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[monk12]

Just found this thread, checked out some devlogs, and it looks very promising! I watch with interest.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Just found this thread, checked out some devlogs, and it looks very promising! I watch with interest.

Thanks! Depending on when you checked, there may already be another, involving oases, mountains, and magma. Three essential components of any gaming experience.

http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2012/01/17/the-end-of-the-world/

[Frumple]

Will there, uh, be an option to simplify non-tactically important symbols? Like, have all the ground be just . instead of . : ) }, etc.

Because the screenshots given are borderline painful to me, in the same way the swamps in Caves of Qud and busier parts of DF (without option changes) are. Being able to simplify the visual experience might be nice of those of us with lower tolerance for eye strain

E: They're pretty enough, to clarify, just painful. Too busy, at least for my tolerances. Is why option would be nice, yeah.

[Ivefan]

Will there, uh, be an option to simplify non-tactically important symbols? Like, have all the ground be just . instead of . : ) }, etc.

Because the screenshots given are borderline painful to me, in the same way the swamps in Caves of Qud and busier parts of DF (without option changes) are. Being able to simplify the visual experience might be nice of those of us with lower tolerance for eye strain

E: They're pretty enough, to clarify, just painful. Too busy, at least for my tolerances. Is why option would be nice, yeah.

Speaking of that, consider leaving the option for a graphical overlay open as ASCII only tends to some people away, and you can just leave it open for modders to deal with =P

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Will there, uh, be an option to simplify non-tactically important symbols? Like, have all the ground be just . instead of . : ) }, etc.

Because the screenshots given are borderline painful to me, in the same way the swamps in Caves of Qud and busier parts of DF (without option changes) are. Being able to simplify the visual experience might be nice of those of us with lower tolerance for eye strain

E: They're pretty enough, to clarify, just painful. Too busy, at least for my tolerances. Is why option would be nice, yeah.

That's really interesting, and I'm glad you've brought it to my attention. Hadn't even considered it. I will definitely put in such an option

Speaking of that, consider leaving the option for a graphical overlay open as ASCII only tends to some people away, and you can just leave it open for modders to deal with =P

I will - eventually - but that requires more competence in dealing with tilesets than I think I actually have at the moment. I'll get to that one too, though, I promise... once I figure out how...

[Ivefan]

I will - eventually - but that requires more competence in dealing with tilesets than I think I actually have at the moment. I'll get to that one too, though, I promise... once I figure out how...

Considering all the other things you've been coding I would have thought that tilesets would have been simpler.
Learning programing only due to the making of this game or do you have classes?

[Little]

Chiming in to say this look really cool! 

[Leatra]

I got a question about magic. Will we have different "schools" for magic? You know, like the ones in Skyrim.

I hope we will have a forum for this game soon.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Considering all the other things you've been coding I would have thought that tilesets would have been simpler.
Learning programing only due to the making of this game or do you have classes?

I know! But oddly not. Then again, I haven't given it a lot of time yet, so maybe it'll turn out much simpler than I expect. It's on the list, though...

Nope; prior to six months ago, I hadn't even touched Python. I've just been teaching myself. There are classes on campus but I've found teaching myself is by far the best method, and more than sufficient for everything I've needed so far.

Chiming in to say this look really cool! 

Cheers!

I got a question about magic. Will we have different "schools" for magic? You know, like the ones in Skyrim.

I hope we will have a forum for this game soon.

Currently got four intended - pyromancy, hydromancy, geomancy, and necromancy. They're in the skills list, anyway, though obviously they don't *do* a lot yet...

I'll put up a forum once there's a first release, and therefore I need a real area for feedback, discussion, bug reports, etc etc

[Ivefan]

I got a question about magic. Will we have different "schools" for magic? You know, like the ones in Skyrim.

Currently got four intended - pyromancy, hydromancy, geomancy, and necromancy. They're in the skills list, anyway, though obviously they don't *do* a lot yet...

Interesting. Except pyromancy, your selection of magical categories tends to take lesser roles in other games. Necromancy is usually there but to me it never seems to be as useful as the other choices available.
Are these the only ones you want or do you perhaps choose to extend the selection?

