Ideas

Jan 24, 2010, 11:44 pm
Joined: Dec 4, 2007
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Just because it's a reference doesn't make it a good name.
Proudly bringing disaster and mental scarring to Attnam since '05!

"You have a rather pleasant chat about finite superarmpits with Sanae the shrine maiden."

You hear distant shuffling.

The Enner Beast tells you to COOL IT!!
Jan 24, 2010, 11:55 pm
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 1,019
Eh, I was responding to Azba's desire for more references. As far as what makes an objectively good name, I guess something else could work but I'm not sure what precisely (though the two suggested alternatives don't thrill me a whole lot). The main thing I cared about is getting the idea of a sword that knocks down physical stats on the table.
Jan 25, 2010, 2:11 am
Joined: Nov 22, 2008
Interests: IVAN
Posts: 1,170
The sword of chaos. A decent artifact weapon, but with a chance to explode/burn/acid/generally screw your oponent, and a chance it backfires and screws yourself. And chances of random effects, like the monster becomes friendly, or you get a random state, or you autopray to a random (known or unknown) god. I remember there being a curseblessed sword in a d&d campaign, and hell it was fun. "Shit! I'm backed into a corner by three greater demons! In a desperate attempt to save myself, I attack!" *rolls d100 = 50* "The demons sit down and invite you to debate the conflict. You convince them that you have done nothing wrong, and they depart"
Beware! 'tis EagleV, Hardcore Weaver of Baskets!
Jan 25, 2010, 2:17 am
Joined: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 1,770
Voodoo doll.
'Nuff said.

(e.g. alternative to BDR's Minus sword)

Also, a completely horrible addition - Midas' touch. Either a status effect or something permanent upon consuming or equipping a certain item. Turns everything you touch into gold. All your inventory, enemy body parts that are struck, walls being dug - the floor under your feet? etc.
Should probably be temporary to stop it being a nuisance.
System would indicate in graphic if person is mounted on horse or not.
Same system also show if person mounted on boar, elephant, polar bear etc.
Or if person mounted on ass.
Ivan find mounting on ass funny.
Jan 25, 2010, 6:33 am
Joined: Dec 15, 2008
Posts: 100
- The voodoo doll would be different from the Minus sword in that it would be a ranged attack instead of melee. (Actually, what would happen if you smack the head of a voodoo doll in the groin of the victim? ) Another fun thing to do would be gathering small items to apply to the doll. (i.e. on one hand, pieces of victims so the doll actually works on them, on the other hand: needles, matches, razor blades, ...)

- I love the Midas's touch idea. If it's worked out some more it's very reasonable. In your example of digging out a wall, the wall would not change into gold (except if you touch it by accident, and then maybe you'd just get a gold brick or something), on the other hand, one of the first things turning into gold would be your pickaxe - Problem is, you'd have to be very creative to get certain things done like eating, handling items, and... pushing your FINGERS down your throat to vomit.

*You push your fingers down your throat and vomit.*
*Your throat turns into gold!*
*Your tongue turns into gold!*
*You vomit gold nuggets!*
*You panick!*
Jan 25, 2010, 10:45 am
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 1,019
Serefan wrote
Another fun thing to do would be gathering small items to apply to the doll. (i.e. on one hand, pieces of victims so the doll actually works on them, on the other hand: needles, matches, razor blades, ...)

We could definitely use fire and a burning status ailment in this game. Drowning too, but then there'd have to be more water.
Jan 25, 2010, 2:34 pm
Joined: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 1,770
Drowning exists. Vaguely. Perhaps the ability to learn to swim? Also to prevent abuse, maybe you should get tired quickly and "fainting" leads to drowning. Maybe a giant sea monster on the world map to prevent swimming between New Attnam and the outside world. Areas previously only accessable through teleportation or levitation (Like Genefourx's lair in LIVAN) could have the water replaced with lava or acid or radioactive sludge.
I second the "more water" idea.
System would indicate in graphic if person is mounted on horse or not.
Same system also show if person mounted on boar, elephant, polar bear etc.
Or if person mounted on ass.
Ivan find mounting on ass funny.
Jan 25, 2010, 10:15 pm
Joined: Dec 3, 2007
Occupation: Chaos Weaver
Location: Standing between all life and death
Posts: 2,898
Swimming and drowning exists. Dolphins and frogs can swim, and I think rats can too. Anything that can't swim, if it happens to fall into water, drowns.
Uchuudonge wrote
creating stable chaos
making patterns where there should be none
sewing order into the chaos
you spit in the face of random numbers, of chaos
Jan 25, 2010, 10:42 pm
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 1,019
However, players cannot currently swim or learn to swim (nor does water generally enter into the equation of living and dying). I think a water-themed area would be a nice addition.
Jan 26, 2010, 3:28 am
Joined: Dec 15, 2008
Posts: 100
In general, and I think most of you are familiar with it, I think IVAN would eventually turn out much like Dwarf Fortress (Adventure Mode), especially concerning skills and stuff. Not that that's not normal. I think DF pretty much has every skill you could imagine.
Jan 26, 2010, 4:32 pm
Joined: Dec 17, 2007
Occupation: Taking Names, Formerly Kicking Ass
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 992
Has random encounters on the overworld been suggested? It would make it interesting.
Booooooooooo!
Jan 26, 2010, 11:40 pm
Joined: Dec 2, 2007
Location: New Attnam
Interests: bananas
Posts: 2,309
I don't like the idea of random encounters. But it would be cool to be able to "enter" every single space on the map, so you could enter a forest or mountain area (I guess a mountain would just be a forest covered in snow) which is basically a small map with randomly placed trees and some natural wildlife. That would also make starvation less common among noobs.
Jan 26, 2010, 11:58 pm
Joined: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 1,770
Night/day actually having an effect would be nice (like making undead and nocturnal creatures appear at night, and general wildlife during the day). Also night/day on the world map. And Attnam if it hasn't got that already (it hasn't changed from snowy day in my experience).
System would indicate in graphic if person is mounted on horse or not.
Same system also show if person mounted on boar, elephant, polar bear etc.
Or if person mounted on ass.
Ivan find mounting on ass funny.
Jan 27, 2010, 12:58 am
Joined: Dec 4, 2007
Occupation: Perfect Soldier
Location: Astragius Galaxy
Interests: Fiana, Peace, Melons
Posts: 1,057
What a horrible night to have a curse!
Proudly bringing disaster and mental scarring to Attnam since '05!

