Feature - Implemented Tracking Combat Monster Level

[zarqon]

I was just trying to think of ease of use for the user, and percents are something everyone understands the bounds of, rather than an arbitrary range like 1-8. Perhaps go with an int and include "percent" in the name -- this is consistent with other areas of mafia. Then I would express it as:

minmax(low + ((high-low)*mlDangerPercent)/100, low, high)

Ok, I cheated and used minmax rather than min and max, but you get the idea. This way you can get away with using all ints.

 

[Theraze]

That should work... default it to what, 25%, or 0%? Something else? Benefit of 25% (or anything non-zero) is that it allows that an average person isn't QUITE that paranoid. Benefit of 0% is that I don't need to try to figure out if they've manually set it to 0 or just haven't set the value, and I don't need to force it to auto-populate if not set.

 

[zarqon]

I thought you would just add it to defaults.txt set to 25 or whatever -- does that not take care of initializing it correctly? I'd recommend 25, personally, since another plus side is that it makes it more obvious to users that it's an int 0-100 rather than a float 0.0-1.0.

 

[Theraze]

Sure, I suppose I could actually do that. I've been trying not to branch out into more files if possible, but I suppose a sixth won't kill things. So, currently remaining on this right now then would be converting from my current 0-4 ranged system to a 0-100 (and then /100) system, and adding in the CoT (that have messages attached). On CoT, I'll need to scan through to see if it has a CoT handling bit already where I put that, or if I just need to parse through the response text multiple times, since I've been trying to avoid thinking about the horrors approaching with that. Eh, maybe it won't be so bad...

Configurable and CoT. Anything else needed before this is ready for people to have?

 

[zarqon]

Here's a question: should this be a global preference or a per-character preference? I'd prefer global, personally, since this feels more like a mafia setting than a character setting.

Does mafia consider ML changes in combat if you select the "delevel and plink" option? If not, then this really only affects people using consult scripts that consider ML changes -- of which there are presently approximately none. In other words, it's already ready for people to have, considering that nothing currently uses or needs it. But its existence will enable things to use and need it, and it seems to be close to complete (and therefore quite useful) already.

I would recommend capping the ML modifier on the low end if you haven't already. As far as I know you can't have a monster of ML 0.

 

[Theraze]

I believe that if you select delevel, it just... does. Possibly until it considers you to be safe, but I didn't stare at that segment too much.

Good call on the modifier. Think I might have it capped, but I'll definitely make certain.

Hmm... true, it's not like most people would have a huge call for differentials between characters. Either you feel paranoid, capricious, or some middle ground... you're unlikely to blend the extremes though. Okay, I'll plan on making this a global mod, defaulted to 25.

 

[Theraze]

Okay, new patch. Since it doesn't seem that there's a "monster level" bit, I implemented the ML limiters by making the monster attack/defense checks have a max (number, 1) check. Should make it work properly now.

Also made a new global preference named mlDangerPercent, defaults to 25.

Still need to add in CoT tracking, but otherwise we should be done.

 

[Theraze]

Okay... today's patch adds in the CoT tracking for all (15) that have messages listed... unknown affects are set to a range of 1-1, the only unknown (Dramatic Hedgehog) is set to look for "matches unknown text" so that it can VERY easily be updated as soon as we have the proper information. Also added Hippo Ballerina's non-delevelling throne information, since it (+20% meat drop) wasn't included yet.

So... we done?

 

[Bale]

Heck. Here's an update that would have been welcome a month ago:

November 01
Skills and items that delevel enemies will now give explicit messages in combat. Explicit as in clear, not NSFW. Although...

 

[Theraze]

Grr...

>You hand the 33398 scroll to your opponent. It unrolls it, reads it, and looks slightly confused by it. Then it tears it up and throws the bits into the wind.
Monster attack power reduced by 1
Monster defense reduced by 3

 

[Bale]

Yeah. The feedback couldn't get much more explict if it tried. It's like jick is purposefully mocking all the hours of work you put into this feature!

Monster attack power reduced by 4
Monster defense reduced by 4

You throw the plot hole on the ground, and your opponent falls into it, sustaining 21 damage. It crawls out, looking a little worse for wear.

You hurl the sawdust into your opponent's eyes, which immediately become red, irritated, and dry. Where's Ben Stein when you need him?
Monster attack power reduced by 5
Monster defense reduced by 5

How could that be added to KoL just as you finish the bloody thing!!!

 

[Theraze]

It does sort of amuse me. Guess it's time to rip out all the custom tracking code and just put some regexp checks in. Since it still does need the custom attack/defence split... more than before now, since it's explicit.

 

[Bale]

It's odd, but the plot hole announces the deleveling before the usage message instead of afterwards. Everything else I'm trying does it the other way around.

I'm glad you're taking this so well. I'd be throwing a fit.

 

[Theraze]

Have any delevelling weapons? Wondering if they announce the same way.

Edit: Nope! I'm still useful. At least for now. So items are out, but other things may still be in...

Your opponent looks weaker...

Wondering about familiars and CoT familiars now... as well as jiggling chefstaves.

 

[zarqon]

Hahahahahaha, amazing. Just saw the update. I'm so sorry, Theraze. The timing here was almost too perfect to be coincidental.

 

[Theraze]

Well, so far it appears that only items are displayed... weapons definitely aren't displayed (or weren't during my testing), and familiars/jiggling/CoT remain unknown.

 

[zarqon]

It says that skills are also displayed, but I just tried out Wing Buffet and no special message.

You furiously flap your wings, giving your opponents a sound buffeting.

<llama image> Dolly spits on your opponent. Yech

Huh.

 

[Theraze]

So... items are shown, skills are not, weapons are not.

Still need to know on familiars, pasta guardians, jiggling, insulting pirates, psalm of pointiness, and CoT... right?

 

[roippi]

Familiars appear to be a mixed bag.

Llama is not enumerated. (boo)

But Bander:

Balloon Man joins in the singing, at such skull-smunching volume that your opponents look thoroughly discomratulated when he's done.
Monster Attack	Monster attack power reduced by 4
Monster Defense	Monster defense reduced by 3

The bander message might be special as it's activated by a skill, therefore it might be considered a skill. (?)

 

[Theraze]

Great... so what we have instead is a whole new set of 'needs to be spaded' stuffs. Also, we need to repeatedly match the Monster attack power reduced by and Monster attack power <increased?> by (bang potions do this... not sure if anything else does), as it's possible to have it happen from multiple sources in the same round. Maybe.