Re: CF: Gameplay issues and misc stuff

[Brian Thomas <thomas@xplorer.gsfc.nasa.gov>]

> From: Raphael.Quinet@eed.ericsson.se
> 
> Here are a few random comments related to 0.92.5:
> 
> - The new attack code will sometimes produce the same kind of
>   unfortunate side effects as the ones I tried to fix in my patch to
> 
	Perhaps your patch was one of the ones that Mark didnt 
	have time to apply? I certainly agree that this is a 
	problem!

> - The alchemy code, when combined with god intervention, can affect
>   play balance (a lot).  Here is how: put four or five cheap objects
> [snip]

	A 3rd (easy to do) suggestion: Why not set the value of all
	cursed items to 0. Then when uncursed, these items would 
	remain worthless. Not very sophisticated I admit, but it 
	would perserve playbalance.

> 
> - The dragon steaks are not counted as food anymore.  They are much
> [snip] ...

	Well, I (personally) don't see this as a problem. On the 
	otherhand, Its very easy to change the code to allow it to
	let you eat items of type FLESH when you are starving.

> - I'm thinking about creating a new skill for smithery (alas, there is
>   already a skill with that name and it is powerful enough, so I have
>   to find a new name).  It would do the same kind of things as the
>   alchemy spell: you drop some weapons and raw materials on an anvil,
>   and you use the skill to create a new weapon.  For example, a sword
>   combined with ten "potions of cold resistance" would create a sword
>   protected from cold.  But this could also affect play balance a lot,
>   so I will first wait and see what happens with the alchemy code.
> 

	Basically, you can create *any* artifact that is either an
	archetype (e.g. Bonecrusher) or appears in the "artifacts"
	list in lib. This means you can make assasination arrows
	as well as potions, etc. The alchemy code has a great deal 
	of flexibility.

> Thanks to Brian Thomas for the patches.
> 
	Thanks to Raphael too!  ;) -b.t.


	One last comment---I am planning to fix up the reading code
	so that generated book titles match the contents. Perhaps Ill 
	get around to that this weekend.

							-b.t.