"You have a rather pleasant chat about finite superarmpits with Sanae the shrine maiden."

You hear distant shuffling.

The Enner Beast tells you to COOL IT!!
Jan 27, 2010, 3:15 am
Washing machine wizard


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Posts: 1,037
Battleguy waits for somagu to slowly say that last line.
Jan 27, 2010, 8:52 am
Joined: Dec 15, 2008
Posts: 100
I'm not really for random encounters either. But in my childhood I've played many oldschool rpg's, and one of them had a (imho) nice solution for that. There were random encounters, but you could see them walking over the map, that way you could estimate what creatures the random encounter contained, and eventually engage or evade them.

The battles themselves are, a bit like Capristo said, resolved in an extra pseudo-randomly generated piece of ground.
Jan 27, 2010, 9:00 am
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Occupation: Turns out I can't have a cool avatar, I'll just put crap in it.
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Serefan played Exile?
Well I assume that a bolt has a given, numeric, amouunt of perwer. (assi in enegri)... unless it's LAERSER SKISKLS POEWN PEWN!
Jan 27, 2010, 9:18 am
Joined: Dec 15, 2008
Posts: 100
Yeah, loved those games. That was the one I was talking about.
Jan 27, 2010, 10:11 am
Joined: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 1,770
Baldur's gate had a similar "random encounters" system which I wasn't too fond of. You had a chance of being "waylaid" between areas, which consisted of a fight in a generated zone.
IMO as previously suggested you should be able to ">" anywhere in the wilderness, and have a chance of critters appearing (and maybe unique encounters too...)
System would indicate in graphic if person is mounted on horse or not.
Same system also show if person mounted on boar, elephant, polar bear etc.
Or if person mounted on ass.
Ivan find mounting on ass funny.
Jan 27, 2010, 12:44 pm
Joined: Dec 17, 2007
Occupation: Taking Names, Formerly Kicking Ass
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 992
Maybe random encounters are kind of hokey, but I like the idea of the overworld having a challenge. Because really other than starving the occasional Knuub to death,and making you go into the UT early on it serves no purpose. Also Random encounters (or some form of overworld conflict be it random of monsters you can see) would give the game a new way to kill you.

Maybe have the overworld contain random low depth dungeons with treasure/higher chance of an an artifact or valuable item? so that early on you have a chance to do a quick 1-3 level out of depth monster run to get good items, but once you leave it dissapears?
Booooooooooo!
Jan 27, 2010, 5:42 pm
Joined: Dec 11, 2008
Posts: 1,770
Also, some lovely music to provide ambience. Use MIDI for that authentic "old game" feel!
System would indicate in graphic if person is mounted on horse or not.
Same system also show if person mounted on boar, elephant, polar bear etc.
Or if person mounted on ass.
Ivan find mounting on ass funny.
Jan 27, 2010, 8:30 pm
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 1,019
I think the biggest deal-breaker IMO as far as random encounters are concerned is that in tandem with permadeath life becomes even harder for newer characters and players. The jRPGs with random encounters all have some kind of save system (not necessarily in the dungeon, but it's there all the same) so that you don't get *completely* screwed over if an encounter proves too much to handle. However, I like the idea of > providing randomly generated wilderness that may contain items, as then it becomes up to the player whether they want to risk going in or not.
Jan 28, 2010, 2:42 am
Joined: Nov 22, 2008
Interests: IVAN
Posts: 1,170
If there is a random wilderness generated by > I think some tiles should be marked as 'containing a temple/dungeon', in the same way the other levels are marked. That way, you don't end up searching several levels of jungle before you find a dungeon.
Beware! 'tis EagleV, Hardcore Weaver of Baskets!
Jan 28, 2010, 1:30 pm
Joined: Dec 17, 2007
Occupation: Taking Names, Formerly Kicking Ass
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 992
BDR wrote
I think the biggest deal-breaker IMO as far as random encounters are concerned is that in tandem with permadeath life becomes even harder for newer characters and players. The jRPGs with random encounters all have some kind of save system (not necessarily in the dungeon, but it's there all the same) so that you don't get *completely* screwed over if an encounter proves too much to handle.

ADOM (My personal favorite of the rougelikes) has permadeath and random overworld encounters that are handled very well. they have the difficutly scaled by location (how far you are into the wilderness from the stasrt of the game) and by game time, so early on in the game you get goblins/kobolds etc, but as the game clock runs the monsters get more difficult. it occaisonally causes an early charecter to get killed ,but in general adds a nice flavor to the game.
Booooooooooo!
Jan 28, 2010, 1:58 pm
Joined: Dec 2, 2007
Location: New Attnam
Interests: bananas
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Eagle V wrote
If there is a random wilderness generated by > I think some tiles should be marked as 'containing a temple/dungeon', in the same way the other levels are marked. That way, you don't end up searching several levels of jungle before you find a dungeon.
Why not all of them?
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