Customization of gamedata files

[tangar]

Update:

Topic was renamed to "Gamedata customization" to continue with this matters, so there wouldn't be need to create a lot of new topics with similar discussion.

Please post there all kind of questions and suggestions about gamedata customization (Angband configuration engine).

================================


Dear Angband devs,

First I wanna say HUGE thanks for such awesome 'gamedata' customization system. It give enormous possibilities for non-coders (yet) to adjust gamedesign for 'variants' (and not only!) THANK YOU!

I speak on behalf of PWMAngband custom server. Recently we customized Magic Mapping and reduced it radius - http://angband.online/vigor-mushrooms-and-magic-mapping.

I wonder, is it possible also to add 'dice' parameter for stuff with effect:LIGHT_LEVEL:

1) activation.txt

CLAIRVOYANCE
ENLIGHTENMENT

2) object.txt

Enlightenment !
*Enlightenment* ! (LIGHT_LEVEL)

3) class.txt

3x Clairvoyance


Thanks

[tangar]

Some details to explain why is it important: as at our server we got special Magic Mapping rules (reduced dices), having Clairvoyance limited by certain distance would help to give players yet another tier of this mapping magic. Traditional 'Clairvoyance' which maps whole lvl takes out this possibility for customization.

[Nick]

Sure, I'll look into doing that - probably not immediately

[tangar]

Yay! Great =D Thank you!

[Nick]

First I wanna say HUGE thanks for such awesome 'gamedata' customization system. It give enormous possibilities for non-coders (yet) to adjust gamedesign for 'variants' (and not only!) THANK YOU!

Thanks for that. It's been a drive for a long time to get more info out to the data files, and I think now we've got to the point where you really can make meaningful changes by editing them.

[tangar]

Thanks for that. It's been a drive for a long time to get more info out to the data files, and I think now we've got to the point where you really can make meaningful changes by editing them.

Yeah! Angband really feels like not only a game, but also a powerful 'gamedesign engine' %D Great stuff!

[tangar]

Re: Gamedata customization

*tried to raname topic to 'Gamedata customization' to continue this subject; but topic still got old name.. nvm*

Another important flag for customization lay in store.txt

I've noted this suggestion in PWMA development topic and PowerWyrm kindly agreed that he would look into it. As this functional could also be interesting to have in Angband, I want to post this idea here too, maybe we could discuss it and unravel some more interesting flags? Also maybe joint efforts could be combined to achieve this important customization mechanism.

Currently in store.txt there are two main flags which indicate how often item would appear in the shop:

# normal: type name : item name - for the normal stocking list
# always: type name : item name - for things to always stock

The topic: is it possible in future to add more different flags for stores?

Now there is 'always' flag (spawn 40 stack of 40 items) and 'normal' (ocassionaly spawn 1-10 times). It would be fun to have something like this:

- always (spawn 10-20 items) // currently having always 40 items sounds quite anti-RPG style, moar rng!
- normal (5-10 items)
- rare (1-5 items)
- unique (1 item)
- never (to forbid certain item in Black Market)

Also right now it's not possible to have any special flags at BM, except 'always'. It would be fun to have possibility to customize it

Also maybe (if it's not too hard to implement) there could be two different types of flags for stores: quantity flags (determine how much items would appear in pile) and rarity (how often certain item type would appear). It would give possbility to create really precise store customization

[tangar]

yet another /rfe, this time to constants.txt

add there constant to increase items price; so it would be possible not to reassign cost of all items in objects manually one by one, but add to assign x2 price for all object at once in constants

[tangar]

Add 'equip:' flag for p_race.txt , the same way as it works in class.txt

It would give possiblity to cusmomize races, eg dwarf could start a game with a pick; elf with elvish way bread... =D

[wobbly]

Now there is 'always' flag (spawn 40 stack of 40 items) and 'normal' (ocassionaly spawn 1-10 times). It would be fun to have something like this:

- always (spawn 10-20 items) // currently having always 40 items sounds quite anti-RPG style, moar rng!
- normal (5-10 items)
- rare (1-5 items)
- unique (1 item)
- never (to forbid certain item in Black Market)

So in monster.txt there is:

# drop: item type : item name : percent drop chance : min : max
# drop-base: item type : percent drop chance : min : max
# friends: chance: number: name
# friends-base: chance: number: name

with number being in xdy format

more consistent would be:

# drop: item type : item name : percent drop chance : number
# drop-base: item type : percent drop chance : number
# friends: name: chance: number
# friends-base: name: chance: number

& consistent for stores would be:

item: chance: number

[tangar]

wobbly, cool idea!

