Solved Rebalancing the Fighting System

[Baste]

Cheers, mates. Thanks for testing!

I tested myself, and we seem to get different results. It works for me. Here is what I did, using Beta 2.3 on default settings:
I chose the standard Nathaniel Hawk storyline, on Swashbuckler, and chose "Merchant". I would have taken "Adventurer" but since Merchant seems to be the default setting for that storyline I took that instead.
I went through the entire tutorial with Malcolm, and after the fighting practice I was up to level 2. I chose Gunman and Professional Gunman as my abilities. After the entire tutorial was finished I went to the store and bought a Long pistol and all Small healing potions and Bandages the store had, and then went to the traders and bought all their Small healing potions and Bandages. Now I went down into the Speightstown dungeon. After defeating the first enemies, I grabbed the sword by the pillar, equipped it, and then went on to take on the other enemies. After the group of enemies in the stairs were dealt with, it didn't take long to clear out the rest of the dungeon. Melee kept increasing the entire time, and the screenshot shows how it was after the fight in the stairs. I also took items from chests and enemies when I could.

I didn't experience any problems with blocking, rarely did enemies pierce my blocks. Some enemies could do a lot of damage, others could only do a small amount of damage. When I did get hurt, quickly taking some potions helped. Most of the time, though, I prefer to dodge instead of block.

All in all, it went quite good. Since it works for some and not for others, I think there's another change somewhere that is interfering.

EDIT: It would seem that with the latest WIP patch it works for everyone.

 

[Skyworm]

Now that is what worked for mee, too.
In the last game I choose the stormy start of that storyline, appeared to be at Jamaica.
So, no Malcolm there, I went straight into the dungeon after buying some healings, and practiced there.
Melee and defence went up fine in the dungeon.

BUT ... after I left the dungeon, until I ended that storyline today, not a single % was added to my melee skill. And I still did a whole lot of fighting, in jungle, dungeons, and in boardings at sea.

I was at melee 5 when I left that dungeon, and was still at 5 today.
The problem is that sometime we seem to get stuck with melee. This doesn't happen early - at least not here, but I think Hylie had it that way.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Standard storyline is set up to be on Apprentice difficulty, which is the easiest. That might make a difference.

The lack of those Fencing skill messages that Hylie has shown in his screenshots proves that something is wrong.
Maybe tomorrow I can do some playtesting to see if I can replicate it and track down why it's not happening.

If someone runs into this problem with Beta 2.5 WIP 1, please make a savegame and post it here so I can get straight into the testing tomorrow.

EDIT: It would seem that with the latest WIP patch it works for everyone.

The only thing different in the latest file I posted is that your increased numbers for MAXIMUS_functions.c are included; nothing else.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Melee is working for me early on like always. I kind of cheated in that I found a broken Waloon sword and had it repaired to excellent. Later I got in a fight with 3 muggers and killed them all. Their guns had me running and bandaging but their swords were ineffective. Melee level 2.

 

[Skyworm]

Cheers,

I chosed the Devlin Opera as my new game. Changed starting conditions to adventurer level and adventurer class (like both more).
Then I went into that Jamaica dungeon again immediately after start.
1st run through were DEADLY.
I saved any pixel I moved and had to reload about a 100 times (nay I did not count, that is a "felt" value).
Got lucky and found a back-bladed sidesword. Repared that, and went into the dungeon again. Was at level 2 then and melee was at 5.
The 2nd run was MUCH easier than the 1st run. I died once? Not sure. I guess that melee skill plus better blocking stats made a HUGE difference. The 2nd run was enjoyable gameplay, the first was work. Unpleasant work.
Melee now advanced to 7, character at 3.

 

[Skyworm]

A few runs through that dungeon later ...

... dear Beatrice Devlin is at level 4, while melee went up to 89% 9-9.
So I can report no problems with melee, and I don't expect them to happen now.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I can't even imagine that. If I am not very careful I am still a one swing kill.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Did anyone run into that not-appearing "Fencing skill increase" text message yet? I could still use a savegame for that.
In a bit, I'll put in a bit more check-coding to hopefully at least tell us what is wrong.

... dear Beatrice Devlin is at level 4, while melee went up to 89% 9-9.

Wow, that is PLENTY high! Probably Baste's increased skill modifier at work.
But still being at a low level, the "skill stops increasing" bug probably hasn't hit you yet.

 

[Baste]

I just went through the Speightstown dungeon over and over, and after about an hour and a half I was up to level 5 and Melee 10, so yes, the increased multiplier seems to be working.

