Unique Items (was Re: [MUD-Dev] MUD Wimping)

[Lord Ashon]

On Thu, 3 Aug 2000 adam at treyarch.com wrote:

> On Thu, 3 Aug 2000, Lazarus wrote:
> 
> Actually, this makes me think of an idea I had many moon ago for simulating
> this effect (unique item that once it is gone is gone permenantly) that
> doesn't require admin intervention.
> 
> The mud generates items semi-randomly, with spawn points given stats to
> indicate what sorts of items they generate.  There are a number of base item
> types, and then there are modifiers that can be added.  An excellent
> system in this regard is the one found in the game Angband.  You have
> base items like longswords, halberds, claymores, lucern hammers, etc.
> Modifiers are things like resistance to fire, +N speed, +N attacks,
> flamebrand, icebrand, lightningbrand, free action, and so forth.  On the very
> high end you have Weapons of Westernesse (gives +1 STR, CON, DEX, and resist
> something-or-other), weapons of slay animal/orc/dragon, and so forth.

We have a system much akin to this on WheelMUD.  We have 4 'variable list'
which are chosen from.  Material, Item Type, Verb, Magiacal Propensity.
So not only do we get a list like yours but we get a list that looks like
this:

  a granite (+4) longsword(2d6) of sharpness (+2) w/o Magic
  wool (0) pair of leggings (1d2) of niceness (+worth) w/o magic
  an iron (+worth, +resistance, +damage) hat (1d2) of {} w/ magic missle

I decided to code the system like this so that we would have unique items,
and so that builders could not go around and create super-powerful
weapons.  It all fits into a nice controlled equation.  You will also
note, that some of the wording above is kinda wierd, a wool pair of
leggings of niceness the players would see as: a nice pair of wool
leggings are here. 

[snip list of items]
> 

> You could easily combine this with either a language generator (which have
> been discussed here before) or just a huge list of potential unique names,
> such that you can assign a name to generated items, ala:
> 
>   a longsword of Westernesse named 'Ringil'
>   an iron helm of telepathy named 'Feanor'
> 
> Once the name has been used, mark it off the list so that it will never
> be repeated.  (If you have a static table of names, this will require adding
> new ones every so often.)

We use our in-system name generator, which we use for realized objects to
name 'special' items.  We then write it to a file which is checked each
time that an item is generated.  On the same note, players can go to a
black smith, and have a name carved into their favorite sword or weapon,
and we stamp the item ID with that name, and include it in the file of
names.  This leads to players renaming swords, naming swords things like
Bubba's Sword of whoomping.  I've found that the players tend to gain
ownership of the mud when they can do things like that.
 
> Once a unique item is lost or destroyed, that's it - you'll never see
> that exact item again.  It becomes the stuff of legend.
> 
> Adam

This system owes it self to a lengthy discussion with Richard Woolcock
that lasted over a week on usenet.  His own game system does something
much the same.  And after having him describe it, and asking little
nit-picky questions I decided to implement it into the WheelMUD codebase,
to add that flavor of uniquiness and randomness.  I also noted whether
from discusiion on this list or other list(s), that Diablo has the same
type of system.  So I went out and bought diablo (Go Discount BIN!) and
found a copy of the players guide, and sure enough they use a system quite
like it.  

>From DIABLO: The Official Startegy Guide (Page 132)
	" When you acquire a magical item in DIABLO -- whether weapon, armor,
	amulet or cloak--a set of randomly assigned prefixes and suffices 
	defines its properties.  The list itself is impressive.  The possible 
	combinations are overwhelming "
it woks out to be a 81x97 For the prefix and suffix.  When you add in the
item types, they can generate over half a million different items!

We have a couple collectors items that sometimes appear when we
generate our items, the faovrites eem to be the glass pants, and the sharp
leather sword.  *sigh*  These amazingly enough, are highly prized.  Old
timers will constantly pay very high prices to get their hands on enough
glass pants to wear for every day of the week. It becomes a status symbol.
And since they don't have any _real_ value I leave these oddities in. 

--Lord Ashon 
The only way to get rid of a temptations is to yield to it! --Wilde




_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev