Just a tiny example of customization which is already possible within current system:
name:& Flask~ of Whisky graphics:,:y type:food properties:0:5:100 alloc:40:0 to 50 effect:NOURISH dice:500 effect:TIMED_INC:CONFUSED dice:8+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:BOLD dice:30+1d20 effect:RESTORE_STAT:CON effect:RESTORE_STAT:STR effect:DRAIN_STAT:INT dice:1 effect:DRAIN_STAT:WIS dice:1 effect:RANDOM dice:2 effect:TIMED_INC_NO_RES:PARALYZED dice:11+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:BLIND dice:11+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:IMAGE dice:11+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:AMNESIA dice:11+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:POISONED dice:8+1d8 effect:TIMED_INC:SLOW dice:11+1d11 effect:RANDOM dice:6 msg_self:*Hic... Hic...* desc:It pretty strong and could raise your spirits.
This is just a laugh, a small test for Tangaria, but it’s already makes some interesting changes:
1) drinking Whisky restore STR/CON (important for newbie players who attacked wrong monster in melee and have -5 speed for example and can’t continue playing), but could make you stupid OR less wise (logical lol).
2) it makes you bold (@ Tangaria it’s pretty useful, eg to fight VS Maggot who is living at -50 and could ‘fear’ you sometimes)
3) it makes you confused (you drunk lol)
4) it produce certain random effects (drinking booze in magical world should be more interesting than in real life)
5) it nourishing.. and in Tangaria it’s very important as you can not buy food in the shops. Whiskey also could found only during adventures.
Why I posting this? Just to show that working toward enhancing customization is important. So having:
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Originally Posted by tangar
It would be great to add ‘simple’ condition’s system to gamedata customization. It would be give wide possibilities, eg to make different races to react differently at stuff.
It could be called: flagcheck |
Would really open ‘third’ eye in Angband development.
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Originally Posted by takkaria
At some point, if you start adding checks to gamedata files, you end up with a (hard to understand and nonstandard) scripting language…
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The question is:
What is easier: to hardcode new objects’ properties or to add them in object.txt ?
For example:
You have 50 objects, something like this tiny Whiskey flask, which you wish to customize with some ‘checks’. What would you prefer – to hardcode it or to have them all in one place in object.txt?
And what about adding 51 object? 52? 153?
Having objects customization in one place – it’s how it should be to move forward. Forward towards roguelike way – which is different from modern graphic RPGs with faceroll 3-buttons gameplay.
Why Angband implement new objects very rare? Answer is simple – because there are low possibility of such items customization. Monsters – ok, work is going on. Classes too. Their gamedesign potential are very high already and Angband using it’s 5% (or even less), so there are loads of space left for their development. Monsters and classes got loads of properties and very high ‘degree of freedom’ as monsters are controlled by AI and classes are enhanced by players bahaviour.
But for objects, which got the only way to act – when you use them – there are lack of options. Enhancing this particular direction would bring game to the next level.