ForumsHQ

I'm posting this here, as well as GreaterMud.com (http://greatermud.com). Feel free to post at either or both sites.



For anyone that isn't familar with GreaterMud (http://greatermud.com), GreaterMud (http://greatermud.com) is a majormud clone project. The concept is to make a game with unique content and similar gameplay. The purpose is so the games can be continued with both content and coding updates.



Atm I've been doing some of my first game play in the realm and I've noticed a few detail oriented issues. Granted GreaterMud (http://greatermud.com) is still in its just in conception but the question I pose, which details are important?



MajorMud has been flawed with coding problems and limitations for as long as its been around. I'm going to list a few, in no particular order, such limitations and see what input I can get from players. Feel free to add limitation issues, I couldn't possibly list them all in one sitting.





Party limitation

Maximum players 6

Experience rollover

Room limitation

Maximum 17 visible items

Maximum 15 hidden items



User limitation

Maximum duration spells 10

Maximum items 100

Monster limitation

Movement restricted by group

Movement restricted by index

Movement restricted by map#





Each limitation has its draw backs. But they each serve a purpose in the game. Unfortunately, Majormud was built around its limitation rather than fixing them as the game progressed. Some errors don't always come up, such as exp rollover, but are still present. Are these important to the game you know? Or would you like to see them fixed?



What details/restrictions/limitations am I missing?

Party limitations:

(opinion) lack of noticeable function for front/mid/backrank

failure to move party when leader moves via textblock

"party bug" causing pvp issues (mainly with megamud, but also roomers)

party members being dragged after sys teleport execution

(opinion) exp split between chars in combat rather than all party members

(admin-related) no tracking for who killed certain monsters, for item disputes



Room limitations:

maximum of 15 monsters

one permanent npc per room

failure to regenerate npc-type monsters via textblock teleports (minor)

failure to clear certain rooms on cleanup based on map/room #

limit to same map # for death/exit rooms

limited functionality for multiple-action secret exits

inability to restrict number of users per room ("cramped" rooms)

inability to restrict command options in rooms (anti-magic, anti-party rooms)



User limitations:

maximum total spells 100

hardcoded 40% crit cap (!)

minimum 1 swing/rd for bash overpowers low-level fighters

inability to use spells with endcasts & between-round spells at same time

limited item slots/names for slots

automatic retrains when exiting with more than 20(?) above normal stats

bugs with stat raising/lowering spells, particularly when recasting

limit of 30 ability flag slots

bottom limit of 300 ep

(admin-related) no tracking for items except lims, e.g. regen-limited keys



Monster limitations:

utter failure to use charmed monsters well (commanding, real attacks, etc)

mobs with game limit >1 don't use regen times properly

neutral monsters failing to attack roomers

"attack-last" function/bug, which doesn't even always apply

exp divided into two slots, split wrongly when tickdown spells kill

5 between-round spells, 5 bless/curse spells (or 10?), 5 attack types

bugs with monster entry messages (on monsters with incorrect text parsing)

limit of 10 abilities

(admin-related) no tracking for game-limit monsters with no single regen room



Textblock limitations:

many non-functional commands/limited command list

inability to use textblock commands in greet messages

inability to link textblocks beyond 2 deep

"text" textblock display parsing bugs - many are spaced incorrectly (minor)

(admin-related) no tracking functionality for textblock execution



probably many more i can't think of at the moment, but i imagine this is enough for right now.

Party limitations:

(opinion) lack of noticeable function for front/mid/backrank

failure to move party when leader moves via textblock



Position Accuracy Defense

Backrank -10 +15

Midrank 0 0

Frontrank +15 -10

Although this isn't something that sticks out, its very significant in combat. Would you suggest maybe ditching this and making changes to how monsters pick targets?



"party bug" causing pvp issues (mainly with megamud, but also roomers)

party members being dragged after sys teleport execution

Thats probably already fixed, that was an error in their coding that we likely didn't mimic.



(opinion) exp split between chars in combat rather than all party members

Thats a good idea. I can see large abuses with stealth and scripting though. It would need some sort of abuse check.



(admin-related) no tracking for who killed certain monsters, for item disputesI have to say I don't see the need for this. Adding it however isn't an issue.



maximum of 15 monsters

I think this is an abuse check. I think its needed.

one permanent npc per room

Although, not really an issue, it isn't a big deal to add in extra slots for streamlining purposes.

failure to regenerate npc-type monsters via textblock teleports (minor)Shouldn't be an issue with our code.

failure to clear certain rooms on cleanup based on map/room #

Not an issue, Greatermud has no cleanup.

limit to same map # for death/exit rooms

Easy to fix. simply changing the syntax for the database to read map:room

limited functionality for multiple-action secret exits

? I'm not following. Textblocks can always be used to make more complex functions. Am I missing your point?

inability to restrict number of users per room ("cramped" rooms)

Oo, neat idea.

inability to restrict command options in rooms (anti-magic, anti-party rooms)

:yeah:





maximum total spells 100



Oo, wasn't aware of that.

hardcoded 40% crit cap (!)

