INFO Latest Update News

[Thothie]

That is VERY odd... What they do on my test map, is run around like mad trying to find a way to get to you. After about 20 seconds of that, they give up and clear their targets (go back into wander mode until they see another enemy, or spot you again.)

Meh, I won't get another chance to work on this until the 28th (alien kidnapping), which is dangerously close to the release date, and I've got several critical things to add which I've not yet done. :\

Two things I've added but may not have the chance to test:

		if ( $cansee(enemy) )
		{
			if $get(ent_lastseen,id) != NPCATK_TARGET
			if $get(ent_lastseen,range) < $get(NPCATK_TARGET,range)
			dbg temp MONSTER_ID Changeing target in favor of closer
			callevent npcatk_settarget $get(ent_lastseen,id) "change_in_favor_of_closer"
		}

This is added to huntcycle when NPCATK_TARGET is set (ie. monster has a target). Downside is that it is yet another conditional added to this hunt cycle. (more conditionals in hunt cycle = more lag) But, in short, it ensures that a closer enemy will always be favored, if it can see one.

Also (in game_struck - PARAM1 = incoming damage):

	if ( PARAM1 > FLINCH_DAMAGE_THRESHOLD ) 
	{
		add NPC_FRUSTRATION 1
		dbg temp MONSTER_ID Frustration NPC_FRUSTRATION
	}
	if ( NPC_FRUSTRATION > NPC_FRUST_THRESHOLD ) 
	{
		//hit too many times without hitting back
		dbg temp MONSTER_ID Fleeing from frustation
		callevent npcatk_flee $get(ent_laststruck,id) 2000 10.0
		setvard NPC_FRUSTRATION 0
	}

This is similar to the old AI's method of frustration check. NPC_FRUSTRATION resets each time the monster manages to make an attack against the opponent. NPC_FRUST_THRESHOLD defaults to 10. Meaning if the monster is struck for more than 4% of it's HP (default FLINCH_DAMAGE_THRESHOLD ), more than 10 times without making any return attacks, it will run away in an attempt to acquire a new target or a better position on its existing target. (I use the flinch damage threshold so things like poison or burn damage don't make the monster go running mad, lest it's so weak and the damage so strong that it really should be doing so anyways.)

 

[HumanSteak]

Just a very minor useless bug report,
When Ice Reapers get killed by poison cloud, the death animation doesn't work (He just stands still but he's dead and we can walk thru)
Also, knocked down (but not dead) skeleton ice warriors still shoots frostbolts.

 

[HumanSteak]

Just had an idea for summon and protection XP.
Summoning a monster causing damage then disapearing, but the monster is just here as an image...I mean it's an attack spell but different from other simple spells.
i.e. A salamander comes and torches everything around the caster, or summon a troll throwing a boulder then disapears.
For protection, it would be nice to have some kind of spike armor, ring of flames and stuff around the caster causing damage and thus, giving xp
But once again, these are just suggestions and I can't ask anything more than what you're already doing with this mod Just suggesting!

 

[evilsquirrel]

i like protection, something like a sort of moving 'seal' like some monsters now form...if that's possible, or an 'aura' of 'something', could be speed, or protection, or fire, or ice, or whatever...

i dont much like the single use summons though, i think thothie should just try to figure out how to get the current ones to pass xp proper

but if that doesn't work, maybe just summoning them gets you a bit of xp? but then people would just mass spam them :\

 

[Wolfhound]

Really for magic it should be the casting of the spell that gives XP rather than the damaging of an enemy. Because wouldn't you learn more about how to use a spell by casting it even if it doesn't hit anything living??

 

[HobbitG]

no, because if you hit an enemy repeatedly for 0.0 damage, you don't learn anything because you aren't doing anythign useful. BUT if you all of a sudden hit for 10 damage you must be like.. AHA that was it, i'll do it more like that from now on. Kinda like golf. you can hit the ball forever and never get better, but when you hit it really far, you remember how you did it, and do that in the future.

 

[Gurluas]

magic is different...the casting is the thing...

 

[HumanSteak]

I agree with gurlas, but if it ever have to be this way, all servers would be constantly spammed with spell casting lol. Reminds me of morrowind and Oblivion, I can't help it, I keep casting useless spells anywhere I go to level it up and it's kind of...gay IMO.

 

[Gurluas]

do so it requires that the player hits a monster
then again wouldt fix summoning...i once suggested a "summon hornet"
hat summons a projectile to raise summoning

 

[HumanSteak]

That's why I suggested attack summon and protection spells

 

[Gurluas]

spirits yes but not animal...still a hornet would be nice...

