SP - Economy SMITHING SKILL, EQUIPMENT DETERIORATION and MAINTENANCE system, PRICE BALANCE.

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INTRODUCTION:
This thread was created for the need to manage equipment prices on the market mainly, to regulate the maintenance of armies and to remove from the loot that RNG that makes the nose turn up since it does not make you find what you saw on the field.
This thread is closely related to another thread that you can read after this for a clearer overview, and that thread deals with the territorial economy in terms of needs and production.
To crown it all there would be a third thread that instead takes into account the logistics and supply lines both in the economic and political sphere, but above all in a war scenario.
The links to these threads will put them at the end of this.
The idea is to provide balancing mechanisms but also to expand the gameplay.

MECHANICS: DURABILITY

DURABILITY, depends on:
1) weight
2) Material
3) a motliplicative constant
linked to the structure of the reinforcement.
(If it is a plate it will be more resistant, if it is a little less plaque.
If it is lamellar, or scaled armor or chainmail, there is some checking to be done)

Suppose therefore that any armor / weapon has a certain durability, of any value between zero and infinity.
To this we can assign an interval ranging from 0 to 1 and thus identify the percentage durability. (We will need it below)

DURABILITY REDUCTION = EQUIPMENT DETERIORATION, as occurs:
1) with use (taking hits -> armor, hitting the enemy or hitting walls -> weapons)
In the case of the blows suffered and inflicted, I would link to the reduction based on the type of damage and the type of armor that suffers it.
-example for the armors: the plate armor undergoes little cutting damage but a lot of impact damage (they tend to deform it) and the perforating ones generally depend on how much the affected surface has a vector parallel to the bullet (therefore how much the tip is orthogonal to the surface).
-example for weapons: if a sword hits the leather, it undergoes deterioration from use in a ridiculously low way, vice versa if it hits a plate or the slats, or a wall, it undergoes some damage (tends to bevel the blade)
2) over time (things age and rust if you can't keep them) -> it depends on the material.


EFFECT OF DETERIORATION:
1) reduces the sale price of this equipment (the price varies linearly with the condition C (x) which we will discuss below)
2) the "damage types" of the weapons are converted into other types: a percentage of the cutting damage is converted into bludgeoning, the same is true for the piercing damage (the weapon is blunted) and there is a small reduction in damage.
3) reduces the armor value (below there is a special function).
The trend must not be linear.
(we need a gaussian style, but softer, such that f (0) = 0 and F (100) = 100)


ARMOR CALCULATION FORMULA AND DETERIORATION CURVE.

CURRENT ARMOR = MAX ARMOR * C (x)

where C (x) stands for armor CONDITION and this value depends on the function that I will show you shortly.
the variable x is the durability of the armor expressed as a percentage (therefore it varies from 0 to 1).
So x varies from 0 to 1 and C (x) according to the function.

C (x) = 2 (J-F)
J = B * e ^ - ([(x-1) / v] ^ 2)
F = H * e ^ - ([(x-1) / s] ^ 2)

They are two Gauss functions centered on the value 1 and with the width parameters v and s.
Effect: The lower the durability, the more the deterioration factor will worsen the current reinforcement, but not with a linear, but "softer" trend.

With the following values:
B = 0.75
v = 0.8
H = 0.25 (or 1-B)
s = 0.5
Here are two graphs of the function.
(s, v) = ( 0.5, 0.8 ) softer and with a minimum of about 0.3




(s, v) = ( 0.8, 0.8 ) less soft and with a minimum of about 0.2


By changing the parameters written above you can soften it or not, raise and lower the point of intersection with the Y axis at point X = 0
I have set, with a percentage durability of 0%, an armor value of 30% (compared to the maximum value) since even a damaged armor, if worn, provides a minimum of protection
If you want a softer curve you can try pairs (s, v): = ( 1, 0.8 ) or ( 0.8, 0.8 )

For weapons you can use a similar curve, perhaps an even softer version of the first curve that I have shown you, or opt for discrete values.
I would do so to break the weapon and make it unusable until repair in case the durability goes to 0 (ONLY THE WEAPON, NOT THE ARMOR).


