Ok, I admit I come from a different mind set when it comes to computer based RPGs. But being that my date for the evening is working a double shift, I?ll explore some aspects of what can make a hard core role playing MMORPG.
First I will point out that when playing paper and pencil games the players usually get much more open to talking when combat is especially harsh in the game. So here are some suggestions to make it fun but harsh. In all of these the monsters and NPCs should be treated the same way.
1. Hit Points are not displayed in any fashion: (While I am not sure how HPs will be dealt with in the game I suspect there will be a way to raise them)
2. Instead when you are getting pummeled all your stats go down: for physical attacks your physical stats go down more then mental but mental also go down and for magical (without physical manifestations as fireball would be physical) your mental stats go down more and your physical a bit less. The cool thing about this is in most cases the more you hit something the weaker it gets, but so do you.
3. Your Intelligence is the multiplier of the cost of skill points: for example lets say you have 12 intelligence, when you reach 24 skill points bought the cost of your next batch of skill points doubled, at 48 it doubles again and so on and so on, if you have slow learning this doubling occurs at 12, 24, 36?(the benefits of slow learning needs to be something more permanent like you get double HP per point spent or something) and those with fast learning double at 36, 72, 108?(the detriment to this should be half hp or something similar) The entire reason for this is because very rarely are the best swords men complete morons, or any well accomplished hero type, but idiot can prevail through persistence. Also this would simulate the fact that someone who has learned many things doesn?t learn new things as easily and must apply themselves to learn something new about a craft they are already a master of, or learn a new trade after they have focused so much into other things.
4. Magic, the ability to cast is should be costly: to have access to spells the initial cost should be something along all the points an average starting character can put into skills. This tied with 3 will keep high level warrior types from taking up magic when it only costs them a few points and they can gets those easy enough.
5. Large creatures should have area of effect attacks: when a Giant Clubs some tiny human he shouldn?t be trying for one, he would be swinging in a 120 degree arc trying to get all 20 of the little people in front of him. He should also be able to have a limited Range attack, say throwing rocks or dirt, a 40 pound dirt rock hurts when it hits, trust me. This range attack shouldn?t have an area of effect, but it should keep pesky casters from thinking they are immune from his attacks because of their range away from him.
6. Predators and attackers that are near towns are most likely strong or travel in packs: I have always found it foolish that the weak creatures are always near the cities and towns, it should be the strong ones that are (not the real strong ones but a pack of 20 dogs at least, if not the local farmer would have killed them all a long time ago)
7. Healer types should have a spell to see the health of their flock (party members): this goes with 2, As a healer type you are aware of the health status of the party, this should be a long lasting spell, and you should also be able to tell what other spells they are affected by (as they cannot) some maladies may not be in your area of expertise so you also will not see what it is, only a question mark showing that the player is affected by something. Another type of caster may know though.
8. The best healing are the spells that require time: so no casting these while combat is going on.
9. Evening the playing field: Being that people with no enhanced eyesight will turn up their GAMA in dark places, the ability to see should be enforced by a smaller chance to hit by you if you have no light, better light better chance to hit?same for the monster though ?you have a torch the monster should be able to hit you quite well!!!?
10. Health and magic regeneration: Health regeneration should occur after sitting for 10 seconds your health begins to regenerate, it will regenerate at number of points equal to your current endurance (read point 2) every 5 real time seconds (to give people a sense that time is moving this will be evenly distributed along the 5 seconds but the number will be something like that. Magic will regenerate at the same rate but at a number equal to your current willpower, only catch is you must first be at 100% HP so if you are hurt you are not getting any magic but when you do heal up you will get magic fast.
11. based partly on 10 I feel Charisma should be the prime stat for healers, as this is the mark of force of presence or persona, Charisma should also be the primary mental equivalent of agility while will power is the Mental hit points like endurance is the physical hit points.
12. Conning (figuring the combat value of a creature): creatures and PCs should have a con variable, the higher this is the more the creature can appear dangerous or easy, a good perception skill and knowledge of that type of creature will lessen this variable, (PCs with disguise or something similar can?t think of a good word can make themselves appear more deadly or less, dependant on what they want at the moment, for example a monk type will want to appear average or weak in a city but dangerous to predatory animals when in the wilderness ) the point of this is you really never know how is stronger then who or what is tougher then what, but you can give it a good guess by it?s walk and talk.
