Floor inscriptions

[Tachyon]

I think inscriptions will be removed in 3.0.0, but I might be wrong. It would be cool, though, if the new Runecraft were made to encompass them.

[Groothewanderer]

There is somewhat spoilerish information in this message tree. Maybe it should be moved to spoilers.

[Neil]

I'd rather that those who added spoilers take responsibility and edit their posts, or failing that, delete the thread and restart it.

This thread should be able to be carried out in General discussion without spoilers ruining it.

[Faeryan]

would you like to see them in Norseband?

If I just repeat my original question once again since there haven't been that many answers to this. Please say something if you have an opinion about this.

[Maylith]

I didn't respond to the Norseband question because I haven't had time to try Norseband yet. But I like the idea in general, so my response, taken totally out of context, would be "Yes, that'd be good."

[Groothewanderer]

I was refering to the actual inscription that Robert1134 had in his post. Part of inscriptions is figuring out what words work together to form spells. Putting up the inscriptions is definitely spoilerish and should be editted out.

I'm not worried about it for myself since I've read all the spoiler files but some people might not appreciate the spoil.

[Zizzo]

I only use the illumination one until I find a suitable object that can cast light.

Indeed, that one's been a life-saver for my Unbeliever; apart from one or two artifacts (I think), it's her only option for lighting rooms, short of carrying around a huge stack of Scrolls of Light (and running out of them at crucial moments, of course...).

[ISNorden]

I didn't respond to the Norseband question because I haven't had time to try Norseband yet. But I like the idea in general, so my response, taken totally out of context, would be "Yes, that'd be good."

Norseband is still in development at this time; a preliminary "lite" version based on T-Engine 226 should be out in late March/early April. (The full edition should be out shortly after T-Engine 3 goes stable and public.)

The reason Mayfair and I mentioned inscriptions and the module together, is that I am considering a runecraft system for Norseband which works similarly to floor inscriptions--if that system can be coded under the existing game engine. Actually requiring the character to engrave words on some appropriate object (not necessarily floor space)...and requiring him to learn the words as floor inscriptions are currently learned...seems more in-theme for a Norse setting than "standard" ToME 2 runecraft does.

[Maylith]

Interesting! And yes, I agree, a rune or rune-like system makes sense for a Norse theme. So (a little tongue-in-cheek here, but no offense meant), instead of one's spear and magic helmet, one might have a chisel/axe/dagger/etc and a hunk of tree (or rock)?

Code: Select all

Being without a handy stick, you carve a Rune into the haft of your Polearm.
-more-
Your Polearm's haft already has X runes carved into it!
-more-
Your carving damages the structural integrity of your weapon! Your Polearm breaks!
-more-
The Beastie shrugs aside your paltry attack with a broken weapon. 
The Beastie hits you. <10x>
You die.....

Code: Select all

You finish carving a full set of divinatory runes on 23 Pebbles (1d2).
You have no more 23 Pebbles.
You have some Runes.
You cast the Runes.
<Something bad comes up.> You feel your hours are numbered.

[ISNorden]

Hmmmm. Engraving weapons, though it might be realistic, could be tricky to code: where would the inscription be displayed, just as a minor example? I'd also probably want to limit the number of inscriptions to one per item (avoiding the lost-weapon scenario you describe above, unless the character failed a chance to inscribe).

As for using pebbles and sticks for inscriptions--that is a good idea. Giving the same junk-items one use for an archer and another use for a runecaster should not break game balance too badly...especially not if the character manages to get both skills and has to make a tough decision once in a while.

[Maylith]

Hmmmm. Engraving weapons, though it might be realistic, could be tricky to code: where would the inscription be displayed, just as a minor example? I'd also probably want to limit the number of inscriptions to one per item (avoiding the lost-weapon scenario you describe above, unless the character failed a chance to inscribe).

I agree on both points.

I don't know how the code is set up, but I'm sure that to add runes to weapons would probably require some pretty major recoding, along the lines of adding another field to the description. Maybe you could mangle the code that adds powers to sentient weapons and use that?

As for using pebbles and sticks for inscriptions--that is a good idea. Giving the same junk-items one use for an archer and another use for a runecaster should not break game balance too badly...especially not if the character manages to get both skills and has to make a tough decision once in a while.

Hmm... and maybe at high enough level (plus some skill points for an ability, perhaps) you could put runes on your ammos. Welll, maybe that would be a bit much...

[ISNorden]

What you describe would involve rewriting the source code itself, to the best of my knowledge: I lack any C programming skill at all, and am not sure that even T-Engine 3 will have enough of the old hard-coded material moved to Lua for me to pull off such a drastic change. Even if someone with more technical ability redid and recompiled the source code for me, I doubt that the devteam would approve of my distributing Norseband with a modified T-Engine either--not if I wanted it on this site. (I had proposed a similar tactic to de-Tolkienize some of the hard-coded material like ORC flags and Mithril items...only to get very negative responses all round. *shrug*) Given my limited skill and my hopes to keep Norseband compatible with the main game engine, I fear that Norseband Lite (at least) will have to stick with "wielded rune items" as foci for the new rune spell lists.

[boucman]

actually, I think what you are thinking is quite close to the future tome3 new rune system...

int ome3 you can add flags to objects. the rune system only do this on special rune stones, but I don't think anything prevents engraving of any objects...

[Neil]

Thank you to all who censored their posts!

[ISNorden]

actually, I think what you are thinking is quite close to the future tome3 new rune system...

in tome3 you can add flags to objects. the rune system only do this on special rune stones, but I don't think anything prevents engraving of any objects...

OK...thank you to whoever suggested the change to make rune magic feel more "runic" in ToME 3. (I do hope that the word combos won't be hard-coded though, so that inscriptions can look more Nordic in a Nordic setting!) In the meantime I'll be developing Norseband Lite with the wielded-item Runecraft--just a temporary measure until ToME 3 is ready, of course.