DURABILITY RESTORATION (applies to all sections below):
to restore durability you need these elements:
1)
Each stamina unit restores a certain percentage of durability. This percentage increases with skill smithing and some perk also contributes to this.
2) the type of maintenance material, which must be purchased and which depends on the composition of materials of which the armor is made. (100% lamellar-> iron, studded leather-> 80% leather and 20% iron, the numbers are a example, pretend they are "historically accurate", but above all that they are balanced for gameplay)
3) the amount of maintenance material used to restore a durability unit depends on the reinforcement value and weight.
4) a blacksmith with a blacksmith's hammer and bunting available

Points 1 and 2 serve to decree the maintenance price of the armor / weapon.
point 3 this poses the dilemma if the number of blacksmiths in a city should be greater than 1 ... and I would say yes.


PAID REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE WITH EXTERNAL BLACKSMITH:
The equipment can be repaired and maintained by going to the locksmith and paying.
The cost depends on:
1) by the type of equipment (plate, lamellar, flakes, chainmail, gamberson, leather, leather ... rags)
2) directly proportional to the value of the armor in the case of armor and the value of damage and speed in the case of the weapon. also depending on the weight in both cases.
3) from the durability you want to restore -> (from the cost of the materials needed to restore it (it depends on how much they cost in the city, the smith uses them clearly)).
4) from the work that the blacksmith must do -> labor.
5) from the various surcharges due to the lack of skill charm and / or trade. (In small part)
6) the blacksmith will take some time to repair the equipment, proportional to the durability that you want to restore and which is as less as the stamina possessed by the blacksmith is greater.
7) If the blacksmith is one of our companions, some surcharges will be reduced, such that the final price will be lower than that of a blacksmith outside the party but greater than what we ourselves would have done.

PAY FORGING WITH EXTERNAL BLACKSMITH:
It's like the crafting system, but you have to pay a locksmith.
The cost of the weapon / armor depends more or less on the same factors as the repair and maintenance section.
The blacksmith will take some time to make the weapon, which is as short as the greater the blacksmith's stamina.
if the blacksmith is one of our companions, point 7 of the previous section applies.


USING THE SKILL SMITHING:
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE:

Skill smithing helps to do several things:
- allows you to repair the equipment, through the use of some tools (hammer) and other items that you have to buy, also you have to use the stamina.
- allows, in general, to improve the equipment at lower costs than a blacksmith.
- the maximum quality (therefore when you are at the maximum level of skill smithing) is better than that of an external blacksmith (if the blacksmith has the maximum masterwork, we can bring them to legendary).

1) the percentage of restoration of durability per unit of stamina depends on the skill smithing -> indirectly decides the time within which the durability is completely restored.
2) the type of material used for maintenance depends on the type of reinforcement (better reinforcements -> expensive material)
3) the quantity of material used for restoration decreases with increasing skill smithing (reduction of material consumption of M per lv) (saving of money therefore)
4) reduces deterioration over time, BUT NOT WITH USE.
5) the restored durability depends on the stamina consumed for the repair.
6) the equipment maintenance work confers experience for skill smithing.

FORGING WITH SKILL SMITHING:
More or less as it is now.
I would tend to "mix" the parts coming from different archetypes (one-handed weapons and spear for example), removing any barrier.
The result would depend on what is being formed.
The cost would depend on the materials.
But I don't know if it's possible or if someone wants it (apart from me)

ARMY AND MAINTENANCE.
The entire maintenance system also applies to the army.
I wrote a thread dealing with the economics of the game (production, food and goods needs, social and economic stability and prices) which I will link to.
That thread is linked to this as it actually comes about for 2 reasons: to better regulate prices (lower them) without making everything accessible (and here maintenance plays its role) and to provide some skills with better quality and usefulness.

