Simulating Arc-Breaths with balls

[Narvius]

...just an idea I just had.
In Angband, breathes are more like normal ball spells - graphically, it would look like a fireball-spitting dragon, for example, whereas I always imagined breath attacks as an arc-shaped stream of the given element.

Basically, it would look something like this:

D01.2..3...4....5.....6

At each number a ball of that size explodes.
...yeah. That probably wouldn't be a real arc I guess, but something like that.

...(10 minutes later)...

I just checked it with some ASCII-Art in Notepad:

          ###
      ########
   ############
 ###############
D01#2##3###4####
 ###############
   ############
      ########
          ###

Definately too big... that would blow up half the dungeon. Actually, that's what I see when I imagine a dragon breathing, but I guess it wouldn't be so cool in-game.

Instead I tried it a little smaller:

             ###
      ###########
  ################
D001#1#2##2###3###3
  ################
      ###########
             ###

That looks better.

I think the damage would be like it should - higher in the middle (because there are 2 balls hitting you, usually) and lower on the edges.

Any thoughts?

[Edit]

It might look a little weird for non-horizontal/-vertical ones:

D0###
  01#### 
  ###1###
    ###2##
      ###
       #

D####
  ###### 
  #######
    ######
      ###
       #

(I'm not sure if it's that way, I don't know how the lines are calculated in Angband... probably they would look normal, the arcs.)

[Arendil]

Sidenote: "Poland" zamiast "Polska" jestem w stanie zrozumieć. Ale dlaczego piszesz "Kattowitz" zamiast "Katowice"?

Ad rem. If I remember right, arc breaths are implemented in few variants, like Oangband.
Second, you probably didn't notice that most spaces will be hit twice, except some from the first (if not "0") and the last "ball". That hardly resembles an arc.
You can try to place trigger points further apart from each other.

[Narvius]

...tak lepiej?...

I considered the fact of being hit multiple times (I *did* write about it: "I think the damage would be like it should - higher in the middle (because there are 2 balls hitting you, usually) and lower on the edges."), and in my opinion, it's better that way. I mean, ball spells are stronger in the center and weaker on the edges, so placing the points further apart would make it less realistic, as the damage would vary heavily depending on if you are near to a burst point, or just somewhere inbetween. That way the multiple balls that hit you keep the damage more averaged.

...uhm, I've actually never played O long enough to encounter breathers. I probably should now.

[Atarlost]

There are already variants with conical projections. I know Steam, at least, has them.

[Arendil]

...zdecydowanie......

(I *did* write about it: "I think the damage would be like it should - higher in the middle (because there are 2 balls hitting you, usually) and lower on the edges.")

Oh, yes. Now I see.

I mean, ball spells are stronger in the center and weaker on the edges, so placing the points further apart would make it less realistic, as the damage would vary heavily depending on if you are near to a burst point, or just somewhere inbetween. That way the multiple balls that hit you keep the damage more averaged.

Not all ball spells. Unless I'm mistaken, priest's OoD inflict the same damage on all affected spaces.
Anyway, using ball spells that lose strength with increased distance from the center, quite probaby there won't be two spaces with the same damage. Seems too unpredictable, but I don't know the exact function. Also, unless first "0" is adjacent to "1", lower damage is on the space right next to the source of breath.

...uhm, I've actually never played O long enough to encounter breathers. I probably should now.

Try it. NOW. It's difficult as hell, but still one of the best variants out there.

[Narvius]

...^.^...

Try it. NOW. It's difficult as hell, but still one of the best variants out there.

I *did* play it some time ago (just not for too long), and, I just checked, I have a level 8 Necro wandering around 50' - I didn't find any up stairs to buy some ?WoR...

[Edit]
I just found the phial on the ground, 50'. Lol.

[rdermyer]

I think it would also make sense for damage to decrease as the distance increases; maybe each successive ball does a little bit less? It seems like the damage would drop off really quickly at the end of the arc. That actually kind of makes sense, though. I'll have to think about that.
I like this idea a lot, but maybe a new style of damage would have to be designed?

[Pete Mack]

this is already present in many variants. Others have mentioned steam and O; npp does it as well. It makes fighting big breathers. Bit easier since you can shoot from a great
Distance and take minimal damage in return.

[andrewdoull]

this is already present in many variants. Others have mentioned steam and O; npp does it as well. It makes fighting big breathers. Bit easier since you can shoot from a great
Distance and take minimal damage in return.

In the variants in question, the arc is determined as a large radius ball, but grids are only included in the final breath if they are within x degrees of the centre line. That solves all the problems raised at the start of the thread.

But yes, solved problem.

Andrew

[Narvius]

I've just played NPP for the first time.
These breaths look awesome.

[buzzkill]

Also fun... simulating breasts with balls!

[Narvius]

Umgh... lol. ^.^

[Jude]

Zangband also has arcs like this.