Goonhub
09-12-2016, 06:33 AM
Goals:
More skill in researching artifacts
More generally useful artifacts, with less powerful random peaks.
More variation.
Choice about using artifacts.
Basic Structure of an Artifact:
Currently an artifact is a randomized trigger+randomized effect. Both sides can have some weighting to their randomness, but they are basically just separate.
Instead, I propose breaking the structure into a few linked parts.
Part 1: The Activator/Charge method.
Artifacts now will have a 'charge'. When they hit 100% charge, they become 'activated'. When they hit 0% charge, they become 'deactivated' and must be fully recharged to function.
Charge methods have two parts.
Polarity: Does the artifact charge by absorbing energy or outputting it.
Energy Type: What sort of things does it get energy from?
Example Types: Positive/Negative
Thermal: Hot/Cold
Electrical: Shock/(Output power somehow?)
Atmospheric: Absorb Gas/Output Gas
Physical: Impact/Sound
Chemical: Specific Chem/Radiation(water perhaps?)
Part 2: Effect Targeting
Effect targeting will be tied, generally, to Polarity, and Origin. As some example targeting methods, we might randomly select between:
User: Instant (or delayed)
User Facing direction+Distance On Use (or with delay)
User Facing direction+Distance On Use(In Area)
Area around Artifact on Use
So Martian Artifacts that Emit power to charge might target the user.
Martian Artifacts that consume power to charge might target an area some distance away.
Wizard artifacts that Emit power to charge might affect everything in an area around the artifact.
Part 3: Effect
In the same way that Targeting is tied to Polarity and Origin, Effect is tied to Energy Type and Origin, with polarity having a factor.
Each effect, is therefore a set of categorically related effects.
Example Types: (Not inherently tied to positive or negative).
Life: Heal/Harm
Power: Generate Electricity/Emp
Sound: Generate sound/Cancel out all sound
Light: Emit Light(laser?)/Cancel it out
Structure: Force wall/Trapping target in itself
Air: Emitting O2/N2/CO2/Plasma (picks one randomly for each).
The targeting method limits how this might manifest.
For example,
We know Martian Artifacts that Emit power to charge target the user, this round.
We discover, that a martian artifact that absorbed heat to charge was a healing artifact.
We now know. that Martian artifacts that emit heat to charge, will cause harm to the target (The user!).
If we discover such an artifact, we will know (through our science), that it is simply dangerous.
We also know that NO OTHER MARTIAN ARTIFACTS will cause harm to people (directly).
Part 3.2: Power Level (bonus)
Artifacts, in order to add some texture to charging, should also have variable maximum charge.
Effects will have two versions(at least, maybe more depending on targeting), a high power version, and a low power version. All effects scale with the max charge on the artifact - healing stronger, more gas, longer duration wall, etc. When you exceed a certain threshold (100?) the effect swaps. Healing artifacts might be split between a general heal and regrowing limbs, but which is strong and which is weak depends upon the settings at round beginning.
Part 4: Power System Transplantation
Finally, in order to increase control, power systems in artifacts can be transplanted. This would likely, take a powerful cutting tool and a crowbar. When you have the Power System removed, you can relatively simply affix it to another artifact (removing it destroys the core artifact). Doing so leaves all the other properties of your new artifact, but uses the charging method and maximum power of the Power System.
This lets you test (dangerously and with less information) artifacts more easily, and lets you choose a power system that better does what you want from it. Maybe you want to overcharge this sound system until ears bleed, or turn down the wattage on this blinding light until its a nice, easy to charge lamp.
Other Notes:
Of course, none of these ideas are finalized, but I think the general concepts allow for the ability to actually research artifacts in a given round, and the charge system makes activation more important and potentially interesting. Its something that people will continue needing to know about, and will also let powers be powerful - balanced by the need to recharge.
Feedback is, of course, appreciated here.
More skill in researching artifacts
More generally useful artifacts, with less powerful random peaks.
More variation.
Choice about using artifacts.
Basic Structure of an Artifact:
Currently an artifact is a randomized trigger+randomized effect. Both sides can have some weighting to their randomness, but they are basically just separate.
Instead, I propose breaking the structure into a few linked parts.
Part 1: The Activator/Charge method.
Artifacts now will have a 'charge'. When they hit 100% charge, they become 'activated'. When they hit 0% charge, they become 'deactivated' and must be fully recharged to function.
Charge methods have two parts.
Polarity: Does the artifact charge by absorbing energy or outputting it.
Energy Type: What sort of things does it get energy from?
Example Types: Positive/Negative
Thermal: Hot/Cold
Electrical: Shock/(Output power somehow?)
Atmospheric: Absorb Gas/Output Gas
Physical: Impact/Sound
Chemical: Specific Chem/Radiation(water perhaps?)
Part 2: Effect Targeting
Effect targeting will be tied, generally, to Polarity, and Origin. As some example targeting methods, we might randomly select between:
User: Instant (or delayed)
User Facing direction+Distance On Use (or with delay)
User Facing direction+Distance On Use(In Area)
Area around Artifact on Use
So Martian Artifacts that Emit power to charge might target the user.
Martian Artifacts that consume power to charge might target an area some distance away.
Wizard artifacts that Emit power to charge might affect everything in an area around the artifact.
Part 3: Effect
In the same way that Targeting is tied to Polarity and Origin, Effect is tied to Energy Type and Origin, with polarity having a factor.
Each effect, is therefore a set of categorically related effects.
Example Types: (Not inherently tied to positive or negative).
Life: Heal/Harm
Power: Generate Electricity/Emp
Sound: Generate sound/Cancel out all sound
Light: Emit Light(laser?)/Cancel it out
Structure: Force wall/Trapping target in itself
Air: Emitting O2/N2/CO2/Plasma (picks one randomly for each).
The targeting method limits how this might manifest.
For example,
We know Martian Artifacts that Emit power to charge target the user, this round.
We discover, that a martian artifact that absorbed heat to charge was a healing artifact.
We now know. that Martian artifacts that emit heat to charge, will cause harm to the target (The user!).
If we discover such an artifact, we will know (through our science), that it is simply dangerous.
We also know that NO OTHER MARTIAN ARTIFACTS will cause harm to people (directly).
Part 3.2: Power Level (bonus)
Artifacts, in order to add some texture to charging, should also have variable maximum charge.
Effects will have two versions(at least, maybe more depending on targeting), a high power version, and a low power version. All effects scale with the max charge on the artifact - healing stronger, more gas, longer duration wall, etc. When you exceed a certain threshold (100?) the effect swaps. Healing artifacts might be split between a general heal and regrowing limbs, but which is strong and which is weak depends upon the settings at round beginning.
Part 4: Power System Transplantation
Finally, in order to increase control, power systems in artifacts can be transplanted. This would likely, take a powerful cutting tool and a crowbar. When you have the Power System removed, you can relatively simply affix it to another artifact (removing it destroys the core artifact). Doing so leaves all the other properties of your new artifact, but uses the charging method and maximum power of the Power System.
This lets you test (dangerously and with less information) artifacts more easily, and lets you choose a power system that better does what you want from it. Maybe you want to overcharge this sound system until ears bleed, or turn down the wattage on this blinding light until its a nice, easy to charge lamp.
Other Notes:
Of course, none of these ideas are finalized, but I think the general concepts allow for the ability to actually research artifacts in a given round, and the charge system makes activation more important and potentially interesting. Its something that people will continue needing to know about, and will also let powers be powerful - balanced by the need to recharge.
Feedback is, of course, appreciated here.