In order to support itself, the army needs not only food and rest, but also to maintain equipment.
The maintenance of the equipment depends on how good you are at saving, but with efficient use, the materials needed to do the maintenance of the equipment.
If the SMITHING skill allows us to save on the maintenance of OUR equipment through a more careful use of materials, then to save the army material you need a skill that allows the party blacksmiths to help the whole party manage maintenance .
So the STEWARD skill of our character and our quartermaster can manage the percentage with which the sum of the values of the SMITHING skill of each character of our party can be applied to the party itself in terms of saving resources for maintenance.
I chose the sum of the skill smithing values of all members of the party just to not "waste" any characters who had this ability.
At most you could insert a clause like: only the sum of the skill smithing of characters who have it over the value 50.
Or just the sum of the values of your character and the quartermaster.
Or maybe if you have another formula, offer it.
Once this formula is fixed, I present you the archetypes of the skills.

CHANGES TO SKILLS:

STEWARD:

- (clan / faction leader and quartermaster): increase garrison size by X for lv
- (party leader and quartermaster): a Y percentage of the sum of the blacksmith skills of the party members is applied as a "smithing party skill", allowing to reduce the use of "H per lv" retention material

LEADERSHIP:
- (personal and quartermaster): increase party size by Z for lv
- (personal): moral party increase by K for lv
- (party leader): reduction of "WAGES FOR WORKFORCE"

The material savings bonuses apply only to the party, as I want to point out that we are the ones who have to keep it personally or have an external locksmith or a party member do this job.
(personal and quartermaster) or (clan / factio / party leader and quartermaster) means that the bonuses accumulate between these two characters (always it is not the same character to occupy the role of quartermaster, in this case nothing accumulates).

Then:
steward + smithing -> WAGES REDUCTION FOR EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE for the army.
leadership -> REDUCTION WAGES FOR WORKFORCE for the army.


PERKS SKILL SMITHING
:

The skills smithing perks currently concern the efficiency of the conversion of materials into other materials, the addition of some attribute points or focus points, the learning of the various parts of the weapons and the possible level of forging (masterwork -> legendary ec ..).
Column 6 has two perks of which 1 is redundant.
The first gives you the opportunity to quickly grow one-handed weapon, two-handed and polearm instead the second bow, crossbow and throwing weapon.
Obviously the second perk is quite useless compared to the first.
Usually you choose between the bow, crossbow or throwing weapon, so 2 are discarded, because simply the type of situation in which they fall is the same, at least for bow and crossbow.
Conversely for melee weapons you can have 2 of them, with a shield and throwing weapons, as a combination.
And in general you can have all 3 types behind, for different situations.
So the sixth column should be reworked.

For the savings related perk, given what I wrote above, these should be partially reworked in the spirit inherent in this thread.
I would tend to focus less on small and ridiculous numbers and act in terms of additional mechanics, that is, elements that alter the gameplay deeply, without going after the small numbers.
Some perks could be readjusted to the other 2 threads that you post, based on economics one and logistics the other.

Some perks can act by finding better conditions for the equipment of their OWN fallen in battle.
And for the enemy it would depend on the enemy's skill smithing.
(therefore defeating a group of bandits headed by a blacksmith or with many blacksmiths inside them would be a good luck for us)

the perk system could consist of perks that enable different crafting branches.
-a perks to enable the craft of a type of weapon (therefore 7-8 perk)
-a perks perk for each type of armor (5-6 perk)
-a perks for the diversification of weapons.

By diversification I mean the possibility of increasing the forging options:
- a perk (1) that allows us to slightly modify the existing weapons (not to improve them, but only to modify them)
- a perk (2) to choose the INITIAL SHAPE of the metal to be machined.
- a perk (2) to unlock the customization of the metal THICKNESS.
- a perk (2) for the WIDTH of the metal.
- a perk (3) that allows you to change the CURVATURE of the metal.
(A TOOLS SYSTEM that allows us to literally FORG "something" that if it is worthy will be called a weapon)
- a perk (4) which adds particular options to the type of forging (number of folds etc ..)
- a perk (5) which adds special options to the blade (serration, smooth blade or other).
- a perk (6) that allows you to choose whether to insert a double blade.

Clearly shape, width and thickness modify the weight and the center of mass, therefore the "balanced" and "unbalanced" components of an attack, the possible swing speed and swing damage.
In short, it should be self-balancing.

These are examples of what the craft system should be and allow for in its true essence.
offer maximum customization without sacrificing balance.

I leave the rest to your imagination.

