Diadem of Maunstraut

[dmpdesign]

Ah, ya I get you.  I can see how it could be done, but like you said, in a game not like Tris, where stats are obvious, the outcome is lame.

I have instead just made items that appear in the use item option and require the player to use it rather than equip it.  Then I tie an event that is tied to the usage.  Its not quite aquarion boots or feather boots, but it will have to do.

[Holy_Diver]

I think maybe if SoM really ever caught on, perhaps patches would've been released to add some basic functionality down the line?? I don't get why this sort of stuff is missing (bows/flying monsters, falling, and other stuff mentioned) ...all of that could've also contributed to the lack of popularity (that and not being very open-ended -- but come on, it could at least do KF proper some justice)

Still it's amazing what it can do, which is all the more reason to scratch your head about what it can't.

[Holy_Diver]

Actually the real motive was probably From' imagined the possibility of SoM games competing directly with it's KF games. In which case, perhaps there was some thinking to possibly eventually release a licensed version (for full fledged games)

From' actually began as an application company, and inadvertently found itself making games.

[HwitVlf]

The scenario can be a little more usable if you don't let the player leave the area with the 'uber' Item. To set up an example: when player's MAG stat is 200+ a 'magic' walkway will appear over a chasm- and the only way for player to get MAG to 200+ is by equipping 'Levitation Boots'. To prevent the player from keeping the boots and being too powerful for the rest of the game (due to their 200+ MAG stat), they must leave the boots on a pedestal after they cross the chasm or the exit door won't open.

To give another dumb variation on the basic premise: you could make two types of Levitation Boots: one +5 MAG and the other +200 MAG. After the player found the +5 boots somewhere in the game, make an event near the chasm that asks (but only if the player is carrying the +5 boots) 'do you want to charge the Levitation Boots with a brief surge of magical energy'. If the player answered 'yes', replace the +5 boots with the +200 boots which will make the chasm crossable when equipped. Then, when the player leaves the area, trigger a message saying 'the magic surge has drained from the boots of Levitation' and swap the +200 for the +5. That way the player could keep the Boots of Levitation, but they wouldn't be an uber item.

There might also be some scenarios where you could make a passage filled with Enemies that inflict a nasty status (Paralyze Poison etc) to where a normal player couldn't make it through. Then make one piece of equipment in the game that raised resistance to that particular abnormal status enough for the player to be able to make it through the passage. That would in essence make the player have an that item equipped in order to pass.

[dmpdesign]

Really most of SoM's shortcomings are in it's event options.  If they had added a few more event parameters they could have done jsut about anything (except bows).

Some events I would have liked to see are:

-if has "x" item equipped, then - {parameter}
-if "x" magic used on object
-if "x" magic used near object
-if object attacked
-loop "x" number of times (where x could have an infinite variable)

one nice feature of that last option would be to give objects a continuous animation or to loop a sound effect or screen effect.  this could be useful with lightning/thunder, water fall sounds etc.

unfortunately due to that weird system clock issue we discussed earlier, timing object animation and sound repetition based on the SoM timer function doesnt work particularly well.

[HwitVlf]

-if object attacked

When I put the game I was making game aside for other projects, I was toying with this exact possibility. You might be able to strip the texture from an NPC (making it invisible) and place it in the object to be attacked. Then you can trigger the event you want upon the invisible NPC's death. It's likely that you could even import a new non-animated MDO file as 'NPC class' if you fooled around with the PRF file. That way you could make scenarios like vines covering a cave that would 'die' if hit with a fire spell.

-if "x" magic used near object
-if "x" magic used on object

Similar for triggering an event upon casting a spell on an Object (offensive spell that is); just max the invisible NPC's defenses to everything except the chosen spell's element.

[dmpdesign]

ya I have a couple places where I am toying with that and it does work.  You might find it interesting that in a few places I moved some enemies into the npc directory and they work as well (with a few animated oddities, but none the less, it does work).  I suppose you could possibly even create enemies out of npc's....I am going to try this soon as well...though im expecting the animation oddness to cause problems.

now if i could just get a way to have a bow weapon i would be so happy hehe.  I wouldnt care if it required ammo, would just like to have the bow weapon in the game.

if SOM is ever 'remade' we definitely will have a great list of improvements that will be needed.

[Holy_Diver]

Wouldn't hurt to make a running thread for wanted features. Those sorts of threads are always interesting anyway. The wants could just even include general stuff as well (such as what would you like to see [more/less of] in a KF game)

[Holy_Diver]

I noticed that my Elapsed Time clock seems to repeat itself whenever I start the game. I dunno if it's always been that way or what, but my saved game time seems to be identical, so I've probably put in way more than a couple hours

I also gotta say I'm beginning to feel incredibly bad ass in this game. I'm a little worried it's gone from a challenging game at the beginning to a total pushover (currently heavily vamping HP and MP / never run out of magic, and can always cast healing magic in a pinch) ...I kinda blame the no-brainer style of KF combat though. SoM has blocking enemies, but it's always too easy when you know your magic will always stun. KF1 is even easier what with the one-two magic/attack combos (though I started playing KF1 after getting used to SoM and it was kinda rough because I forgot I kept waiting for the monsters stun phase to wear off)

I feel like it never really gets difficult other than pacing yourself, and possibly dealing with multiple attackers. I can't help but to keep thinking KF could totally use some rethinking in the action dept.

Could SoM make using an item deplete both stamina bars? If so that could even the playing field some. It would be interesting if casting a spell hit your attack stamina as well. That would force you to at least initiate a combo with an attack, and limit you to two hits before facing recharge.

[dmpdesign]

You sound like a perfect candidate for demon's souls...that game is all about becoming very very challenging throughout the whole game.
Even at the end of the game you are still a pussy compared to most of your opponents (something I personally don't like).

SOM can have items that when used (from the backpack sort of way) could remove magic etc...however in regards to slashing a sword it cannot.

The only parameters equipped items can have is basically one continuous helpful or detrimental effect.  The area of SOM that lets you configure this per piece of equipment gives you an option for what effect, and what potency of that effect.  For example you could have a hp drain and have the potency be 5, so every counter tick it removes 5 hp.  But you couldnt have an item that removed both 5 hp and 5 magic points per tick.

My game will have a few items that have a detrimental 'sponge your stats' effect, but overall, as I really hate things that demand upkeep (like life drain items and items with a duration) there will be next to none of this in DD.  I will try to accomplish making end game stuff challenging by scaling higher magic casting cost, scaling high end weapons' weights (the higher the weight the harder to recover and reswing) and by really toughening up the enemies AI and stats in the end game.

I am also not a big fan of limited access to restorative items...so like KF1 and 2, I will be utilizing the 'crystal flask' system with a regenerating source of hp/magic refreshing items (if youre willing to backtrack to a fountain to refill them).

I guess for me I can probably say I think nearly the opposite of you on the character being badass at the end of the game.  To me I don't want to have to spend time concentrating just to beat trash enemies (common enemies) i would rather be able to cut right through the normal stuff when I am at the end of the game and have a big challenge on the boss fights.

As I plan on incorporating maybe a half dozen or more super rare drop items, it will be my intention to force the collector type players into killing a monster probably 100 times to get the rare drop.  I dont really want them to have to struggle to kill these enemies.