As i see it, if strictly limited to what the name implies;
Pyromancy - Manipulation and conjuration of fire. If speaking if physics, molecular friction. Unsubtle, simple and destructive.
                 Assuming that simple magics would be various forms of throwing fire at your foe I make the conclusion that conjuring fire
                 is easier the closer to the caster than far away and simultaneous conjurations is a measure of the mages skill. So causing 
                 friction to set fire to the pants of ten enemies in the back of the ranks of a force a hundred meters away would be harder
                 than bursting a spray of fire from infront of the caster. Although I guess that the amount of fire should correspond to the
                 amount of mana put into it.

Hydromancy - Control of water... Eh, I guess a high pressurized stream of water cuts well or at least throws 'em back. Seems rather
                 bulky to manipulate and unless theres a source of water naturally, then the mage would have to use the moisture in the
                 air and in my opinion that would take time and/or not provide enough water to do some fun stuff, like tsunamis. Though
                 a skilled caster would be able to drain/drown his foes by drawing water into the lungs. Or even be able to control
                 enemies by manipulating the water in the bodies.

Geomancy - Weeh, manipulating the crust of the earth. Fissures, trembles, earthquakes, magma geysers, stone golems and what not.
                 Rather indiscriminating destructive power here, depending on how strongly the mage could manipulate it.

Necromany - How to define this... Control of life energies? of Souls? Is it just the control of dead things or would you be able to siphon
                 life from living being?

Nope; prior to six months ago, I hadn't even touched Python. I've just been teaching myself. There are classes on campus but I've found teaching myself is by far the best method, and more than sufficient for everything I've needed so far.

Been considering to do something like that myself for a long time but i'm rather unsure if i would be getting into deep waters and make it a wasted effort.
So you're making this in python then? How good is that language for what you want it for?

[Leatra]

Can we do telekinesis? You know, the art of impaling pointy stuff into your enemies without using your hands

[Ivefan]

Can we do telekinesis? You know, the art of impaling pointy stuff into your enemies without using your hands

Does not fit into any of aforementioned groups, and all things considered, telekinesis would basically just make your mage into either a chaingun with whatever small object you can get or a siege weapon, throwing boulders.

[Leatra]

Can we do telekinesis? You know, the art of impaling pointy stuff into your enemies without using your hands

telekinesis would basically just make your mage into either a chaingun with whatever small object you can get or a siege weapon, throwing boulders.

If you have unlimited magic power. You can pop two volcanoes in a row and create an earthquake between them, for that matter. Also only masters of telekinesis should be able to lift heavy things like boulders. Even if you lift can a boulder, if you lift it more than a few inches count yourself lucky.

And I'm sure we will have more than just 3 schools. That's too limiting. What about illusion spells?

[Frumple]

It's been stated previously that those four "schools" are for big-time, ritual-type spells; (comparatively) large scale, large cost, large setup. There is (or was, anyway) a second way of doing magic intended, which was mentioned as being more free-form and combat-centered. I'd imagine various status-inflicting spells (Which most illusion-type things would fit under, in some sense) would fall easily under the latter style.

This has come up a few times in the thread already, heh.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Interesting. Except pyromancy, your selection of magical categories tends to take lesser roles in other games. Necromancy is usually there but to me it never seems to be as useful as the other choices available.
Are these the only ones you want or do you perhaps choose to extend the selection?

As i see it, if strictly limited to what the name implies;
Pyromancy - Manipulation and conjuration of fire. If speaking if physics, molecular friction. Unsubtle, simple and destructive.
                 Assuming that simple magics would be various forms of throwing fire at your foe I make the conclusion that conjuring fire
                 is easier the closer to the caster than far away and simultaneous conjurations is a measure of the mages skill. So causing 
                 friction to set fire to the pants of ten enemies in the back of the ranks of a force a hundred meters away would be harder
                 than bursting a spray of fire from infront of the caster. Although I guess that the amount of fire should correspond to the
                 amount of mana put into it.

Hydromancy - Control of water... Eh, I guess a high pressurized stream of water cuts well or at least throws 'em back. Seems rather
                 bulky to manipulate and unless theres a source of water naturally, then the mage would have to use the moisture in the
                 air and in my opinion that would take time and/or not provide enough water to do some fun stuff, like tsunamis. Though
                 a skilled caster would be able to drain/drown his foes by drawing water into the lungs. Or even be able to control
                 enemies by manipulating the water in the bodies.

Geomancy - Weeh, manipulating the crust of the earth. Fissures, trembles, earthquakes, magma geysers, stone golems and what not.
                 Rather indiscriminating destructive power here, depending on how strongly the mage could manipulate it.

Necromany - How to define this... Control of life energies? of Souls? Is it just the control of dead things or would you be able to siphon
                 life from living being?

Nope; prior to six months ago, I hadn't even touched Python. I've just been teaching myself. There are classes on campus but I've found teaching myself is by far the best method, and more than sufficient for everything I've needed so far.

Been considering to do something like that myself for a long time but i'm rather unsure if i would be getting into deep waters and make it a wasted effort.
So you're making this in python then? How good is that language for what you want it for?

I really like your hydromancy idea about drowning people through moisture, control of bodily water, etc. Interesting. I've had some ideas for a serious game mechanic involving ships and similar, and it would obviously prove particularly useful/vital on voyages. Agreed on pyro/geo; I am not quite sure how necromancy will yet play into my thoughts on the mechanics around the undead, though I do have a few interesting ideas on it. Especially related to the 'dynasty' concepts I've been playing around with and the importance of history.

Yep, in Python. Apart from BASIC when I was very young, I've never touched any other programming language, so I don't know if Python is stronger/weaker for this project, but it's serving me perfectly well so far

Can we do telekinesis? You know, the art of impaling pointy stuff into your enemies without using your hands

telekinesis would basically just make your mage into either a chaingun with whatever small object you can get or a siege weapon, throwing boulders.

If you have unlimited magic power. You can pop two volcanoes in a row and create an earthquake between them, for that matter. Also only masters of telekinesis should be able to lift heavy things like boulders. Even if you lift can a boulder, if you lift it more than a few inches count yourself lucky.

And I'm sure we will have more than just 3 schools. That's too limiting. What about illusion spells?

Telekinesis is an interesting one. I'm really not sure. Though, I stress, that goes for all magic - it isn't something I've thought a lot about, nor a major focus (for now, anyway). I think telekinesis could be really interesting, actually, though I'm not sure where it would go. Which ties into:

It's been stated previously that those four "schools" are for big-time, ritual-type spells; (comparatively) large scale, large cost, large setup. There is (or was, anyway) a second way of doing magic intended, which was mentioned as being more free-form and combat-centered. I'd imagine various status-inflicting spells (Which most illusion-type things would fit under, in some sense) would fall easily under the latter style.

This has come up a few times in the thread already, heh.

That's gone on the back burner for now. I actually think I'm now working towards a combination of the two - more schools, each bigger than normal, but still not THAT many. Probably more like 5-6 total, rather than just the 4. I want to keep them rare, and special, and powerful, though, and that's important. I think most of the effects of illusion spells could either be acquired by other, non-magical means, or would be too 'small scale' to have much of an effect in a battle. Magical options to have significant strategic effect, and make more of a difference than a soldier or two from one side taking on a mage. But, I stress, magic is by far an immediate priority. For the first alpha, I want worldgen (99% done) and a reasonable amount of wild creatures and item generation (each about 50% done). Since magic is also intended to be a high-level strategy aspect, it still needs some more consideration. However, I will let everyone know once I've re-thought the schools. Those 4 will likely still exist, but I have ideas for one or two others...

Still, having all but finished world generation (a few fixes needed in the next few days, once I have some spare time from work/teaching) I'll be moving back onto the stats of creatures next, and how their body parts are handled. I don't think I was doing it in a very efficient way before - it can definitely be improved...