PERSONAL NOTE ON THE LEVEL PROGRESSION SYSTEM:
In general, I don't like the "fixed" perk system at all.
A person can change and learn if he has the time to do it and if he applies it.
Furthermore, one capacity should not exclude another.
Over time, playing many games, I have less and less appreciated the level system, which I consider a system that makes it more incompetent than before.
(you know how to do something well at high levels, but compared to before everything else can do it worse than before in proportion to how much the context has generally evolved throughout).
The attribute points currently have the sole purpose of inserting some learning rate increases.
I would tend to clearly separate the physical attributes from the mental ones and reduce the number to the essentials. Also, with the remaining attributes, I would link the skills to more than one attribute, just because many skills cannot be relegated to a single attitude.
Bow aiming is a matter of "control", it is true.
But BUTTING THE ARROW REQUIRES STRENGTH.
Since the current ordering is 6 attributes, I would make at least one change that does not reduce or eliminate them, so that there is not much to change.
So I would separate the attribute points into 2 types: physical points and mental points.
With the current ordering of attributes the physical ones would be related to vigor, controll and endurance and the mental ones to cunning, social and intellect.
In addition, the skills should have at least 2 reference attributes that are consistent with them and 3 others if we count a mental one (always with coherence it is clear).
But these are arguments of other threads, therefore closing this parenthesis and we continue to talk about the topic inherent to the thread.
END PERSONAL NOTE

CONSEQUENCES OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM
:
1) In this way the equipment can have reasonable prices in the shops (therefore cost at most 100k and not 650k), since any cost will be spread over time in terms of maintenance.
2) you can find equipment of any quality and price depending on the latter.
3) the maintenance of the equipment involves a cost, therefore when you are poor and at low levels "you cannot maintain" a high quality equipment, therefore you are satisfied with "maintainable" equipment.
The more you have economic stability, the more you can afford to spend on maintaining some equipment.
4) Or you are a blacksmith and then you can afford to save money on the labor of others, on the difficulty of repairing a complex armor and you will save yourself the overcharges due to the lack of skill in charm / trade.
5) Either you wear what is around, even damaged, until you find nothing else to replace it with or you can repair what you find and sell it or wear it as a new armor (or weapon).
So you could find something useful and bring it back in good condition.
6) if the skill smithing is low, then either use the stamina to improve the quality of your equipment, or use it to craft and do other actions.
initially with all the stamina you don't repair all the armor:
suppose, with 20 stamina:
smithing = 1 => 0.1% durability / stamina unit, it reaches 2% -> it takes 50 days for 100% durability
smithing = 100 => 1% durability / stamina unit, it reaches 20% -> it takes 5 days for 100% durability.

Clearly this "20 stamina" I take it as an example since at the moment the stamina is 20, but if it varied it would be enough to change a few numbers, nothing complicated.
Then some perks can improve these values that are put here without thinking too much about it.
In general, initially it will be difficult to keep the equipment and it will also be necessary to reserve it while repairing the main one.

This system must be accompanied by an economic and military system that takes market laws into account, so that prices are balanced (and I wrote a special thread).
I also point out that it is no longer necessary that at the end of the battle the parts of armor, shields and weapons that the enemies wore are not found only because some random variable decides how much the loot must be.
You can find everything that should be in battle, but whose condition is low (therefore high deterioration).
Perks can improve the armor conditions that are part of the loot.

This way if you face 20 sea riders wearing the hotel you won't have the bad surprise of not finding yourself even 1 of those armor in the loot.
You will find them all, but not intact.
So you won't be able to make a lot of money by selling them, at least if you don't fix them.
But repairing them involves spending time and resources ... and we have seen that time deteriorates the armor.
Or you must be very good blacksmiths or have them available at the party.
But you can get at least a decent armor if you repair at least 1, and then you have to keep it, even if it were your son.
So only if you have the right skills can you really earn it.

