Game Mechanics

So I'm almost entirely bored of RuneScape now, and thought I'd attempt to spark some discussion on pretending we're the developers of a new game. Unlike Pallis, I want mechanics and not content.

First question; classes.

Should they be utilized like classic MMOs, or should it be entirely free? If so, how do we create multiple "best" combinations... I absolutely don't want something that sits at the top and everyone just tries to achieve.

It's hard to suggest things out of context, so feel free to take mechanics unrelated to the current discussion and intertwine them.

Okay, different topic. Combat. How should stats/skills/items play into combat?

Ok, so most of this seems way over my head - having never played an MMO other than RuneScape I lack understanding of mechanics and how they differ between various MMOs...

That said, this looks like fun, so if you can tolerate my ignorance, I'd give this a go...

Starting with Classes, I have no idea what you mean by "entirely free" or "like classic MMOs", my first question on the matter would be this: When you ask about classes, do you mean like Melee/Mage/Range classes in RuneScape, or like different races that your player can choose to be?

As for combat, I think some of the excitement of an MMO comes from trying to obtain items for combat, so they should have a significant influence, I'd say it should be equal to the influence your skills have on combat. I personally like the idea of items having unique effects as well as giving stats.
I ask you this: What would your opinion be of a pokemon style type match-up system? Different classes of weapons, such as Maces, Daggers, Swords etc, could have advantages and disadvantages over one another like pokemon types do...

The basic class system used by a lot of MMOs is that you choose a preset which restricts/unlocks content that you can use. For example, in WoW and Perfect Word playing a Mage means you cannot wield blades.

In a classless system, you can entirely customize your character. Some games have a form of tree the still restricts your game play, but that only usually affects late game and you're free to experiment late game. Whilst Perfect World doesn't do this, their system could work. As you level up you gain points that you can allocate to different stats: strength, dexterity, intelligence and magic (I think). Strength and Magic increases your damage from physical and magical attacks, as well as being minimum requirements for weapons/spells; whilst dexterity and intelligence increase things like your health, critical chance, dodge, etc. So early game you could put equal amounts in each, and then slowly steer in one direction.

In a classless system you need to decide whether you are going to implement any form of restriction (such as that one I just said, where you won't have enough points to be everything) or whether players can be everything at once (similar to Fable, where you're only limited to what you can afford to buy... if you buy a strong melee weapon, you can't afford new spells). If you can be everything, is there anything to stop you doing everything in a fight?

I think that items should definitely be key. Having been playing League of Legends, I've become a fan of the champion/moba style set-up. I was thinking that, similar to our Combat Expansion suggestion, weapons could provide a variety of "abilities" that you can use. So each weapon is unique, or based on a theme, and dictates your combat; with skills boosting your base stats. This probably wouldn't work in reality, it would be too limiting.

Should it be focused more on items, or abilities? For example, do you have boots that make you run faster or an ability that makes you run faster. The advantage of item-based is you can only wear one pair of boots. Say you have boots which negate fall damage, or boots which reduce damage you take from spells, etc, you can't use all of them.

Strength: 24 (+50) (where 24 is your Strength level, and the 50 is your item). This would be your auto-attack damage.

Stuff like that.

Whilst I like Pokemon, I wouldn't want to go so in-depth as that. I dislike overly complicated rock-paper-scissor set-ups. I'm happy to go for basic elements, maybe, so Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. Each weapon should provide attributes, such as attack speed, accuracy, etc, but things shouldn't be "weaker to maces".

If I ever come across like I'm making decisions, I'm just playing Devil's Advocate. I want you to defend your points and tell me why your ideas are better.

I definitely like RuneScape's skill system over other games I've played, but I really like League Of Legend's combat statistics system (for how easy it is).

Armor = Percentage reduction of physical damage.
Magic Resistance = Percentage reduction of magical damage.
Attack Damage = The damage you deal per auto attack, not taking into account armor and armor pen, etc. There is no "accuracy" element.

