Making player status effects less binary

[Voovus]

I seem to be going against the flow here, but just wanted to say that I'm skeptical about making status effects less binary.

For example, currently an early umber hulk is real terror, because of their own special confusion attack. They stand out. They get respect. They are formidable opponents without having the ability to instakill. I'd like to see more of these. But make confusion slowly build up over time, and umber hulks will just turn into an annoyance.

As another example, I find the current levels of wounds as probably the most boring of the status effects. I suspect that a rare (say, from shards only) but strong binary effect (say, losing 10% current hp/turn) would be more interesting.

[Estragon]

This also bears on my question 1 from a few posts back - are these messages conveying accurate, or misleading, information?

Personally, I think both. Whilst the messages are accurate and concise, they are rather ambiguous for players new to the game, relying on players understanding the status effect mechanics. However, I'm not sure if there is a simple fix, without adding more clutter to the messages for veteran players.

[Derakon]

I seem to be going against the flow here, but just wanted to say that I'm skeptical about making status effects less binary.

In my mind the main possibility produced by less-binary status effects is the ability to throw them around more frequently and in different, harder-to-avoid ways. A monster that slowed you by -10 just because you're in LOS of it wouldn't be reasonable, but one that slows you by -2 is a lot easier to contemplate. However, you'd still want monsters to be able to slow you by -10 in the same ways they currently do (by spells, mostly).

Confusion is one that I don't think really works well as a nonbinary effect, at least not in current Vanilla. But even if we did have less-vicious forms of confusion, they shouldn't apply to the Umber Hulk's melee. Its entire job is to introduce you to the problems inherent in getting chain-confused by a melee monster that you can't easily get away from. Making its confusion less bad would just lead to players learning bad habits that would get them killed later.

But actually, imagine if Grey Mushroom Patches could lightly confuse you if you got within 10 tiles of them. Not much to impact you seriously, especially given how sparse monsters are in the early game. Maybe you go the wrong way 20% of the time. That actually sounds kinda fun.

[khearn]

Khearn-
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic. You are describing PosChengband.

Nope, I'm not being sarcastic. I've never heard of PosChengband, but I haven't heard of most recent variants.

For the messages, how about something like "You feel you'll be berserk even longer."?

[Grotug]

Would a -2 to speed be a cumulative effect so that every time you get hit by the spell your speed goes -2, -4, -6, -8 etc?

[Derakon]

Would a -2 to speed be a cumulative effect so that every time you get hit by the spell your speed goes -2, -4, -6, -8 etc?

Maybe, maybe not, whatever plays well? *shrug*

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

Personally, I think both. Whilst the messages are accurate and concise, they are rather ambiguous for players new to the game, relying on players understanding the status effect mechanics. However, I'm not sure if there is a simple fix, without adding more clutter to the messages for veteran players.

I agree for the most part. But I would disagree with you stating that the ambiguity is due to being a new player. I've played Angband vanilla for decades now, I just never needed nor bothered to delve into the mechanics until now.

I suppose a good solution would make an option available for detailed status messages to be either on or off, as part of the game's settings? That way players could choose when and if they want such messages.

[wobbly]

But actually, imagine if Grey Mushroom Patches could lightly confuse you if you got within 10 tiles of them. Not much to impact you seriously, especially given how sparse monsters are in the early game. Maybe you go the wrong way 20% of the time. That actually sounds kinda fun.

The PCCPFCPB-likes have melee retaliation auras which hit you when you melee them. You could expand that system out by giving a range & aura with range:0 being melee. Just a random idea.

[Sparrow the Dunadan]

The PCCPFCPB-likes have melee retaliation auras which hit you when you melee them. You could expand that system out by giving a range & aura with range:0 being melee. Just a random idea.

I don't think this is a good idea, because you run across mushroom pits in the game. The last thing you need is a bunch of grey mushrooms confusing you just for being in their area of acknowledgment, on top of much more annoying magic mushrooms, and the like.