Wing Flap Skill for Dragons

Zortan · Post by **Zortan** » Mon Jun 30, 2003 7:22 pm

How come a dragon doesn't use his wings for anything? He should be able to do two things:

1. Fly... Doh!
2. Flap his/her/its wings so fast, as to send enemies back couple squares, possibly causing damage..
2.1 Flap wings so fast, that it could knock certain spells back (such as explosions from fireballs, etc)

#2 and #2.1 would be based on the level of the dragon, and weigth value assigned to the creature and/or spell..

Don't want this to become too powerful, but, maybe instead of flapping away spells, it would decrease the amount of damage taken, due to the fact that some of it is fanned away..

..on that line, the above suggestions (#2, and #2.1) should only work in the direction the dragon is facing..

What do you think?

dark.schneider · Post by **dark.schneider** » Mon Jun 30, 2003 8:11 pm

I personaly like the idea, but dragons are allreaqdy very powerful and adding more to them is not so good.
I think that with this add dragons need a different experience table much slower than that of a poor normal human.

Zortan · Post by **Zortan** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 2:11 pm

I agree.. But rather than a new experience table, it should be an age-table.. I never recall seeing very-powerful young dragons.. Isn't that why the Ancient Dragons are more powerful than the hatchlings?

They get more powerful with experience, but mainly age, since their bodies mature, and the natural magic within them does as well?

So.. if someone is good enough to get to overall-level of 100 in say, a week, their age-table could still be showing them being a hatchling.. Hence they could still be rather weak!

Actually.. What I propose is an age-level penalty.. If you get too fast in levels, but your age doesn't keep up, you start going insane with all the power growing in you but no body or mind to contain it (example to follow, and logic not totally worked out, but this is just to get my drift)

if(overall_level > (age +/- tolerance))
penalty = wisdom - (primary_skill_level - age)/10 difference
penalty#2 = inteligence - (primary_skill_level - age)/10 difference
if((age +/- tolerance) > overall_level)
penalty = str - (primary_skill_level - age)/10 difference
penalty#2 = con - (primary_skill_level - age)/10 difference

Basically, to reitterate.. If you get too old for your experience, or too experienced for your age, you will sustain some penalties.. An old dragon without experience will whither and die.. A young dragon with too much experience but no mind to contain it will go insane..

How does a dragon age? Well.. I propose that as an example, a dragon who's primary levels are physical, needs to raise their wisdom and or literacy, and vice versa..

The creature I'm playing now was for the longest time overbalanced on the magic side.. only recently did I try to balance wisdom and physique.. I think this would be a good way to slow down dragons progression, and make things more difficult for them..

hoxu · Post by **hoxu** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:17 pm

Zortan, I like most of your suggestions and you have brought up many good points. However, I think you haven't thought of the pros and cons carefully. Hmm. Or does that mean it's up to us?

The idea of age restricting growing of a PC is interesting but I wonder if it brings any good in the end. Would PCs age after being created or only when the player is logged in? If PCs age when being logged in this would give advantage for players with DSL/cable. On the other hand, if you they age after being created regardless of whether logged or not, people would simply create a character and wait few weeks before actually starting to play.

201132 < xeno|lobster> hoxu: now you're making less than average sense

Well, I'm not sure if I got your point.

Zortan · Post by **Zortan** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 6:29 pm

Perhaps instead of "counter" for age, a person would be sent on an "evolve" quest -- kill something, or find something and place it on an altar and receive a piece of food that once picked up, will disolve if dropped (would prevent high level people from bringing stuff for their lower level characters)..

Once eaten, you evolve to the next stage.. If you haven't evolved, and my level/evolution penalty applies till you do..

Definately would promote exploration.. Of course one high-level character could have a low-level character follow him and get his item that way, but heck.. Go through that trouble if you wish to..