StendhalRefactoringRP

We need a rebalance of the RP system so it is playable and fun for both newbiews and high levels. We have to talk about several things here:

Skill system

The whole system will be skill based, so if you use sword, you will get better and better hits with the sword, but if you change to axes you will have to learn to use it again, as you did with swords. At least we have the next set of skills:

• sword
• axe
• club
• range
• shield

We need to design the system to avoid campers:
http://arianne.sourceforge.net/wiki_images/stendhal_0.39_campers.jpg
Image: Campers training in Stendhal 0.39

There are several valid approach for this problem, and IMHO we should try from less severe to most severe first.

1. Blood solution
   You only improve your skill when you damage/are damaged the creature
2. Don't get XP points nor skill points from weak creatures
3. Kick idle players
   No action in X minutes means that you are logout

We want to disallow first camping to increase skills, you gain skills by playing not by camping. Later we will fix camping by not respawing monsters if player is waiting for the monster. The whole point is to have player create value: fun.

Leveling up

To level up you need to gain XP by killing monsters and/or solving quests.
On level up you gain HP.

Combat

Combat right now works as follows:

1. We compute the risk to hit the target, using their ATK and DEF attributes-
2. If risk>0 then we compute how much damage the target recieved.

The formula looks like:

  risk to hit = 2 * source[ATK] - target[DEF]+ roll 1D20 - 10

  if risk to hit > 0:
    attacker part = 0.8 * (roll 1D100 / 100) * source[ATK]^2 + 4 * weapon
    maxdamage = 0.8 * source[ATK]^2 + 4 * weapon
    defender part = 0.6 * (roll 1D100 / 100) * target[DEF]^2 + 1.5 * shield + 2 * armor + helmet + boots

    damage = ((attacker part - defender part) / maxdamage) * (maxdamage/10)

See that it is very important the ATK and DEF value, but that you can also get big improvements using weapons, armors, shields, etc...

Range combat

Should be based on the above formula but:

• We have a maximun range
• Weapon is only effective on middle-long range
• Damage also depends of the arrow

Magic

Magic will be mana based, with each spell costing mana. Also you can have written spells that don't cost mana, but that vanish after have been used.

Some spells we may add are:

• Convince creature
• Summon creature
• Fireball
• Acid missile
• Heal
• Magic shield

Quests

That's the point of the game. We can do something different. We must do something different.

The idea is to suggest players quests that make them do something interesting instead of just doing the camper!.

Plots ideas

Several plots ideas

Introduction/Beginner

Modified sheep quest

Summary: Nishiya gives you a sheep (weight 0) to grow.
Reward: The first full grown sheep gives you the exp. for level 2
Difficulty: very easy, you don't even have to meet an enemies
Note: You can do the quest as often as you like, but you'll get the xp only once

Grab some rare herbs from the plains

Summary: Carmen asks you to grab her some herbs from the plains
Reward: Some coins, some xp, maybe a necklace that heals you a hp each second
Difficulty: easy
Note: You can do the quest as often as you like, but you'll get the reward (necklace) only once

Get the childs toy

Summary: The smith' child has lost its toy and it looks like a wolf from the forest stole it (original eh?). Bring it back.
Reward: Some coins, some xp, maybe the smith can give you a special weapon (with your name?)
Difficulty: normal, kill some wolfes and eventually one drops the toy
Note: You can do the quest only once. Make sure the wolfes drops toys only when someone with the quest is near. Remove additional toys.

Challenging

The Pied Piper

(after a german tale: read this first (click). It is translated in some european languages)

• Part 1

Summary: The city has a rat problem. You can enter each house and kill some rats. The major tells you they are waiting for a rat catcher (and he tells the exact time)
Reward: none
Difficulty: none
Note: This is just to introduce the problem. Make sure the rats are very easy (atk=def=1) and give nearly no xp,atk_xp,def_xp

• Part 1b

Summary: The pied piper arrives. You can see how he dances and all the rats leaves the houses and gather around him. He leads them in some dungeon (it is complicated, but it would look cool).
Note: Make sure the players cannot block the path to the dungeon.

• Part 1c

Summary: The pied piper returns to get his reward. The city refuses to pay and so he dances again to get all the children. They go down the same dungeon.
Note: Make sure the players cannot block the path to the dungeon.

• Part 2

Summary: Get the children back.
Reward: don't know. something cool
Difficulty: normal
Note: This is a quest for several players, so the enemies shouldn't be too easy. The kids are in some kind of underground town. The pied piper is gone.
This quest can be restarted each 2 days or so. Block the dungeon entrance some hours before the quest restarts.
If some people don't like the idea of 'stolen' kids (it's a tale after all), the rat catcher gets sheeps in his 2nd run.