[crossfire] Summon pet monster

[Mark Wedel]

Benjamin Lerman wrote:
>
     
       Hi all,
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
     
     >>
     
      And at least, I have a question, does there exists a way to force the
     
     >>
     
     client to wear a particular holy symbol whenever possible. Right now,
     
     >>
     
     whenever I change skill, even if I do not need any object to get my new
     
     >>
     
     skill, my holy symbol is unapplied, which is quite a problem when the
     
     >>
     
     holy symbol does a lot more than give the skill praying...
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
       Well, I find out where the problem was with this issue: there is only
     
     >
     
      one slot (body_skill) to handle natural skills (any skills learned with a
     
     >
     
      scroll, or any natural skills), to handle object that give skills.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
       My advice is there should be two... I do not see any reason to be
     
     >
     
      obliged to remove an amulet when you use a skill you know.
     
     >
     
     
     >
     
       I can try to modify that if there is a consensus, but then I have a
     
     >
     
      slight problem... I'll have to change all the code where skill and
     
     >
     
      object_skill do the same thing, because it will be needed to force not to use
     
     >
     
      2 skills at the same time and not 2 object_skills at the same time but
     
     >
     
      allow 1 skill and 1 object_skill.
     
     
  I think you really need to set up 2 slots for a proper solution 
(body_item_skill and body_natural_skill or the like) and not make body_skill be 
two slots.

  Doing the later is completely the wrong approach, and was one of the things 
that the body_... stuff was meant to prevent.

  Such a change would require changing all the natural skills to use the other 
slot, but that wouldn't be that hard (just an archetype update).

  But there are also some other possible considerations - I think you'd want to 
make sure that a character doesn't have the same skill equipped through both 
methods (holy symbol and actual praying skill) - I think that may cause some 
issues - probably more see with the arcane skills.

  Also, every place that checks to see if the skill is already ready would need 
to be updated, but that would have to be done regardless (I'm pretty sure that 
that code checkes the pl->ranges[range_skill] - so you'd probably need to add a 
new range slot (just like the body stuff above) and update all the code to look 
for it.

  In fact, I'm pretty sure your proposed solution won't work just for that 
reason - even if I have two skill slots, you'd get this scenario - I equip holy 
symbol, so range_skill is the holy symbol.  Then I use some other (natural) 
skill.  the holy symbol is still equipped, but now range_skill is that other 
skill (say disarm traps).  When I go to cast the spell, the range_skill isn't 
appropriate so it goes and finds something to equip for me.

  All this said, one could make the case that having only 1 skill equipped at a 
time, regardless of natural or item, is a play balance limitation.

  A case could also be made that perhaps things like talismans should share the 
amulet spot, lock picks require unequipping your weapon, etc (eg, skill items 
shouldn't have their own slot, but rather use one of the normal body locations 
of characters - that after all actually makes even more sense.) - Can't really 
pick a lock holding a long sword and shield.