Esp changes

[aardvark]

Recently, after finding a bug relating to a skill and esp (the "Telepathy: type" modifier on artifacts is referred to as "esp" within the engine), I've been looking into the way esp is handled by ToME 4 and haven't at all liked what I've seen.

Currently, all esp types have identical, additive ranges, e.g. if you can sense orcs at 5 paces and demons at 7, you actually sense both at 12. Equipment that improves or reduces your ability to sense one type of creature alters your ability to sense any creature of any type.

This bugs me enough that I'm seriously considering making an addon that gives each type of esp its own range. That way you could sense orcs at 5 paces, demons at 7, and a change in one wouldn't change your ability to sense the other. I've already got some ideas on how to go about it, but have some questions for other players:

1. Should ranges from different sources be additive or should the longest be used? Say you had a helm and armour that granted the same esp type, the former with range 5, the latter with range 8. Should the range when wearing both be 13 or 8?
2. Is the whole idea better forgotten?

Any thoughts, comments, and ideas are welcome.

[Frumple]

If you were going to do it, definitely the longest range per type being worn.

That said! +telepathy range should be a universal bonus. So if you had a demon hat and an orc sword at 5 and 7, and then hunted down a telepathic range booster with +5, you'd have demon at 10 and orc at 12.

Though... I'm not sure if telepathic range stuff is still around. Could put 'em back in if they're not!

[bricks]

Telepathy is so widely unavailable that I don't truly see this as an issue; in fact, fragmenting the stat further seems detrimental. Perhaps creatures should get a base telepathy range which is shared by all ESP types, and then powerful telepathy-related items could grant small bonuses (+1-3 range). Stacking would still be useful without becoming preposterous.

Tangential thought: an ESP "allies" effect would be a great ego/artifact effect.

[aardvark]

That said! +telepathy range should be a universal bonus.

Yes, a universal range modifier was part of my plans.

Though... I'm not sure if telepathic range stuff is still around. Could put 'em back in if they're not!

There are a couple of artifacts that have it, one of which I found in a recent game (so they certainly still drop).

Telepathy is so widely unavailable that I don't truly see this as an issue...

While that's certainly true, I don't see it as a good reason not to fix what I perceive as a problem. If it all worked reasonably well, a lot more egos and artifacts might appear that make use of it.

[lukep]

My thought is that it should be the highest range item (not additive), and range-boosting bonuses could work as well, but I don't know if they should be included (and most items should still be a flat range 10).

That setup could also be used to make tuned telepathy items, like one that gives ESP Undead (range 2) and ESP Undead/Ghost (range 10)

[aardvark]

So, the addon is progressing well, but I've run into something I'd like advice on: the Psionic skill Mind Link. I have yet to unlock any of the Psionic classes and so have no experience with it in practice. My question is regarding the range of the telepathy it grants. Currently, it gives telepathy for the targeted creature's type at the standard range (default: 10) but the talent itself has a different, apparently longer, range. Should the telepathy range be adjusted to match the talent's active range or be left alone?

[Frumple]

Probably left alone, I think. At most, extended to the distance that the linked critter is from the player, if that can be coded.

Alternately, mix things up and make it base range telepathy centered on the linked critter. Might be interesting!

But yeah, the telepathy would appear to be a discrete thing from the link's longer range, so extending it would probably be unnecessary.

Best person to chime in would probably be DG, though. Maybe catch 'im on the IRC and shoot the question at him?