[crossfire] new character creation

[Mark Wedel]

On 05/ 2/10 11:15 AM, Otto J. Makela wrote:
> Mark Wedel wrote:
>
>>    This new method puts the creation in-client.  This has several advantages -
>> better interface for the end user, removes a lot of code from the server, and
>> also moves some of the current character information from maps into archetypes.
>
> I see an opening here for special "character creator" client software,
> which keeps re-rolling the character to maximize stats and optimize point
> allocation, thus consistently always creating the best possible characters.
>
> Would this be a problem?
>

  Stats will no longer be rolled - instead, you will just get X points to 
distribute how you want (IMO, re-rolling stats to get the distribution you want 
is a pain anyways).

  Note that nothing prevents anyone from creating a character creator plugin 
right now - in fact, a long time ago, someone sort of did that (wasn't a plug in 
- was a hard coded script IIRC) - aside from latency issues, it would work.

  Now will letting players distribute state points the way they like create some 
issue?  Perhaps, since it will be that much easier to min/max than before.  I 
don't have a good solution to this, simply because in some cases, you can really 
have low stats with minimal game play effect.

  For example, if you are playing a barbarian, and don't plan to get into 
spellcasting all that soon, all you really need is str, dex, con.  And maybe cha 
to get some better prices.  But you could care less about your int, wis, and 
pow.  So if those are all 1, no big deal.  What this means is that given some 
stat total, you could probably max out that str, dex, con.

  Later in the characters life, you can use stat potions to increase those bad 
stats - there have been discussions now and again about changing how stat 
potions work.

  Unfortunately, for spell casters, this isn't quite so simple - while you 
really want that Pow and Int/Wis (depending on type of caster), if you put a 1 
in Str, you can probably carry very little, so not good.  a 1 Con gives 
penalties for hp - also not good, and 1 dex makes you slower, so also not great. 
  So for a spell caster, you need something at least partially decent for those 
other stats.

  And this basically makes any of the multi class type characters (like paladin) 
in really bad shape - you'll be middling either way.

  But this once again gets off topic on character creation, and is more a 
balance/play style issue.

  I will note that one interesting possibility about giving classes/races stat 
bonus/penalties:  Instead of tying it to particular stats, one could say 'this 
class gets 5 more stats than other (or maybe some get 5 less because they are 
perceived as powerful)

  One way to perhaps minimize min/maxing is to change the cost of stat points 
based on the stat.  Eg, for stat values 1-10, each point costs 1.  For 11-15, 
each stat point costs 1 more (so a 15 stat would cost 20 points), for 16-20, 3 
points (so a 20 stat now costs 30).

  but all this does is have players make more middling characters, and unless 
potion logic is changed, we're just talking about effects at time of creation.

  Maybe min/maxing at time of creation isn't bad - it more likely means that the 
fighter will have to remain a fighter for a longer timespan.