Well the real root of the problem is that stock circlemud is totally
unbalanced.
For example, Arachnos or Yevaud (two of the toughest stock diku
npc's) on circle have around 430hp and give 120k exp at level 24. Now take
your average leveling npc, say the white rook. 510hp, Level -27- yet gives
only 85k exp. Heh, you going to cap for levels above or below?
So what do 928 similar scenarios do to your exp caps based on an
npc's level? Heh, how fast you think people would flock back to arachnos
again? :) Compound this with all the +20/+20 items about, second, third,
fourth and fifth attacks and those heal potions for sale for 1k in the
elven forest. Unbalanced mud.
This should all be fixed in a predictable manner, and be a function
of both the npc's and pc's level. Just not in the way people have
been thinking about.
When I think about it, if a npc and a pc at the same level and
armor class fight, then it should be give or take. Fight could go either
way, namely comming down to say under 15% of hp. Of course, this means
calculating how much damage a pc of a particular level/class can do on
average and making many assumptions as to how long a battle will take, etc.
If it's done right, then it's simple to build according to your
new guidelines. If you want your area to be for pc's of levels 7-10, just
populate it with npc's from 7-10. Since this fuction would for the most
part be linear (except for a few spikes at levels when chars gain abilities
like fireball/3rd attack) you might be able to assume that if you put in a
level 15 npc, it would take two level 7-8 chars to defeat them in tandem.
I'd love not to see level 34 npc's with 30,000+ hp, when pc's gain
a 5-10 a clip usually ;)
Both the character's special abilities, whether it be skills or
items, and the mob's special traits/procs/items end up affecting this one
way or the other. Luck should really play a larger role, but it doesn't
currently. If
you collect enough items then you can kill just about any mob, sanct'd or not.
It used to be, to take out an npc such as Yevaud, Isha or a Matron
Mother, it took a co-ordinated, planned and well executed effort by a number
of high level chars. What happened? Mudders flow like water or electrons.
Path of least resistance.
Part of this answer lies in the fact, that if your area doesn't
have an item more powerful than the last guy's then people aren't going to
be found in yours. Interesting as the mines or moria might be, when's the
last time anyone was there? Stock it with a new powerful ring of improved
invisibility, next thing you know your zone is part of 20 different code
bases.
All in all, the solution isn't to beef up the npc's or penalise the
pc's. It's really to come up with a sensible scheme in the first place and
then stick to it.
-jac
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