The Mana World Forums

Is there still ongoing work on this sector or is this also caught in development hell?

When there isn't any progress on this sector I would like to propose my own solution for this.

In any case I am academically interested in all gamesystem proposals, so please do go ahead.

Crush wrote:Is there still ongoing work on this sector or is this also caught in development hell?

When there isn't any progress on this sector I would like to propose my own solution for this.

Go for it. I am getting hung up on simple stuff like requesting permission to reserve item ID spaces

We are going to overhaul the item_db.txt so we can put item into categories so they can be easier to find. This may take a while, but we also need to establish that (most) equipment need X number of reserved slots for its tiers and what those tiers do. Basically, each step in the tiers will need a separate id in the item_db. This will match fixes to the client data related to adding the expanded player sprite and matching equipment to it as well as reducing redundant xml that was meant for TMW on mana.

Hopefully Freeyorp is still interested in the balance, because I'd like his help and his leadership in defining how this should operate with the balance.

Wombat wrote:We are going to overhaul the item_db.txt so we can put item into categories so they can be easier to find. This may take a while, but we also need to establish that (most) equipment need X number of reserved slots for its tiers and what those tiers do. Basically, each step in the tiers will need a separate id in the item_db. This will match fixes to the client data related to adding the expanded player sprite and matching equipment to it as well as reducing redundant xml that was meant for TMW on mana.

Hopefully Freeyorp is still interested in the balance, because I'd like his help and his leadership in defining how this should operate with the balance.

2weeks for 1.5x more items than tmw, may the same time for themanaworld, its not as long as that, its just boring

Crush, what's your proposal?

I had an idea of my own, I'll post it though I don't know if it's any good. Please feel free to praise/flame it.

My idea is that there are only certain classes of equipment/weapons, but what metals you provide the NPC that crafts the item (or when you craft it yourself), effects the overall outcome. As an example, lets make a samurai sword. Based on how much metal you have when it's made determines the overall length, affecting how deep it cuts into your foe (a short sword may not cut as deep as a long one) and how far away you can stand from your foe when you strike (perhaps your foe has short stubby arms, if you have a longer weapon perhaps he will "MISS" you more than you will miss him). Also, the type of metal, and maybe the purity of the alloy, determines the strength of the sword to withstand wear and tear. A gold samurai sword (gold being fairly malleable) will not hold up against some monster that with armorplating for very long. However, gold doesn't conduct electricity very well, so using a gold sword for fighting eels might be a good idea. Adding jewels, runes, etc. to the making of a sword creates a sword with special properties, and maybe a higher selling price because of the jewels. All in all it's still a samurai sword ... And maybe there's a broadsword, and a rapier, and a butcher knife, etc.

zick, your ideas are interesting, but they don't address any of the problems we have at the moment.


Regarding my own proposal: I made some additional calculations and found out that it won't work the way I expect. I'll post something at a later date.

I like zicks ideas

I fear it cannot be realised on eAthena, but i hope for ManaServ.
(You would need attributes to items, such as in Diablo... and other games)

I'm well aware that my proposal won't work on eA (well, I guess it could but it would mean that you would have to have a single item for every variation as opposed to superclass/subclass single item). I just wanted to put it out there.

Some other ideas are metals that aren't magnetic (or low magnetic) so we could have a hunting area like the magnetic cave on FF2. Or somekind of sword with a serrated edge that cuts deep into monsters with serious armor.

To clarify again: The purpose of the whole "equipment tier" stuff is to solve the problem that there is a) not enough cheap but useful equipment for low- and mid-levels and b) no extremely expensive (e.g. millions of gp) but still useful equipment for the endgame which can work as a money sink.

Any proposal which does not address these issues is misplaced here.

Forgive my off-topicness ...

Perhaps my idea can act as a moneysink in that you can buy more expensive ores, process them into mixed alloys, to create stronger weapons that while being expensive may last longer or allow you to fight some monster that you normally can't without a strong/special weapon.

Let's take a magnetic cave scenario as a for instance ... only wooden weapons can be used in there but are extremely ineffective. It isn't until late in the game when you can afford the metals that aren't magnetic, then you can hunt the special monsters in there.

Equipment Tiers are close to being realized.

One thing people seemed to be into is equipment that has tiers is special. Not all non-dyeable equipment will have tiers. Much of our existing equipment will be tiered. Tiered equipment will not have original art for existing equipment, but future equipment is encouraged to be recolorable in detailed ways, so each tier would have its own look.

Something I'd like to see: special effects when an equipment tier is achieved or when an item of power to forge a tier upgrade is received.

Achieving tiers won't all be done this way, but "Equipment of Power" could. All tiered equipment in this category would have an over-arching plot connected to them (special elemental weapons? various shades of darkness and light? the weapons of heroes long thought forgotten? etc.).

Will equipment tiers use money? Yes and no. We aren't wanting to set a single method to equipment tiers, but paying a smith to forge your equipment to the next level is an idea. Others are quests where information has to be paid for to get further into it to find out where the item of power is that would raise the equipment to the next level. Obvious dungeon crawl and boss battle to get this item.

More ideas are wanted, this is just a brainstorm, but I'd like to begin soon on ensuring appropriate equipment is added to tiered equipment IDs in item_db.txt, so thoughts are more than helpful.