13. Conning expanded: Creatures should have markers colors (and math sings for the color blind) we can say Black - - - -? is easy killing?, Grey - - -? is a bit harder but shouldn?t be a problem?, Green - - ?you can take it but it will hurt?, Blue ? ?you should be able to take it?, yellow (no mark) ?toss up you or it?, Orange + ?better bring a friend?, Red + + ?better bring a few friends?, purple * ?you better have a party of adventures?, Crimson * * ?you better have a few parties?, pink * * * ?bring an army?.
(of course pink and black should be interchanged I was attempting to be funny) but this tied with 12 you have to have the most perceptive and knowledgeable doing the selection of creatures to kill
Characters shouldn?t be able to see if you are their equivalent or not, but they should have a demonstration of power that makes it easier to see if they are of your combat ability or higher/lower (this should be some type of sword dance for fighters and displacement of magic energy for casters, combo types will have a combo of the two) but you should not know their exact powers unless you ask and they show you, or tell you and then it is up to the player, however a person with the disguise skill should be able to act more or less tough then they are if they wish, someone with impersonate should be able to pretend they are of another type then they are.
With these things and a few other I am thinking of but don?t have the energy to write about at the moment should make the world a pretty uncertain place and thus force more role-playing.
Specially when the wolves are at the town gates and most people need a group to get past them, people will be shouting in the towns for forming hunting bands, ?Troll hunting band forming at west gate? this should make it a cool environment to game in. I just hope that there is no severe location lag but that can be worked out by having more locations.
A little story:
Just imagine you go out with a healer type a little higher on the food chain then you are to take out a Giant Toad that has been eating all the local Beavers and the hunters are pissed, but after it ate Hunter Kolan none of the hunters are going near the river, well you get there and your healer companion and you see the Toad, he tells you to wait here, he?ll lure it to you.
A few seconds go by and sure enough here comes the healer with the Toad after him, you ready your sword in anticipation and just as it is about to pass you, you swing down with all your might, though it seems to have affected the creature it?s skin was very flexible and it jumps turning to face you and opening its huge maw.
Its tongue lashes out at you, and you are surprised at it?s speed and it?s effect , it almost knocked you to the ground, you charge in and see your healer companion coating a blade with something out of the corner of your eye, you hit it again and you know you broke a bone or two in it?s body?it hits you with it?s tongue again this time you feel queasy and yell at the healer to help you, it?s poisoned you, you can?t focus your attacks are missing it or bouncing off its flesh, you hear your healer friend stabbing at it and wonder why he isn?t healing you has his god forsaken you or something, you feel the tongue hit you again and blackness falls on you, all you can think about is what god was it you where cursing a week ago??
Later you come to, some bandages are about you and you smell chicken cooking on a fire, you look at your bandages and know that they have some curing salves on them, you are hurt but alive.
You ask your companion why he hasn?t healed you?? he response with a look of shock, ?what are you talking about that anti venom salve cost me 8 silver an ounce, I put all 12 on you just to make sure you made it through. You tell him ? no, why didn?t you use the powers granted by your god to heal me? ?oh? he snickers a bit ?well, you see I knew you wouldn?t go if I told you that I needed someone to take a few hits from it so that my poison could take effect, but I knew you would come with me if I told you I was a holy man?
You can?t believe your ears and you look for your sword, grabbing it your companion tells you ? I wouldn?t do that if I was you, the poison is still in your system and right now you are no match for me, and even if you do kill me, I?ll likely hit you once with my blade and the poison on it will surely kill you. We?ll both be dead, plus in the morning we can go back to town and get the reward for this thing, I?ll buy you a beer and well think back on this fondly?
While he gave his little speech you had the feeling he was right, the look in his eyes seemed that of a hard cold killer, but his voice was merry, and it was as if he where saying, I could have killed you in your sleep, don?t be foolish now. You also couldn?t help it that you found it funny how he snookered you into believing he was a holy man, he doesn?t look it now, but during the day you where sure of it.
Well that is my version of what a guy with impersonate and he didn?t appear to be of different power level but of different specialization?
All in all I think these things would really add to Role-playing and be fun, but down time is a very debatable thing for me, what do you guys think??