CONCLUSION:
I hope you enjoy the thread.
comment, vote and make it known, since only ideas that have a participation in the reference thread are taken into consideration.
Below I leave you the links of the other 2 threads, in case you missed them:
ECONOMIC,PRODUCTION,SOCIAL STABILITY THREAD <--LINK
LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY LINES THREAD <---LINK

here is the megathread:ECONOMIC and LOGISTICS megathrad with poll link
 
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I think there are some easy way to do it:
1. When player recieved a damage that was larger than X pts, every point of damage that exceeded this value shall add a 1% chance for the hitted armor piece to be downgraded(the game can detect the hitted part, so it should be easy to track);
2. When player was knocked out, if the final hit causes a damage that was no lesser than Y pts, then destroy this equipment directly;
3. When a player's non-blunt type melee weapon deals more than Z pts of blunt damage, every point of damage that exceeded this value shall add a 1% chance for the attacking weapon to be downgraded;
4. When a player's lance deal more than 200 pts of damage, every exceeded damage gives 1% chance to destroy it instantly;
5. Every arrow/bolt player shoot shall add 1% for this bow/crossbow to be downgraded after the battle;
6. Add some "lower arrow amount by *" prefix modifier for arrows, bolts, and throwing weapons if it is easy to track the usage of these items. If it's easy to add, then use the method similar to the bow/crossbow with a modifier for throwing weapons;
7. When player.s shield was broken, it stay broken, means destroy the shield;
8.
4) Or you are a blacksmith and then you can afford to save money on the labor of others, on the difficulty of repairing a complex armor and you will save yourself the overcharges due to the lack of skill in charm / trade.
9. The tier differences between the clashing equipments can add up some interesting effect/modifier for the downgrade/destroy check.

I don't know coding, but I'm afraid by adding a "durability" feature would need to change a lot of things, for example, the inventory UI, the equipments' tooltip. Meanwhile, if the devs just add some scripts and use a message to tell us what happened, then it could become available without putting too much manpower in it.
 
1. When player recieved a damage that was larger than X pts, every point of damage that exceeded this value shall add a 1% chance for the hitted armor piece to be downgraded(the game can detect the hitted part, so it should be easy to track);
2. When player was knocked out, if the final hit causes a damage that was no lesser than Y pts, then destroy this equipment directly;
3. When a player's non-blunt type melee weapon deals more than Z pts of blunt damage, every point of damage that exceeded this value shall add a 1% chance for the attacking weapon to be downgraded;
4. When a player's lance deal more than 200 pts of damage, every exceeded damage gives 1% chance to destroy it instantly;
5. Every arrow/bolt player shoot shall add 1% for this bow/crossbow to be downgraded after the battle;
I would prefer not to enter "probabilities".
I want a system that is not tied to luck, but as tied to clear laws.

Each armor starts with a condition that is 100%.
Each weapon has a given mass distribution and from that, together with its rotation speed, the kinetic energy and the momentum are determined.
From these variables and from that of the armor value, damage is derived.

Let us therefore admit that the weapon has a certain attack statistic from which the damage that this causes derives.
For each damage unit, the DURABILITY of the armor is damaged by a certain percentage.
Then let W be this percentage per unit of damage and let W be related to the attack value of the weapon (therefore W increases if the attack of the weapon increases)
This percentage certainly cannot be the same for all weapons and not even for all armor.
So we need a table that matches the pair (type of damage, type of reinforcement) with the values of a multiplicative factor k.

So if the base is W, then this W will be multiplied by k based on the type of damage that the weapon inflicts (cut, blunt, piercing) and on the basis of the armor that undergoes it (plate, lamellar, flakes, crush of mesh, leather etc.).


Furthermore, given that each armor has a different armor value, better performing armor will be more resistant to hits, so we add a constant that depends on the armor value and we call this value A.

The total percentage reduction, taking into account the attack values of the weapon, the defensive values of the armor, the type of attack and the type of armor, is then given by:
Delta x = -kAW
where x is the durability of the weapon above, in the thread it determines the condition therefore the value of the armor.

6. Add some "lower arrow amount by *" prefix modifier for arrows, bolts, and throwing weapons if it is easy to track the usage of these items. If it's easy to add, then use the method similar to the bow/crossbow with a modifier for throwing weapons;
bullets also have a condition, therefore after some use (sometimes even 1, it depends on what they hit) they break, therefore there is no need to introduce probability to determine how much the number should decrease.
I prefer not to enter arbitrary parameters.
But I agree on the fatot that the number must decrease with use.
We say that the decrease is a natural consequence of the system proposed above.

