Stendhal Development Meeting 2009-11-22/Result Log

• Meeting
• Result Log
  • Misc
  • Pets
  • Music
  • World Map
  • New Players
• Raw Chat Log

Mixed Things

• /ignore currently only works for /tell but it should work for public chat, too - this is being worked on
• "Strongest player" on website should be sorted by karma as second sort criterion because of the max level limit.
• It was suggested that animal masks from Fidorea in ados could stay longer than 2 hours, for example for 2 days. Perhaps with additional fees.
• blackfinix offered to update the StendhalManual and embed the referenced images by uploading them to the Wiki.
• Enabled and minimized keyring pops up on every zone change (bug #1815905 fixed)
• It was requested to have an npc to sell armors to which you can not sell to other npcs
• The black pearl image could be improved

Mute

• /mute should to be remembered across restarts.
• the command could be more user friendly: /mute instead of the confusing "/sound mute on" and "/sound mute off"

Summon Scrolls

• Summon scrolls should become more powerful if you use them repeatedly.
• That was the original plan but there are some issues:
• Problem: Summoned Creatures had scaling issues with the old RP-fighting rules:
  • Creatures are balanced to attack players who are wearing armor
  • Creatures don't wear armor, so summoned creatures win against them easily.
  • Need to reevaluate with the new RP-fighting rules.
• Problem: Someone could summon a very big creature right outside Semos then.
• If we make the protection more fine grained, the low protection areas could allow stronger monsters to be summoned
• Perhaps limiting the summoning to creatures who are on these maps? For example on a map which only hosts rats, you can just summon rats there.
• Are summoned creatures an advantage if limited like this?
• All in all: More powerful summoned creatures are very interesting but this needs to be approached carefully

Size of bag

• The bag is always too small.
• It may be a good idea to let players earn the right to get more storage, like the keyring.
• There is some work in progress on boxes and backpacks and so on

Poison

• Poisoning creatures are disliked by some players
  • well, that is the idea behind them
  • fit well into the world
• There should be poison arrows and weapons
  • currently only players can be poisoned, needs some moving of code blocks
  • those weapons should be created by the adventurers
• there should be special antidotes for stronger poison

Stackable item handling

• ctrl+drag does not work if you take the item from a chest
• there should be the reverse of /drop 2 items to take 2 items from the chest
• even better a menu for that which pops up on ctrl drag

Quest Contribution

• Stendhal Quest Contribution explains how a quest is created. Starting with a very first rough idea and ending with an implemented and well tested quest that is fun to play.
• There are already some ideas at Stendhal Quest Ideas in various states of completion.
• It is a good idea to join #arianne and talk about your ideas, especially before you start to put lots of work into it.

Quest Log

• We want a quest log that records the progress of quests. For example something like this:

• Helping Tad
  • I have met Tad in Semos Townhall
  • He asked me to buy a flask from Margaret in Semos Tavern.
  • I got a flask and will bring it to Tad soon.
  • Tad asked me to take the flask to Ilisa at Semos Temple.
  • Ilisa asked me to get a herb called Arandula which I can find north of Semos, near the tree grove.
  • Ilisa created a powerful potion to help Tad. She asked me to tell him that it is ready.
  • Tad thanked me.

• This feature is in development and already works partly: /listquests IntroducePlayers
• Starting with 0.80 /listquests without parameter will give you a list of all quests known to you
• Warning: On 0.79 /listquests without parameters might create such a long reply that the client crashes

• There should be a dialogue window in the long run
  • One part showing the list of known quests
  • The other part shows the log for the selected one
  • Window should be outside the world not like the bag, but like the minimap or the help window
• The log itself is something that everyone that knew the quests can help with. Even without knowing anything about coding computer programs.
  • blackfinix and humana volunteered to write some of the required texts. More volunteers are very welcomed.
  • The wiki page about quests may help because it often advises on the different states of the quests
  • The work that has already been done can be seen at quests.xml (right click on this link to download)

City Welcome Messages

• there could be a welcome message when you reach a city for the first time: Welcome in Fado
• perhaps this could appear when you reach other areas for the first time
• those text boxed may guide you
• or there may be a in world sign near the city entrance which points to the important locations

Trade System

• A trade system was asked about and it was confirmed that we are working on it

Training

• We still need to teach that it's now not necessary to train, with the new RP - that gaining xp improves your abilities faster
• Training is still allowed, and it has its advantages, but it's risky
• Ideas were suggested to make training 'easier' like:

• a training dagger which does a limited damage of 1 point per hit no matter the player's level and which gets used up when the player gets 1 point in both attack and defense experience. And the price is proportional to the player' level
• weapons with rate less than 1 (it was explained that rate 1 means one hit per 1 turn, so it's not possible to go faster - it was claimed that in some other servers this is possible)

• It would be good if there was a way to train by being active in game. The old camping system of gaining level by not playing but just being logged in is not good.

