Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

So I was reading this forum while at work. Discussing in another thread the mechanics of ranged attacks (spells/missiles). Remembered there was something in the manual about it.
Got home, got the manual and got disappointed!

Then I thought about it: its not the bloody manuals fault! The manual just tells me the values involved but keeps the formula secret. Hell, this is realistic, isnt it? You know roughly what happens, but you dont know exactly! So this is fine, as it saves me a lot of research and mathematics before playing the game. It keeps the magic and the flair inside the game...

...but then I'm reading this forum, and people here seem to know so much more, which might give them an advantage. Not that I have played MP so far (but I definitely intend to, anyone in for PBEM btw?), but I'm just anxious to know more and more and I just cant stop reading this forum, although thats in some sense bad for me (a real spoiler somehow). I guess I spent more time in this forum than actually playing...urgh! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Now my question: How do you know all this stuff? Bribing Illwinter?? Debugging??? Blackmailing Illwinter???? Or is it simply being addicted to this forum long before I was even aware this game existed?

(PS: Probably wont reply until tomorrow, as I try to play at least one turn today right now! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif )

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

Mostly by rumor mongering.

Sunray and others gathers bits of info here and there and puts it together in nice documents.

Many of the mechanics are not known by us either, but we can look them up in the code, should the demand arise.

Much of the 'hidden knowledge' can probably be found if you use the search function on this forum.

If you want to know something, just ask. Someone is bound to answer. Either me or some of the forum addicts http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

*goes berserk +7* DIEEE KRISTOFFER!!!

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

Ok, got me, I'm still here not playing...
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif It's kind of good to know that!

Well, I did ask and so far and did not get a satisfying answer (the question was about the formula determining the square where a missile or ranged spell attack would hit. More precisely, how to calculate the chance of hitting the right square depending on range, actual range and precision), but I'm not sure I really want to now anymore because it might kill the athomsphere of the game...ah well, of course I want know... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No problem. I'm immortal.

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif It's kind of good to know that!

Well, I did ask and so far and did not get a satisfying answer (the question was about the formula determining the square where a missile or ranged spell attack would hit. More precisely, how to calculate the chance of hitting the right square depending on range, actual range and precision), but I'm not sure I really want to now anymore because it might kill the athomsphere of the game...ah well, of course I want know... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Precision has recently been changed (2.09-beta) so I'm not sure how it works. But I didn't have a clue before either.

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

Chance of hitting a given square:

(1-(1-((2+prec)/(2+prec+1.5*range))))*(1-(prec/100)^2))*(prec/100)^.2

Doesn't it look about like that to you? You have to actually watch the battle replays to get a good feel for the exact equations, not just look at the results...

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No problem. I'm immortal. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm really impressed! that formula is what you see looking the battle replay ? You are incredible!

more serious ... I'm quite sure you know a lot of formulas about combat (since you have coded most of them in your simulator) ... is a too hard work for you to just prepare a small rtf document/thread called "known formulas" and keep it growing ... something really simple like:

precision: ....

to hit: ...

to damage: ...

and so on ...

it will be great! I really would like to contribute to the community making a good documentationa and a good web site but I don't' know where you (and Zen, and ceremony, and other peoples) find this informations!

Re: Got home, got manual, got disappointed!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Good grief. How many battles did you have to watch just to get enough data points to get that equation? I'm sure you derived that from some sort of regression sampling, because surely the actual, in-code formula cannot be this awful and must surely look a lot prettier. And I'm pretty sure you had to stage all those battles yourself to control the conditions right.

[ March 16, 2004, 07:22: Message edited by: Norfleet ]