blow calculations in V

[wobbly]

So went simple. Added curves in the 1-2 blow band then double checked nothing ridiculous happens. Got a character spread carrying a light and heavy weapon that I'll put up when my internet connection decides to behave.

[wobbly]

So went simple. Added curves in the 1-2 blow band then double checked nothing ridiculous happens. Got a character spread carrying a light and heavy weapon that I'll put up when my internet connection decides to behave.

Edit : I have a player-calcs.c file ready for testing. Anyone interested? Where's best to upload?

[wobbly]

Stupid question.

If you wanted to map the blows table onto a room template how would you do it?

Maybe as a pit or nest.

[Derakon]

Stupid question.

If you wanted to map the blows table onto a room template how would you do it?

Maybe as a pit or nest.

It's a 2D dataset, which is tricky to do with monsters. I'd go with monsters that have a few standard variations so you can represent progression. Maybe hydras, hounds, wraiths, dragons, ainur?

[wobbly]

Yes, exactly. I agree that it's good having a progression from light weapons to heavy ones as your character gets stronger, but the situation of characters that don't get a second blow even with a dagger or whip breaks the model. Perhaps the best solution is to shift the formula so that every character--even a mage with minimum str--gets two blows with a minimum-weight weapon, and then blows increase as the player gets stronger (possibly increasing more for melee classes), and decrease with weapon weight. Or we could increase the penalty for having a weapon that's too heavy to be wielded effectively with a given strength, but tweaking the blows formula will probably work better, and we can always strengthen other damage sources and monster hps to compensate if the adjusted formulae make melee stronger across the board.

So this one doesn't take a lot of fiddling.
The problem is almost entirely to do with the current 0 line of the table:
No mage will ever cross that line with any weapon. Every weapon is the same weight in a starting mages hand.
A priest may or may not cross it. Not with a 12lb weapon & for a whip if it's got the str it doesn't have the dex.
Some weapon weights will never cross that line. Half-troll warrior or not.

As long as something you want to have blows is on that line, it can't be balanced. It's a mage with a dagger & a mage with a zweihander. A warrior with a zweihander. A priest with a mace.

[wobbly]

Ok I took a hacksaw to my copy of the table. I'd changed every other lever attached to it, so... Anyway I feel I can add a few more comments on what make it's such an absurd setup & where it's causing problems.

I keep hammering on about the 0 str/weight line. This line should have nothing you want to balance on it. It's the sorry you ain't strong enough or your weapon is too heavy line. Yet in the corner we see 4 blows. That shouldn't be there yet is most likely generating desired behaviour. I think if I plugged in the no.'s that'd be 4 blows with a heavy weapon, either priests or warriors. It'll create funny behaviour unless you use weights & blows multipliers that get the numbers off it.

The 0 dex band range is not much better. It reaches 3 blows, in a dex range where you are clumsier then the average joe (assuming an old D&D 9-12 average range). You don't want real game behaviour on their either unless it's to say well you're to clumsy to have more then 1 or 2 blows. That definitely shouldn't be reaching 3. I don't think it's even controlling desired game behaviour like the top rights doing.

Anyway some solutions?

• Saner weights is a good start. It's a pain in other places, but less then doing it without.
• Less extreme class variance, let the stats handle more of the load. This'll reduce the work each line of the table has to handle.
• Make sure most desired/important game behaviour is off the edges of the table.
• Do something about daggers being a multiplier

(alternative is turning the thing off & using something a little more player/designer friendly)