I'm partial to the Runescape system of doing things where you can switch but it's pretty hard to effectively hybridize. However I'm also a bigger fan of abilities than items so I'll ponder on that a bit.

But my contribution is that I'd really love to see a game with the projectile action of arcanists, some grenade tossing (either spells or potions seem appropriate of both fireball and grenade types) but brought into three dimensions.

Dark Avorian wrote:I'm partial to the Runescape system of doing things where you can switch but it's pretty hard to effectively hybridize. However I'm also a bigger fan of abilities than items so I'll ponder on that a bit.

But my contribution is that I'd really love to see a game with the projectile action of arcanists, some grenade tossing (either spells or potions seem appropriate of both fireball and grenade types) but brought into three dimensions.

Yeah I'd also like that, as well as a mount and caravan, that allows you to put your own "local", system, perphas those 2 could be related

Mounts are inevitable is the game is large enough to support them. Although I can't say I've experienced caravans. In some games I've seen tents where you can pitch up to rest, but that's about it.

In ability system, do you like having countless of random abilities or do you like some structure to it? How do you structure it?

And yes, Arcanists would be nice. Have you played Magicka? You basically build spells using basic elements, and each element provides something else to the effect. Arcane creates a beam, stone creates a bomb, etc.

3mpty I meant caravan in a trade sense, but it could also work for rest, and I'd like some structure in a class sense, but more like if you put enough poi ts in path A and B you can get path C which is a mix of path A and B, you get me?

I haven't got a trading sense for caravans, except for buying a caravan. So I'm not really following.

And yes, I think I know what you mean.

I meant you buy a caravan, and with that caravan you can store weapon/resources/etc and when you reach a designated area, perphas a neutral town, the caravan "opens" and it turns into a shop, I also think it'd be awesome to include archeology to Pallis

I'd like to see the ability to either take one tree far, or to hybridize two trees, they can't go as far, but you get anifty third tree that builds off both of them and combines them. Slightly more expensive, but also more flexible.

Dark Avorian wrote:I'd like to see the ability to either take one tree far, or to hybridize two trees, they can't go as far, but you get anifty third tree that builds off both of them and combines them. Slightly more expensive, but also more flexible.

That's what I meant

We're talking about trees, but what's the context exactly? Choosing between Melee, Mage, Rogue, etc, or choosing between DPS and Tank?

So my basic idea is that each broad class would have an initial tree, then at a certain level you get a choice to either specialize in a subdiscipline or unlock another broad class and the hybrid tree, you will never be able to specialize, but you get nifty hybrid abilities.

So you would like rigid classes at the beginning?

And by hybrid you mean between the subclasses?

So, for example, a Warrior class and you can specialize in Carry, Vanguard and Paladin? Or go hybrid, but lack the higher benefits of each.

For people who dislike classes, in an ability-rich system a warrior can still feel like a magician. You still get to press a lot of buttons and have fancy fireworks whilst you're fighting. The main difference is what they're doing...

Hey 3mpty like my caravan and archeology idea?

I'm not a huge fan of the caravan idea, and the archaeology idea is out of place on this thread.

3mptylord wrote:the archaeology idea is out of place on this thread.

Why, whe can discuss the mecanic for it here, plus I already have an idea

Because this thread has nothing to do with Pallis.

Some things from this thread could be used in it, plus I really want to finish pallis, heck i even know someone that could do the server for us

Currently Pallis is an extension to RuneScape, so the mechanics would be the same.

Even if we imagine that this game we're creating is Pallis, I don't want to discuss content. Only core mechanics. Skills systems, combat, statistics, etc. How you make money, what happens upon death, etc.

Why to stop there, why can't whe improve it?, I mean give it our own feeling, not RS 2.0 that'd be boring

Anyway, back to the discussion. Classes and combat.

Dusk. We have two separate areas to deal with these two separate pieces. It is of course possible that we could in the future think about how they might interweave, but at the moment we are keeping them separate, if you can't manage that, then please refrain from posting on this thread as it might as well be spam.