Combat Updates

[b:1g39u0av]Unarmed Hand to Hand Combat[/b:1g39u0av]

I think it would be nice to just get rid of gouge, kick, bash, punch, etc and integrate them all into unarmed combat. So these things would happen randomly as the person fights without weapons. The reason being that 1) less work on your part, and 2) in real fighting, people don’t just go for the eyes and keep doing so consistently (ie spam gouge, etc); instead you’re supposed to find open targets and strike them (thus the randomness can simulate this dynamic). So bring unarmed combat, advanced unarmed combat, and unarmed combat mastery to combatants. By now, you would be saying, hey what about the BHers? Perhaps the BHers can be redeemed with martial arts skills, which can work like the ‘flurry’ of unarmed combat and increase damage, speed of attack, accuracy, etc. They could be BH feats perhaps as well.

[b:1g39u0av]Armed Hand to Hand Combat[/b:1g39u0av]

Vibro-Knucklers: low damage, fast attack rate, can duel-wield, less energy, light thus no penalties to dex, few +HR, quick energize, no slash
Vibro-Blade: average damage, fast attack rate, can duel-wield, average energy, light thus no penalties to dex, can slash, average energize time, few +DR
Stun Baton: only stuns, medium attack rate, can duel-wield, average energy, less light thus few penalties to dex, no slash, average energize time
Vibro-Ax: average damage, medium attack rate, can duel-wield, average energy, hefty thus some penalties to dex, can slash, average energize time, some +DR, some +HR
Vibro-Mace: high damage, slow attack rate, no duel-wield, more energy, heavy and some penalties to dex, much +DR, slow energize time, no slash
Force Pike: high damage, slow attack rate, no duel-wield, more energy, very heavy and penalties to dex, much +DR, some +HR, slow energize time, no slash

Perhaps these can all be put together into an ‘armed combat’ skill. These will correlate with skills: armed combat –> vibro-knucklers, vibro-blades, advanced armed combat –> stun baton, vibro-ax, and armed combat mastery –> vibro-mace, force pike. Only certain weapons can slash.

[b:1g39u0av]Blasters[/b:1g39u0av]

Pistol: low damage, fast rate of fire, can duel-wield, more ammunition, light thus no penalties to dex, few +HR, no snipe, quick reload, no flurry
Heavy Pistol: average damage, slow rate of fire, can duel-wield, less ammunition, light thus no penalties to dex, few +DR, no snipe, quick reload, no flurry
Carbine: average damage, fast rate of fire, no duel-wield, average ammunition, less light so few penalties to dex, some +HR, some +DR, allows snipe, medium reload time, no flurry
Rifle: high damage, slow rate of fire, no duel-wield, average ammunition, somewhat heavier so some penalties to dex, more +HR, more +DR, allows snipe, medium reload time, no flurry
Light Repeater: average damage, fast rate of fire, no duel-wield, high ammunition, very heavy and penalties to dex, much +HR, no snipe, slow reload time, no flurry
Heavy Repeater: high damage, slow rate of fire, no duel-wield, high ammunition, very heavy and penalties to dex, much +DR, no snipe, slow reload time, no flurry

These will correlate with skills: blasters –> pistols, heavy pistols, advanced blasters –> carbines, rifles, and blaster mastery –> repeaters.

[b:1g39u0av]Bowcasters[/b:1g39u0av]
As Onasaki said, only one version. Much +HR, much +DR, slow rate of fire, high damage, no flurry, slow reload time, can snipe, very heavy and penalties to dex, no duel-wield

[b:1g39u0av]Explosives[/b:1g39u0av]

Stun Grenade: only stuns, with average recovery rate, 1/2 room radius
Concussion Grenade: low damage, stuns with long recovery rate; useful for vehicles and other machines relying on electronics, 1 room radius
EMP Grenade: disables ships and all other electronics, 1 room radius, no damage of any kind to organics
Tear Gas or Flashbang Grenade: only blinds, with average recovery rate, 1 room radius unless obstructed by door, reaction lag
Fragmentation Grenade: 1 room radius unless obstructed by door, medium damage
Breeching Charge: blastdoor only, 1/2 room in opposite direction, low damage, no throw
Thermal Detonator: no throw, high damage, 2-3 room radius but -1 per door/obstacle obstruction
Anti-Personnel Mine: high damage to organics, 1/2 room radius, no throw, mine only
Anti-Vehicle Mine: high damage to vehicles, 1/2 room radius, no throw, mine only
Missile Launcher: high damage, slow firing rate, little ammunition, slow reload, heavy so heavy dex penalties, can snipe, no duel-wield, no flurry, slight reaction lag
Grenade Launcher: can be loaded grenades, no duel-wield, medium firing rate, little ammunition, slow reload, hefty so some dex penalties, can snipe, no flurry, slight reaction lag

Perhaps instead of makegrenade and makemine, lump them to makeexplosive. And add in makelauncher. Hopefully these aren’t too overpowered. Otherwise make them really expensive to make! Also, armor and vehicles can be used to help negate the damage by these explosives and gives those underlays and coatings something extra to do!