 

[HumanSteak]

The hard part at leveling summoning XP, is to pass XP from the summoned entity to the player (Thothie told me a while ago) But I wonder if it's part of the hard code? Because it would require very hard code indeed...
And about the hornet, I think it would be nice (sans the lag it causes) A weapon wich gives XP to summon... yea that would be nice but..weird lol

 

[HobbitG]

well... i'm gonna use my programmer's brain here and say that i think it has to be hard code. Also, when it creates the summoned entity, it should have a variable that links it to it's owner, thus when it attacks, it should be able to pass it that back to it's "owner" and raise xp. (although i don't know exactly how it works, that's just my best guess)

 

[evilsquirrel]

maybe it could even seek out the closest enemy 8)

shouldn't be a single hornet though, kind of useless...mebbeh a swarm of hornets/bees/other

 

[Shurik3n]

I think the problem is that the damage a summoned entity does isn't passed by any game events. When damage is done to you its passed in the Damage event, and when you do damage to something else its passed in another event (not sure which one). So anyway... it would require hardcode to add the event that controls summoned monster to other entity damage (one my already exist that just isn't being hooked). If such an event exist you would only need to hook the event in a plugin (maybe in a script I have no idea how much you can do with those) and then take the damage inflicted by the summoned monster in the event and log is as xp for the player.

If that didn't make sense I am sorry, I do my best to explain things.

Also, if your running metamod type "meta game" in the console to see a list of events the mod has.

 

[HumanSteak]

Nah it makes sense Thothie was able to make such a script and pass xp, but it was acting kind of funky and causing some issues. I'm sure after hard code, he will be able to make it work just fine!

 

[Thothie]

There's a number of issues. First, as Shrukin mentioned, getting the XP to pass from the monster to the player, which is always iffy at best. Then, what's worse, is getting the XP to pass to the proper stat. The command that is supposed to do this doesn't currently function. Which is why you can get XP from Volcano, even though it's killing things through secondary projectiles, but it all goes into "Null Proficiency"

There's also the issue, even if I do fix the XP on Summoning or Protection, I have to rework all the spell levels.

 

[PBarnum]

if you mean making some spells like lvl 25 to use then by all means do it cuz there shouldnt be a cap at 15

 

[Thothie]

There are 18th and 20th level scrolls out there already. There is no cap.

I mean I'd have to raise the level of existing spells.

 

[PBarnum]

There are 18th and 20th level scrolls out there already. There is no cap.

awesome!

I mean I'd have to raise the level of existing spells.

What I meant

 

[Gurluas]

id rather want new stronger spells and nerfed spells rather than more high lv spell...was a pain getting to lv 9... just nerf the lower end spells and add more higher end spell...perhaps raise volcano levels

 

[PBarnum]

whats the point of lvling sc at all if no high lvl spells?

IMO high lvl spells would own. and as a bonus for lvling sc higher and higher, make glow bigger and bigger

 

[Gurluas]

also make felewyns light worth something

 

[J-M v2.5.5]

More high-level spells would own.

However,
1) Raising the spell casting level requirement of existing spells sucks.
2) Nerfing spells (making them less effective) sucks.
3) Replacing rare items (*cough*runeshieldfromdarkcavestofrozensummit*cough*) sucks.
4) Nerfing boss rewards (*cough*Keledros*cough*) sucks.
5) Making another-generic-boss-with-ten-uber-attacks-that-can't-be-solo'd sucks.
6) Giving certain monsters illogical immunities sucks.

I'll add more items to this list as they pop into my mind, because frankly, I'm getting quite annoyed by the above things, as are other players.

 

[Thothie]

1) Raising the spell casting level requirement of existing spells sucks.

Trying to avoid that...

2) Nerfing spells (making them less effective) sucks.

Also, trying to avoid... Actually boosted a few last time around.

3) Replacing rare items (*cough*runeshieldfromdarkcavestofrozensummit*cough*) sucks.

Rare items will find their ways to more appropriate locations as the opportunity arrises. Hopefully by 1.1 we will have a good place for everything.

4) Nerfing boss rewards (*cough*Keledros*cough*) sucks.

Keledros still twice as likely to drop goodies than he was in 1.0 - and has more to drop. (More than he should, really, since he drops spells he never uses against you - but again, don't have a good place for everything yet.)

5) Making another-generic-boss-with-ten-uber-attacks-that-can't-be-solo'd sucks.

No boss should be solo'able by any character in his (or her) level range.

6) Giving certain monsters illogical immunities sucks.

Such as?