[MUD-Dev] Spoken Languages & Food [was RP thesis...]

[Matt Chatterley]

On Thu, 29 May 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:

> In <199705280616.XAA11034 at user1.inficad.com>, on 05/27/97 
>    at 11:24 PM, Adam Wiggins <nightfall at user1.inficad.com> said:
> >[Matt C:]
> 
> >> I have no idea how badly hurt I am when my left leg has taken 20% of it's
> >> max damage, or 30 points out of an unknown quantity. But if it's broken,
> >> bruised or badly burnt, I can imagine how badly hurt I would be. :P
> 
> >Yup.  I always made the stupid assumption that if my arm was at 50%,
> >where 100% was perfect and 0% was severed, that it's pretty well beat
> >up. Of course, 50% *usually* means that it's starting to get hurt;
> >rarely does it cease to function until 0%.
> 
> cf the movie Last Action Hero.
> 
> Think hollywood.
> 
> IRL even a 10% damage quotient would have you doubled over on the
> ground incapable of much more than mindless moans.  Movie and MUD
> characters are built of firmer stuff where even multiple .44 Magnum
> shells to the torso classify as "flesh wounds".
> 
> cf Naked Gun series.

Heh. :) I wouldn't personally cite Naked Gun and Last Action Hero as
examples.. but it depends on your intent. If you look at some of the more
far-fetched hollywood style stuff, the main character is pretty much
immortal. If you look at some of the 'better' stuff, it's not quite as
skewed (and if you look at something like Babylon Five, where you never
really know who will survive something, it's pretty real).

But the above does give another good reason for textual representation of
injury levels. I intent to apply penalties as limbs get damaged (probably
negative modifiers to stats, to indicate the overall negative effect on
the body, as well as various other effects.. reduced
defense/protection/offense, and so forth).

If I apply a penalty at 10%, 20% and so forth with 10% increments, the
player needs to be made aware of this, rather than just assuming that he's
fine until the limb reaches 101%, when it is wrecked somehow. Infact,
he'll get messages on his status screen along the lines of 'Your arm
aches', and such, indicating each level of damage (and possibly
mid-levels).

This way he doesn't suddenly go from being fine if a little roughed up, to
having his left hand lying on the floor and blood flying out of his arm,
or from swinging his sword to nursing a broken right arm. Penalties
gradually build up until one final big hit does semi-permanent (and very
dangerous) damage. It's not possible for the arm to be tapped for 3-4 hp
100 times and break, it must be thrown over 120% of it's max damage by a
big hit to be severed or broken. Severs and breaks cause serious problems
(severs moreso immediatly due to bleeding, breaks in the long run because
of negative effects such as loss of use in that limb, and trouble caused
by wearing armour on it).

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Fishing is complete and utter madness."  -Spike Milligan