• if you train you have to answer question of a quiz (jokey suggestion)
• after a certain number of hits you have to reselect to attack your partner so it is less 'hands off'

• Some players train to be able to cope better alone, e.g. in deathmatch

Item availability

• It was requested that the very rare items like demon fire sword and soul dagger become less rare
• The best items are rare because it makes the game interesting and balanced
• Mithril armor was enquired about - the quest is still in development
• Mithril blade was mentioned but it is only an idea now
• It was suggested that new players should be able get some very good items with quests - again this would be unbalanced
• Amulets were mentioned but without any suggestion of what purpose they would have

Random (need summary)

• xkimetx: in island have one place with you can not enter
• xkimetx: you can create a new place there for lvl 400+ to lvl up
• xkimetx: for you not need players for train
• xkimetx: why if you kill one player
• xkimetx: you are marked with skull
• blackfinix: thats the gamble with training xkimetx
• blackfinix: it shouldn't be without risks
• xkimetx: or party system (/party (player)
• xkimetx: and if u kill with party you are not be a pk
• xkimetx: in this case the skull system
• xkimetx: not be if u kill only 1 players
• xkimetx: but if u kill more of 1
• xkimetx: in 1 week

• humana: no apple juice?
• humana: so I found some apple and I thought
• superkym: humana it sounds like you already know there is some
• superkym: why else are you asking about it? maybe you saw the item on a test server or on the items page? it was an idea which was started and not finished
• humana: maybe we can create apple juice for this gamve :)
• superkym: have you a particular need for a new food/drink? we have so much
• hamunu: ahh no kymi.
• hamunu: iam fine with this food what here is..
• hendrik: I like the idea of having a way to use apples.
• hamunu: hmm but maybe for another thing
• superkym: did you see the thing in practise hendrik, which used them?
• erdnuggel: maybe you can bake a apple-pie :D
• hamunu: not for apple juice
• superkym: it was a food mill
• tigertoes: i like apple pie better than apple juice
• hamunu: maybe apple cake?
• superkym: and you could make apple juice from apples using it
• blackfinix: throw them at annoying players?)
• hamunu: apple pie :)
• blackfinix: apple schnaapps?
• hamunu: ahh that's a good idea
• hamunu: it works a little bit like poison!!
• hamunu: apple schnapps
• hamunu: if you drink it
• superkym: it is already coded but i think the idea of an item processor is so useful that it is worth making it more general
• superkym: so that we can process other items too. and not hard code in that it only uses apples and only makes juice

• pepzs: can retired the aura protection ans implant skull system
• pepzs: 1kill red skull 3 kill black skull and when take black skull can sell or buy anything from npc for 2 weeks

• hamunu: it's more difficult to walk

• xkimetx: increase the def of mithril boots
• kiheru: the mithril boots could indeed be better. now nobody uses them
• blackfinix: i do, because they are pretty :)
• hamunu: just kiddng :)
• pepzs: implant one weapon make of mithril =D
• hamunu: the boots of finix looks like my white converse chucks :D

Client Performance

• There had some performance problems in the drawing code of the client in the past which we think we fixed in 0.79
• If anyone still has problems like the chat bar not reacting to newly typed letters quickly enough, please contact /support and try to include information about your operating system and java version.
• We have three clients for you to test if you are still suffering client side lag. They use different ways to synchronize the drawing with the reset of the game.
• On some systems, the client gets a lot faster when starting it with java -Dsun.java2d.opengl=true -jar stendhal-0.79.jar
• Adding -Xmx200m may help, too.

Regions (need summary)

