Yep, apparently sprite_rename only works on WAD files and no PK3 files (or something because if I use HEAD instead of LICH in sprites they work fine).

Anyway, I fixed the issue with Iron Lich, added Minotaur boss and other small fixes to the code repository. I'll make a new internal release sometime during the weekend.

Uploaded a new internal build, as promised , you can find it here:
http://downloads.orcishweb.com/koraxdev/KoraxArena/KArena_20090719.zip Enjoy!

Also, test Survival game mode and post any problems you find.

@CW: Please test the game to see if I solved the crash in SlideMove .

Balanced weapons aren't there yet, I'll work on that during the next week , I've implemented several flags depicting weapon features and I'll build a method to calculate factors that will be used to give values to weapon features as we discussed, as soon as it is working, I'll upload the source files to KDev.

Catwalk is still there.

Fight!

Yes, because this is an internal release .

I've got the first weapon balance code incarnation , you can find the modified source files here:
http://downloads.orcishweb.com/koraxdev/KoraxArena/Weapon_balance_source_test.zip

Let me know what you think of it .

I reviewed that quickly, I have two things to say.
First of all I have doubts about calculating all that right in the code; I actually thought this will be calculated externally, "on paper", and then actual mana/damage values inserted in the code. This would also allow some freedom in getting final values (we may add/decrease some points to damage if needed regardless of what formula say).
Secondly, the way damage is calculated is completely wrong, at least in the context of what I proposed. You made some damage constant be affected by weight factor, but I proposed it be created by weight factor value as a difference between limit and weight base (as described in corresponding thread).

I suggest maybe setup these forumals in electronic table and get basic weight values (the ones that does not include damage and mana). Then it will be easier to get damage / mana cost values that fit the limit.

I am with CW on this one.

The advantages of using electronic table are:
1) We will have the final values in user-friendly way, that is we will see them immediately as we put in new weapon values or make changes to old values, and also everyone will know them ,not only those who can read the code.
2) We will be able to review all the weapons at one glance, and easily compare them.
These 2 advantages also result in 3rd advantage: it will be MUCH easier to balance and fix our values.

As for getting damage and mana cost. What I proposed earlier, is to make damage and mana cost members of a long summary formula, a formula where *weights* of weapon properties are summed. In the code posted there I can see some complicated calculations involving percents (division on 100).
Second thing. The formulas implemented in that code assume that damage has linear dependence on other weights. But if we decide in future that it shouldn't be linear, these formulas won't work.
For example, we may make 10 damage equal 1 "weight" unit, 20 damage equal 2 weight units, etc.
But on the other hand we may decide that 10 damage should equal to 1 weight, while 20 damage should equal to 4 weight units already.

I suggest make following. Take electronic table, and make properties be in different columns. Final column should be a result, that summs the weights. Thus we may change contents of each column and see how summ changes. Then make sure that summ stays on needed level.

Ok, I've got the calculated values in the source code written on paper on my end, if you want, I can add these values to the weapon table I made, so that we can balance them.

Curiously enough, values aren't THAT unbalanced:

- first level weapons: 31-32
- second level weapons: 48-51
- third level weapons: 70-78
- fourth level weapons: 92-105
- fifth level weapons: 111-119
- sixth level weapons: 134-150
- seventh level weapons: 151-159
- eighth level weapons: 176-184

This gave me the conclusion that conceptually weapons aren't unbalanced, the problem comes from the way damage is calculated in-game, so it's a thing of balancing it, applying some tweaking to the formula I proposed in code the damage values are greatly improved (if a bit short perhaps) inside the game. After applying this formula in game, mana values were too high for the damage weapons dealt , so great work on this is needed (again) .

Weapons shouldn't be completely unbalanced and without system since there already was a detailed weapon table, the one I wrote in the early days of KA, which listed nearly all weapons of the classes, including their damage type and damage done.

Man, these values tell me nothing about actual balance. Balance between different levels is ok, but what about balance inside each level group, and between different weapons? For instance 7th level Plassma Rifle may do less damage with each hit than 6th level Rocket Launcher, but since it is shooting faster it will be more powerful in general.


Uh, let's make an electronic table with forumals inside and make all tweakings and experiements there first. Applying all that stuff in code could be messy, assuming it would be difficult to calculate new values everytime, leave alone tell them to others.


Also, we must remember that player grows in level and his power increases. We should make sure it won't increase too fast, because in this case damage will overgrow player health much. Take 7-8th level weapons in your example up there, they already do damage enough to kill player with one shot.

I'm working on the table as I type this, I've got almost all the cleric weapons done, the formulas were a pain in the back , but they only need to be done once . Once it's complete I'll post it here.

Perhaps you may upload it with what you've done already.
Unfortunately I am not skilled much with making forumals in these tables, I only remember how to make simple dependanced between cells. I wonder if you can make a formula applied to whole bunch of cells at once.

Not to a bunch of cells, but to one cell in the same row, then you can copy them and paste them making formulas to respect the same cell row , this makes it simplier to copy and paste the same table for every weapon .

I had problems remembering how to use IF operations with multiple conditions, but a quick check to the online help fixed the problem .

I've uploaded my progress to: http://downloads.orcishweb.com/koraxdev/firebrand/karena/weapon%20table.ods

Let me know if something doesn't looks good and I'll fix it.

Hmm... that's absolutely not what I've expected... looks way too messy. Maybe there could be another way to origanise the table?

Also, why do you add weapon level to this summ? Weapon level weight should not be summed IMO, it should be used purely informative, as a limit of the summ.
And, why Ice and Fire damages add extra weight? They do not make weapons more powerful at all, they have purely cosmetic effect.

I am actually thinking about trying to make a database file for this. There's a chance that using queries and multiple tables (each table for each factor) may give more convenient result. I don't know if you can do this in electronic table...