[MUD-Dev] DGN : Atomistic Creation

[Ghilardi Filippo]

Jaycen Rigger wrote:

> I haven't seen this topic touched in my time here, and we're
> getting ready to tackle it.  I hope I can get some feedback.

> I want to give each raw resource material in the game a set of
> properties.  The definition for what a sword is, for example, only
> defines the graphic, name and number of raw material units
> required to make the item.

> If this sword requires 5 material units to create it, the player
> has the choice of using any 5 material units to craft the sword
> that he likes.  The finished product carries the properties added
> up for each raw material unit.

> So, a wooden sword could be crafted using 5 logs.  Such a sword
> would be very light, but do little damage and have very low
> durability.  A pure iron sword would be extremely durable and do a
> great deal of damage, but so heavy it would make it difficult to
> carry the sword AND the treasure back to town.  The same sword,
> mixed with silver might do bonus damage to undead creatures.

> I also want to give crafters the ability to create "templates" of
> a particular item (crafted by that particular character) so if he
> finds a combination for a sword that adventurers really like, he
> can easily re-create that exact same effect in the future.

> Does anyone see any obvious flaws with a system like this?  Has
> anyone tried something like this?  Is it being done effectively?

Someone already tried that. A system like the one you are depicting
is the core crafting of SWG (Star Wars Galaxies).

In SWG everything is player crafted and to make something you need
tools and materials based on a recipe. Every material has different
properties (like resistance, toughtness, malleability etc) and can
be divided into categories (e.g. copper is metal and inorganic
material). Random spawn will make avaible resources in limited
quantities with different qualities even from the same material
(e.g. different kind of copper).

So the crafter need to find good materials and eventually stock
them. Has to decide what materials to use based on recipe (if you
are building an electrical component and need good conductivity and
recipe need a generic metal you might look for copper as is
generally better but using good copper is even better on final
item).

After assembling everything you can tweak some values with
experimentation and then eventually produce a schematic to be used
in factories and mass produce items given you have the exact
materials (same quality).

So, you have some constraints. You can't build a gun using water and
you can't cook a cake using steel. But within few logical
constraints you can use a full pletora of resources to make the same
item. And results can vary.

This aproach to crafting is very well conceived, interesting and fun
to play with.  May be Raph Koster could tell more about it.... :)

ciao ciao
Filippo G.
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