[CF List] Too stupid...

[Mark Wedel]

"Andrew D. Bagdanov" wrote:
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      I like this idea very much too...  There are a few interesting things
     
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      that could be done:
     
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       1.  Minimum level in specific categories as mentioned above.  It
     
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           would be cool if you could only get some of the bonuses for an
     
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           artifact depending on your range of exp, i.e. you get the dam
     
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           bonus if your phys level is high enough, but maybe not the pow if
     
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           you're not too bright.  This way artifacts could "grow" with a
     
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           character as he gained levels...
     
     
 This is possible (anything is really possible), but would be much harder to
do.  The only way I could really think to do this is for the artifact to have an
inventory of the different abilities, and when the player equips it (or their
level changes), this inventory is examined to see what criteria the character
matches (wis level is high enough, so they get the +2 wis bonus, but pow level
is not high enough).  This would also allow for multiple powers.  Ie, wis level
10 gives you +1 wisdom stat, wis level 20 give you 5 extra grace (in addition to
the +! stat), wis level 30 gives you ...

 As I type this, I wonder if this is also possible with the new scripting code. 
I believe there is logic in there so that the script is called each time the
item is applied.  That script could do this checking and set bonuses
appropriately.
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       2.  Personalize artifacts once they're gained.  So once I've had an
     
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           artifact in my inventory I can give it away, but it will be
     
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           useles to whoever gets it.  With this, if a lower level character
     
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           helps on a quest, he can still get an artifact for his trouble --
     
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           but he's got to be there.  Doesn't prevent someone from going
     
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           into a cleaned out area and scooping up artifacts left lying
     
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           around, though...
     
     
 The other problem with this is if your in a party (either official or
unofficial) and one character accidentally picks up the item (lets say the
wizard is hanging back picking up good looking magic items, and picks up that
hackmaster +12 - wizard wants the fighter to have it, the fighter wants to have
it, and the fighter is actually there, but just wasn't the first to pick it
up).  Maybe they don't even sort this out until they are back in town, so doing
map comparisons doesn't work.

 Now once again, with the script code, you could probably do something that once
someone starts using an artifact, it becomes attuned to them so it is less
powerful if given away.  But this doesn't really help - presumably people aren't
giving away the artifacts they use, but that extra object they found in a
dungeon and don't need.


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       3.  Keep a record of character accomplishments.  Kinda like a CV.  So
     
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           that I can't use Flametongue+7 unless my vitae says I've slain
     
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           the High Dragon Lord.
     
     
 This once again may not work out that good when playing with a party.  Maybe it
was the wizards spell that took out the dragon lord, but the fighter was up
there hacking it also.

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      All in all, I think the minimum level suggestion makes the most sense,
     
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      but it still doesn't prevent gifting of artifacts.  Levels are pretty
     
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      easy to gain in a straightforward, mechanical way once you're beyond a
     
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      certain point.
     
     
 True, but it seems the big problem isn't a level 50 character giving the level
30 character something, but the level 50 character giving the level 5 character
somthing.  And at some point, the player can just get the artifact itself. 
Presumably the level requirements are roughly what level the map designer
expects the character to be when they complete the quest.  It is of course
possible that some characters may be a lower level when they get the item
(through either very good play, or using lots of expendible magic items like
potions, or just the nature of the character (between race, class, and religion,
perhaps they have really high resistance for what they meet on that map).

 You can't ever really make something fullproof.  But the idea is to get a close
enough approximation that doesn't cause a bunch of side effects.