[3.2.0] Randart DSMs

[Starhawk]

So, I thought it was just the RNG playing with my head. But I've now found three randart DSMs in a single game, and they have all been mind-bogglingly awful.

The Red Dragon Scale Mail of Ladornie (-2) [24, +24]
Found lying on the floor at 3650 feet (level 73)
Provides resistance to acid, fire, cold
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold

...And that's the best of the three. The activations were stripped from all three, rending them completely without worth.

[Derakon]

Would you consider this one worth using?

The Gold Dragon Scale Mail of North (-2) [28,+26] <+3>
------------------------------------------------------
 +3 strength, wisdom, charisma, stealth.
 Provides resistance to acid, lightning, fire, cold, poison, light, dark, sound,
 chaos, disenchantment.
 Provides protection from fear.
 Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
 Aggravates creatures nearby.  
 

Min Level 61, Max Level 127, Generation chance 2, Power 378, 18.0 lbs

Aside from the fact that it has both a stealth bonus and aggravation, it makes a reasonable amount of sense. The activation is gone though.

[camlost]

I wonder if DSM that end up without activation could get their activation back at the end of the process. That shouldn't mess up power calculations too badly, right?

[Starhawk]

Would you consider this one worth using?

If I found that one in my game, I'd be wearing it. Still trying to plug my rPois resist hole.

After finding three randart DSMs that were just armor bonus and a couple token basic resists, I was beginning to wonder if something in generation was genuinely broken. Apparently it's just RNG sticking its fingers in its ears and saying "NYAHHHH!"

Hopefully I can still find some artifact armor worth using. I'm getting really deep and terrified I'm going to get instagibbed by something.

[Magnate]

I wonder if DSM that end up without activation could get their activation back at the end of the process. That shouldn't mess up power calculations too badly, right?

Not at all - but I wonder if folks would rather that randart DSMs just kept their activations all the time - they are quite a defining characteristic of DSMs, so why randomise them at all?

[Derakon]

Not at all - but I wonder if folks would rather that randart DSMs just kept their activations all the time - they are quite a defining characteristic of DSMs, so why randomise them at all?

The only reason I can think of is that the current standart DSMs have non-DSM activations. It'd be a shame if Razorback's star-ball activation could never show up on a randart DSM. Of course, that'd be a pretty rare event in any case, so it doesn't really bug me that much.

[Magnate]

The only reason I can think of is that the current standart DSMs have non-DSM activations. It'd be a shame if Razorback's star-ball activation could never show up on a randart DSM. Of course, that'd be a pretty rare event in any case, so it doesn't really bug me that much.

Interesting you should say that - I've been thinking that the random activations ought to be a bit more sophisticated. (I'm gradually approaching the rewrite of randart.c - I'm about halfway through obj-power.c at the moment, so the pricing errors should be fixed soon.) I think it might help to add a category field to list-effects.h and group the effects into things like healing, stats, damage, escape, etc. Then randarts can have different chances of getting different effect types (according to their theme etc.). So DSMs, for example, might only choose from the damage-dealing effects - and we could put a minimum value on them too. A randart DSM that activated for a 2d6 magic missile would be a bit pants.

[PowerDiver]

Not at all - but I wonder if folks would rather that randart DSMs just kept their activations all the time - they are quite a defining characteristic of DSMs, so why randomise them at all?

I vote for fixed activations.

[buzzkill]

Of course, that'd be a pretty rare event in any case, so it doesn't really bug me that much.

Without regard to DSM's, really rare events make the game fun. There's not a lot of reward in coding them, but all things being equal, I would look to see more really rare stuff included (if it's not too much trouble), not less.

[fizzix]

Why not do something like roll for a random activation, and if it fails, add the standard breath activation.

If you really wanted to go crazy. You could do the following.

1. Give power rating for DSM assuming they have the breath activation

2. Roll for random activation.

3. If activation power <= standard DSM breath, keep DSM breath.

4. If activation power > standard DSM breath, keep new activation and raise artifact power rating by (new activation rating - standard DSM breath power rating)

5. If necessary make additional check so that you don't get breathe fire on black DSM and vice versa.