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rjshae

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Everything posted by rjshae

  1. rjshae
    I didn't particularly like the CRPG D&D implementation of Concentration; it had too much of a spell-casting focus. They could just as easily have used Willpower with adjustments.
  2. rjshae
    ^^^ Yes, degradation only while in combat, combined with the possibility of catastrophic failure, would make implementation much more worthwhile in terms of presenting a challenge to the player. But I'm not sure it would be that popular. Perhaps as an expert or hardcore mode option?
  3. rjshae
    Usually awful good; occasionally neutral smart-ass with good leanings. I don't find evil characters appealing, but the anti-hero role can be interesting.
  4. rjshae
    This is a more reasonable objection than many I've read. Thank you.
  5. rjshae
    The patches are available from here on the new site. I'm not really sure whether the auto-updater would work with that site, but I've always used the NWNPatcher tool and that seems to work okay.
  6. rjshae
    Following the demise of the item durability system, I'd like to see some type of abstract mechanic take its place. For this reason, I'm proposing the following feat-like ability that represents a character who takes better care of his equipment and therefore has less need to stock replacement parts. It also represents techniques for carrying gear in a balanced, efficient manner and making the individual items more readily accessible during combat. Gear Master Your long field experience with equipment maintenance, stowage, and retrieval has made you an expert at transporting gear and keeping it in good condition and ready for use. For this reason, the amount of gear you can access during combat is permanently increased by [several slots]. You can only take this ability once. I'd suggest an Intelligence-based prerequisite.
  7. rjshae
    Since item durability is now being abstracted, I suppose one might think of the limited size of the equipment inventory as modelling the need for replacement parts as you describe. Instead of having slots for five breakable shields, useable in different situations, you may now only get one or two slots for unbreakable shields. Perhaps the designers will allow you to select an ability to individually gain extra equipment slots, making that the equivalent of being able to better maintain and transport your equipment?
  8. rjshae
    BGEE/BG2EE done to the D&D v3.5e rule set would have been a worthwhile purchase. But that would take a much greater modification to the game engine.
  9. rjshae
    Presumably the same internal mechanic that is avoiding durability issues is also working to maintain a honed edge. Hence a separate sharpening system doesn't really buy you anything new. It's apparently only the effects within a combat session that matter with regard to your equipment quality and availability.
  10. rjshae
    I believe he is referring to the fact that PE combat is going to be a series of rock/paper/scissors. All party members will have two or more "weapon sets" that will allow each character to rapidly change their weapons. This is being implemented because they are also adding "flavor" by each type of weapon (crushing, piercing, slashing) being "best" against certain types of armor. (IE: War hammers (crushing) are better than a dagger (piercing) against plate armor.) So your characters will be constantly be switching weapon sets, even within the same battle. I'm hopeful that sort of thing can be handled by the AI for the most part. Guess we'll see...
  11. rjshae
    They could still implement the rough equivalent by allowing disarm-type attacks, along with damaged loot capability. But I suppose that would be "punishing" the player. We want no part of that here, sir. Go get 'em tiger.
  12. rjshae
    Mmm... mostly. They'll still need to add higher level spells and capabilities. I'll bet there's also a temptation to expand the base system, perhaps with new races, classes, or what have you. New races always ruin games. And BG:ToB hit a logical limitation with all the new levels, you basically became a god. Some other way has to be found. I haven't found new races to be the ruin of a game, but our experiences are clearly different. You might be able to carve out a power base and then start developing talent to carry out your orders. That up and coming talent can then be the leaders of your new adventurers. Perhaps multiple teams carrying out simultaneous missions, each run as separate episodes, with the outcomes influencing other events. Or you just start over with a new story thread and a new hero. Perhaps the offspring of your previous hero?
  13. rjshae
    They could still implement the rough equivalent by allowing disarm-type attacks, along with damaged loot capability. But I suppose that would be "punishing" the player.
  14. rjshae
    It might be useful to have a barter system for magic items. A high-end guild coster can manage various deals of the form: "will trade items X, Y, or Z for an item of type X or best offer", with a service fee paid for by the other party. This can allow you to more readily obtain an exotic item during the game.
  15. rjshae
    The biggest argument I've seen against durability is that it "punishes" players. To me that's a 'WTF?' argument, but okay. If a RPG removes all mechanics that "punish" a player, then get ready for some milque-toast runs because your enemies are going to be pure cannon fodder. Disease requires players to go and get treatment--a punishment, so make it go away nice and easy. Poison degrades player performance and requires a cure--a punishment; make it vanish after a rest. Petrification is a pure kill-joy--make it easy to reboot. Get rid of food and water requirements, eliminate encumbrance effects, make levelling up easy: these are all steps to avoid "punishing" a player. It's sad, but I guess that's the trend in the gaming industry. No matter. It's a whole lot of fuss over what's essentially a pretty minor feature. I could live with it; I can live without it.