[b:1g39u0av]Class Mechanics[/b:1g39u0av]

Now that I’ve gone over weapons, I can perhaps talk about my idea for the combatant class. I think it would be nice to get rid of the bounty hunter class altogether and tack it onto combatant. So you have a general combatant from level 1-100, and after that, you may choose a specialty. So for example, you could chose to be a demolitions expert, heavy weapons specialist, bounty hunter, assassin, commando, combat leader etc. Each will have their own specific skills and feats from level 101-150. Perhaps this can be applied to engineering, where you have general engineers from level 1-100 but then you could be specialized in shipwright, weapons smith, armor smith, etc. And this could be applied to any other field as well.

[b:1g39u0av]Combat Mechanics[/b:1g39u0av]

I would also envision a battlegroup-like thing tacked onto combat. The way it could go is that a leader would be able to give orders quickly to their soldiers. So once grouped, the leader will be able to see where their soldiers are (rather, the room they are at), and they can issue the order to concentrate fire on whom or whatever. Or give someone the “go to” command to somewhere. It would work for mobs and PCs.

Next, perhaps add in combat styles. So there could be…
– banzai: more chance of being hit in exchange for approaching enemy quicker
– sprint: approach/approach none quicker, move/attack faster
– standard: default
– takecover: less chance of being hit in exchange for significant slower attack/move
– stealth: decrease chance to be seen, could work in conjunction with ambush skill or whatever, slower attack/move
– rapidfire: increases attack speed at cost to HR

Perhaps even add in an element of “stress,” so that whoever is engaged or being fired at gets stressed and then someone with a leadership skill/feat to “inspire” could reduce the “stress.” Stress would have a major impact on HR, attack speed, approaching, etc. It adds a tactical element to the game where people can work together to suppress enemies for flanking or withdrawal.

In alliance with buildstructure and the whole idea of structures, engineers can make obstacles and fortifications. Obstacles can slow or prevent movement to another room or slow or disallows approach and may be demolished for easier movement. Fortifications can be manned by troops and destroyed by thermal detonators and missile launchers. Or they may be entered by the enemy and engage in close quarters battle to capture the fortification. Fortifications can also play a good part in capturing planets and such; enemy fortifications have to be taken or destroyed for the planet to be turned over to one’s side.

Make wounds count. Targeting body should work for both close and ranged combat. Someone injured in the hands won’t be able to hold their weapons or whatever. Someone shot in the leg can’t move or attack as fast. Raise weapon dam caps so that the battle will end a bit quicker, that is, if they don’t have armor. .

Introduce some sort of timer system per action when in PK action. So it takes certain amount of ticks (minute or so) to move around to simulate the movement through the room or entering a fortification and such. Keep the length it takes to attack. People will say that battles will be slow, but the increase of damcaps and making wounds count makes killing people a bit easier. This timer system will make for more fun battles where you actually have time to RP emote while you fight. After all, this -IS- an RP mud. Besides, it gives incentive to building fortifications and obstacles because if people ran about so quickly, they would be pretty much worthless anyhow. Changing between styles would also take some ticks. How fast people are will depend on their dexterity, strength, constitution, and even feats. Also, it gives leaders a little more time to think about their situation and give orders via the ground version of battlegroup and such.

I’ve been trying for a couple days to get an Engineer with a good recipe to make me a forcepike named &quot;Stun Baton&quot;. To use for blackjacking <!– s:lol: –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!– s:lol: –>

I like these weapon ideas a lot. Good work.

Love the ideas, but forcepikes aren’t really for piercing or blunt, they are meant to release a charge like a stun batton but the charge is suppose to be so powerful that it can blow limbs off, normally only used by Imperial Royal Guards.

Guys, if you want 238129038120983210 weapon classes and so forth, go play WoW or Ghost’s AVP or SWG.

Pistol/Carbine/Rifle classes for blasters are definitely needed.

Half the stuff that is disabled now was disabled because it was retardedly twinked.

Bringing back 31 flavors of total combat pwnage will turn LotJ from a pleasant blend of RP and PK, to a group of RPers who hide from a HORDE of identitical PKer clones.

