http://forums.kronosaur.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4986
http://forums.kronosaur.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5655
http://forums.kronosaur.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5747
So I decided to throw some suggestions in a thread that does not make any claim to a timeline for their implementation (a "whenever - if ever" approach).
Flat armour level curve and linear damage reduction:
The what:
While already possible to adjust the armour and shield damageAdj level curves for an adventure, there is no way to specify some form of linear damage reduction.
What I mean is, instead of just being able to say "This armour takes -20% damage from all laser weapons" you can alternatively say "This armour takes -20 damage from all laser weapons."
Against a laser weapon doing 21 laser damage, the first shield would result in 17 damage (i.e. -4 damage), while the second would result in only 1 (i.e -20).
Against a laser weapon doing 200 damage, the first would result in 160 damage (i.e. -40 damage), while the second would result in 180 damage (i.e. still -20).
The why:
More freedom for modding, less overlap between game mechanics, more visibility of game mechanics to user.
More freedom:
Currently, any level 10 or above armour will stop any laser weapon whatsoever, even the hyper-super-multi-terawatt-laser-cannon-of-doom-from-the-core that does 100d20 damage.
Essentially, as the levels go up the number of damage types the game and modders have to work with goes down.
Why not let damage types simply be damage types, without them being some pseudo-representation of tech level?
Less overlap:
Currently, one can achieve making low-level weapons less viable by upping higher level armour and shield HP.
(Typically this is already true, even before taking any of the damageAdj (innate or specific) or bonusHP into account.)
Or by adding a damageAdj or an bonusHP entry to the armour or shield.
(Typically, already exists on most already).
It just sort of seems like there are several means of 'multiplying by factors' when it comes to weapon-type-vs-armour relations, and no 'add a number' methods.
More visibility:
If both the multiplication factor (damageAdj) and the linear damage reduction (damageRed) is displayed to the user, then comparing various armours and shields should be easier.
Shield 1: Laser +10% -20. <-- total protection against weak laser weapons... Actually weaker against really powerful ones.
Shield 2: Laser -50% +0. <-- good but not total protection against weak laser weapons. Still good protection against better ones.
tl;dr: In short, the ability to make higher level defences ignore damage from low-level weapons, without completely eliminating a damage type.
The how:
A new entry for arour and shields, damageRed.
Number from the relevant damage type entry added to the damage received before taking damageAdj or bonusHP into account.
I.e. so that the factor does not indirectly effect the linear adjustment. 100 incoming laser damage, -20%, -10DR -> (100 * 0.5) - 20 = 30, while (100 - 20) * 0.5 = 40.
Ex: damageRed= "laser: -20; kinetic: +10; plasma: -50"
Extension defined attributes for items:
The what:
Allow an extension to define its own recognized attributes for items.
The why:
So that game/modders can specify device slots only usable for a specific type of device.
Or define new races and new item attributes to use within buy/sell entries, or random item tables.
Etc.
The how:
Not sure about what syntax would make sense, or how this is to be done.
Extension defined currencies:
The what:
Allow an extension to define its own recognized currency.
The why:
I've wanted to create a new currency, but it doesn't appear to be possible at this time.
The how:
Not sure about what syntax would make sense, or how this is to be done.
But being able to also define conversions between the currencies would also be nice.
Something like:
Code: Select all
<Currency
name = "bitcoin"
>
<Exchange>
<Buy othercurrency="credits" factor="1.1"> <!-- Pay 1.1 bitcoins per credit -->
<Sell othercurrency="credits" factor="0.8"> <!-- Get 0.8 bitcoins per credit -->
</Exchange>
</Currency>
)
