News oct/29

[Quatl]

I've been implementing base equipment changes. The effects are very positive so far. As I'd thought, alot of the difficulty problems are fixed by these changes.

Keep in mind the exact values are still in flux. I have long term growth calculations for some but not all of these. Meaning what the effective results are of them over the course of a characters growth in various factors. Especialy percent based mods, and those which overlap with intended skill factors have long term implications. Here's a list as they are so far.

Weapons:
MELEE
Swords (claws are similar)
Special: None, These are the base-line melee weapons
Hands: either (those that were preiviosly 1h & 2h are 2h only)
Damage Moderate (varies by size)
size any but small (1x2)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:1 str:1

Knives
Special: 1-10% chance of Deadly Strike ( 2X damage)
Hands: 1h
Damage: Low
Size: small (1x2)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:2x str:1/2

Maces
Special: 50% damage to undead
Hands: 1h or 2h
Damage: Medium
Size: med (1x3), medium wide (2x3)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:0 str:2x

Axes
Special: 25% damage to Demons
Hands: 1h or 2h
Damage: Medium - High
Size: med (1x3), medium wide (2x3)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:1/4x str:.1.75x

Wands
Special: 50% damage to undead & Adds Max-Mana based on Energy
Hands: 1h
Damage: very low
Size: small
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:0 str:1x

Staves
Special: 50% damage to undead + Adds Max-Mana based on Energy (~2x that of wands)
Hands: 2h
Damage: Medium-Low
Size: medium, medium wide
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:0 str:1x

Spears
Special: Penetrates armor 1-10%
Hands: 2h
Damage: Medium-High
Size:Large (1x4) / Huge (2x4)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:1.5x str:1.5x

Hammers
Special: 1-10% chance of crushing blow (-1/4th curent hps)
Hands: 2h
Damage: High
Size: Large, Huge
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:0 str:3x

Pole Arms
Special: 1-10% Open Wounds (lvl based damage over time/disrupts regen)
Hands: 2h
Damage: High
Size: Large, Huge
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:0 str:3x

RANGED
Bows
Specials: None, These are the base-line ranged weapons
Hands: 2h
Damage: Medium
Size: Medium-wide, Huge
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:1.5x str:1/2x

Crossbows Penetrates armor 1-10%
Specials:
Hands: 2h
Damage: Medium-Low
Size: Medium-wide, Huge
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:3x str:0

Thrown (javelins, throwing axes and knives)
Inherits from base melee weapon class

Defensve Equipment
Armor and Shields are seperated into light, medium and heavy.

Shields
Light
size: small (2x2)
Block: Low
Defense: Low
Damage Resitance: 1-5%
Requirements: Low

Medium
size: small, large (2x3)
Speed Penalty: Low
Block: medium
Defense: medium
Damage Resitance: 6-10%
Requirements: Moderate

Heavy
size: Large, Huge (2x4)
Speed Penalty: Moderate
Block:High
Defense:High
Damage Resitance: 11-15%
Requirements: High

Armor
Light
Speed Penalty: none
Defense: Low
Damage Resitance: none
Requirements: Moderate

Medium
Speed Penalty: Low
Defense: medium
Damage Resitance: 5-10%
Requirements: High

Heavy
Speed Penalty: Moderate
Defense: High
Damage Resitance: 15-20%
Requirements: Very High

Armor and shield requirements are based on the same scale, so a character that qualifies for medium armor, should be able to equip a heavy shield.
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Planed Changes to spell casting.
Current mana will affect spell damage. This is being balanced so that "normal" spell damage is what you get when you are at around half empty of mana. As your mana increases you gain a bonus, and as it drops below half there is a penalty. (When I say normal damage, I mean that monsters are balanced in general to spell damage at half mana)

This reinforces the importance of mana for pure spell casters. Keeping a mana reserve can help you do more damage. Likewise all efects which add, increase or regenerate mana will be prime for casters.

Spell level ranges and availibility are being modified to address this, and other changes. One very nice thing about the Mana synergy is that it allows most spells to be availible at lower character levels, while retaining their damage relationships to each other across all character level ranges.

At very high mana levels and low skill levels the mana synergy is a major portion of damage. This means that skills you have a major investment in are more reliable. But even a one point damage spell is good for something if your mana reserve is high.

The damage relationships of related spells is being unified as well. For example Fire bolt and Fire Ball, will both be level 1 spells. Fire Bolt will do high damage to one target, while Fire Ball will do less damage over a large area. (hopefuly it's clear how mana-synergy + Affinities will help this work)

In the long run, most spells will be availible at level 1 or 6, with a few that are only availible for those with high enough Affinity. (for example Frozen Orb would be allowed only with a high Cold Elemental Affinity)

I'm not going to try to complete all of these changes at once. Over the course of time spells will be added, modified and removed.
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Sugestions, comments and criticism on all of this would be helpful.

-Quatl

[Maxx Power]

Maces
Special: 25% damage to Demons
Hands: 1h or 2h
Damage: Medium - High
Size: med (1x3), medium wide (2x3)
Requirements/Stat damage:dex:1/4x str:.1.75x

I think you mean Axes here.

[Quatl]

oops that's what I get for cuting and pasteing. Yes I ment axes (I'll edit it)
-Quatl