Hi all

We have released today the new B4 pre-release version.
Its running on the test server with the latest player files mirror
from the main server.

For testing out and playing, you have to download the map maker package.

Download is here:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/daimonin/daimonin_mapmaker.zip?download


There are a handful changes...

In short:

REGENRATION and FOOD
- you sit down now for resting by pressing the R key!
- regenerate will restore hp, sp and grace
- because that the /pray command (p key) is removed
- you will see a "sitting down" animation
- food is now a restore buff
- you don't have to eat food anymore
- the food bar is gone, the bar there is now the resting bar
- eating food will give you VERY FAST alot hp/sp and/or grace
- better food will give more hp/sp/grace
- digestion is removed for example as ring stats

FIGHT
- we added a DPS system, showing REALLY how many damage you
do every second. do DPS * SwingTime = damage done
- distance weapon have now an own DPS/swing time value shown in the client too
- you have to apply now throwing items and amunition as arrows
- you can only apply ONE range weapon at one time
- that means you can't apply a bow and a rod at the same time
- Everything in the game has now a DPS value. Weapons, mobs, spells.
- probe spell will show you pretty exactly the damage done by a mob
- wc & ac are NOT level based anymore
- good equipment will now be VERY important to have good wc/ac
- the weapon WC setting are changed heavily and are increased ALOT
- we added a THAC (To Hit Armour Class) system
- everyhing has a THACm and a THAC0 now
- THACm means "default miss" as THAC0 means "default hit"
- a player has normally a THACm of 5 and a THAC0 of 85
- that means 5% chance to miss and a 15% chance for a hit
- that chances are INDEPENDENT of the wc/ac
- that means a level 1 player has a 15% chance to hit a level 110,
even the level 110 has the best equipment in the game
- yes, there are items increasing/decreasing the default THACs
- the miss will let you "fumble" the attack
- the direct hit will increase your damage done with the hit by 20%!
- mobs follow the exactly same rules as the players
- that means every mob have a chance to hit you
- don't stay in mob groups anymore, you will die fast
- a +1 to a weapon will add only 0.1 DPS/damage points now,
but the bonus is added in a more effective way
- that means a sword+10 is now possible to and balanced
- same for the armour

STATS
- the stats are now unified
- the stats can be higher as 30 - the 30 point cap is removed
- A stat >10 will give 1% bonus
- A STR of 60 will give rough said 150% damage to a weapon,
instead of 110% for STR 20
- you will find things like ring, STR+20 in the future
- Same for all other stats

SPELLS
- armour will now have a "spell fumble" value
- heavy armour will increase the chance you fumble a spell
- INT will decrease the spell fumble chance
- high INT will make it possible to cast with heavier armour
- spells do different damage now and cast faster
- storm spells are nerfed alot
- instead there is are bolt spells now doing now higher damage
- one new spell: firebolt
- more spells will follow to balance the spells
- spells use less SP/grace now
- player will start with 21 sp and grace instead of 6

ALOT more changes which i forgot or you have to discover

The new client comes with some changes from Alderan too.
We will start to merge slowly now features in the client,
independed to the betas releases.

I'm  afraid  I  don't understand  THAC /  WC / AC .  These  three  things  concern  how  often  you hit  and  you are  hitted,  so  they  can't  be totally  independant.


What  I understand  is  the following :

You have  15%  chance to  hit  ANY  mob,   it's  the  "  direct hit  " ;
You have  5%  chance  to miss ;
You have  80% chance  to try a  " B3 "   hit,  whose  success  depends on  your  WC and  ennemy's AC


Is  that  right ?

the totally independent is means your level does not affect it.  so instead of having 100+ AC and WC at lvl 90 you have AC and WC according to what your gear is....if you have AC 38 total from gear, no matter what level you are you have 38 AC.

Yes, even a level 1 has a 15% chance to hit a 110, and a 110 has a 5% chance to miss a lvl 1 (fumble).  AC and WC calculations affect THAC0.  If your WC is higher than mob AC, your chance to hit increases.  The direct hit is a calculation done in the attack roll, I don't know the exact value, but assume 5%....on a d20 roll, with your WC 15 and mob AC 15 a 1 will fumble, 2-17 will miss, 18-19 will hit, 20 will critical hit.  If your WC is 20 and mob AC is 15 a hit will occur on 13-19, critical hit (+20% damage) on a 20, miss on 2-12, and fumble on 1.

if u do test the server beware: cleo likes to send players on suicide missions  :lol:

If you want to know what he mean, there are some nice screenies (around 125KB each).
Please note: The gravestones aren't really part of that map  :twisted:

http://daimonin.fapo.domainfactory-kunde.de/b4pics/B4_1.jpg
http://daimonin.fapo.domainfactory-kunde.de/b4pics/B4_2.jpg

Laugh heals the dead body, you know.

I'm planning to play only on the test server (untill regular version comes out)

Just be aware that when B4 itself is released, your character as it stands on B3 at that time will be copied over (experience and inventory), so any levelling etc. you do on the test server will not count. The test server is for finding bugs - and having fun!

(Someone correct me if I am wrong!)

1 thing i dont like is the ammo system... all my +2 ammo will become super delicate. ill have to find an arrow quiver of infinate holding or sumthin and store like 2500 regular arrows in it (which will cost only 5g) but i guess on a + note my ag sux so its no big deal  

Ty  for  Thac explanation, it's  exactly what I had  understood.


Ok, here  are some remarks after the  crazy raid me made yesterday.  These are more feelings  than real  reflexion, this  raid  yesterday  was  such a ( funny   ) mess ....  All  those remarks  are negative, so I prefer  first  precise  that  I  really  had  a funny time   :wink:


I  found  the  15%  rate  of  direct  hit  far too much. I find  good  that a player  caught  in  a  group  of mobs  may die,  even if  these mobs are weak.  And  maybe  these 15%  where build  for that.  But  it has pernicious effect :

-  Each time  I  fighted a poisoning mob,  I was  poisoned ( whatever  the level of the mob )  and,  practically  ALWAYS, I died  coz  a 0.01  speed,  letting me  being  hitted  even  by  weak  mob.

- Each time I fighted a  paralyzing  mob, I was  paralyzed ( whatever  the level of the mob )  and,  practically  ALWAYS, I died .

And  I am lvl 110 !  I  tried  several times, trying " hit and run "  strategy, same result.  In my mind  that  lead to serious  doubt  in possibility  to  level Ph.  This  15%  rule  turns  out  in fact a  99%  chance  to die  against  some  mobs.


In the same order of idea,  each time  I  fighted a draining mob,  I was  drained.  Once  more a  99%  chance,  that   I find  not funny  at the end.

Other  point  : one of us  levelled in our group  from 48  to 100  in  one or 2 hours.  I  think  this is  a problem,  there should not be  possibility    to level  so fast.  Maybe  install  some  cap exp  when in group ? Or  only  allow  groups  of  similar  level players ?


Other  point :  I killed a lvl  38  ogre  using  only  my punch lvl 8 ;  seems  illogical,  and  once  again  the 15%  rule explain  that " exploit ".  But :  I   didn't  get  any exp.  I guess  this is  coz  my other  high levelled  skill.  But then,  what is the rule ?  What  level  shall I kill  to level my punch ?