  16. rjshae
    Well there's loot and then there's loot. I don't think having a few, rare, level-able items around is going to hinder the collection of other goodies. In principle then this is a reasonable idea. But there are multiple ways to implement this, and they don't all involve money. For example, unlocking the enhanced capabilities of the item could be implemented through prerequisites, such as special abilities or skill levels. These can be used to balance out the items and make them more favored by particular classes. Other capabilities may require slots for rare gems that only become available at higher levels of wealth.
  17. rjshae
    Q. How many gamers does it take to replace a light bulb? A. Just one, but first he needs to roll a 1d6 and consult the table below. Pause to post a complaint in the P:E forums about how the light bulb isn't innovative. Roll again. Roll for critical fail on ascending the step ladder. If successful, bulb replaced. Otherwise you must retreat to a rest area. Roll again. Notice that the light bulb has failed its durability quotient. Seek out a light bulb smith and get it replaced. Roll again. Light bulb replacement is not allowed for your class. Ask the wife to do it. You have a random encounter with a small domestic animal. If you survive, roll again. Decide that light bulb replacement is degenerate activity. Instead, you decide to go and have a nap. Roll again.
  18. rjshae
    I can't say I'm a fan of magic item breakdown because it makes them feel modular and mundane. Items that can't be broken down are able to develop a history and reputation. As for items that don't fit well with a particular character build: so what? The game world shouldn't revolve around the characters. What would be a nice capability at sufficiently high levels is to be able to use your stronghold library and something like a lore skill to research potential new magic items. The game designers can build in certain hidden synergies that determine how well particular combinations of capabilities fit together. You can then work with the craftsman to see if it can be built. Perhaps with the expansion release...?
  19. rjshae
    I think it means that characters will use other skills to craft things. So crafting is still skill based, but there isn't specific skill just for the crafting. I am not hundred percent sure that I am right, there is always possibility that crafting will not need any skills but only recipes and ingredients. Crafting can always be made a skill that you can hire. Since it is tied to a workbench, that workbench can also be associated with the necessary labor. Possibly what the character brings to the table, so to speak, is a combination of their unbroken soul energy and certain special skills. Thus a ring of darting and dodging could be constructed by an expert gold smith, while drawing upon the soul-based focus abilities of a rogue. Characters could still perform certain recipes that don't require specialized crafting skills, such as basic cooking, but do require a hearth and enough time to perform the task.
  20. rjshae
    It's an interesting idea. One flaw is that I'm not very fond of good magic items being flawed and in need of repair. And if they are out of this mechanic, wouldn't that leave us players heaps of literal trash that only the greedy would repair in order to sell it at a higher price? Thanks. Well they could weight the odds of parts being damaged based on the original quality and the likelihood that it is being maintained. Low quality/value = high odds, high quality/value = lower odds, magic quality = nearly impossible to damage.
  21. rjshae
    Here's a suggestion: Although durability as it applies to the party has been removed, it could still be applied to enemy gear. When collecting loot, it would add flavor and realism to have some portion of it be badly worn and damaged. If the party finds a particularly nice item that is in poor shape, then a visit to a smithy would get it fixed. Bingo, you get the same result of encouraging interaction with an artisan. Those who don't want to deal with such maintenance can just sell the damaged gear at a lower price.
  22. rjshae
    Mmm... mostly. They'll still need to add higher level spells and capabilities. I'll bet there's also a temptation to expand the base system, perhaps with new races, classes, or what have you.
  23. rjshae
    I find it funny the things that will "annoy" some players. It's a game: the whole point is to overcome obstacles. No matter. By the same token you could claim that crashing to desktop is part of the game and you'd be a fool to complain about it. The whole point of games is for overcoming satisfying obstactles. Not irritating ones. This proves nothing. Obviously if you take away all aspects of a game then it won't be enjoyable for anybody. The game is a simulation of an alternate reality. You'd have it remove all aspects of the reality that you find irritating, such as poison, disease, petrification, or dying. So be it. But that approach to gaming isn't for everybody. Those so-called irritating elements are what give the setting atmosphere, add to the challenge, and bring the setting to life. I think the main effect of a more severe durability mechanic was that it would cause the front-line characters to carry extra weapons. When one wears out you switch to the other. But the implementation wasn't very impactful. Weapon switching will perhaps happen anyway because of the armor system.
  24. rjshae
    One of my all time favorite series. I still miss it. The first two seasons were the best, but it's all enjoyable.
  25. rjshae
    In answer to the age old question, "why did the chicken cross the road"...
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