SO... yesterday I was talking with Revan about the nuances of a combat system I was well familiar with in a different MUD. Due course of my monologue I recalled a skill which I always found useful and which could perhaps alleviate some issues plaguing Lusternian combat. Here's the description:

Positioning | Positioning yourself to minimise multiple opponents.
* Syntax: POSITIONING ON or POSITIONING OFF.
* The skill of positioning is an important one when fighting lots of opponents. Normally there is a simple formula when attacked by large groups of opponents; inside confined spaces you can be engaged in melee by two, outside in the open, the number of exits (to a maximum of six) determine how many can engage you simultaneously. Outside, the figure is doubled, given the implication of extra room. However, using the skill of positioning, you are able to half the number of people who can attack you simultaneously by dint of superior movement and combat positioning.

Granted we do not even have the base assumption of that skill working - it being that there are no restrictions whatsoever at the moment - but I'm certain you get the gist. Now, everyone and their uncle knows I am no Lusternian combat guru but this addition (either the base restriction or that and the skill) could perhaps do the following:

1. Abolish the desperate need to always try to balance things out with group combat in mind. We all know what happens if a few Necromancers gather and decide to lolsac someone. I'm not aware of any other such combinations but I'm sure there are some!

2. Make people hop up and down like crazy and send Estarra, Roark and Morgfyre flowers from sheer gratitude for removing 10 vs 1 pwns.

3. Hopefully, but not necessarily, remove griefer-raiding - camping scaled up/submerged, hopping in and out to summon lone targets and slay them etc.

4. Allow for more strategy when choosing where to hole up when you raid.

Naturally, the whole extravaganza would have to be adjusted to fit Lusternian reality. For example, the amount of people allowed to attack at one time increased/decreased, additional variables added (Size anyone? You want to be a size 1 bastard? Fine, but that means more people can crowd you! Or maybe have more trouble hitting you... ) etc.

Before anyone asks, I have no idea whatsoever how it worked code wise But I liked it!

Flame away! It's OP, it's UP! It's a griefer skill! It's awesome?

How would more people crowd someone who is size 1? Everyone would have to pack in closer to get at them, meaning there's less room.

On the other hand, a horde of size 1 people could attack pretty much any size 12+ without ever getting in each other's way, especially if they have hover-wings.

Which is totally not the point of this idea, is it?

Also, here's your reply:

See how all the people on the outside just can't get to the little thing in the middle? That's my point!

Darn, this calls for an appropriate lolcat to prove my point, alas, I have none... Can we focus on the idea itself please and not on my obviously abstract visualisation of ten people trying to catch a butterfly/faeling?

It's interesting, at least. I'm not really sure what I think about it as of yet, so I decided I'd ask about some of the details you were using as examples of the new system as a way of clarification.

Nariah already knows this, but I think this idea has ALOT of merit in fixing many of the group combat problems we have. Mostly, combat is boring in Lusterni because of lolganksquads consisting of 10 people. Also, this adds a whole new dynamic to large scale defenses/raids.. and the way I envision it is like a real battle... like Waterloo! Hundreds of knights engaged in their own little worlds of combat, heedless of thegore around them. Oh so beautiful.

Er, we've had this feature for 2 years.

uhhhhhhhhhh.... HOW 2 ACTIVATE PLZ!?

I assume this would be build around some kind of ENGAGE target and DISENGAGE target?

How would you stop 3 allies from "attacking" you in order to limit the number of real enemies who could?

I am not seeing how this will change the problem of someone being a "grief raider" as they will have the same incentives to avoid groups as before, in fact now they would have an easier time escaping from a group as they would have less targets to worry about.

Finally I suspect the amount of coding this would entail would bring you to the level of a basic rewrite, something I do not think you should get your hopes up for.

Check your AB files, you silly goose!

It's staring you in the face!

We have? Sure doesn't feel like it when 10 Serens and a few Celestians are swinging at me during Wildnodes.

That said, sometimes we need a large number of people to pile on someone to bring them down (like Sojiro), so... as I said, I'm not really sure what to think of this idea.

There is a way in the AB files to turn off all that needless 500v500 room combat spam??? Oh man Revan tell me what it is so I can turn it off too!!!! I hate being locked up in group fights from all the spam that has nothing to do with the fight I am actually in.

Do I... not know about something?

Estarra, if that's some April Fool's joke and not me being stoopid then shame on you for making me question my sanity!