7. When player.s shield was broken, it stay broken, means destroy the shield;
It could be done in this way:
For shields the curve shown above could have a minimum of zero and a maximum of 1.
This condition would multiply the HP bar, which would therefore become more and more difficult as the condition worsens.
If the condition goes to zero, the shield is definitively broken.

Armor cannot permanently "break".
They cannot disappear.
Anything metallic on you can save you from a bullet, so even an old and broken armor.
But its efficiency is greatly reduced.
Clearly this reduction is local, that is, each piece of the armor has its own condition.

9. The tier differences between the clashing equipments can add up some interesting effect/modifier for the downgrade/destroy check.
The concept of "tier" has always seemed to me "artificially imposed" and therefore arbitrary.
It must not be the developer that determines a priori that something is better than another by putting a tier, but must be the player, through the strengths and weaknesses of the equipment and consider it better or worse than others.

Rather I would insert the types of armor, but not as a "tier" with degrees from worst to best.
But as a classification of armor "different from each other" and which have advantages and disadvantages and in this case they would be (plate, lamellar, flakes, chainmail, studded leather, leather etc ..).
but I'm afraid by adding a "durability" feature would need to change a lot of things, for example, the inventory UI, the equipments' tooltip
Imagine that in the classic armature tootip there is one more parameter which is the current durability / maximum durability with the percentage value in brackets.
After which each value already present is flanked, in brackets, the value it would have if it were with a condition of 100%, that is the maximum value.
It wouldn't change much.
 
I like the idea of armor getting worn over time, but implementing into economics of it seems bit too complicated for a game this size. This could be very hard to balance considering how bad AI economy in this current stage of the game. Including this would break it even further in my opinion. And if this becomes only we have to deal with not AI, is not good for immersion.
So half agree.
 
the current AI has problems with bankruptcy and the purchase of food (and with starvation).
This system aims to solve problems related to the snowball effect, to balancing prices and to giving skill smithing a utility that goes beyond that of crafting a weapon.
As a consequence this system offers degrees of freedom with which to act in the system in relation to the problems related to the economic part
of logistics. Logistics that in the game is related only to food and the recruitment of recruits.
This thread should be considered together with the other two:
1) logistics supply line.
2) Economy, production, social stability

you can find them both, together with this thread you read at the following link:
ECONOMY , LOGISTICS and WARFARE SUGGESTION LIST <--link

Taken alone they may not provide the tools to solve all the problems, but considered all together they offer, as I said before, new degrees of freedom through which AI can act.

However I appreciate your intervention,so thank you.
Soon I will post a suggestion thread in relation to the one on logisitca and will deal with the march formations in the campaign map, the possibility of intercepting an army and of being subjected or preparing ambushes.
 
I honestly don't think item degradation is a mechanic that adds a lot to the gameplay, anyway I'm not totally against it, but only with use, not overtime

the degradation should never go to the point or rendering inusable the object, should only reduce the stats

for semplicity of implementation and use the repair should be done in the town forge, in another tab added to the 3 already present, it should be instantaneus and use an amount of stamina and resources coherent with that of forging a new item (I also would appreciate adding a forge to castles, maybe as an upgrade to build)

I think that the item degradation could work with the actual modifiers system, having a negative modifier already impact some stats (at least for some kind of items, like shields and armors, I suppose the other categories will be fixed sooner or later)

you start with a normal item, after a reasonable amount of use it get the first negative modifier, if you keep using it it will degrade to the second negative modifier, etc.

whathever modifier the items has, repairing it should always take it to the no modifier state, the lower the starting modifier the higher the cost for reparing it (stamina cost should remaing the same or change in very small amounts, to avoid situations in witch to repair an item the stamina required is more than the max stamina)

a smith perk could let you repair over the no modifier to the first positive one or better, for a higher cost, another one could reduce the cost of repairs, another the degradation speed
 