I think you're mistaken.



minimum 1 swing/rd for bash overpowers low-level fighters

The ability its self needs to be reevaluted I think. Its only use seems to be level extremes

inability to use spells with endcasts & between-round spells at same time

Fixed

limited item slots/names for slots

Waa?

automatic retrains when exiting with more than 20(?) above normal stats

We won't have the bug that this was used to fix. Shouldn't be an issue.

bugs with stat raising/lowering spells, particularly when recasting

Not an issue.



limit of 30 ability flag slots

I think our limit is slightly over 2 billion.

bottom limit of 300 ep

We are not going to use that aweful system.

(admin-related) no tracking for items except lims, e.g. regen-limited keys

Easy to fix.



Monster limitations:

utter failure to use charmed monsters well (commanding, real attacks, etc)

I wrote an essay on mudcentral about how they should work. This will be greatly addressed. I want pet classes.

mobs with game limit >1 don't use regen times properly

I know what causes this bug in majormud, its a non-issue with our coding

neutral monsters failing to attack roomers

This will be fixed.

"attack-last" function/bug, which doesn't even always apply

Could you be more specific?

exp divided into two slots, split wrongly when tickdown spells killFixed

5 between-round spells, 5 bless/curse spells (or 10?), 5 attack types

I dunno that this is really an a big deal. Although I have othing against expanding the database to allow more.

bugs with monster entry messages (on monsters with incorrect text parsing)

Not an issue.

limit of 10 abilities

Database could be expanded if needed.

(admin-related) no tracking for game-limit monsters with no single regen room

Easily fixed.



Textblock limitations:

many non-functional commands/limited command list

We can add anything should we need it. Anything in mind?

inability to use textblock commands in greet messages

That will be fixed

inability to link textblocks beyond 2 deep

Is there a need to?

"text" textblock display parsing bugs - many are spaced incorrectly (minor)

Not an issue

(admin-related) no tracking functionality for textblock execution

I can't really see any use for this. But could easily be added to a log file.

inability to restrict command options in rooms (anti-magic, anti-party rooms)



Would be kinda cool to restrict room entry by size as well.

Giving SOME reason to pick smaller races like halflings.

Position Accuracy Defense

Backrank -10 +15

Midrank 0 0

Frontrank +15 -10

Although this isn't something that sticks out, its very significant in combat. Would you suggest maybe ditching this and making changes to how monsters pick targets?





i think it'd work better if frontrank were targeted most, midrank middle, and backrank least. this would also go along with eliminating the current targeting system, where monsters tend to attack the person who moved to attack them last. makes more sense to me, anyway; though it's a matter of opinion what the ranks should do, i think the attack-last targeting system needs to be done away with at the least.





re: sharing exp between killing party rather than people engaged

Thats a good idea. I can see large abuses with stealth and scripting though. It would need some sort of abuse check.





true, some abuse checks would be needed. perhaps divide exp according to what levels people are, or based on their total exp, as well as perhaps only giving exp to people who have been engaged in combat with the monster and aren't sneaking (so that priests get exp, etc, but people who engage once, run out then sneak back in don't)





re: 15 monsters

I think this is an abuse check. I think its needed.





hmm true, didn't think of that. you would, of course. :P





re: multiple-action secret exits

? I'm not following. Textblocks can always be used to make more complex functions. Am I missing your point?





just an ease of editing thing, it's kind of a pain to make multiple textblocks when there could be easier ways. afaik there's also no way to make a single exit triggered by multiple textblocks (i.e. requiring 3 levers to be pulled in a certain order before opening a door, and making an item check to pull those levers) - things like that would be nice, but certainly not a major gameplay change.





re: 40% crit cap

I think you're mistaken.





rather, at 40% crits drastically lower their rate of increase. i think it should be a settable option where that % point is, perhaps even make it based on level if the ops so choose - i.e. level 50 has trouble getting above 40% crits, but level 200 could easily get 60% or more.





re: limited item slots/names for slots

Waa?





not sure if you mean you don't understand, or to stop crying, but i'll assume the first since i don't feel like arguing. it'd be nice to have some configurability to the equipment chars can wear, that's all. again, not a huge gameplay change, but no reason not to do it really.





re: attack-last function/bug?

Could you be more specific?





as i said earlier, this refers to the current targeting system, where most monsters will attack whoever moves to attack them last. i'm not sure exactly what makes some monsters ignore this; some follow it 100%, some randomly, some target each player in the room with a full combat round, and some seem to always target the lowest level or hps.





re: textblock commands

We can add anything should we need it. Anything in mind?





ability to execute textblocks on the whole room, adding/subtracting permanently to stats, adding/subtracting cps, executing spells/textblocks on other rooms (could workaround by teleporting, but easier to just add a command), probably other things i can't think of atm cause i haven't been editing lately.



also two more changes that'd be kinda cool: enabling ranged combat with certain weapons (like sling can fire one room away, longbow 3-4 rooms in line of sight, etc) which of course would cause monsters to target and chase you, and adding a way for monsters to sweep people out of the room, either as a whole party or singly (without having to specify what room they'd go to, like you would now with textblocks - great for messing up scripts)