What we're working on today...

[BasiliskWrangler]

In essence, it's an ability that requires a build-up of stamina to use... with the difference being that each feat has it's own stamina "bar."

Well put.

[MyGameCompany]

The first build of this new system, on Monday, had automatic Feats that were based on a chance of occurrence. It worked well enough, but it lacked strategy because you could not choose to use the Feat when you needed it. There is no greater frustration than to have a "Critical Pummel" used on a lesser creature when a large boss is moving in behind it, and then you don't know if you'll see another feat in 3 rounds or 80 rounds.

That makes sense. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for clarifying!

Looking forward to the new game...

[King_ov_Death]

Thrown: Chance for "Overwhelming Volley", up to eight weapons thrown at once, showering the target and adjacent tiles.

Let's see this with some Demon Oil III...

Or with a flask of Incinerator Fuel...

Great idea BW!

[Painted Lady]

In thinking about our nifty new "stamina bar," I started wondering about exactly how it would work with Thrown Weapons. Specifically, let's say I have 4 weapons ready to throw, and I activate this feature. Would I still have half my stamina left after the throw? Or would it all be used up even though it could be used to unleash eight darts?

[CrazyBernie]

In thinking about our nifty new "stamina bar," I started wondering about exactly how it would work with Thrown Weapons. Specifically, let's say I have 4 weapons ready to throw, and I activate this feature. Would I still have half my stamina left after the throw? Or would it all be used up even though it could be used to unleash eight darts?

I'm assuming that it's a one shot deal... considering it's going to be a skill you have to activate, if you don't have enough throwing items equipped in advance, you just throw what you have left. You would then have to build up for the next volley. After all, the key wording is...

up to eight weapons thrown at once

There isn't an actual stamina bar (again, I'm making an assumption)... I was just helping visualize what's going on "in the background."

[BasiliskWrangler]

There isn't an actual stamina bar (again, I'm making an assumption)... I was just helping visualize what's going on "in the background."

Right. There is no stamina bar. Bernie made a generalize description of how the system works- which basically is the more skilled you are at a particular Weapon category, the more often you can use a particular Feat.

As for how thrown weapons work, some Feats "ramp up" after level 10. At level 10 you can throw three items at once; it scales up to level 20 being able to throw 8. If you are level 20 in Thrown Weapons, and you have 23 Dwarven Steel Knives equipped, using the Overwhelming Volley with throw 8 of those knives (leaving 15), showering the target tile and surrounding tiles. Then that Feat is exhausted for about another 40 turns.

The example of throwing multiple Demon Oil is only partially effective. Demon Oil produces fire damage (which most enemies are quick to escape from) and they also do a "burst damage" if the flask hits the target enemy. This is not the same as "blast damage", like what powder kegs, fireballs, and Incinerator Fuel does where there is a larger radius of damage. Throwing a volley of Demon Oil spreads a lot of fire which can helpful, but throwing a bunch of Incinerator Fuel really unleashes some terrible hell! If only incinerator fuel wasn't so damn rare....

[Painted Lady]

Which brings up another issue. Will we even have Incinerator Fuel in Book 2? Of course, we all hope the answer is yes, because it's so much fun to use...........

[CrazyBernie]

The example of throwing multiple Demon Oil is only partially effective. Demon Oil produces fire damage (which most enemies are quick to escape from) and they also do a "burst damage" if the flask hits the target enemy. This is not the same as "blast damage", like what powder kegs, fireballs, and Incinerator Fuel does where there is a larger radius of damage. Throwing a volley of Demon Oil spreads a lot of fire which can helpful, but throwing a bunch of Incinerator Fuel really unleashes some terrible hell! If only incinerator fuel wasn't so damn rare....

No no no... If ONLY we could throw powder kegs....

[AK_Marty]

The example of throwing multiple Demon Oil is only partially effective. Demon Oil produces fire damage (which most enemies are quick to escape from) and they also do a "burst damage" if the flask hits the target enemy. This is not the same as "blast damage", like what powder kegs, fireballs, and Incinerator Fuel does where there is a larger radius of damage. Throwing a volley of Demon Oil spreads a lot of fire which can helpful, but throwing a bunch of Incinerator Fuel really unleashes some terrible hell! If only incinerator fuel wasn't so damn rare....

No no no... If ONLY we could throw powder kegs....

CB you are truly EVIL

[Rune_74]

I can't believe that you forgot to mention it in our interview

Sorry- it wasn't that I forgot....it's just it was still in the planning stages. I didn't want to mention it before I had the chance to play it myself and see it work. If it didn't work, I didn't want to have to go back and say "sorry- we changed our minds".

I can tell you this: having a highly skilled Piercing Weapons character strike with a dagger, then slash back across the other direction for a second strike in the same round is veeeery cool and satisfying!

These look very close to what we talked about wayyyy back when, but not as complex:) Did any of the ideas about special feats being available if you had skill levels in multiple skills?

PS: back from sailing....again.....

[Randomizer]

No no no... If ONLY we could throw powder kegs....

Now the goblins are going, "Let's shoot the jerk carrying all those powder kegs."

The resultant explosion levels everything within the town including the the town.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Updated first post. I realized "Masterful Parry" (Swords skill) wasn't described well and failed to mention injury to parried attacker.

[Edit] And our resident wordsmith (CrazyBernie) chimed in that a Parry is simply the defensive move of blocking an attack; a Riposte is the act following a parry with a a strike. That is a better term for how the Sword Feat works, so we renamed it. As well, he pointed out that a Pummel generally implies using one's fists; so we've changed Critical Pummel to Devastating Blow.

[dare49devil]

And our resident wordsmith (CrazyBernie) chimed in that a Parry is simply the defensive move of blocking an attack; a Riposte is the act following a parry with a a strike. That is a better term for how the Sword Feat works, so we renamed it. As well, he pointed out that a Pummel generally implies using one's fists; so we've changed Critical Pummel to Devastating Blow.

-Correct. I agree. =]

-These names of skills remind me of GW. Ahh, the days.

[IJBall]

As well, [CrazyBernie] pointed out that a Pummel generally implies using one's fists; so we've changed Critical Pummel [for Bludgeoning Weapons] to Devastating Blow.

Well, in light of that, shouldn't the Unarmed Combat 'Feat' be rechristened:

Unarmed Combat: Gains "Fury Pummel", a powerful rain of fist blows delivering 4x damage to one target.

[CrazyBernie]

Meh... "Fury" and "Pummel" don't really complement each other. I think he was going for one big hit (picture Bruce Lee with a massive fist strike while screaming "YAAAAAAAAA!" with the tendons/veins popping out of his neck, then his opponent goes flying through a wall...). If it was going to be a multi-hit type of attack, I'd shoot for something like "Whirlwind Strike" or "Flurry Strike/Flurry of Blows" and have it be a multi-target ability. But then that might be pushing too many abilities that hit multiple targets.

**EDIT**

Actually, if possible, I'd consider lowering the damage of Fury Strike to 3x and adding a one square knock-back. This would either give the player an extra attack, adding back up to the 4x damage, or an extra round to do something like quaff a potion. I like special attacks that do something "special" as opposed to just piling on extra damage (that's what critical hits are for)... ^_^