Shattered Kingdoms

In this thread I will be posting old news.

[ 1 ] Dulrik: 11/20/98 Code Update
To: all
On: Grand Struggle 5, 463
In: god writing
New Features:
- Action command:
* This lets you set your description other people will see
when they enter a room. It will reset at logout.
- Aging modifiers:
* Racial maximum ages were posted on the Yahoo board.
* Modifiers take place at 1/2, 3/4, and 7/8 of maximum.
* Physical tends to drop, mental tends to increase.
* NO AUTO DEATH - yet.
- New spell casting system including:
* Area affect and ranged spells are possible.
* Ranged syntax - cast <spell> <direction> <target|number>.
* NPCs will hunt ranged spell users.
* The system is set up so that I can modify the spells
to be ranged while online without any coding. Until the
system is well tested only the following spells are
ranged - magic missile, daemon gate, midnight, entangle.
- Tracking skill is completely new. You actually follow tracks.
- Dueling command:
* Purpose is to promote fair fighting of duels between PCs.
* All duels are supervised by the NPC duelist's guild.
* Challenge can not be given or accepted as long as you
affected by spells which you have not cast yourself.
* You can only challenge a person in your area. After that
either leaving the area of the challenge equals conceding.
* Once battle is engaged, the first to flee concedes the duel.
* Anyone interfering with the duel will negate the challenge.
* The guild enforces challenges of stun or kill. If it is a
duel to stun, the guild guarantees your safety afterwards.
* The guild posts all duel results to the noteboard so that
everyone can see the participants honor or dishonor.
- Tier 4 cabal spells: See your cabal leader for more info.
- Auto noyell: If on, you won't yell when attacked by PCs.
- High favored can "invest" followers on their own at level 30.

Other Changes:
- Random auras emitted on failure of detect aura. This has
caused a slight bug in items of detect aura for the moment.
- Incorrect alignments detected when know alignment fails.
- Haste doubles attacks but adds a year to age.
- Lifting power for strength redistributed more evenly.
- Reincarnation into new races is permanently disabled.
- Hellions should not flee from Bolt of Glory.
- You may change speaking to other languages while dead.

[ 1 ] Dulrik: 01/11/99 Code Update
To: all
On: Long Shadows 2, 472
In: god writing
NEW FEATURES
- Hero System:
* 50's can't get xp without rewards
* Must have xp for 51 before duel
* If 50 beats hero then becomes hero
* Heroes have one reward per day
* See 'help hero' file for more info
- Tier 5 Cabal Spells: All spells done!

CHANGES
- Detect Aura: removed changes from last update
- Wands: Can use parameters for range casting
BUG FIXES
- Time of day: synchronized with shops/moons/etc
- Control Weather: creates rain more easily
- Action: npc's cannot use this command
- Dueling: casters can cast on themselves
- Ethereal: npc's cannot be used as tanks
- Books: should not scramble after reading
- Bolt of Glory: damage message replaced

[ 1 ] Dulrik: 03/15/99 Code Update
To: all
On: Nature 12, 480
In: god writing
Policy Change:
- Tells are now considered to be an IN CHARACTER
means of communication. All intelligent creatures
on Shattered Kingdoms have innate telepathic
abilities which they use when they tell. This
communication is taxing and costs some mana.

Scout Related:
- Snare skill.
- Reload revised for simplicity.
- Long range shooting fixed.
- Can specify which pet when freeing.
- Wilderness animals will not wander off.
- All can drink from rivers and streams.
- Only scouts can always find clean water.
- Pathfinding skill.
- No skins available from undead creatures.
- Tailor will create backpacks from skins.
- Pills can be eaten when full.
- Herbs will be ignored when at max weight.
- Ranged crossbows and bows fixed.
- Dual-shot skill.

Other Changes:
- Entrails may be poisonous.
- Personal tracked spells will save.
- Can see gates opening on other side.
- Voodoo does not require greeting.
- High followers have all abilities with any class.
- New equipment damage status - superb.
- Scavengers don't take buried.
- Ranged hostiles will remember.
- NPCs will track through doors and gates.
- Money has weight.

