Hello everyone, it’s been a while 🙂
There are a lot of significant back-end changes with this PTR release, fundamental stuff that is going to make Mirage a much different, and much better game in the future. One of the big changes is scripting support, which opens the door to scripting all kinds of unique interactions going forwards. Think boss phases, patrols, pressure levers, unique item interactions, the sky is really the limit. In the interest of giving you all useful information you can use to help test, I’m going to “TLDR” the changes below.
TLDR of what is new?
- Implemented engine scripting support
- Migrated most chat commands to scripts
- Significant work on scripting API to allow scripts access to many aspects of the game engine
- Started adding script execution hooks to various places
- Complete rewrite of the fundamental combat round system
- The game no longer handles all combat in cyclic rounds
- Attack speed is now a thing on weapons, and monsters
- Incoming hits “per round” are now tracked totally differently, defence breaking now functions correctly
- Brand new NPC generation
- Implemented all of the new equations that govern NPC stats based on projected time-to-kill based on projected player stats at a given level
- NPCs are now 100% maths
- NPCs have a level, their stats are all generated from this
- Factions
- All creature interaction code completely rewritten, all interactions run through the same code now regardless of if they are a player or an NPC
- Hostile / Friendly interaction between creatures dictated by reputation between respective factions
- This means NPCs on opposing factions will fight and kill each other
- Added town guards to Emberton that will attack monsters on sight
- Combat
- Implemented all new combat equations
- Complete rewrite of all combat code, hits, misses, crits, damage & reduction all now using new stat equations
- Base Vitality (hp regeneration) is now relative to Stamina, such as it will always take around 60 seconds to regen full HP
- Added hover tooltips to primary effective stats to visualise how these are being calculated
- Commands
- /level command to set your level on the PTR
- /armour command to set your armour on the PTR
- Equipment
- Items do not exist, but equipment stats and maths do
- This is to test all of the fundamental game maths easily without the added complexity of items
- You are automatically given equipment stats for your level, see the equipment tab in stats
- You can change your equipment classification using the /armour command
- Your equipment stats will be regenerated whenever you change your level
- Items do not exist, but equipment stats and maths do
What to test?
Alrighty so with these changes we open the door to the first actual core equation balance testing. In a future update you will be able to summon any NPC you like at any level you like on the PTR so you will be able to test specific circumstances, however for now you will find Trolls south of Emberton that are all level 100.
You can set your character level with the /level command, and you can set the type of armour you are wearing with the /armour command. What we are looking for here is how it feels to engage in combat with monsters.
- PVE
- How does it feel to fight a monster 1v1 when you are both the same level?
- How about 1v2? 1v3?
- What if you have a level advantage?
- What if the monster has a level advantage?
- How about in light / medium / heavy armour?
- Does the tradeoff of tankiness vs damage feel good between the armour classes?
- Are the town guards working?
- PVP
- How does it feel to fight players 1v1 when you are both the same level?
- How about 1v2? 1v3?
- What if you have a level advantage?
- What if the player has a level advantage?
- How about in light / medium / heavy armour?
- Does the tradeoff of tankiness vs damage feel good between the armour classes?
There is obviously a long way to go here, but if we get the core foundation of the auto-attack system feeling great with all the maths behind it, that puts us in a fantastic foundational position as we head into implementing adbilities, cast timers, interrupts, buffs, debuffs, etc.
I’ve probably forgot some stuff but, I just wanted to get this live so we can start testing and doing frequent PTR releases again.
Fhox