Game Mechanic Transparency

[altagar]

Excuse my etiquette here but I want to pick up on something that MadFloyd put in a much larger thread on Combat Dice.


QUOTE=MadFloyd;3026773] ....

As for the transparency issue (1d6 vs 1d3+3); this was news to me and I'm dismayed to learn of it. I totally agree that the game should be transparent and look forward to this being changed (I would want this even if we didn't show the actual damage range of a spell).

[/QUOTE]

I agree, that the mechanics of the game should be transparent. This is a laudable goal that I would hope everyone can agree on meaning Players, Developers, and any other relevant decision makers at Turbine. I would even suggest that it should be part of the design philosophy when making changes.

I know that answers are available to the player base if they are willing to search the forums. However, some of the questions should never get to that point.

Question 1: How fast can I run? Why is this information not just available. It has to be calculated frequently because it is being used. With monks, sprint boosts, hastes, warp time clickies, striding boots, etc. There is a lot of variability, and many things don't stack. Why isn't this information just available somewhere like the character sheet?

Question 2: Attack speed? Same issue here. I know enormous testing has occurred by many players to try to nail this down under the existing system. Now all these changes are being made, but the simple question is why doesn't the character know how often he is swinging without having to define and implement a test environment.
With the new changes to off hand attacks and double strike, why aren't these numbers just available to the player since they are constantly in use?

[Xionanx]

Agree. When I click/hover over a spell, the tool tip should show its CURRENT damage output factoring in all my equipment, skills, AP abilities, and meta magic feats. If I want to know the base I can read the spell description in my spell book.

If this means they have to drop the dice to do it, fine by me. But at least be ACCURATE with the dice and numbers. For instance MM doesn't actually do 1d4+1 per missile like its description reads, its 1d2+3 per missile. So it should read 3-5 damage per missile.

[Josh]

ROFLMAO.

Does anyone in this company talk to anyone else in it?

[Drfirewater79]

Excuse my etiquette here but I want to pick up on something that MadFloyd put in a much larger thread on Combat Dice.


QUOTE=MadFloyd;3026773] ....

As for the transparency issue (1d6 vs 1d3+3); this was news to me and I'm dismayed to learn of it. I totally agree that the game should be transparent and look forward to this being changed (I would want this even if we didn't show the actual damage range of a spell).

I agree, that the mechanics of the game should be transparent. This is a laudable goal that I would hope everyone can agree on meaning Players, Developers, and any other relevant decision makers at Turbine. I would even suggest that it should be part of the design philosophy when making changes.

I know that answers are available to the player base if they are willing to search the forums. However, some of the questions should never get to that point.

Question 1: How fast can I run? Why is this information not just available. It has to be calculated frequently because it is being used. With monks, sprint boosts, hastes, warp time clickies, striding boots, etc. There is a lot of variability, and many things don't stack. Why isn't this information just available somewhere like the character sheet?

Question 2: Attack speed? Same issue here. I know enormous testing has occurred by many players to try to nail this down under the existing system. Now all these changes are being made, but the simple question is why doesn't the character know how often he is swinging without having to define and implement a test environment.
With the new changes to off hand attacks and double strike, why aren't these numbers just available to the player since they are constantly in use?[/QUOTE]


I agree there are a ton of facts that in PnP we would have right there on our character sheet but in this game are completely left out .... base land speed is the biggest one but attacks per round usually posted in bab is not available in this game either ...

there is no reason for it other then lazy and unwilling to post ... spell faliure % too isnt posted ...

if i am wearing a full plate on my wizard my character sheet doesnt tell me i have spell faliure chance but i can sit there with a pen and paper and take the 25% from my armor - 15% for my titan gloves .... = 10% spell faliure ...

then if i change gear i have to do it again myself rather then a simple calculation added to the character sheet which at this point is only good to find out what your stats and ac is ...