the degradation should never go to the point or rendering inusable the object, should only reduce the stats
From the graph you can see how any equipment (example: armor A) when it reaches a durability of 0 has an armor value that is 30% of its maximum.
So it is usable.
Of course if you have other armor (armor B) and you will see that the value of A's armor is below that of B, then you will wear armor B until you repair A to the point where you want it.
But you can continue to wear A, as its protection will not be zero even if the durability is zero.
anyway I'm not totally against it, but only with use, not overtime
Over time it means that the armor could last you 1-2-3 years of play (assuming you don't use it).
If you use it then it depends on how many shots you take.
But you must take into account that the mechanics serve to remove the idea of "tiers" intended as "levels" arbitrarily imposed and instead consider the accessibility of an armor or equipment as the ease with which it can be purchased and "maintained over time" .
Maintenance only matters if you can't afford armor (and therefore would be of a high tier for you)
I think that the item degradation could work with the actual modifiers system, having a negative modifier already impact some stats (at least for some kind of items, like shields and armors, I suppose the other categories will be fixed sooner or later)

you start with a normal item, after a reasonable amount of use it get the first negative modifier, if you keep using it it will degrade to the second negative modifier, etc.
I had already thought about this system but it does not perform the different functions that I would like the system to do.
the system must:
balance prices
manage the maintenance of armies
Having a "condescending" curve

The names relating to the various degrees of degradation of the equipment already in use in the game can be associated with some durability values, but the problem is the type of mathematical curve that associates an armor value with the durability value.
In order for the system not to be tedious, the curve must be "soft" for high durability values, then steeper for intermediate values and very soft for small durability values, with a reasonable minimum for zero durability.
The graph curve respects these characteristics.
to avoid situations in witch to repair an item the stamina required is more than the max stamina)
Actually the purpose of the thread is this:
If you are a locksmith, you can ALWAYS (or often) keep your equipment in good condition at a lower cost and therefore you can wear it.
If you are not a locksmith, or you have the money to pay for one, or you cannot afford to keep your equipment in good condition, ALWAYS (or often).

With the stamina that has a fixed value, two characters with different values of the skill smithing will be able to repair the equipment at different times.
A character with smithing 100 will be able to wear an armor from durability 0 to durability 100 in 5 days (therefore 20 per day).
(assuming it consumes 20 durability per day, it means it can always use it in good condition)
A non-blacksmith character either pays a blacksmith to do it (2-6 days but it costs a lot of money) or he does it himself and it takes 50 days (so he can rarely use it), or he will choose to use it only in really important battles, in which he, as a PG, must intervene personally in battle and therefore needs the best of the best he has available)

whathever modifier the items has, repairing it should always take it to the no modifier state, the lower the starting modifier the higher the cost for reparing it
I thought to introduce "variants"
The grades are already present due to the different reinforcements and the degradation is clearer when viewed in terms of durability and armor than with the denominations associated with discrete values.

For example, a plate armor could have multiple versions.
- standard or balanced (the normal version)
-thick-> increases weight, increases maximum armor, reduces degradation
-light-> the opposite of thick in terms of parameter variation.
- others that don't come to my mind and are always "zero sum"
a smith perk could let you repair over the no modifier to the first positive one or better, for a higher cost, another one could reduce the cost of repairs, another the degradation speed
The perks could unlock the "versions" of the armor (so that they can be more customizable)
 
the current AI has problems with bankruptcy and the purchase of food (and with starvation).
This system aims to solve problems related to the snowball effect, to balancing prices and to giving skill smithing a utility that goes beyond that of crafting a weapon.
As a consequence this system offers degrees of freedom with which to act in the system in relation to the problems related to the economic part
of logistics. Logistics that in the game is related only to food and the recruitment of recruits.
This thread should be considered together with the other two:
1) logistics supply line.
2) Economy, production, social stability

you can find them both, together with this thread you read at the following link:
ECONOMY , LOGISTICS and WARFARE SUGGESTION LIST <--link

Taken alone they may not provide the tools to solve all the problems, but considered all together they offer, as I said before, new degrees of freedom through which AI can act.

However I appreciate your intervention,so thank you.
Soon I will post a suggestion thread in relation to the one on logisitca and will deal with the march formations in the campaign map, the possibility of intercepting an army and of being subjected or preparing ambushes.
I agree that smiths should have a maintainance purpose for cities and factions and not only a crafting purpose.
 
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