Questions raised by the latest screenshot

[Kreador Freeaxe]

I think this got buried at the bottom of the droolpit following the release of the latest screenshot, so I wanted to re-ask my most significant question, and I'm bringing up King_ov_Death's question, as well.

My question: On this screenshot in the minimap there are three bits of additional information: Alignment, LUM, and Current Action. The first two I think are pretty easy to understand, but 'Current Action: 1' makes me wonder if the combat system in Book II will include Action Points. This would make the Speed attribute more important, I'm sure, and give us lots of interesting tactical decisions in combat. How many action points to swap from a bow to a sword? Do I have enough to take that last shot with one space separation and be able to get my sword out the next round and strike? Or do I have to lose that round swapping weapons? Does changing combat modes take action points? Is my whole concern over this just flying up my own...?...well, you know.

And King_ov_Death noted that barely visible door that looks to lead into the dam, below where the character is standing. He asks:

I've noticed something: underneath the dam there is a room and some terrain next to it. Does Book II support several floors on the same map?

[AK_Marty]

I don't recall BW saying anything about any drastic changes in the combat system, and action points would be a drastic change!

[BasiliskWrangler]

Kreador Freeaxe: You were close.

- Alignment identifies whether the entity is a friend, a foe, a friend that has become a foe, or a foe that has become a friend.
- LUM does in fact stand for illumination. You got that one correct.
- Action tell us what the entity is currently doing: idle, moving, attacking, recoiling from hit, etc.

King_ov_Death: Sort of. Through the clever use of tiles and player direction, we can simulate multiple levels on one map. It works similar to an MC Escher optical illusion, so while it is not truly multilevel, it still allows us to create areas that function like they are on multiple levels.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Kreador Freeaxe: You were close.

- Alignment identifies whether the entity is a friend, a foe, a friend that has become a foe, or a foe that has become a friend.
- LUM does in fact stand for illumination. You got that one correct.
- Action tell us what the entity is currently doing: idle, moving, attacking, recoiling from hit, etc.

So these are data points shown because the cursor is currently on the slime? So in fact the LUM is illumination where the TARGET is standing (letting us know if there's likely to be a visibility penalty)? Hopefully there will be a chart in the User's Guide showing us the meaning of the numbers for Alignment and Current Action. Would it be excessively complex to change the numbers on Alignment and Current Action to a descriptive word or two to make it more obvious if our addiction forces us to jump straight into playing before we read the Guide?

[BasiliskWrangler]

Hopefully there will be a chart in the User's Guide showing us the meaning of the numbers for Alignment and Current Action. Would it be excessively complex to change the numbers on Alignment and Current Action to a descriptive word or two to make it more obvious if our addiction forces us to jump straight into playing before we read the Guide?

Ah, see - this is why I should have Photoshopped those developer codes out. They aren't present in the game you get...these stats help us track bugs ("what the hell is that slime doing now??") and balance the game ("should I be getting a darkness penalty for attacking that rat when he is clearly standing within torchlight?").

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Ah, so sharp-eyed players desperate for new information don't go jumping to strange conclusions.

[IJBall]

Actually, I more wonder about what those... blobs are in the Quick-Use Item Slot next to the water skin! Whatever it is, there are "2" of them...

And is that a magnifying glass in the slot at the other end?!

And what's with the 'Tier 2' Detox Serum?! We didn't have those in Book 1!!

Ah, all these questions...

[Unclever title]

Actually, I more wonder about what those... blobs are in the Quick-Use Item Slot next to the water skin! Whatever it is, there are "2" of them...

By blobs, you mean the pink stuff? Looks like several hunks of meat to me. (That would be two sets of several hunks of meat)
Though the general shape of the hunks of meat does vaguely remind me of a turtle...

And is that a magnifying glass in the slot at the other end?!

And what's with the 'Tier 2' Detox Serum?! We didn't have those in Book 1!!

Ah, all these questions...

But what does it all mean, Holmes?