My two cred, anyhow

As do I, want to deal in highly illegal arms. <!– s:P –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!– s:P –> I love the ideas coming out of here, and WoW doesn’t have many weapon classes. Maces, swords, punchblades, guns, bows, crossbows, throwing weapons. Not much. But that aside, these ideas are awesome. Glad people are jumping in and giving their own ideas, I like it. Anyway, keep on with the ideas. <!– s:P –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!– s:P –>

Making combat as versitile as ships is definatly a good thing, we will see some more soldiers and have more ground combat.

Random Thoughts

Remote detonation for lndmines. Tune a landmine to a comlink channel and when someone speaks on that channel, *kaboom*. Maybe make use of the ‘imbue’ skill to stick a comlink into a landmine for this function.

Unarmed Combat. There are a couple ways to go about this. Fixing ‘unarmed combat’ skill is certainly a good way to start. Depending on how far you want to go, you could have different fighting styles (teras kasi, wookiee-rip-stuff-off, echani, <!– m –><a class="postlink" href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Martial_arts">http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Martial_arts</a>&lt;!– m –> for more) incorporated. These wouldn’t be researchable or datachipable; you’d have to learn them from a mob then adept that way. Each style would different advantages and disadvantages (Where are you fun people like Valens to flesh this out!). They wouldn’t be passive, though. Players would use the ‘combatstance’ command to select a stance. Maybe just incorporate gouge/kick not as seperate skills, but just part of unarmed combat. Add a bunch more (punch, trip, bodyslam, bash, we could probably brainstorm up a lot) and have their success/damage/action change depending on the combat stance you have selected.

Something else that just popped into my head, not sure if it’s a good idea, is for people to randomly drop stuff from their inventory while fighting. Hard to carry around crap when you’re in the midst of being shot at!

Mastery skills shouldn’t be datachip/researchable. Force them to adept the fun way.

I’d like to see a combination of the ‘blaster classes’ and the ‘blaster rarity’. Hold out blasters, pistols, and so on will be about as common as regular blasters now. More advanced weaponry will be harder to come by.

Fortifications, cover, obstacles, etc. like in Ghost’s AVP mud would be /awesome/.

Get rid of slash once and for all.

I dont really get how they could make blasters any more rare, really. Yeah I havent messed with them myself recently, but as I know it recipies are king and you need to make large batches of a variety of recipies to try and even get an idea of whether your recipie is good, and even then you need to make like 200 blasters to get 2-10 good ones, or some low percentage like that.

I like the idea of giving combat all the weapon masteries, and bounty hunter the special tricks and skills. Look at any pen and paper thats how it would be, as to star wars just because you kill specific targets for specific payments instead of combat as a regular job doesnt mean your any more or less skilled at a weapon.

Also like the ideas of splitting weapons into classes and having fighting styles for unarmed(assuming the damage and such is balanced to make unarmed worth it, atm i think you are lucky to do 100 a hit unarmed), have like 3 classes per weapon to start maybe

My only concern is that BEFORE you move weapon masteries to combat, you need to have a healthy dose of new bounty hunting skills to help them hunt/track people to make up for losing the skills. I am 1000% in favor of giving them more BH-related skills, too.

I realized after my last post that a lot of what I said was outlined by Hensworth and I didn’t even see it. Major props to him! After rereading his post, I want to expand a bit on the battlegroup ground combat idea. I’d like to see some functions of the LEADERSHIP class and TROOP AI merged. Instead of just randomly spawning in a room, clan members will have access to the [b:r3wuywg8]deploy[/b:r3wuywg8] command. Players will will be able to choose from different types of soldiers, and indicate an amount. Here’s a brief example of how it would look.

Syntax: deploy &lt;soldier&gt; &lt;amount&gt;

deploy 1 50

&quot;50 Imperial Stormtroopers are now under your command!&quot;
Different troops would have different abilities. Scout Troopers would sneak around and can hide, Army Soldiers are more ‘meatshields’, so on and so forth. I’ll expand on what new clan troops can actually DO later.

deploy

Once you use the deploy command, the soldiers will be represented in the room by something like,

&quot;A contingent of Imperial Stormtroopers are following $n.&quot;

look stormtrooper

&quot;This contingent is made up of 50 Imperial Stormtroopers.&quot;

Players can use the squad describe command to add a custom description for their contingent if they want. If you want to get crazy, incorporate formations and the like. I’ll provide more details later when i’m not busy ICly.

Skill idea for leadership: postguard

This will deploy your contingent/squad of troops to guard this room.