Bug Fixes:
- Languages improve naturally.
- Selling damaged equipment.
- Regeneration spell at low levels.
- Flying in mountains.
- Wimpy 0 now equals off.
- Look direction with doors.
- Antimagic rooms.
- Mounts ride through gates.
- Shop resize weight.
- No permanent polymorph.
- Pet saving.

[ 1 ] Dulrik: 03/20/99 Code Update
To: all
On: Old Forces 8, 481
In: god writing
New Alias System:
- Entirely new code for alias
- Customized so looks the same
- Some aliases now invalid
- Disallowed if name equals command
- Old invalid aliases removed
- Done to solve major bugs
- More details on Yahoo

Other Changes:
- Snare has area warning noise
- Camo allowed in tundra
- Removed lag causing function

Bug Fixes:
- Religion name in attributes
- Name of trackee in tracking
- Crash with excessive outlaws
- Circlestab with mangled arms
- No stealing from ethereal
- No writing on non-notepaper
- Equipment bugs at login
- Ammo mud loop
- Rewards and penalties
- Potions cast at login
- Affects removed at logout

[ 1 ] Dulrik: 04/09/99 Code Update
To: all
On: Dark Shades 13, 484
In: god writing
COMBAT CHANGES

- New Hit System:
The calculation that determines whether
your weapon connected with your foe has
been entirely revamped. It is no longer
connected to your level in any way.

Factors that increase your hit chance:
* suprise attacks
* level of skill with your weapon
* hitroll bonus from magic/strength
* opponent is overloaded
* opponent is resting or sleeping
* opponent is wounded or tired
* opponent is aggressive/berserk
* other miscellaneous

Factors that decrease your hit chance:
* level of opponent's dodge skill
* opponent has exceptional dexterity
* opponent cannot be seen
* opponent is unburdened
* opponent is defensive
* other miscellaneous

- New Armor System:
There are many new factors introduced
in this area. Instead of reducing damage
by a percentage it can absorb a certain
number of points from each melee hit. It
is now possible that armor may block all
damage from a hit. This results in a new
damage message specifying which piece did
the deflection. Only items worn on head,
torso, waist, arms, hands, legs and feet
will be counted as armor. Other items can
still be damaged and will provide magical
bonuses but be considered treasure items.

The protectiveness of armor items is no
longer based on the level if the item. A
suit of steel plate mail is just as good
whether it is level 1 or level 50. High
level armor will still be rare and have
better enchantments. Armor protection is
based primarily on the material of the
item and armor made of materials like
mithril, adamantite and energy will be
rare and coveted high level items.

If an NPC is wearing equipment it will be
used to calculate damage. For times when
no equipment is available for an NPC, it
will automatically be given virtual armor
based on race and class to protect it. A
paladin will be wearing steel plate armor
while a dragon would have an armor rating
as determined by its toughness of skin.
It is possible to lower the effectiveness
of virtual armor through repeated blows,
but this armor can also damage weapons
that are used against it.

Extremely experienced warriors will find
chinks in an opponents armor and be able
to bypass their protection entirely. This
ability IS dependent on your level with
a variety of other factors contributing.

- Spell Casting In Melee:
You will not fight using your weapon if
you are concentrating on casting a spell.

- Miscellaneous Changes:
Some skills have been modified to work
with the new system including enhanced
parry, shield block, backstab, etc.


OTHER CHANGES

- Character Creation Questions:
Several questions have been added during
character creation that are intended to
ensure that the name is appropriate. We
will now delete characters with stupid
names without warning.

- Constitution and Wisdom Bonuses:
Constitution has always given a hit point
bonus and Wisdom has always given a mana
bonus. However these bonuses were given
every time you raised a level. The change
here is that the bonuses are now fixed so
that they are not level dependent. If you
have an Unstoppable con at 1st level you
get the entire bonus but if at any point
your con drops the hit points drop also.