Wait wait. I'm allowed to program something that can kill someone with the push of a button? Angel setup, seven rubs, fling prep, flinging, all that snaz?

Everything you just listed should be fine. There are limits to it, though.

If you don't see what is happening in group combat, this what you can do:

- write huge warning signs for nasty afflictions, like this: ColourNote ("white", "brown", "CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHOKE CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA") (just an example)
- Treant has an alert queue at the prompt. You can modify it to show you nasty afflictions, like slitthroat, windpipe, amputated limbs, and so on. So you know when you need to run.

As you gain experience, you will learn what to echo and what not to echo.

- spar more. That way you will be able to read what is happening very fast. Diagonal reading.

You want to code your own system? Do it. From scratch. Ask around for how to do things. Always cure at the prompt. Keep flags for what you are trying to do. Failsafes to delete those flags if you aren't curing. Did I mention always cure at the prompt? Make queues for afflictions, so you don't try to cure a broken arm when you have an amputated leg. Detect when you are using a cure (like eating galingale, or drinking choleric) and not curing. And a lot more.

As far as automated offense, I find no purpose for it, that would take the fun out of combat. Maybe it could be done by someone with a lot of patience, although the random factor in combat plays a LOT bigger role than in curing, and you would have to permanently assume what afflictions the enemy has on him and choose your attacks accordingly Also, you would need to track his curing, which is impossible, except for what herbs he is eating.

That's all fine. The problem is that the more you want your offensive system to do, the more complex it has to be to respond to changing situations.

Most people just stick to simplified attacks and aliases. Those with mana-based kills will generally have a contemplate or discern script which will manakill if they're <50%. A few other things like that.

I'll tell you how I learned Lua:

I installed Mantis and Stygian on Mudlet, and Treant on Mush. Then I read the Mudlet and Lua help docs mentioned above.

Then I started from scratch with Mudlet. First step: Build prompt tracking and all the tables (variables) to go with it. Use the previously mentioned systems as a base to see how they do it, then decide how you want to do it and move on.

I learn by example. I think it's the best way.

oh don't get me wrong. I got that. It's wonderful. I just can't tell when I need to respond to a certain attack a certain way. Should I come back with a spell that drains their mana or health? Stuff like that. There's SOOOO much in Lusternia that people need to understand to make on the fly combat decisions. I guess in a way I can commend people who do that. But some people have like systems set up to do certain attacks in an order. I panic and forget which alias I need to do next.

That's another thing, instant kills. It's pretty dang easy to make a trigger for that. Probably has something to do with a discernment ability and followed up by a simple math problem. If ( mana < 50%) "or something like that" and bam, we are dead. Why such a powerful move given to already too damn powerful of people? That's just bad gaming design. Not really much I could do anything about that though, more just opinion.



oh don't get me wrong. I got that. It's wonderful. I just can't tell when I need to respond to a certain attack a certain way. Should I come back with a spell that drains their mana or health? Stuff like that. There's SOOOO much in Lusternia that people need to understand to make on the fly combat decisions. I guess in a way I can commend people who do that. But some people have like systems set up to do certain attacks in an order. I panic and forget which alias I need to do next. I was kinda hoping if I can learn Lua I'd be able to make some code to help me much more.



OH! And one more thing. I'm sure alot of people have some sort of code to do simple hunting and such. Since somebody helped me with the repeating influence, I've been able to level up much faster. But I've seen so many grow incredibly fast, that it makes me wonder where they get all this time. Is there something they are doing I don't know about? More Lua hunting and influencing code people have? Or is there something in game that just gives more xp?

Err.. what is the difference between coding the instakill on balance gain and seeing that your enemy is below 50% mana, then typing the command when you regain balance?
That's not bad gaming design. That's just your opponent being better than you.


Spar more?
Everything you are complaining about can be fixed with more combat experience.

Doesn't sound like you need coding help TheSponge. It sounds like you need more combat experience.

I myself don't really involve myself in combat much these days, but i agree on the prompt curing.

Tracking what someone has cured is possible for psionics users, but only someone who can survive long enough to check with bodyscan, or if they're in a group and aren't being attacked at the time.

To TheSponge, re-read, re-read all tutorials. I constantly go back to the two tutorials i linked whenever i get confused. And I take the time to ask those who know more than me for examples of how to do something.

Actually, is their like some sort of applet I can download that will allow my ###### codes to be executed? I'm aware that I can only run Treant in Lua, and that's pretty much my entire defenses. Since I'm studying Java, it would be sweet if there was some sort of thing that would read my java and turn it into Lua.

Java and Ja-va-script have as much in common as cookies and apples. The decision to name Ja-va-script was a marketing decision based on the popularity of Java.

PS: Go spar someone.

EDIT: Forgot that gets censored.

We call those compilers. It's an upper division CS course where I'm from.

Oh, and to repeat what Xavius said: spar more. Coding a system is easier when you actually know what you're doing.

Test: ###### Java ... woah.

Yeah I've been thinking about that. I just get really pissed when I die. Still, not as much as out of the Arena. I just hate feeling like I couldn't do a single thing to fight back. I suppose nobody learns anything from victory though. Failure shows there can be improvements.

And did I say ######? Yeah I only meant to say Java. Sorry.

It can be frustrating, but you don't need a coding project. You need practice. You can't code what you don't understand, and when you do understand, I think you'll see that code wasn't what you were ever looking for. The envoys do at least a passable job of making sure the classes are balanced, but that doesn't mean much if you're no good at it...and you won't be good at it unless you practice.

Misconception. Glomdoring newbies/midbies get attacked and killed just as much as newbies and midbies from any other organization (maybe even more, since some combatants from other organizations kill midbies to get revenge. Plus, raids during offpeak time. Having more villages, more domoths and such actually means we can get attacked from more fronts.

Also, death in Lusternia is pretty much penalty-less. There's a ton of things that lessen experience loss on death, and even then you can just hop on an aetherhunting trip and regain what you lost in an hour or even less. Do not stress over death.