Im developing a science fiction RPG called Necrotech (see my web site for screens and an engine test). In this game, weapons have multiple options - e.g. a pistol can be fired quickly, be aimed, or even be rapidly fired (which shoots two shots off in the same round). These options affect the accuracy of the shot and how long it takes to perform it. My question is, should some of these options be limited to characters with appropriate skills, or would this be restriciting the game play too much? Spectre Software - RPGs, strategy, puzzle games, programming

Any character should be able to use almost every skill(the only skills excluded would be things that require advanced knowledge one doesnt have, like how to make an alchemical elixer, that cant really be figured out with a little trial and error). However, a character that did not spend ''skill points'' in the skill should get significant penalties, OR one that did spend the ''skill points'' should get a significant bonus. For example, without any skill in ''rapid fire'', a character might only have 25% of their normal chance to hit a target, but with 1 skill point it becomes 40% normal, the 2nd point makes it 55%, etc.

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Perhaps you should do research on the Special system, used in Fallout and Fallout 2 (and also Fallout Tactics).

Basicly, any character could use any weapon, and any button on it. And they can also use any device they find in the game. But the way it works is limited by their skills.

If you got a lasergun, but don''t know how to operate it, it could blow up in your face, or in the best case, fire of a round in a random direction, with less then 0% chance to hit.

If you are actually skilled in it, you can safely fire it, and reload it. However, that still doesn''t guarantee that you can hit far away. You nee a high perception for that.

Basicly, you are allowed to try anything Heck, hack away on that Supercomputer with your Intelligence 1 tribal. Not much chance it would do something. About the same effect as me trying to paint your picture: given a pencil, I can try, but won''t succeed

Off course there are also some exceptions. Like in the Special system: Unarmed combat. Everyone can do that, but the untrained characters are limited to Punch and Kick. When you train the skill, you can get things like HipKicks, and Jabs, and Uppercuts.

This sort of system wouldn''t apply for a weapon though: experience with weapons can only lead to knowledge to maintain them, and better aiming. The number of rounds you can fire depends on how fast you pull the trigger, and you can''t really train on that Same goes for aiming: I have never fired a gun in my life, but if I rapidly fire a gun, I''m bound to hit nothing (recoil), if I just fire the gun, I might hit something, and if I carefully aim, I got a nice chance to hit something. Given training, my chances would improve.

But no matter what, I can always try ^_^

Hmmm...pretty much anyone could pull the trigger of a pistol, and they might even hit something, but if you know how to hold it, how to stand, and how to breathe correctly, then you''re probably gonna have a greater chance of hitting something. You could design a system in which the more a character uses a specific weapon, like for instance, a Beretta 92FS, they get a significant bonus while using that weapon, and a slightly lesser bonus to other weapons of that class (pistols) Also, they more skill they have with a certain class of weapon, they more likely they would be to assemble that particular weapon from spare parts, or create a new weapon entirely with standard parts. That would add a customization aspect of the game, as skilled marksmen often modify their own guns because they have a high degree of nomenclature with them. Just an idea.

Why?!?

Thanks for the feedback.

My current skills system is very simple. You either have a skill, or you dont. Weapon skills, such as Pistols, give a reroll on a miss when firing a pistol. Accuracy is determined by the character''s accuracy stat, his luck stat, the target''s reflexes stat and the weapon option in question (aimed shot is good accuracy, quick fire is low accuracy). What I really want to know, is should I also give skilled characters special options?

For example, should my rapid fire pistol option be available only if you are skilled with pistols?

Spectre Software - RPGs, strategy, puzzle games, programming

An unskilled person should be able to fire on a gun, and might even be able to have a high accuracy (not as much as a fully trained person of course), but what about reloading the weapon, if the weapon jams, mis-fires, etc. A trained person would know how to handles these situations quickly but the untrained would have to stand there examing the weapon to figure out how to load it or just toss it aside and look for another gun.

Kars

quote:Original post by DarkIce
(BTW, on a side note does turning a gun on its side ''gangsta style'' make it fire faster?)

no, it just makes the cartridges eject into your face, instead of to the side as per design... but BOY OH BOY doesn''t it look much cooler?
man i hate that.

Thanks guys, thats decided then... having a weapon skill opens up special weapon options and also improves reload time (as well as the previous reroll on a miss effect). Good stuff!

Weapons at the moment dont jam, but they certainly could do, maybe a skilled character just gets a delay on a weapon jam but an unskilled character loses his entire round on unjamming it?

Spectre Software - RPGs, strategy, puzzle games, programming