Class/magic feature branch

[Nick]

Build page now has new macOS and Windows builds, with the new Ranger class. Source zipfile is here.

Changes to rangers include:

• Nature spells, and not many of them
• Worse throwing, better melee, and the odd other skill tweak
• Massive nerf to extra shots (for everyone), where +1 extra shots now means 1/10 of an extra shot; rangers get +1 every 10 levels

Note that I'm not thinking of any of these classes as the finished product - I'm expecting to have to rebalance. The extra shot thing will probably mean some rebalancing too (for example randart power is going to be all wrong).

One more hybrid to go on current planning, the Blackguard - probably won't be out in such quick succession as the last three.

[PowerWyrm]

Massive nerf to extra shots (for everyone), where +1 extra shots now means 1/10 of an extra shot; rangers get +1 every 10 levels

Applause!!!

[Derakon]

Interesting. How is extra shots messaged to the player now? Do items look the same as before or does it show as "+.1 extra shots" or "+10% shooting speed"?

[Nick]

Interesting. How is extra shots messaged to the player now? Do items look the same as before or does it show as "+.1 extra shots" or "+10% shooting speed"?

It's still +1 in object descriptions, and details say "+1 to shooting speed" so far. You can see the exact effects on the character screen where it will show

Shots      1.1/turn

[Antoine]

Have you over-nerfed extra shots a little?

A.

[Nick]

Have you over-nerfed extra shots a little?

Determining the answer to that will require playtesting

My gut feeling is that it is about right. Especially with the added changes to artifacts and egos I have in development - Belthronding is +5, Slings of Buckland are +1d4, etc.

[jevansau]

Played through a necromancer with randarts and my observations are:
The staying in darkness for extra con gets very painful later, both because of the non-use of the light spot and the need to avoid items with +light. After early - mid game, I gave up trying.

Most of the spells are useful, although Annihilate feels a bit expensive, and crush is almost never useful - it could be doubled or trebled in power without being excessive. Curse also seems too weak, especially given the HP cost.
I also never found a use for Command. If you didn't need line of sight, it would be useful. Vampire Form was extremely effective and used for taking down most of the late uniques (all the living ones).

I think I preferred the balance of 3 town, 2 dungeon books. It does feel odd that undead are the hardest creatures for a necromancer to deal with.

Overall, all of the magic classes are interesting, playable and feel different, so well done.

Now onto the hybrids

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Determining the answer to that will require playtesting

My gut feeling is that it is about right. Especially with the added changes to artifacts and egos I have in development - Belthronding is +5, Slings of Buckland are +1d4, etc.

Are you also going to change the the Ranger bonus to apply to different launcher types based on race? Or is it still only bows? I've always thought hobbits should have the bonus applied to slings, maybe half-trolls to crossbows, humans to either bow or crossbow, etc.

[PowerWyrm]

Are you also going to change the the Ranger bonus to apply to different launcher types based on race? Or is it still only bows? I've always thought hobbits should have the bonus applied to slings, maybe half-trolls to crossbows, humans to either bow or crossbow, etc.

I'd leave Ranger with bows and add Archer for bonus to all shooters.

[Voovus]

Two bugs:

* Stealing occasionally causes a crash.
Trying to steal from Farmer Maggot
Assertion failed!
(File z-rand.c Line 169 Expression M <= 0x10000000)

* Stores don't always display AC, to-hit, to-dam bonuses and known runes properly, and write a "{??}" instead.

[Nick]

Stealing occasionally causes a crash.
Trying to steal from Farmer Maggot
Assertion failed!
(File z-rand.c Line 169 Expression M <= 0x10000000)

OK, I think I know what this might be. Has it only been Farmer Maggot? If not, what else?

Stores don't always display AC, to-hit, to-dam bonuses and known runes properly, and write a "{??}" instead.

Is this at the start of a game only and goes away, or is it ever working OK and then this starts happening?

[Nick]

Are you also going to change the the Ranger bonus to apply to different launcher types based on race? Or is it still only bows? I've always thought hobbits should have the bonus applied to slings, maybe half-trolls to crossbows, humans to either bow or crossbow, etc.

I'm leaning toward just leaving it as rangers having bow-skill, especially as blackguards will get something that inclines them toward crossbows.

The hobbits and slings thing gets mentioned a lot - can anyone tell me why? I would have thought they'd be good at throwing if anything.

[Nick]

Played through a necromancer with randarts and my observations are:
The staying in darkness for extra con gets very painful later, both because of the non-use of the light spot and the need to avoid items with +light. After early - mid game, I gave up trying.

Most of the spells are useful, although Annihilate feels a bit expensive, and crush is almost never useful - it could be doubled or trebled in power without being excessive. Curse also seems too weak, especially given the HP cost.
I also never found a use for Command. If you didn't need line of sight, it would be useful. Vampire Form was extremely effective and used for taking down most of the late uniques (all the living ones).

I think I preferred the balance of 3 town, 2 dungeon books. It does feel odd that undead are the hardest creatures for a necromancer to deal with.

Thanks, that's helpful.

I have some ideas to make darkness work a bit better, and will keep thinking about that.

Command may still need some work; there should be lots of variability depending on what monster you command. Possibly if the commanded monster attacks another one, the other one should attack it rather than the player.

Curse should be mainly good for finishing off stuff.

[Voovus]

OK, I think I know what this might be. Has it only been Farmer Maggot? If not, what else?

Is this at the start of a game only and goes away, or is it ever working OK and then this starts happening?

Stealing has crashed with a couple of others too. Had it with Uldor and with Wormtongue, both when they were far deeper than normal (around 3500'). Could it be that it crashes if you steal from a particular unique a bit too often?

Oddly enough, the stores bug doesn't seem to be there at the very beginning, but to start appearing when you return from the dungeon.

I can generate a savefile, if that helps.

[Nick]

Stealing has crashed with a couple of others too. Had it with Uldor and with Wormtongue, both when they were far deeper than normal (around 3500').

If my theory is correct, you would have had speed > 28 when the Uldor crash happened?

Oddly enough, the stores bug doesn't seem to be there at the very beginning, but to start appearing when you return from the dungeon.

I can generate a savefile, if that helps.

Yes, that would help.