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\chapter{Skills System}\index{skills}\index{experience}\label{chap:skills} |
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\section{Description}\index{skills, description} |
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Under the skills system the flow of play changes |
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dramatically\footnote{The skills system is enabled as the default option |
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as of version |
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0.92.0}$^{, }$\footnote{The new skills/experience system is compatible |
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with character files from at least version 0.91.1 onward.}. |
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Instead of gaining experience for basically just killing monsters (and disarming |
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traps) players will now gain a variety of experience through the use |
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of skills. Some skills replicate old functions in the game (e.g. melee |
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weapons skill, missile weapon skill) while others add new functionality |
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(e.g. stealing, hiding, writing, etc). A complete list of the available |
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skills can be found in table \ref{tab:skill_stats}. Appendix \ref{app:skills} |
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contains descriptions for many of the skills. |
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|
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\begin{table} |
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\begin{center} |
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\caption{Skills \label{tab:skill_stats}}\index{skills, list}\index{skills, associated} |
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\index{experience, categories} |
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\index{skills, miscellaneous} |
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\small |
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\vskip 12pt |
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\begin{tabular}{|clccccc|} \hline |
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& Skill & Experience Category & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Associated Stats} & \\ |
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& & & (Stat 1) & (Stat 2) & (Stat 3) & \\ \hline\hline |
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& & & & & & \\ |
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\input{skill_stat} |
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& & & & & & \\ |
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\hline |
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\end{tabular} |
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\end{center} |
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\end{table} |
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\section{About experience and skills}\index{skills, |
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gaining experience}\index{experience} |
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\subsection{Associated and miscellaneous skills} |
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\index{skills, associated}\index{skills, miscellaneous} |
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In \cf\ two types of skills exist; The first kind, ``associated'' |
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skills, are those skills which are {\em associated with a category of |
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experience}. The other kind of skill, ``miscellaneous'' skills, |
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are {\em not} related to any experience category. |
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The main difference between these two kinds of skills is in the |
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result of their use. |
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When associated skills are used {\em successfully} experience is |
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accrued in the experience category {\em associated with that skill}. |
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In contrast, the use of miscellaneous skills {\em never} gains |
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the player any experience regardless of the success in using it. |
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{\em Both} miscellaneous and associated skills can {\em fail}. This means |
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that the attempt to use the skill was unsuccessful. {\em Both} |
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miscellaneous and associated skills {\em can} have certain |
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primary stats {\em associated} with them. These associated stats can help |
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to determine if the use of a skill is successful and to what |
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{\em degree} it is successful. |
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All gained experience is modified by the associated |
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stats for that skill (table \ref{tab:skill_stats}) and then the |
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appropriate experience category automatically updated as needed. |
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\subsection{Restrictions on skills use and gaining experience} |
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\index{skills, restrictions} |
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Neither a character's stats nor the character class restricts the |
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player from gaining experience in any of the experience |
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categories. Also, there are no inherent |
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restrictions on character skill use$-$any player may |
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use any {\em acquired} skill. |
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\subsection{Algorithm for Experience Gain under the skills system} |
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Here we take the view that a player must 'overcome an opponent' |
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in order to gain experience. Examples include foes killed in combat, |
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finding/disarming a trap, stealing from some being, identifying |
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an object, etc. |
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Gained experience is based primarily on the difference in levels |
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between 'opponents', experience point value of a ``vanquished foe'', |
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the values of the associated stats of the skill being used and |
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two factors that are set internally\footnote{If you want to |
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know more about this, check out the skills\_developers.doc}. |
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Below the algorithm for experience gain is given where player ``pl'' |
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that has ``vanquished'' opponent ``op'' using skill ``sk'': |
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\begin{quote} |
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EXP GAIN = (EXP$_{op}$ + EXP$_{sk}$) * lvl\_mul |
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\end{quote} |
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where EXP$_{sk}$ is a constant award based on the skill used, |
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EXP$_{op}$ is the base experience award for `op' which depends |
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on what op is (see below), |
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\noindent{For} level$_{pl}$ $<$ level$_{op}$:: |
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\begin{quote} |
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lvl\_mult = FACTOR$_{sk}$ * (level$_{op}$ - level$_{pl}$) |
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\end{quote} |
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\noindent{For} level$_{pl}$ $=$ level$_{op}$:: |
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\begin{quote} |
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lvl\_mult = FACTOR$_{sk}$ |
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\end{quote} |
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\noindent{For} level$_{pl}$ $>$ level$_{op}$:: |
