what is here, so stay tuned for updates, and thanks for the submission!

any other comments?

[Ornir Elunari]

This whole discussion hinges on something rather fundamental – How hardcore do we want to be and at what point will it actually become *dangerous* to take a fight you might lose?

On the MUDs I have frequented, death is a pretty major thing. Dying to a mob results in the loss of an entire experience level. This becomes very significant at higher levels. You still need to retrieve your corpse or else it may decay, leaving your equipment strewn on the ground. Occasionally your corpse may spawn a ‘shadow’ – a mob with strength based on your level that will protect your corpse from looting until it decays. Neither friends nor foes can take any of your gear or molest your remains unless they kill the shadow first.

In PK, death is a little less traumatic, except for the fact that your gear is pretty much forfeit. All of it, unless your opponent does not want any of it or is too low to carry it away. A PK death results in significantly less XP loss, although it is still about 1-2 hours of mob grinding at higher levels. Killing someone in PK effectively transfers this XP to the killer, so PK against powerful characters is one way to gain some levels. There is a cap on the amount of XP a single player can gain for a single kill.

Now, this being explained, I don’t think this is a really good solution for Luminari. Luminari is a bit more of a casual game, although I do think there should be some risk of loss upon death. I am leaning towards corpse retrieval and an xp penalty on death, but the ability to pay (either with gold, tokens, qps, whatever) for a resurrection by a mob. Additionally, a player who is in the vicinity should be able to use ‘Raise Dead’ or ‘True Ressurection’ or even something like ‘Wish’ on the corpse during a timer (maybe 5 mins?) after death. This would be ONLY if the player remains logged in during that time, and the player would still get an XP penalty, although reduced.

@Shadorn wrote:

4) A npc who can summon your corpse for cost. (The cost increase as higher level you are). Or some specific tokens for it?
That way, can alleviate hardships for more casual players or for those who don’t have time to retrieve the corpse.

This is a workable idea. It should be quite expensive for higher level characters.

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Welcome Shadorn, and thank you for the introduction!

You are Masuka are welcome ’round my fire anytime.

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Trey – I saw the area concept, excellent work as usual. Lady Raven is perfect, at least until we revisit some of the balance issues we are having.

Because obj stats, mob power, etc. is in flux, it is most important to get the zones ready from a functional standpoint right now. Thanks for posting!

– Ornir Elunari

[Ornir Elunari]

Ok, this is something that I have given a great deal of thought to.

The reason we have wait states like that is to encourage player interactivity. Unfortunately, in reality, this kind of thing gets scripted more often than not. It is pretty easy to manage these states by using a priority queue, triggering on the end of the wait state. Thus you can manage what commands will be queued up for execution.

This COULD be implemented server-side, of course, and I have done so on other projects. This is currently in consideration. For now, play around with your client settings, maybe you can find a solution that you are happy with. The client I usually recommend is MUDLET, as it has some of the most robust scripting I have encountered.

– Ornir Elunari

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