RE: CF: Long term experimental ideas

[dragonm <>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Hwei Sheng TEOH
To: Doug wilder
Cc: 
Sent: 9/16/99 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: CF: Long term experimental ideas


On Thu, 16 Sep 1999, Doug wilder wrote:

> >From: Hwei Sheng TEOH <>
> >To: 
> >Subject: Re: CF: Long term experimental ideas
> >Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 08:21:26 -0400
> >
> >
> >I'm just wondering, how difficult/easy would it be, in the current
state of
> >the code, to implement monster races for players? IMHO this should be
the
> >simplest thing to implement, of all the ideas that have come up
recently.
> >I wouldn't mind working on some sample start maps for non-standard
classes
> >like hill giants, etc..
> >
> 
> One problem with monster races is the icon. Hill Giants can not fit in
most 
> maps. I wouldn't mind seeing some more options for characters, how
about 
> Druids.

Hehe, exactly what I had in mind. That's why hill giants would need
special start maps (or special maps in general) that would accomodate their
larger size. I wouldn't mind implementing a hill giant character class...
for one, we can make hill giants more powerful in general, to offset the
disadvantage that they won't be able to fit in many maps. I think it'll be
fun designing start maps that are wide enough to allow smooth movement of
hill giants.

Also, while we are on the topic of size, how about implement footprint
sizes instead? So a hill giant could still occupy only one square, just that
its icon uses two spaces. I notice some tall buildings are positioned next
to walls based on their footprint, so you get a nice overlay effect of a
tower extending over a wall. This topic has been discussed before, I just
don't recall any consensus on it.

-----Begin Response-----
I'm in favor of redoing that myself.  And in fact, that might be a project
I'd like to implement myself as soon as I get a wire to my house.  (11 more
days...)  The position of a multi-tile creature should be based on its feet
(or reasonable facsimile), not its head (or reasonable facsimile), and
similar perspective effects as the mentioned tower should be possible.
However, the reason those creatures occupy multiple tiles is laziness.  It's
easier to figure out if a monster has been hit with a fireball if every part
of the monster occupies a tile, somehow or other.  At present, there's no
need to change that, but it could become an issue.

Does a monster take multiple damage if it occupies multiple tiles and is hit
by a multi-tile wide spell?  If not, this change is relatively painless;
even if a monster retreats until all but its feet are overlapping a wall
someplace, it will still take as much damage as it's supposed to.  All I've
got to worry about is clipping properly.  If it does, something will have to
be done to avoid throwing spell damage out of whack.

DM
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