*dignified thinking pose*

[CrazyBernie]

Ah, see - this is why I should have Photoshopped those developer codes out. They aren't present in the game you get...these stats help us track bugs ("what the hell is that slime doing now??") and balance the game ("should I be getting a darkness penalty for attacking that rat when he is clearly standing within torchlight?").

Actually, you did cover yourself:

Disregard the little bit of developer info in the automap window. It won't be there in the release version- I just forgot to shut it off before taking a screen capture.

Some people just got a little over-excited and missed it. 0_o

Actually, I more wonder about what those... blobs are in the Quick-Use Item Slot next to the water skin! Whatever it is, there are "2" of them...

They're clearly old pieces of chewing gum that BW's collecting...

And what's with the 'Tier 2' Detox Serum?! We didn't have those in Book 1!!

Well maybe it can clense more than one poison... or maybe BW's rearranged the difficulty of some of the potions... there's some potions in Book I that have a ringed bottle that don't have a lower "tier" (Stoneskin even is a "Tier 3" bottle). I assumed it was in reference to the difficulty level in creating that potion...

[King_ov_Death]

King_ov_Death: Sort of. Through the clever use of tiles and player direction, we can simulate multiple levels on one map. It works similar to an MC Escher optical illusion, so while it is not truly multilevel, it still allows us to create areas that function like they are on multiple levels.

Thanks BW!
And thanks to Kreador Freeaxe for making this topic!

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Ah, see - this is why I should have Photoshopped those developer codes out. They aren't present in the game you get...these stats help us track bugs ("what the hell is that slime doing now??") and balance the game ("should I be getting a darkness penalty for attacking that rat when he is clearly standing within torchlight?").

Actually, you did cover yourself:

Disregard the little bit of developer info in the automap window. It won't be there in the release version- I just forgot to shut it off before taking a screen capture.

Some people just got a little over-excited and missed it. 0_o

Oops. That's because the fourth time I went back to drool at the screen shot, I did not reread BW's post here first. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Aldbeski]

guys i really think that what u think is a magnifying glass is actually a watch since i seem to remember in early development fan of Book 1 started talking about time in the game and time related quests so that's just what i think but what do i know
PS : BW please tell that guy to feed his charecter because im really starting to feel sorry for him

[IJBall]

Hey, I dunno if anyone has asked this before, but do the arrows(/buttons) to the right of the Narrative Text area (and to the left of the Quick-Use Item slots) allow you to scroll the Narrative Text up and down?

Because, if so, that is a welcome development in Book II's engine, as I often wished I could scroll the Narrative text in Book I.

(Hopefully, we'll also be able to highlight and copy & paste Narrative Text in Book II as well! )

[King_ov_Death]

Hey, I dunno if anyone has asked this before, but do the arrows(/buttons) to the right of the Narrative Text area (and to the left of the Quick-Use Item slots) allow you to scroll the Narrative Text up and down?

Because, if so, that is a welcome development in Book II's engine, as I often wished I could scroll the Narrative text in Book I.

(Hopefully, we'll also be able to highlight and copy & paste Narrative Text in Book II as well! )

Actually, you can.
Just press the gold arrows to the left of the Narrative Text area.

I actually liked your last idea. It would be nice to be able to copy and paste narrative. I wished to capture the narrative that said I made a Savage Attack and a Critical Hit at the same time, but I couldn't .

[IJBall]

Hey, I dunno if anyone has asked this before, but do the arrows(/buttons) to the right of the Narrative Text area (and to the left of the Quick-Use Item slots) allow you to scroll the Narrative Text up and down?

Because, if so, that is a welcome development in Book II's engine, as I often wished I could scroll the Narrative text in Book I.

Actually, you can.
Just press the gold arrows to the left of the Narrative Text area.

OMG, I so did not realize those were arrows before now!
I thought they were just decorative fringe that BW had put in there!!

Ha ha! Guess you still learn new things about this game, even after a dozen+ times of playing it!

Thanks a bunch for this, King_ov!!