Regions in Stendhal

• hendrik: There is something else related to zone and quests.
• hendrik: By region I mean a group of zones that are related. For example Ados City spans multiple zones.
• hendrik: Perhaps we can even add the concept of "regions" to the world in the future.
• Oslsachem: hendrik what would be the concept of regions?
• hendrik: Oslsachem, 0_semos_village_w, 0_semos_city, 0_semos_plains_n are all part of "Semos Area".
• hendrik: they have one common theme.
• hendrik: Semos is a rural area.
• hendrik: for low level players.
• Oslsachem: so, how would that be reflected in game in the future?
• hendrik: The first step would be to add it below the zone name.
• superkym: it already is reflected in game with the naming conventions, at least
• hendrik: and it may be a good idea to have one topic in each area.
• hendrik: Like Semos is a rural town. Nalwor Forest (which includes the city) is the elfish area.
• hendrik: Orril is the spuky castle area.
• hendrik: and so on.
• blackfinix: yes
• hendrik: Perhaps we can even group them losely by player level.
• hendrik: so as a low level player you are best in Semos Area.
• superkym: hendrik, isn't what you said all already true?
• hendrik: if you get stronger, you move on to xxxx. And then to yyyy.
• blackfinix: hendrik you mean like green, yellow, red for danger levels? (or 1,2,3)
• hendrik: This is no strict rule. Just a rule of thumb.
• superkym: as a rule we stick to keeping the semos areas safer, not putting crazy creatures there, nalwor is indeed the elvish area, and so on
• hendrik: blackfinix that is a good idea, too.
• superkym: i'm not sure what you're suggesting should be different
• hendrik: superkym, We know that. But new players don't.
• superkym: and we already have the idea that the further you go from semos city the less safe it is
• hendrik: Currently the main way to identify your position in the world is the zone name.
• hendrik: something like int_semos_townhall, 0_semos_village_w.
• hendrik: those names are there for technical reasons.
• hendrik: I guess we still need them. But I would like to have some in-game names. Not on a per zone basis.
• hendrik: zone are something that is there for technical reasons.
• hendrik: a "region" is usually something that spawns multiple zones.
• hendrik: for example: Ados city is so huge that it has multiple zones.
• yoriy: what if show to player something like "You are inside Semos city bank"
• hendrik: But from a players point of view that is Ados city.
• hendrik: We probably should use the current zone names as subtitle.
• Oslsachem: the fact is that zones are artificial divisions due to underlying technical requirements and not natural frontiers... :)
• hendrik: speaking of sub titles, would it be possible to display some transparent text on region changes?
• hendrik: That is similar to the "welcome sign" idea from earlier.
• plassy: it where nice if you cold locate someone. like having a map and giving the coordinates to it
• superkym: hendrik, transparent text?
• Oslsachem: it would be perhaps more useful to have a compass to get there...
• plassy: and then it shows the position of the coordinates on the map
• superkym: there are two types os area messages at the moment: zone entry messages which you only get the very first time you ever enter that zone
• hendrik: we currently don't have a map in game because it uses to much memory to display it.
• hendrik: But we may be able to create multiple maps. One per region.
• superkym: and messaging areas which can be sub-area-s of a whole zone, where you get a message when you enter an area, every time
• hendrik: Those would be a lot smaller.
• superkym: but what did you mean by transparent text?
• plassy: it dont have to be detailed! just a little picture
• porl: there should be a minimap wich we could open up, put a target where we want to go, and it would show the directions (like a gps)
• superkym: you mean like the map of ados city?
• Oslsachem: and because there aren't universal coordinates but patch based coordinates, I think... :/
• superkym: that julius gives out?
• hendrik: superkym, i am thinking of a mixture of those. A message you get every time when you go from say Orril to Nalwor.
• superkym: oslsachem, there are universal coordinates
• hendrik: But without the white background so that it is not annoying.
• superkym: i dont 'think that would be very visible hendrik
• superkym: but the messaging area text, the one you get every time, is less annoying because it doesn't pop up
• hendrik: Oslsachem, we do have a global coordinate system for all maps, except those starting with "int_".
• superkym: you only see it in the chat log like the /me action
• superkym shows, like this
• hendrik: superkym, oh, that is good, yes.
• superkym: hendrik i can show you such an area later if you like
• hendrik: yes, please.

Wiki

• it would be cool if we had a wiki page for each "region".
• it should say something about the region, the background story, what makes it special, its history, etc.
• many NPCs in world give useful background information about the regions they are in. It would be very useful to have that on the Wiki (without spoiling the quests)
• examples
  • Ados is a port-city. It suffers from not having enough food.
  • Semos consists of an old village and a small city. It is a rural area.
• a good starting point is StendhalAtlas, which already lists some regions.
• such collected background stories will make it easier to write new quests that fit into the theme.
• suggested page content
  • a small image of the map
  • background story about the whole region
  • points of interests
  • out-of-character information for players
  • photos (screenshots)
  • see Semos for a first example
• blackfinix and yoriy volunteered
• more help welcomed

Stendhal Atlas image

• The map with dungeon entrances is very outdated (0.62 instead of 0.79).
• Currently it is created manually by drawing the circles right into the .pnh file
• The StendhalAtlas should be a two layer image instead
  • the generated map images
  • the yellow circle overlay
• So the overlay can easily be applied to new versions of the map file
• Other map topics:
  • jpeg was suggested as image file format
  • region boarders (see region section) could be added as a layer, too
• tigertoes volunteered to create the multi layer map as Gimp .xcf file created WorldWithMarkedDungeons091122.xcf.