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Scaling Random Encounters

Discussion in 'Release 16 Feedback' started by Hraw, Apr 16, 2015.

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  1. Archibald Leatherneck

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    I like much of what KuBaTRiZeS has offered. I like the direction and scope that Atticus has offered. I had been neutral earlier in the thread about scaling random encounters. I find myself having stronger feelings on the subject.

    First, I reconsidered the purpose of random encounters. I think the purpose was to provide risk on the overland map. How risk is introduced and how much risk lends itself to all sorts of discussion. For me, it stands to reason that that it is riskier for me if I am less experienced (i.e. lower level). For me, it stands to reason that traveling alone is riskier. If I want scaled encounters, I can go find an appropriate area for my experience and party size. I can absolutely understand that others might want risk for everyone and scaling encounters would accomplish that.

    I would actually enjoy the opportunity to be surprised from time to time and feel a real sense of risk if I am traveling in a risky manner on the overland map. I want to feel as though it is a "random" encounter. Yes, we could argue ad nauseam about how to define random. I would imagine that the adjective was meant to mean random location for the encounter as opposed go to hex X to find mob Y. In addition to random location, I would prefer random mob in the encounter as well. If the random encounter is scaled then the random element of the mob is the mob's skin which is aesthetic for the most part. Scaled random encounters don't feel as random in my opinion. Scaled random encounters feel contrived in my opinion.

    I think the concept that you are driving at is ecology. I don't recall specifics but early UO attempted ecology and abandoned ecology. I think there is possibly a place for ecology in random encounters. Depending upon data that is collected, you could create a very meaningful ecology algorithm.

    I will call the other concept zoning. It stands to reason for me that dangerous mobs would have been hunted to extinction along roads and outside major cities. Even well travelled hexes from the road directly to a village or town. Without knowing the data that is collected, the ecology algorithm could have a variable(s) that accounted for traffic and made random encounters more likely in areas visited less often. It stands to reason for me that hexes around shardfalls would have pressure of very dangerous mobs that are densely populated in the shardfall. It is reasonable to adjust the ecology algorithm to mimic zoning in my opinion so a brand new player doesn't get curb stomped coming out of a starting city.

    So where is all of this going? I live in Alaska where we still interact with large mammals (less so if you live in populated areas). A friend of mine was bit by a bear. Moose are much more prevalent and actually account for more injuries than bears. I would strive to make random encounters something like that experience. For me, I feel random encounters could be one of those features that everyone talks about when they discuss SotA with their friends because random encounters are exciting.

    Just my thoughts after reconsidering the question and considering the thoughts of others in this thread.
     
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  2. Archibald Leatherneck

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    On another note, I would like a separate mechanic that occasionally pulls you into an actual hex that your traveling through on the overland map. These would be scaled of course to whatever extent the hexes are scaled. I think this would introduce risk on the overland map and make "random encounters" seem more unique in contrast to being pulled into a hex.

    If it was too difficult to use the actual hex for some reason, this could be done by populating random encounter instances with local mobs very much like random encounters are now most of the time and occasionally populating random encounter instances with unique dangerous mob(s) according to an ecology algorithm.
     
  3. Hraw

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    All of what Archibald says is good input. But just because dangerous animals would have been hunted to (near) extinction near populated areas of the game doesn't mean roving bands of bandits/ruffians/thugs/cultists/whatever can't appear anywhere at any time and with varying threat levels. Again, one intent of this post was to highlight the lack of fun and "boringness" of being high level and getting pulled in to fight a small wolf which is just annoying. To me, this is an opportunity to increase the fun/exciting factor significantly and I totally agree with Archibald it would be commonly discussed when players are trying to talk their friends into giving SotA a try if it is done right.
     
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  4. Jocularis

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    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp

    the best thing is to see at some gameplay or trailer:




     
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