-----Original Message-----
From: Wolfgang Rumpf [evildrbob--mac.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 11:18 AM
To: <Address Masked>
Subject: Re: Palm OS Port (was Admin)



If you need beta-testers for a Palm-OS AR, count me in. :)
On Thursday, February 27, 2003, at 03:23 AM, ar--marktaw.mailshell.com
wrote:

> Hmm. In black & white how could you represent stats... Why not just
> not display them? Perhaps you could go to various oracles to get hints

> about what they are, but otherwise learn through experience. Maybe
> just display them when you walk through the entrance and that's it....
>
> I understood about diminishing returns. I'm just saying AR had a
> non-creature specific version built in. I also wonder if you got
> better with a specific weapon the longer you used it.
>
> Actually, on second thought, one of the good things about AR is the
> built-in goal system it inherited from D&D - levels & stats. One of
> the reasons you wan't to play is that you can watch your character get

> more powerful & stats are a great way to represent that.
>
> I'd like to suggest a neural network for keeping track of things...
> everything you keep track of has *some* affect on everything else. An

> empty stomach could hold you back in battle, and in negotiations, but

> not as much as being wounded. On the other hand, not having showered
> has a minor affect on battle, but a major affect on negotiations. Not

> having showered will negatively affect your surprise rating, and may
> give you an advantage against noblemen, but ghouls and ghasts won't be

> affected by it.... phew too many variables.
>
> Similarly, you could keep a health-meter that's influenced by a lot of

> things that are non hit-point related, but you won't know what...
> health-meter goes down and you scroll to another screen... upset
> stomach. okay, why.. bad food? wandering through the sewers too much?

> diseased? Of course, too few clues, or too repetitive actions could
> cause the game to become boring. It's a delicate balance.
>
> This is sort of like real life, but in real life you either go to a
> doctor or sweat through it.... you rarely die from an upset stomach.
>
> Mark
>