Re: CF: Re: Gameplay issues

[Brian Thomas <>]

>> From: "Mark Wedel" writes:
> 
>  What do other people thing about the balance on these maps?  I haven't
> played them myself (character I am currently working on is not high enough
> level.) 
> 

	Well.. since you solicited it -- :). I think overall these 
	are great maps. Nut, as with any new addtion to the game, 
	there are some unforseen problems for playbalance too. I 
	have played these maps quite a few times when they existed
	on the berkeley server, so some of what I will suggest
	changing might have changed. 

	In general, my thoughts are that the quests, while hard, give
	too many powerfull items, even for the amount of work done.
	Heres some specific examples:

	1) the end items for the "tower of sorcery" are a bit powerful
	esp the "robe of wizard" (I forget the right name). This robe
	makes you magic *immune* which, is very, very powerfull. For
	example, while wearing the robe, if you get your god to mana
	strike you, you are immune to damage, but any monster standing
	nearby (like a Jessy!) will be wiped out. I suggest changing the
	robe to magic *protection*. Also, some of the items that 
	you gather in the tower of sorcery are quite good. The mithril
	mail the vampire has comes to mind. Also a spell-casting ring.
	I suggest moving these items to the "regular" end (there is a 
	second, *very* difficult second ending) of the tower quest.

	2) Bracers are powerfull, I suggest removing the additional
	attacktypes. Also, some of the end-quest items in the thieve's
	guild should be examined for play-balance. Some are ok, others
	(I fail to remember which) are not. I know that there is some
	item that gives electric immunity (gauntlets??). I would suggest
	removing this item (or changing it to electric protection). As
	has been noted on the list before -- electric immunity is one
	of the best things you can get; defeating powerful monsters 
	becomes a snap when you get this.

	3) the platemail of power can be gotten by bringing 60 dragon
	scales to the armourer in the castle (also by bringing Monpoon
	some fairly easy item too?) In addition, Monpoon gives you 
	his +9 dragon fighting sword if you do something (dragon scales).	
	I forget, anyway, *both* items are extremely powerfull, I suggest
	moving these items to the end of the snake-pit quest (the *most*
	difficult quest I am aware of in CF). Either place them in a side
	cave or replace the +10 chaos sword with one or both of them.
	OR, make these items +5 instead AND put them in the dragon's 
	cave (a side quest on the snakepit).

	
> 
> >As I wrote to Brian in a separate message, setting the value of the
> [snip]
>  This makes sense.  I think brian already sent me the fix for this.
> 

	True. The patch I sent basically made the end item a stat-lowering
	potion ~ 66% of the time (bad enough for you?? =), in addtion, the
	item value is set to 0. Before there was a smaller chance that 
	the potion would be a stat-lowering item, BUT, the apply code wouldnt
	lower your stats if you UNCURSED the potion. I fixed that too.


						-b.t.