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Author Topic: Allow tools/items when held or worn to boost skills or stats.  (Read 697 times)

Teldin

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Allow tools/items when held or worn to boost skills or stats.
« on: August 19, 2014, 10:34:41 pm »

Just add a simple token to items so they can boost skills or stats by X. Let's call it BOOST. Ie. [BOOST:SKILL:DODGING:1] where the 1 is how many 'levels' it adds temporarily. Dwarves should be smart enough to use one if it would increase a task they're about to do. Allow dwarven boost item behavior to be a toggle, like the web collecting and have dwarves become attached to certain items so they carry them around often for tasks they frequently do (rather than constantly running back to fetch it out of a stockpile).

For example, a climbing harness worn on the torso might look like this:

[ITEM_ARMOR:ITEM_ARMOR_CLIMBING_HARNESS]
[NAME:climbing harness:climbing harnesses]
[MATERIAL_PLACEHOLDER:leather]
[ARMORLEVEL:1]
[LAYER:ARMOR]
[COVERAGE:30]
[LAYER_SIZE:20]
[LAYER_PERMIT:50]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:4]
[LEATHER]
[BOOST:SKILL:CLIMBING:2]

Or a rope, which can be used as a makeshift whip:

[ITEM_TOOL:ITEM_TOOL_ROPE]
[NAME:rope:ropes]
[VALUE:10]
[TILE:'S']
[SIZE:150]
[SKILL:WHIP]
[TWO_HANDED:22500]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:8000]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:1]
[BOOST:SKILL:CLIMBING:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:1:30:lash:lashes:NO_SUB:2000]
   [ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:4:4]
   [ATTACK_FLAG_BAD_MULTIATTACK]

How about adding Analytical Ability when holding a puzzlebox?

[ITEM_TOY:ITEM_TOY_PUZZLEBOX]
[NAME:puzzlebox:puzzleboxes]
[HARD_MAT]
[BOOST:ATTRIBUTE:ANALYTICAL_ABILITY:3]

Or a pair of armored bracers that increase strength and wrestling?

[ITEM_GLOVES:ITEM_GLOVES_BRACERS_ARMORED]
[NAME:armored bracer:armored bracers]
[ARMORLEVEL:1]
[SHAPED]
[LAYER:ARMOR]
[COVERAGE:50]
[LAYER_SIZE:20]
[LAYER_PERMIT:15]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:2]
[SCALED]
[BARRED]
[METAL]
[HARD]
[LEATHER]
[BOOST:ATTRIBUTE:STRENGTH:1]
[BOOST:SKILL:WRESTLING:1]

You get the idea.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 10:37:27 pm by Teldin »
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GavJ

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Re: Allow tools/items when held or worn to boost skills or stats.
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2014, 11:31:20 pm »

A climbing harness or rope aiding climbing is great.

Holding a puzzlebox changing your cognition makes no sense whatsoever though (is it some sort of alien neurotransmitting artifact? Wut?), and wearing armor if anything (depending on how you calculate strength) would do the OPPOSITE of make you stronger, since it won't change your muscle mass, and now you're carrying around the weight of a piece of armor which uses up some of your strength...

I endorse the idea, but definitely only for actual sensical tools.

Also, some tools shouldn't boost you at all unless you already have at least some skill of that type. For example a hand planer won't make you produce better furniture if you have no idea how to do carpentry, because it's non-obvious how to even use it for a complete novice.  Actually, in general, that should probably be the default for most tools. Most people wouldn't know how to use ropes to help them climb actually any better either if they have no knowledge, but if you have a little buit of training, it will begin to magnify it.

An easy way to model that in-game would be for tools to MULTIPLY your skill be some amount. For instance, a rope makes you 1.2x better at climbing. So if you have zero skill, it does nothing, and the more you know, the more the tool actually helps in the hands of a master.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 11:33:20 pm by GavJ »
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TerminallyBeard

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Re: Allow tools/items when held or worn to boost skills or stats.
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2014, 05:44:30 pm »

I like this idea, but would take it further. Now it's far too easy to achieve legendary skill levels so in addition to tool skill multipliers (not flat addition) I believe the current level caps should be doubled (or even more) after, say, proficient.
You want an equivalent to a master mason before the fort hits 20?
He'll only work at that level if he has a *mason kit* or maybe a -chisel- and +emery block+. Kind of adds the element of building their own better tools as they learn the craft (I think I've read this in a previous thread too). But then I also like the idea of halving training rate for a skill if the dorf has the fortresses highest level in that skill so maybe I'm just masochistic.
I get what you're trying to do with the puzzlebox/bracers... almost a proto-magic / buff system. But I'm not sure if I agree with that side of things. Tools yes, magic hmmmmaybenot.
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