Merging Ranged and Melee (in General)

Ages ago Shade asked for my ideas on this, and I don't think I ever got round to posting. I can't for the life of me find any of my old work on it, and CBs changed quite a bit since then anyway.

So I thought I'd start again, but get your input on my WIP.

The basics.

Combining Range and Melee rounds

To simulate a swirling Melee, rather than team that start at a distance to each other, and are pulled together.

Each round, targets get to attack with all the weapons they have equipped. The number of attacks youﾒre allowed to make is split between the two. (There will be a penalty, like the loss of round 1 Melee from using both a Ranged and Melee Weapon together, to offset the bonuses, I'm considering a flat -1 attack to both)

PTH still gives the number of attacks per round you can make, and is summed across equipped weapons for the total number of attacks you can make that round, which is then split equally among the weapons equipped.

1 PTH = 1% chance of an extra attack.

Each Weapon gets a single base attack per round. This potential is increased by PTH.

Landing a hit is worked out by comparing;

Ranged: Attackers Dexterity versus Defenders Evasion Skill
Melee: Attackers Dexterity versus Defenders Dexterity

(Evasion will still also reduce PTH, but it's level will be used in the calculations versus Ranged attacks instead of Dexterity)

The Base Chance to hit is determined by attackers and defenders weapon types;

(This will become a matrix based on the distinct types below)

Bows
XBows
Slings
1H
2H
UC
FB/MM
Decay
SG/CoC
Unarmed

Same types will be 50% base, and things like Ranged attacking Melee will have a higher bcth, with the converse true as well. (Left to figure out is btch versus someone with multiple weapons)

Equiping a Shield will result in a Penalty to Base CTH, and small knives (up to the ES), UC and Slings (and all DD) won't suffer the Ranged/Melee swapping penalty.

In each round, you will therefore be able to attack your target with more than one weapon. Ranged weapons will strike first in a round.

CTH will be capped (at around 95%) after the stat versus calcultions, to make sure there is always a small chance to miss. Number of attacks isn't effected by this, you could have 6 attacks in total, each with a 95% chance to hit, and be unlucky enough to miss all 6.

Right, that's the basics I think.

I could have changed more, but didn't really want to mess with the current system too much. ;)

A lot of stuff there.

So you want evasion to again give defensive dexterity vs missiles?

And what if you only have enough CB or ENC to using a melee or missile weapon?

"And what if you only have enough CB or ENC to using a melee or missile weapon?"


Only enough CB maybe, but ENC? I've enough on my (2 mill char) for 330,000,000 worth of NW. More than enough for two decent sized weapons. Hell, so much that I'm never going to have enough CB to outsize my enc level.

Think 4 minion characters.

Using Two weapons in concert gives a penalty. The bonus is you get two lots of PTH that get summed, and can take advantage of your opponents set ups (I think I'll let two weapon attackers use the best bcth as an additional bonus when facing opponents).

Yeah, Evasion is back to 'defensive Dexterity' but only versus Ranged weapons, and offers nothing (additional to it's native PTH reduction) versus Melee.

And if you don't train Evasion, you're basically offering 95% cth to ranged attackers (but it might just be 1-2 hits per round, depending on thier bows PTH and your DBs).

I should also have added that having a zero Dexterity sets your opponents bth to 95% automatically (maybe even 100%).

Oh and there's no ranged round penalties/Evasion boosts.

Maybe a damage penalty if it's a ranged weapon facing a ranged weapon... If that's needed.

You've still plenty of potential to make the most of encumbrance there, by spreading tank assignation across a couple of minions, one taking melee, one taking ranged. Not ideal, but would split the difference.

I know what you mean though. The ability for my char to use both the bow and the Morg in the same round. Drools.

Could prove to be OP...

Triole shot from the mageseeker to open the round followed a nice triple from the Morg to give me some HP back. Yeah, that would be very nice for a whole battle.

To do that (If I have a -1 attack penalty each round to both wepaons from swapping) would require a total of 800 PTH across both weapons.

Then you would have a max (depending on Dex/Eva) of 95% chance of actually hitting for each of those. ;)

600 PTh. doh!

Not far off that with some of the larger weapons GL, put Freed's SoD and Nov's BoNE together, without being rude about it, and you've a devastating combo if you can use both in one round.

On second thoughts, don't sum PTH. Keep it distinct.

Want to keep the number of attack penalties for using two weapons (Just not sure how much. Using two weapons will get you an extra attack anyway, as each weapon would get one 'base' attack as standard, pre pth), but a bonus will be using two will let you use the best btch of the two for defense.

JW, in that case, those wepaons are hitting around 5 attacks per round now. It's not too far off what I'm proposing.

Instead of 5 Morg hits, you'll get 3/3. Or however the balance works out.

You're right, it's not that far off what we have now, but what I'm actually concerned about and not really saying properly(!) is the special abilities of the big weapons.

VA from the Morg from round 1 onwards would not be the best thing to be facing up against. And neither would a mageseeker hitting the mage who's tucked away in the back while you're slicing and dicing at the front wall with your VB.

I know, if you equip weapons on multiple minions you can achieve a similar result, but not from round 1. And as for SG...from round 1...ouch....

DD Damage would have to be adjusted.

They have no btch to speak of, so the differencies can come directly to the damage they deal.

Plus the Friendly Fire would be removed from FB.

You can get VA from round 1 now Johnny. If no one's using a Ranged weapon that is. ;) Same for SG/CoC damage! :P

Ranged weapons would have a higher btch facing the 'melee' DD.

lol, you know exactly what I mean!

I think the best way to fix the problem of having multiple weapons would just be making it so you can't equip multiple weapons. So an archer is an archer all the time and a melee fighter is melee all the time as well.

As for the spells, this would basically eliminate FB from the game since CoC strikes from round 1, does more damage and has no friendly fire.

Or FB could retain the freindly fire but have a significantly increased damage to compensate.

I like the ability to equip multiple weapons though. Adds to variety. ;)

I'd want an active reason to be pure Archer, pure Melee and to use both though.