Halls of Mist 1.3.0

[ekolis]

You choose to jump or parry? A prompt for every individual attack, or just as a tactics option similar to the Karate/Wrestling toggle in Sangband? I would prefer the latter, as the former could be annoying!

[Mikko Lehtinen]

I refined my new armor idea a bit.

In melee, monsters may attack high, middle, or low. (All monster melee attacks have one of these in the monster.txt file. An ogre might have one middle attack and one high attack.)

High: Make a Parry skill check to reduce damage by your shield's armor rating. In addition, either your helmet or body armour reduces damage, chosen randomly.

Middle: Make a Parry skill check to reduce damage by your shield's armor rating. In addition, either your gauntlets or body armour reduces damage, chosen randomly.

Low: Make a Jumping check to evade the attack completely. If you fail, either your boots or body armour reduces damage, chosen randomly.

Ranged attack: You may choose to either Jump or Parry. If you succeed in Jumping, evade the attack completely. If you succeed in Parrying, reduce your shield's armor rating from the damage. Choose randomly one piece of armour that reduces damage: helmet, gauntlets, body armour or boots.

Cloaks don't help against physical attacks, but they have resistances and special abilities.

In real medieval combat, shield was perhaps the most important factor in defense. I've always felt that they don't get enough respect in *band combat systems.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

I just lost my best character to Azog. Man, it's really frustrating being a 300hp lizardman warrior with a dark-brand sword, and still getting chewed up in melee by a relatively wimpy unique. Azog was doing ~100hp a round to me.

Ouch.

You usually can't beat uniques in Mist by playing fair. You need to confuse or blind them, and then keep striking critical hits at them. Bless, Heroism, and Berserk Strength all help in getting ambush criticals while the target is distracted.

Standing on a table might help.

I only drink Speed potions when I'm either about to die or fighting against a really tough unique. One potion of Speed might be all the buff you need.

[Starhawk]

I just lost my best character to Azog. Man, it's really frustrating being a 300hp lizardman warrior with a dark-brand sword, and still getting chewed up in melee by a relatively wimpy unique. Azog was doing ~100hp a round to me.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

"Hunter Instinct" could be renamed "Cunning." I think that's the concept you're going for with that stat redesign.

It was named Cunning at some point.

[Starhawk]

"Hunter Instinct" could be renamed "Cunning." I think that's the concept you're going for with that stat redesign.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

I don't know how much you want to consider other systems, but I think there's a lot to be said for armour by default absorbing damage rather than making you harder to hit. Sil and V4 both use this kind of system. It adds a little bit of complexity, but it makes more sense (how does mail help you parry?) and very naturally adds depth to the combat system, as great armour might keep you safe from a horde of weak foes while not helping much against a slow and hard hitting one.

If armour didn't impact on Parry scores this would also make it rather easier for you to stop those getting out of hand.

I was just crafting an alternative system.

There are only four armor slots:

shield
helmet
body armor
boots

Getting hit in melee: Make a Shield Parry skill check to reduce the damage by your shield's rating. All monster melee attacks target specifically your head, torso, or legs; reduce damage by that equipment's rating. Snakes bite your legs, nasty orcs sometimes try to stun you by hitting your head.

Getting hit by a ranged weapon: Make a Jumping skill check to evade the attack completely. If the attack hits, choose an armor slot randomly, and reduce damage by that equipment's rating (if any).

[fizzix]

By the way, I still owe a release announcement for 1.3.0, I'll get to it soon, I promise.

[Scatha]

Stat has only a minor effect on Parry, most of it comes from armor. I'm trying to turn AC into a simple percentage check. I have to modify things so that it will never raise above 70% or so.

I don't know how much you want to consider other systems, but I think there's a lot to be said for armour by default absorbing damage rather than making you harder to hit. Sil and V4 both use this kind of system. It adds a little bit of complexity, but it makes more sense (how does mail help you parry?) and very naturally adds depth to the combat system, as great armour might keep you safe from a horde of weak foes while not helping much against a slow and hard hitting one.

If armour didn't impact on Parry scores this would also make it rather easier for you to stop those getting out of hand.

I don't want to have more than one stat affect any one skill, to keep things as simple as possible.

That's fair. I guessed otherwise because of ritual magic.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

Sounds interesting.

Scattershot comments:
- Knowledge seems like a possible name for the Intelligence stat.
- Strength for Parry looks a little weird to me. Seems like Dex and/or Instinct more natural fits.
- On the other hand if you wanted you could put a minor health boost in Strength.

Knowledge is a good name!

Stat has only a minor effect on Parry, most of it comes from armor. I'm trying to turn AC into a simple percentage check. I have to modify things so that it will never raise above 70% or so.

Yes, Instinct for Parry perhaps... No, Dexterity. I can't decide.

Strength already affects how heavy armor you can wear, so it's better to use another stat. I don't want to have more than one stat affect any one skill, to keep things as simple as possible.

[Scatha]

Sounds interesting.

Scattershot comments:
- Knowledge seems like a possible name for the Intelligence stat.
- Strength for Parry looks a little weird to me. Seems like Dex and/or Instinct more natural fits.
- On the other hand if you wanted you could put a minor health boost in Strength.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

Stats and skills would be shown on the character sheet like in the above example. Players would instantly see what effects the stats have.

The skills would be visible at all times on the left side of the screen. Whenever you use a skill successfully, it turns green; whenever you fail a check, it turns red.

All the skill rolls would be pure percentage rolls without modifiers.

[Mikko Lehtinen]

How about Mind, as some of the Castlevania games use.

Instinct and Mind could work, yes.

edit: and were you planning on giving humans a penalty to Hunter Instinct, then, so they're not a completely average race?

Yes. Humans already have above average Presence -- they're diplomats, like in Master of Orion. I could also give them a slight bonus to Intelligence.

Most animalistic races would be good at Hunter Instinct, faeries and humans worse.

[ekolis]

I do like the idea of having two physical stats, two mental stats, and one hybrid stat, though, instead of having three of each - gives each stat more meaning, and the hybrid stat makes things more interesting!

[ekolis]

How about Mind, as some of the Castlevania games use?

edit: and were you planning on giving humans a penalty to Hunter Instinct, then, so they're not a completely average race?