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\begin{quote} |
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lvl\_mult = (level$_{op}/$level$_{pl}$); |
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\end{quote} |
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where level$_{op}$ is the level of `op', level$_{pl}$ is the level |
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of the player, and FACTOR$_{sk}$ is an internal factor based on |
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the skill used by pl. |
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There are three different cases for how EXP$_{op}$ can be computed: |
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\begin{quote} |
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1) {\bf op is a living creature}: EXP$_{op}$ is just the base |
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experience award given in the \spoiler . \\ |
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2) {\bf op is a trap}: EXP$_{op} \propto$ 1/(the time for which the |
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trap is visible). Thus, traps which are highly {\em visible} get {\em lower} |
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values. \\ |
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3) {\bf op is not a trap but is non-living}: EXP$_{op}$ = internal |
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experience award of the item. Also, the lvl\_mult is multiplied by |
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any {\tt magic} enchantment on the item. |
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\end{quote} |
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\section{How skills are used}\index{skills, how to use} |
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\begin{table} |
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\small |
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\caption{Skills commands}\label{tab:skill_cmd} |
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\vskip 12pt |
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\begin{center} |
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\begin{tabular}{|cllc|} \hline |
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& & & \\ |
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& {\tt skills} & This command lists all the player's & \\ |
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& & current known skills, their level & \\ |
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& & of use and the associated experience & \\ |
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& & category of each skill. & \\ |
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& & & \\ |
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& {\tt ready\_skill $<$skill$>$} & This command changes the player's & \\ |
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& & current readied skill to {\tt $<$skill$>$}. & \\ |
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& & & \\ |
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& {\tt use\_skill $<$skill$>$ $<$string$>$} & This command changes the player's & \\ |
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& & current readied skill {\em and} then & \\ |
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& & executes it in the facing direction & \\ |
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& & of the player. Similar in action to & \\ |
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& & the {\tt invoke} command. & \\ |
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& & & \\ \hline |
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\end{tabular} |
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\end{center} |
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\end{table} |
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Three player commands are related to skills use: {\tt ready\_skill}, |
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{\tt use\_skill}, and {\tt skills} (see table \ref{tab:skill_cmd}). |
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Generally, a player will use a skill by first readying the right one, |
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with the {\tt ready\_skill} command and then making a ranged ``attack'' to |
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activate the skill; using most skills is just like firing a wand or a |
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bow. In a few cases however, a skill is be used just by having it |
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{\em readied}. For example, the {\tt mountaineer} skill allows |
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favorable movement though hilly terrain while it is readied. |
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To change to a new skill, a player can use either the |
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{\tt use\_skill} or {\tt ready\_skill} commands, but note that the use of |
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several common items can automatically change the player's current |
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skill too. Examples of this include readying a bow (which will cause the |
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code to make the player's current skill {\tt missile\_weapons}) or readying |
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a melee weapon (current skill auto-matically becomes {\tt melee weapons}). |
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Also, some player actions can cause a change in the current skill. |
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Running into a monster while you have a readied weapon in your inventory |
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causes the code to automatically make our current skill {\tt melee weapons}. |
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As another example of this$-$casting a spell will cause the code to |
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switch the current skill to {\tt \spellcasting} or {\tt praying} (as appropriate |
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to the spell type). |
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It is not possible to use more than one skill at a time. |
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\section{Acquiring skills}\index{skills, learning}\index{skills, tools} |
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Skills may be gained in two ways. In the first, new skills may {\em learned}. |
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This is done by reading a ``skill scroll'' and the process is very similar |
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to learning a spell. Just as in attempts to learn \incantation s, success in |
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learning skills is dependent on a random test based on the learner's INT. |
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Using your INT stat, look in the learn\% column in table \ref{tab:pri_eff} |
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to find your \% chance of learning a skill. Once you hit 100\% you will |
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always be successfull in learning new skills. |
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The acquisition of a {\em skill tool} will also allow the player to use |
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a new skill. An example of a skill tool is ``lockpicks''\inputimage{lockpicks} |
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(which allow the |
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player to pick door locks). The player merely applies the skill |
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tool in order to gain use of the new skill. If the tool is unapplied, |
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the player looses the use of the skill associated with the tool. |
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After a new skill is gained (either learned or if player has an applied |
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skill tool) it will appear on the player's skill roster (use the |
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'skills' command to view its status). If the new skill is an associated |
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skill, then it will automatically be gained at the player's current level |
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in the appropriate experience category. For example, Stilco the Wraith, |
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who is 5th level in {\tt agility}, buys a set of lockpicks and applies them. |
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He may now use the skill lockpicking at 5th level of ability since that |
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is an {\tt agility} associated skill. |