===

constants.txt got:
# Amount of gold (or value of equipment) the player starts with
player:start-gold:600

handy feature, but I've started to modify equipment for different classes; eg added 'Old Lanter' item for Archer (2 light rad; non-refi), spade, random amount of WoR scrolls etc.. and sometimes new chars appears almost without gold; at the same time some other have too much of it. As I plan to recustomize cost for a lot of items, it brings problems to assigning it. So I would prefer to use adjustment of gold for each class separately (so all chars would get certain 'random' amount of newbie items; and also some gold)

/rfe
class.txt
add gold (AU) value, eg
equip:gold::200:300

[tangar]

this flags /rfes is much harder to implement I suppose, but I still wanna propose it:

1) add moar RNG to initial equipment to class.txt
Syntax could be something like 'equip[n]'.. Eg warrior could start with:

equip1:swordagger:1:1
equip1:sword:Whip:1:1
equip1:sword:Mace:1:1
equip1:sword:Spear:1:1
equip2:gloves:Set~ of Leather Gloves:1:1
equip2:gloves:Set~ of Gauntlets:1:1
equip2:cloak:Cloak:1:1
equip2:cloak:Fur Cloak:1:1

So with setup above our warriour have chance to get random weapon on start and also gloves or cloak.. Sound interesting.

or even more fun with magic stuff, eg 'mage' class could start with different magic rings (as we play with no_sell option, it's fine):
equip4:ring:Flames:1:1
equip4:ring:Acid:1:1
equip4:ring:Ice:1:1
equip4:ring:Lightning:1:1

2) even more fun would be if it would be possible to add unidentified items at start. Then our character could start eg with useful unidentified potion(s) (donno about syntax, maybe X?)..

equip1otion:Berserk Strength:1:1:X
equip1otion:Cure Light Wounds:1:1:X
equip1otion:Cure Serious Wounds:1:1:X
equip1otion:Neutralize Poison:1:1:X
equip1otion:Restore Life Levels:1:1:X
equip1otion:Slime Mold Juice:1:1:X
equip1otion:Sleep:1:1:X // to make life more exiting from time to time

Also ring's above could be more interesting in unidentified too!

This feature could look small and not important at first glance, but it would make every new adventure more unique; would add some 'flavour' to the game

[tangar]

1) Great news! PowerWyrm is going to add (or even already added it to PWMA, new version is comming soon!) two more custom values to constant.txt:

- chance of object becoming good (default = 33% + depth)
- chance of object becoming great (30%)

Which should help balancing drops even more.

2) I'll also would /rfe to constant.txt:
- add constant for randarts/true-arts drop %.
I enjoy V-balance (great for PWMA 1-char mode), but imho randarts should be more rare; like a rare mutation of true arts. So it would be fun to experiment with this values!

[tangar]

Today this silly newbie (I am) tried to customized the hunger state from traps.. To create my own trap.

# hunger

name:trap:hunger trap
graphics:^:light yellow
appear:1:10:0
visibility:d50
flags:TRAP | FLOOR | MAGICAL | ONETIME
effect:SET_NOURISH
dice:$B
expr:B:FOOD_FAINT:- 1
desc:A trap that makes you very hungry.
msg:You feel yourself very hungry!

But. I wanna make trap less severe. I've looked with my wide blank eye @ source code and found some staff

player-common.h

#define PY_FOOD_MAX 17000 /* Food value (Bloated) */
#define PY_FOOD_FULL 10000 /* Food value (Normal) */
#define PY_FOOD_ALERT 2000 /* Food value (Hungry) */
#define PY_FOOD_WEAK 1000 /* Food value (Weak) */
#define PY_FOOD_FAINT 500 /* Food value (Fainting) */
#define PY_FOOD_STARVE 100 /* Food value (Starving) */

player-timed.c

if (v < PY_FOOD_FAINT) new_aux = 0;
else if (v < PY_FOOD_WEAK) new_aux = 1;
else if (v < PY_FOOD_ALERT) new_aux = 2;
else if (v < PY_FOOD_FULL) new_aux = 3;
else new_aux = 4;

Then I've started experimentation with trap effect..

effect:SET_NOURISH
dice:$B
expr:B:FOOD_FAINT:- 1

I've tried loads of different effects like:
expr:B:FOOD_WEAK:- 1
expr:B:FOOD_ALERT:- 1
...
even to exotic ones (good example when you do something which you have no clue):
expr:B:FOOD_FAINT:+ 1

..

Then I recognized that this could be a boolean

Damm. Then I've tried to use:

effect:NOURISH

with '-' value.. like:
effect:NOURISH
dice:-4000

it didn't work.

/rfe
Would be fun to have some customization on hunger state. At the same time maybe someone could advice me certain trick, maybe it's possible to do it in current version?

Thanks!

[takkaria]

You can just use the number with SET_NOURISH, e.g.

effect:SET_NOURISH
dice:1999

is 1 hunger step into 'Hungry'.