[crossfire] heads up: advanced character creation commit

[Mark Wedel]

On 10/18/10 01:09 PM, Nicolas Weeger wrote:
> Hello.
>
>
>>    In the next few days, I'll be committing changes for advanced character
>> creation - that has been discussed, but in short summary, it lets player
>> adjust stat points and choose race&  class and switch between them before
>> finalizing selection.
>>
>>    It also allows them to select their starting map.
>
>
> Nice, thanks :)
>
>
> If there are client-side or protocol changes, could you commit that in
> advance, so clients can be updated too to take those new features into
> account?

  Yes, there are, but the protocol changes are intertwined with other changes.

  So while having the protocol documentation, and client, would be available, 
there would be nothing to test against until the server changes are committed.

  Old clients will still work on the new server, they just won't be able to take 
advantage of the new features (clearly) - they will be stuck with the existing 
in-game character creation.  So this change won't force folks to update clients 
to continue to play (or even make new characters) - it will if they want the new 
features.

  I can certainly check in the protocol file as well as the client changes and 
then delay the server and arch changes, I'm just not really sure if that gains 
anything.

  One thing I still have to do, which will probably be after this first commit, 
is selection of other abilities/skills.  There is not per race/per class map 
selection - I just take the choices that were currently in the nexus (scorn, 
beginners house, navar city).

  However, dragon players have a special starting map where they can choose 
their focus - I want to make that part of this creation mechanism.  And perhaps 
of greater value is letting character choose some degree of skills.  For 
example, there are basically 4 wizard classes, all the same except for their 
starting magic skill - it would be simpler to just have one wizard class, and 
you just choose what starting skill you want (pyromancy, evocation, summoning, 
sorcery, etc).

  This could then, at some point, lead the way into more advanced character 
creation - don't even really have a class, but rather some ability to just 
select the skills you want.