I'll try it again but this time start at, say, level 20 to see if Melee stops increasing.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I added some more log messages to the attached. Extract to PROGRAM\Loc_ai . If the fencing skill increases stop,
whenever the previous log message does not appear, you should get another one stating WHY.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I'm up to level 6, melee 3 and skills are still increasing. Haven't gone into a dungeon yet, just going across islands and getting mobbed.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I've been playing La Croix today and am up to level 10. Fencing is at level 8 and hasn't given any hint of stopping to increase.
In fact, it seems a bit high to me. But that's probably due to Baste's increased modifier in MAXIMUS_functions.c .

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Keep an eye out for the fencing skill increase getting stuck and once it does, please post a savegame!
If you're using my updated LAi_fightparams.c file with even more explanatory log messages from above, once this happens, hopefully the game will tell you what happens instead.
This is also included in Beta 2.5 Test Version 2, of course: http://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/build-14-beta-2-5-test-version-2-available.20593/

 

[Baste]

Now when I started the game at level 20 the Melee skill did indeed not increase. I have determined that it has something to do with this:

skillExp = makeint(makefloat(skillExp) * retMin(2.0, 4.0 / stf(_refCharacter.rank)) + 0.5);

I couldn't try your LAi_fightparams file since the game won't start with it. Might be because I'm testing with 2.3. Haven't tested with any WIP files yet.

Sulan's modified file should not require a new game to be started.

I've been playing La Croix today and am up to level 10. Fencing is at level 8 and hasn't given any hint of stopping to increase.
In fact, it seems a bit high to me. But that's probably due to Sulan's increased modifier in MAXIMUS_functions.c .

Just making sure: Has Sulan changed anything, or are you confusing him with me?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Now when I started the game at level 20 the Melee skill did indeed not increase. I have determined that it has something to do with this:

skillExp = makeint(makefloat(skillExp) * retMin(2.0, 4.0 / stf(_refCharacter.rank)) + 0.5);

I'll be trying that. Which storyline were you playing? Which difficulty?

I couldn't try your LAi_fightparams file since the game won't start with it. Might be because I'm testing with 2.3. Haven't tested with any WIP files yet.

Ah, that'd explain it. Try attached instead, which is adjusted for the Beta 2.3 code base.

Just making sure: Has Sulan changed anything, or are you confusing him with me?

No, he didn't do anything; I'm confusing you two. Sorry. Had been having the Ship's Log Interface on my mind for some strange reason.

 

[Baste]

I'll be trying that. Which storyline were you playing? Which difficulty?

I was playing the standard Nathaniel Hawk storyline on Swashbuckler difficulty. I would have chosen the character type to be "Adventurer" since Nathaniel seems to be more of an adventurer than a merchant, but since "Merchant" appears to be the default setting for that storyline I chose that.

Ah, that'd explain it. Try attached instead, which is adjusted for the Beta 2.3 code base.

That works. It just tells me that Melee didn't increase, and sometimes that EXP was added from LAi_ApplyCharacterBladeDamage. However, nothing changed on the Character screen.

No, he didn't do anything; I'm confusing you two. Sorry. Had been having the Ship's Log Interface on my mind for some strange reason.

Hehe, all right.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

All my file does is to give explanatory log messages to try and trace the problem. Haven't been able to fix it yet, because I haven't been able to replicate it.

I'll try a Standard storyline start at level 20 and see if I can trigger the problem.
Can you give me any further specifics on exactly what you did in the early game so I can mimic it as closely as possible?

 

[Baste]

For this level 20 test first of all I edited the "StartStoryline" file in PROGRAM\Storyline\standard to give myself a Knight's Templar Sword, a Brace of Large Pistols, and a lot of various potions. As I've understood it that sword and brace of pistols are the best in the build.

When the game started I dismissed Malcolm and used the cheat mode to level up to 20 and then chose my abilities and equipped my items. These are the abilities I chose:
Basic Defense
Advanced Defense
Toughness
Improved Critical Hit
Professional Fencer
Rush
Gunman
Professional Gunman

All combat-oriented ones. After that I went to the port, into the town, and into the "trapdoor" to enter the Speightstown dungeon. Here I started fighting the enemies to see what would happen. Since the enemies have higher Melee skill it might help to activate god mode. I cleared the dungeon but Melee didn't increase.

I'll try it on a lower level as well to try to determine at which level it stops increasing.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Once I'm done with my Treasure Quests, I'll go and try that too. Unless you manage to fix this once and for all before that time. One can always hope, eh?

 

[Hylie Pistof]

How do you do it?

I am at level 5, melee 3 and got the treasure quest in Oxbay dungeon. Right at the start there are three of them and the first one takes me out every time. 20+ attempts.

This is not possible.