Hehehe... anytime I've ever been in group combat, all the scrolling spam means I basicly sit there staring at my screen hitting the button over and over, hoping at some point, my character's actually managed to do something. Of course, that usually happens the few times I've been in one on one combat too (I panic when I have to fight and forget what I should do. ) But yeah, I've never understood how anyone could do anything in group combat.

Estarra: Taking April Fools to the LIMIT!

@Enthralled
I'm not really sure I'm afraid, the skill looked like what I quoted above. How long did it actually count you as 'engaged' and how did allies come into the equation remains a mystery. I guess we never thought to abuse it to check...

@Ildaudid
That's actually not what this idea is but what you're getting at is also on my 'to post' list. It's been ages but I think we had that too... You could 'concentrate' and see only someone attacking you and be oblivious to what everyone else was doing.

@Xenthos
Yes, I assume the biggest problem would be balancing this out as far as Demigods/Ascendants etc go. As I stated before, I'm pretty clueless about nuances of Lusternian combat so I'm just offering up this idea for consideration (to be done by The Clueful Ones)

Ultimately I wanna see something that'll get rid of lolganksquads and add some REAL depth to Lusternian group combat. This is a step in the right direction. Yes it can use tweaking, but the -general idea- is very sound

I think Estarra may have been mistaking it with another skill. Anyway, the main problem that I can see arising from this situation is how we track who is 'engaged' in battle to anyone else. I know how some Diku-style MUDs handle it (I assume that is where the idea came from) with their tanking/buffing combat systems that are turn/round-based, but how would it work in a dynamic combat system like Lusternia's?

In particular, my concern would be the abuse of this by allies who have no intent of doing any serious harm to their friend, but want to keep them from being engaged by enemies.

My thoughts/ideas:

ENTER FORMATION
Enters you into rear rank of your leader's formation. Works like FOLLOW, but lets you access the Formation of the group. You may leave the formation at anytime. Formation leaders will appear as " is here, leading a formation. Etc, etc etc."

VANGUARD
Leader's command: ORDER VANGUARD
Formation member command: FORMATION SHIFT VANGUARD

Shifting from the middle of a formation from the Midranks to the Vanguard will place them on the frontlines, making them more likely to block or absorb attacks aimed at those in the rear ranks.

MIDRANK
Leader's command:
ORDER MIDRANK
FORM MIDRANK
Formation member command: FORMATION SHIFT MIDRANK

Shifting from the Vanguard or Rearguard will make them less likely to be hit by enemy attacks, as well as decrease their chances of blocking or absorbing attacks aimed at those in the Rearguard.

REARGUARD
Leader's command: ORDER REARGUARD
Formation member command: FORMATION SHIFT REARGUARD

Shifting from the Midranks to the Rearguard will greatly decrease their chances of being hit by enemy attacks.

FORMRANKS TIGHT
Forming a tight rank will increase the chances of blocking attacks aimed at allies in your formations rear lines. Those on the front rank wielding shields will have a greater chance to block or absorb enemy attacks. A Tight formation will reduce the speed at which you can move.

FORMRANKS WIDE
A Wide rank will decrease the chances of those in that rank of blocking or absorbing attacks aimed at those behind them, but will greatly decrease the likelihood of your formation being flanked.

FLANK
A new skill added for those who Master Knighthood or Combat to Mythical. By moving swiftly around enemy formations, you will be able to execute a flanking maneuver. Flanking an enemy will greatly increase your chances to hit. However, enemies located on the Vanguard of an enemy formation will attempt to block you if they are able (Paralysis, knock down, or other debilitating effects will prevent Vanguard's from blocking). If your attempt to Flank is blocked, you will be pushed back (Warriors and Monks will make a 100% blunt attack with their body, no weapons. Size of the warrior/monk will increase the damage and chance to block. Size of the Flanker relative to the Vanguard will influence success rate) and knocked off balance. You may attempt to rejoin your formation, or you may try another Flank.

Flankers will lose all formation benefits. Flanking will send an emote, something like: With a burst of speed, breaks formation and and rushes to the far side of the battle, attempting to flank your formation! Successful blocks would send something like: intercepts , repelling backwards.


I kinda like the idea, but I don't know if an addition like this would make it harder for the midlevel combatants to be effective if all of their attacks will only be absorbed by Ascendents, Demi's, Titans, and the like.