[CF-Devel] new artifact & treasures idea

[crossfire-devel at archives.real-time.com]

  As per a different thread, I mentioned that I don't really like how the 
current lib/artifacts works.

  As I was thinking about this, I came up with what I thought was a clever solution.

  Use template objects (same idea of template monsters in AD&Dv3).

  That is to say, you make up objects of type 'template'.   The values and what 
not would work similar to how the artifacts file.

  However, instead of hard coded chances of artifacts in the treasures.c, 
instead use these templates in treasurelists.

Thus, you could have a treasurelist like:

treasureone template_helms
    arch template_xebinon
      chance ..
    more
    arch template_blindness
       chance ..
    more
...


  Then the helms themselves would have a 'randomitems template_helms'

  The advantages of this:
1) Basically all fields in the template (artifact) could now be set in the 
object, were as right now some of the fields in the artifact file are used for 
matching.
2) Better control of how often artifacts show up (now in treasurelist instead of 
hard coded into treasure.c).  Could also easily disable double artifact items 
(eg, strange ring of wizardry) (not that those are really a problem, but just 
the ability to disable that could be nice)
3) Ability to apply more than one template to an object.
  Eg, you could have templates for the special abilities, like now, and 
different template for materials. Then, you could have something like:

randomitems helm
   list helm_special_abilities
      chance 5	# 5% of helms are special
   more
   list armor_material_change
      chance 25	# 25% of helms are not made of the normal material
   more
   arch cursed
      chance 3	# 3% of hels are cursed
    end
end

4) Given that the templates would be archetypes, I could certainly see the java 
editor better able to handle this (eg, you select the template, and then an 
object, and hit the 'apply template to object' button or the like)

  The biggest advantage of this is a bunch of new treasurelists would be needed. 
  I have thought that the treasure list code could be extended also.  However, 
my thought on that are a bit more modest:

1) Add min_nrof and min_magic fields (eg, if nrof is 20 right now, 1-20 objects 
are created.  IT would be better to do something like
min_nrof 10
max_nrof 20

  To say to generate 10-20 of those objects.

  Likewise, min_magic could be used to say 'make this object at least 
min_magic'.  Thus, treasurelists could be used to make the magic bonus of the 
weapons and whatnot.

2) Add a min and max difficulty for each entry.  Thus, instead of using list 
transitions to make sure too god objects aren't created, this could be done in 
just one list.  For an object to be created, in must be between min and max 
difficulty, based on the difficulty of the map (max difficulty is there so you 
could make it so junk items don't appear on high level maps.

  Might be some other nice things to add.  Those are just off the top of my head.

  The treasurelist stuff would actually be relatively easy to do - at least 
point #1 would not cause nay problems with existing treasure lists (just new 
fields really).  Point 2 would require a little more work, as currently 'magic' 
is used for list transitions.




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