Weapon Primers

[______________Jerrak]

I remember seeing weapon primers in shops a while ago, i think thats what they were called, and they would modify certain skills. I am unsure if they ever worked, but ive got a great idea for some new tradeskills. Reintroduce primers as one time only mods for weapons. Some weapons could have a spot for one primer, but the primer could...

Increase crit chance
change damage type
modify max damage
modify min damage
modify attack speed
random modfier
NCU bonus
Skill bonuses, 1 for each skill that there is an expertise buff for
size modifier

I hope you guys sorta see where im heading, Maybe i have a support beam, ql 200 with a (1) at the end of its name, i could either goto a trade skill store, or run missions to get a new primer that would maybe turn it into a chem damage beam, cheap?, you decide, this ould require alot of tradeskills to complete, and maybe different ones for different primers. All would take Weapon Smithing, but if you wanted an NCU bonus, maybe you would need high comp lit, crit chance, psychology, changeing damage type, chemistry, max HP, Pharmatech. Id just like to see everyones opinion on what they think of this. Its alot to read, but tradeskills need more love.

[______________Jerrak]

anyone understand this?

[Bionitrous]

They would have to add at least two database entries for every single weapon in the game that could be 'improved' by these items. Their 'flat-file' item system is so inflexible it makes my mind hurt to think how much manual data-entry would be required to implement just two of your examples. Multiply every single weapon database entry in the game by two and then multiply by two again.

This is the failure of having static weapon characteristics that go from range to range and have stats extrapolated between key points.

The savings you get by doing this is that the entry for the gun you have in your hand only has to be a pointer to an item type and it's associated quality level. The server and client figure everything else out for you.

If they ever make a game again, I don't think they'd do it this way. A weapon would just be a weapon. A single database entry with information regarding graphics and base stats. It would then have to have placeholders for (let's say up to 10) 'modifers' that when attached to the weapon modified those base stats (and could also modify skill or ability requirements).

Likewise, weapons should never have taken weapon skill to wield. Wielding weapons should have been based on Abilities. You need 300 Str to wield a Hammer. You need 350 Str to wield a Support Beam. You need 525 Str to wield a Lead Midget. Your skill would affect how often you hit and how much damage you did.

Modify the Lead Midget with a Chemical Impact Chamber and you change the damage type and increase the required Str to 530 as well as make it a slower weapon owing to the need to flow acidic chemicals down the sides of the midget.

But, none of this could ever be done with the current AO model. Only thing you could ever hope for is that combining a weapons primer with the appropriate weapon yielded an item of a higher quality level. Whoopee.

[______________Jerrak]

ic, well, we can still wish for it =]

[Bionitrous]

Yeah, believe me, I wish they hadn't gone this route with their item system. It'll take five years and a 2 Terabyte database to have the flexibility that 300 base items and 60 available modifier types could have done in, oh, .... about 360 database entries.

They saved work up front and streamlined code a bit. But, they severely hampered their ability to add new items quickly and provide proper tradeskills.

But, I fully appreciate what you were hoping for and agree they need to know we don't appreciate the 'combine item 27A with item 435Q and spawn item 786R with Qlvl = Qlvl of item 435Q' type of Tradeskills.