PlaneShift

Gameplay => Wish list => Topic started by: Eonwind on November 16, 2011, 01:59:24 pm

Title: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 16, 2011, 01:59:24 pm
Hi! Everyone!
One of the things I'd most like to see impemented as soon as possible is Alchemy. This will open up places for professions other than the miner, the arms and armour crafter etc.

My proposal is to impement alchemy "softly" and eventually expanding it on a later stage. I'll try to explain myself better:

1- Game Engine:
if I'm not wrong everything necessary to implement alchemy is already in place: we have "bowls", "mortar and pestle", "fireplaces", ecc. basically we could start using the same game mechanics usable for cooking. Most of the work would be about filling up the database tables so it would be possible to create alchemical items.

An example:
Book (about alchemy) + Alchemy skill + ingredient A + ingredient B + combined within container (ex. "bowls") = Healing potion

2- Game element to be designed
Basically a simple Book would be sufficent to start with, plus a mini quest where the player can get it from a NPC

3- in the future...
Once the basic system will be in place it will be possible to create new kind of potions, masterwork potions, etc. but that's best left for the future.

I can offer to help the project, by filling up the data or something like that (I've some knowledge of the SQL if it may help)

I hope someone will find those ideas useful  :D
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: weltall on November 16, 2011, 02:08:58 pm
the only missing thing is the transformations and combinations which is a lot of work.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 16, 2011, 02:34:25 pm
the only missing thing is the transformations and combinations which is a lot of work.

no doubt a lot of work may be needed but if I can help toward this goal I'd be glad. Obviously no one pretend this to be completed very soon :D
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: LigH on November 16, 2011, 03:31:19 pm
If you are interested in helping in this specific case, and you are old enough to be considered, get recruited for the "Rules" department (they are responsible for tables, values, math algorithms...).
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Gilrond on November 16, 2011, 04:11:17 pm
the only missing thing is the transformations and combinations which is a lot of work.

I've heard from Starg the work was done and finished long time ago already. Can't it be reused, or it was lost for some reason?
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 16, 2011, 04:31:22 pm
If you are interested in helping in this specific case, and you are old enough to be considered, get recruited for the "Rules" department (they are responsible for tables, values, math algorithms...).

yes I'm more than old enough  ;) where can I let them know I'm willing to help? (I looked at the forum but I was unable to find the right place, sorry)
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Sarva on November 16, 2011, 05:41:50 pm
Go to the main Planeshift web page under the development menu on the left click the join us link
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 16, 2011, 07:20:11 pm
Go to the main Planeshift web page under the development menu on the left click the join us link

thank you, I filed the request. I hope to get an answer in any case.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: weltall on November 16, 2011, 07:59:22 pm
the only missing thing is the transformations and combinations which is a lot of work.

I've heard from Starg the work was done and finished long time ago already. Can't it be reused, or it was lost for some reason?
according to the previous rules devs working on it it's full of exploits and was discarded.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Gilrond on November 17, 2011, 01:06:07 am
That's not what I've heard. So someone just discarded it without any factual basis? I've heard the data was lost, and given over again from the private backup.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Talad on November 17, 2011, 02:39:50 am
The best will be to explain how the system work and provide the template we use to create the data on the wiki, so anyone interested can work on it. Bonifarzia, if you are reading this, can you upload in pswiki the template for crafting and add some details on how it works? Maybe the community may pick it up and start to develop alchemy.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: weltall on November 17, 2011, 07:24:25 am
That's not what I've heard. So someone just discarded it without any factual basis? I've heard the data was lost, and given over again from the private backup.
actually it was tested and someone even exploited it on the main servers (a whole guild) for the short period it ended up there by mistake. I had to do a serious cleanup of the db after.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: LigH on November 17, 2011, 08:47:58 am
Bonifarzia, if you are reading this, ...

Just for this purpose, there is a Send PM (http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=37243) link in his user profile (http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=37243).
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 17, 2011, 12:56:26 pm
The best will be to explain how the system work and provide the template we use to create the data on the wiki, so anyone interested can work on it. Bonifarzia, if you are reading this, can you upload in pswiki the template for crafting and add some details on how it works? Maybe the community may pick it up and start to develop alchemy.

Thank you Talad  :D if someone could provide such a template I could try to work on it and then send it back for feedback and testing
I believe we cuol just start with a few receipe just to be sure the system will work and won't be exploitable.
I kind user even sent me a PM with full list of ingredients, animal parts, and plants's references to alchemy in their description and also some references taken from in game quest and official PS knowledge (so we won't mess it up all the lore in one place). This seems to be a good data mining to start with.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: weltall on November 17, 2011, 01:15:28 pm
the system is the same used for the rest of crafting so the exploit was in the actual process not in the system itself :)
Also notice we need the data to be under ABC license.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 17, 2011, 01:44:50 pm
the system is the same used for the rest of crafting so the exploit was in the actual process not in the system itself :)
Also notice we need the data to be under ABC license.

but you mentioned the problem was adressed with the new skills system, am I'm right?  :) (so it could actually be possible to work on that  ;) )

of course the data will be available under your license (like other game elements if I'm not wrong)... I propose the basic work on the wiki will include only base combinations and transformation ( = common lore, for example those commonly found in basic books, like metallurgy), once the system will be tested more advanced game contents will be implemented by the developers or (at your choise) by willing player (like me) under a non disclosure agreement to preserve spoiling.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: weltall on November 17, 2011, 01:46:41 pm
no the problem was that the data allowed to obtain unfair results (things duplicating for example through a reversible procedure) that was the problem. So essentially you've to be careful to put all the values right in the table and that all the process graph is correctly connected.
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: Eonwind on November 17, 2011, 03:27:16 pm
no the problem was that the data allowed to obtain unfair results (things duplicating for example through a reversible procedure) that was the problem. So essentially you've to be careful to put all the values right in the table and that all the process graph is correctly connected.

fine now I understand the issue, should the form ever be available I'll be careful not to create loopholes or something like that.
eventually I hope to find guidance from senior developers or wiki's documentation itself
Title: Re: Implementing Alchemy
Post by: tman on February 21, 2012, 08:03:21 pm
Just curious, has there been any progress on this?  I have a wizard character who started with like 17 alchemy skill right out of creation, and I'd love to start working on some brews.