Wanted: Balance System
Posted: 18 Mar 2011, 17:45
Draft for discussion. Add thoughts, questions and suggestions to help develop this.
Overview: What is desired is a system for item_db.txt and mob_db.txt that can use points to buy different things for the subject (item, monster, equipment, etc.). Magic would have a comparable system that is balanced against the equipment system. The end result is a system where any official tmw-ea content developer can approve stats for the subject built in this system after receiving reservations for it.
The resulting balance may:
- Use existing formulas unless someone volunteers to change TMW-eA code to make a more fundamental change possible.
- Use automatic experience (entering 0 in the mob_db.txt) or create an experience system based on the number of points a monster is valued to of used to be created.
- Find a value for equipment script functions and mob skills, which are detailed outside the db. If TMW-eA does not have a typical eAthena function currently available, we will not attempt to use it unless someone volunteers to make it so.
- Fix magic calculations to balance with melee and ranged weapon attacks at appropriate levels so that magic defense can be removed from the game. Current TMW-eA magic does not behave in a way for monsters to inflict magic damage, so magic defense only matters to PvP combat.
- Fix balance so that PvP is a more interesting player option to engage in. It is the goal of this project to offer PvP and we may create more PvP options in the future in regards to gaining assassin armor, so it is essential to make PvP work with equipment and magic.
About Equipment Tiers
A tiered system for equipment will also exist, giving equipment levels to represent higher tier brackets, making reservations in the 5000s for tiered equipment. Problems with dye-able equipment, two color dye-able equipment and equipment tiers are related to the shear number of slots these take up. Our current dyeing system takes 11 slots (10 colors + 1 regular). If equipment tiers take 6 slots (5 slots + "level 0" equipment), we now have 66 entries for one piece of equipment. Two colors on one item also present the same difficulties. So we won't be offering two color equipment dyeing anytime soon to make db organization easier, minimize the amount of space equipment takes up and create less tedious work to get a piece of equipment into the game.
The number of tiers though, can be discussed. I'm suggesting 5 + a 0 level. The 0 level equipment would go into the regular area of the item_db.txt (Around 1000s currently) + 0 level dyeing (2000s) and the equipment tier section (5000s). This example would create 66 slots per piece of equipment.
Current Equipment Slots:
Head
Chest
Leg
Hand
Foot
Shield
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Weapon
Ammo (Arrow Only)
Best 1.0 Equipment (Highest Tier)
Max. Defense: 50% | Non-Accessory Max. Bonus per Stat: 5 | | Accessory Max. Bonus per Stat: 5 | Max. Melee Weapon Attack: 80 | Max. Bow Attack: 50 | Max. Arrow Attack: 50
Overview: What is desired is a system for item_db.txt and mob_db.txt that can use points to buy different things for the subject (item, monster, equipment, etc.). Magic would have a comparable system that is balanced against the equipment system. The end result is a system where any official tmw-ea content developer can approve stats for the subject built in this system after receiving reservations for it.
The resulting balance may:
- Use existing formulas unless someone volunteers to change TMW-eA code to make a more fundamental change possible.
- Use automatic experience (entering 0 in the mob_db.txt) or create an experience system based on the number of points a monster is valued to of used to be created.
- Find a value for equipment script functions and mob skills, which are detailed outside the db. If TMW-eA does not have a typical eAthena function currently available, we will not attempt to use it unless someone volunteers to make it so.
- Fix magic calculations to balance with melee and ranged weapon attacks at appropriate levels so that magic defense can be removed from the game. Current TMW-eA magic does not behave in a way for monsters to inflict magic damage, so magic defense only matters to PvP combat.
- Fix balance so that PvP is a more interesting player option to engage in. It is the goal of this project to offer PvP and we may create more PvP options in the future in regards to gaining assassin armor, so it is essential to make PvP work with equipment and magic.
About Equipment Tiers
A tiered system for equipment will also exist, giving equipment levels to represent higher tier brackets, making reservations in the 5000s for tiered equipment. Problems with dye-able equipment, two color dye-able equipment and equipment tiers are related to the shear number of slots these take up. Our current dyeing system takes 11 slots (10 colors + 1 regular). If equipment tiers take 6 slots (5 slots + "level 0" equipment), we now have 66 entries for one piece of equipment. Two colors on one item also present the same difficulties. So we won't be offering two color equipment dyeing anytime soon to make db organization easier, minimize the amount of space equipment takes up and create less tedious work to get a piece of equipment into the game.
The number of tiers though, can be discussed. I'm suggesting 5 + a 0 level. The 0 level equipment would go into the regular area of the item_db.txt (Around 1000s currently) + 0 level dyeing (2000s) and the equipment tier section (5000s). This example would create 66 slots per piece of equipment.
Current Equipment Slots:
Head
Chest
Leg
Hand
Foot
Shield
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Weapon
Ammo (Arrow Only)
Best 1.0 Equipment (Highest Tier)
Max. Defense: 50% | Non-Accessory Max. Bonus per Stat: 5 | | Accessory Max. Bonus per Stat: 5 | Max. Melee Weapon Attack: 80 | Max. Bow Attack: 50 | Max. Arrow Attack: 50
