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View Full Version : Gadget/Tool-related ideas for JADE



pblack
07-01-2009, 04:33 AM
In the same spirit as the weapon-related ideas topic. But this one for general gadgets in game.

I've seen ideas for bottles, some new wands and such, but i miss real mechanical gadgets in adom. It seems that most things you can create in the game are through magic. And I think some of the ideas here can give a whole new life to low-magic characters with not so great survivability.

For instance...

1) Trap creation sets

those are one thing from neverwinter nights that I really miss in adom. I find the predictable trap patterns in the game to be somewhat silly and to only be able to create traps by magic is a pity. A thief's survivability could greatly improve if such a skill (and corresponding trap creation kits) were implemented. Now, this could go a lot of ways. The simpler one that makes justice to other trap creations models around AND adom's skill system is a simple trap creation kit with 'X' uses like a fletchery set, and like the alchemy skill (that is kinda poor since you don't need alchemy apparatus to perform, another one to be implemented), like the alchemy skill, the more points you have in the skill, different traps you an create. One every 10 or 5 levels... i dunno how many trap types there are. The order to be randomly decided.

Or this could get a lot more complex, using an unlimited use trap kit (like a cooking set) and requiring "ingredients" for the trap. for instance, arrows for an arrow trap.... and it goes off only for the number of arrows you put in, also, slaying ammo should be useful for a char that find the ammo, but isn't a good shot. Potion of acid for acid trap (each pot givin something like 5 spills or something). A "pipebomb" of sorts for fireball trap, a pickaxe to dig a hole (the trap kit would serve to "cover it up" afterwards) In this way the skill merely becomes a sucess rate indicator rather than an indicator of what types of traps you can create.

Wands of trap creation would still exist, but you don't choose wich trap to create (also i dunno why that bloody pattern is implemented, if traps were random there would be little room for uber trap corridors and such, if this type of "cheating" is what TB had in mind [or maybe the coding was just easier that way...LOL]).

the difference of a skilled thief using a trap kit to the wand created counterpart is that it takes more turns to set it up, but in exchange you can choose your trap. and it provides for certain very nice strategy approaches. Classes like merchants, rangers and thieves should get this skill.

Also, traps created by a thief (or any trap creator PC) remain greyed out in the map so that they are visible to the thief, but are still hidden from other monsters, once they go off, they show normal colors. The difference here is that while greyed out the thief knows that there is a trap there and can easily avoid it (like a normal one after its been set off or discovered). He's not "immune" to his own traps but with good Dx he should be able to avoid 99% of them without alerting other monsters.

Done with that. now...


2) Alchemy apparatus

Just another approach to the skill. Like the trap kit idea, you could essentially create any potion in the game, but every single one has a different recipe and you find those recipes in the dungeons. Some are guaranteed, some aren't, and like every randomly generated good, recipes of PoGA and PoCC should be even rarer than the pots themselves. Also, such potions should have fairly complex recipes in order to prevent uber walking tanks. Just like the trap idea, the skill becomes a success rate indicator.

3) Smokeballs/Potions of smoke

Essentially a low effectiveness item, but simple. Should help escape dangerous foes in the early game with smoke lasting for 'XdY + K' turns (b/u/c varying this of course) with a cloud of smoke that essentially acts like a darkness spell, making monsters roam around aimlessly, but with a difference, although you can't see through the smoke either, you (and monsters) can see the adjacent squares, so it's an item to be used with planning, BEFORE you engage a monster that you can't run from. Monsters with high perception can be immune to its effects

This concept could be expanded to poison gas clouds (rare item since poisoning 10-20 monsters at once is a bit overpowering). A kind of disabling/coughing gas, to wich the PC is not immune. In wich case a special headgear should be worn (no need to be commando-gear-delta-force-special-ops like masks... a thick cloth or something should do the trick...). Molotov like potions (actually, a simple adittion of 'piece of cloth' to the game's inventory could give any character the ability to transform a potion of booze in a molotov cocktail as long as there is a fire source around). Acid cloud...and so forth. In the end, something to give non-spellcasters an alternative for tough spots that is not magical like scrolls and wands.

Also, all inhaling gas potions should have no effect on undead or any other non-breathing monster, also shoudn't work underwater obviously ;)

In the end there are numerous possibilities, but along with the creation of such items i would like to see some decrease in wand generation specially for casters. They already have good learning ability, there's no reason why a caster should be able to rely on a reserve of firepower, specially with rechargeable wands.

Well, in the end, the point of all this is decreasing the dependance on scrolls and wands to do simple phisical tasks in adom. Seems like everything has a magical solution when it doesn't need it. The smokeball idea is very expandable, and with careful measuring of how much of such items should be generated it can become quite an interesting idea to play around with.

sorry for the gargantual post...

Give your suggestions, please.

Sradac
07-02-2009, 09:38 PM
UnAngband has a really cool trap creation system in it. When you make a trap, you can pretty much put anything in that trap. A rope will immobolize a -foo-, spear will hurt it, you can even put wands into traps when triggered will cast a charge of whatever is in that wand. Wonder how trapping the animated forest with Hatchet Traps would go. As long as you get XP for trap kills it would be great.

Be lots of fun setting traps up in different parts of the dungeon, then setting off an alarm so all the orcs on the level come rushing for you, just to be taken out or strung up by your traps.

Epythic
07-03-2009, 01:12 PM
As long as you get XP for trap kills it would be great.



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RndmNumGenerator
07-03-2009, 05:32 PM
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What would the traps be so they don't wear off after 4-5 monsters?

pblack
07-08-2009, 05:21 AM
What would the traps be so they don't wear off after 4-5 monsters?


The idea is to put as many "charges" in the trap as you want them, so for a 5 time water trap, maybe 5 water pots... and so on.

Evil Knievel
07-09-2009, 07:04 PM
It became even more attractive if you could deconstruct the trap and reobtain (maybe most) of its parts, if it was not needed or did not go off in that moment. Assumed that you are able to disarm your own traps safely.