I think players who expect the game to be balanced so that non-coders will have the same advantages coders have are being unrealistic. The bottom line is that any amount of automation or quality-of-life scripting you create will give you a competitive lead to someone going full-manual and typing everything out.
As someone who's used plenty of automation and scripting in the past, it always annoyed me when players would give up or refuse to fight someone because they had settings. If someone puts in the time and effort to improve their gameplay and have an advantage over other players, then more power to them. They studied their shit and are reaping the rewards.
Here's the thing, I played a mud called Akanbar. It was inspired by a game called First Age Avalon. At the high levels of combat you had both automated and fully manual (just highlights and aliases) fighters. In fact, the fighter considered to be the greatest of all time fought manually (highlights and aliases, not telnet obviously).
The combat there was engrossing and intense. It was about knowing your skills, timing, strategy and knowing your opponents.
Achaea was so complex that it was impossible to play without learning a scripting language or downloading and learning to use somebody else's system. Some people enjoy it, but to a lot of people learning to script just to play a game is not their idea of a fun. Half the people on there were running the same guys system.
There is a sweet spot possible where both the programmers and the button mashers can compete on a surprisingly level playing field.
I am happy that Starmourn has moved away from the scriptfest combat of previous ire games (though Imperian has done a great job with the serverside curing).
When I have decent internet again I'll actually look forward to playing.
Combat in Starmourn isn't really about stacking afflictions like the other games. Afflictions themselves are designed to be short-lived (and cured hands-off), but they have a carry-on effect after being cured, that's where your strategy will come from, both on the offensive and defensive side.
Can you clarify what 'carry-on effect after being cured' refers to? I assume the effect is subsystem damage and the strategy, as it were, is to mend at the right times, while having only one balance to ww mend whatever and to use the attacks that wear down subsystems in turn?
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The combat there was engrossing and intense. It was about knowing your skills, timing, strategy and knowing your opponents.
Achaea was so complex that it was impossible to play without learning a scripting language or downloading and learning to use somebody else's system. Some people enjoy it, but to a lot of people learning to script just to play a game is not their idea of a fun. Half the people on there were running the same guys system.
There is a sweet spot possible where both the programmers and the button mashers can compete on a surprisingly level playing field.
I am happy that Starmourn has moved away from the scriptfest combat of previous ire games (though Imperian has done a great job with the serverside curing).
When I have decent internet again I'll actually look forward to playing.
Can you clarify what 'carry-on effect after being cured' refers to? I assume the effect is subsystem damage and the strategy, as it were, is to mend at the right times, while having only one balance to ww mend whatever and to use the attacks that wear down subsystems in turn?