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Date        : 2014/09/05 21:13
User        : saru
Edit Summary: created

====== Balance project: ======
I want to re-implement the balance of combat (spell, grace, melee and missile) and itemisation (closely linked to combat) to create a more accessible and fun feel to fighting in crossfire.
Whilst re-leveling my character, I have had an opportunity to consider what improvements could be made to the current combat system to make it more fun. I have noted that in many cases some knowledge of combinations of spells and areas makes leveling very quick and painless, beyond what it probably should be. One approach might be to just adjust each area individually on a case by case basis, but, the problem is so widespread in crossfire that it is hard to know where to start. 

===== General approach: =====
The approach I have in mind is to extend the use of formulas in game for attributes of objects to create balance curves for each property.
I will first pull out archetypes in a systematic fashion on model existing curves for various attributes based on the strength of the item. For example:
  what is the current relationship between attack speed and attack damage on weapons
  what is the current relationship between AC/WC and level

from these curves an approximate value of the attribute can be guessed and a formula used to fit items against. Care must be taken to avoid balance in game feeling like an entirely computational problem or

Items, players and monster must all be 

==== Benefit ====
  * Make it simpler for creation of new content that is balanced
  * Make it clearer for players what sort of content matches their strength
  * Make fighting more intuitive, particularly that information is more accessible during combat such as the effect of attacks on a monster
  * Reduce the number of 'easy' ways to level

==== itemisation ====
Currently items are split largely into 3 piles, general items, items with magical enhancement (+1, +2, of mostrai etc.), artifacts. Whilst this creates a large array of items to choose from, it is very difficult to know without a lot of pocking around, where a suitable level of balance for a new item is. e.g.
general body armour sits around +1 - +5 AC
magical armour can get up to +9 AC
artifact armour is generally around +5 AC

By pulling out the .arcs the following table the general armour can be documented as:
^Name	^robe	^armour	^chain mail	^ring mail	^hauberk	^scale mail	^scale mail	^plate mail	^plate mail^
|last_sp 	|12	|13	|10	|11	|10	|9	|9	|7	|7|
|ac 	|1	|2	|4	|4	|4	|3	|3	|5	|5|
|resist_physical 	|0	|10	|30	|20	|25	|10	|20	|40	|20|
|weight 	|10000	|20000	|60000	|40000	|50000	|20000	|20000	|100000	|100000|
|value 	|30	|40	|75	|85	|60	|8	|30	|100	|25|
|gen_sp_armour 	|0	|8	|15	|15	|15	|10	|10	|30	|30|

If we create an arbitrary formula to model how 'good' each item is it might look something like this:

{{user:saru:image.png|}}

we can see that the items appear to progress fairly linearly with the exception of one of the types of platemail which is clearly a lot worse. This item is the bronze variant of platemail listed last on the above table. One approach might be to move it back into line, however, items will all start to feel the same. Instead I intend on creating different 'tiers' of armour balanced on the level of the user. This would result in poorier quality items being readily available at low levels whilst much more powerful types of armour only available at higher levels. A formula for generating items out of treasure classes should be created. This would result in a table of general armour more like this:

^Armour group^	light - casters^	scales - thief^	Composite - barbarian^	full plate - warriors^
^leveling range 0-10^^^^^				
|Name	|robe	|leather scale mail	|leather segmented armour	|leather cuirass|
|last_sp 	|20	|18	|17	|16|
|materialname	|cloth	|leather	|leather	|leather|
|ac 	|1	|2	|3	|4|
|resist_physical 	|0	|10	|15	|20|
|weight 	|1000	|2000	|3000	|3500|
|value 	|10	|15	|20	|25|
|gen_sp_armour 	|0	|5	|10	|15|
^level range: 10 - 20^^^^^			
|Name	|lorica segmentata	|ring mail	|splint mail	|plate mail|
|last_sp 	|17	|16	|15	|14|
|materialname	|leather	|iron	|steel	|steel|
|ac 	|3	|4	|5	|6|
|resist_physical 	|10	|20	|30	|30|
|weight 	|8000	|15000	|15000	|18000|
|value 	|30	|35	|40	|45|
|gen_sp_armour 	|0	|10	|20	|30|			
^level range: 20 - 40^^^^^			
|Name	|breastplate	|hauberk	|brigandine	|fluted mail|
|last_sp 	|12	|10	|8	|6|
|materialname	|steel	|steel	|steel	|steel|
|ac 	|5	|6	|8	|10|
|resist_physical 	|20	|25	|30	|50|
|weight 	|10000	|14000	|15000	|25000|
|value 	|50	|55	|60	|65|
|gen_sp_armour 	|0	|15	|25	|40|
^level range: 40 - max	^^^^^			
|name	|mithril splint|mithril chainmail	|mithril coat of plates	|mithril harness	|
|materialname	|mithril		|mithril		|mithril	|mithril	|
|ac	|8	|10	|14	|18|
|resist_physical	|30	|40	|50	|60|
|last_sp	|21	|18	|15	|10|
|weight	|5000	|8000	|9000	|12000|
|value	|7000	|8000	|10000	|15000|
|gen_sp_armour	|0	|10	|20	|30|
|item_power	|1	|2	|3	|4|

IP-Address  : 59.167.121.117
Old Revision: none
New Revision: http://wiki.metalforge.net/doku.php/user:saru:balance

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