BD:M4 for short or, if you want to go the other direction, Battling Dragons Future Next Project: Monster Melee & Mayhem Match Web Battle System, is out. Boo-yah.
Right now, I have opened it using one of the new features, Sparring Matches. You can fight other members without worrying about wins, losses, valor, relics, or (unfortunately) experience. The main reason for only having spars is the lack of documentation and AI controls.
Lemme start off with the current problems:
Very poor AI selection procedure currently
Along with AI, Terrain Navigation is hard-core sucky, but it does work
Weather may not work, or may just work a lot at very rare times
Species specific traits are being implemented slowly (and in the case of the Jabberwock, still being thought of)
Color-combinations of Slots and Roulette are not entirely tested yet
Auto-effects of skills are not in; only their use portions are, and sometimes not even all that well (like Ferry currently doing the same thing as Terrorize)
Terrain movement is currently "stupid". It will be made more intelligent
Not all techs are implemented; individual monsters are supposed to choose which techs they know, but because that is a whole seperate feature, all monsters have access to techs that any monster can learn
I guess the documentation is poor since this is really it!
And now... onto what does work!
There are a few new basic implementations. For one, there are two new types of damage -- Fusion and Spirit. Fusion damage is a combination of Physical and Magical damage. Spirit damage is calculated in the same way as Magical damage (increases with Arcane, decreases with Virtue), but it targets and enemy's MP rather than its HP.
You may also see a new message pop up now and again -- Dual Shot. This message is displayed whenever one or more monster acts on the exact same phase. Damage and effects will be exchanged at the same time should a Dual Shot result, also allowing for ties that do not involve poison.
Speaking of poison, it uses the new system like in Web Battling which allows for double-poisoning. If an enemy is poisoned enough, it will begin to receive double the normal poison damage.
You can now bring up to two relics in battle as well, thus making Brok's Smithy really, really rock (except it does not function in Sparring Matches, so on you). I also have it coded so that if I ever wanted, say, to allow five relics... I could easily do so
Let me start off the commands with stuff everyone knows and loves -- spells. Being based on the Future System (which is what tournaments run on), non-damaging spells have an accelerated casting time. In addition to that, status-altering spells now also benefit from a reduced casting cost, which is an idea so simple I do not know why I did not think of it before. Finally for spells, in a move I know everyone will love, Hrimfaxi does not have confusion. Hard-coded into the script is a replacement that turns confusion into strike reduction, which Hrimfaxi will soon have for all versions of BD. I figured I should just give this one a head start.
However, one of the most notable additions is all the new commands. The groups of new commands might be of particular interest, so lemme try to give 'em a run down.
Stances are new. They are very fast actions (about one quarter of the time of a normal attack) to alter your monster's performance in battle. These are not the normal statistics that spells modify, but instead specific behaviors of your monster, such as offense, status affliction, and critical hit chance. You start all battles out with a normal stance, and you can only be in one stance at a time; using a new one will erase the changes of the old. Although you currently can use stances more than once in a row, this will soon be disabled when a more complicated AI selector is added. The currently implemented stances are as follows:
Normal - Does nothing
Cautious - Decreased speed and movement for increased
evasion and critical avoidance
Battle - Higher hit for lower evasion
Guarded - Offensive and supplemental abilities suffer while defense and resistance are raised
Focused - Evasion shrinks, but critical chances sky-rocket
Careless - Offense, critical chance, and speed go up; all else goes down
Tactician - Offense down, but healing and supplemental ability go up
You can also now navigate terrain in BD, complete with weather. You always begin battle in a clearing with empty skies (unless a monster's special trait changes one of these). You may not be able to change the weather (unless you have a weather-affecting skill), but you can change the terrain. You have eight possible directions that you can move it to surrounding terrain. The map is twenty-five tiles large and just sorta repeats itself. Each terrain has different effects on all of its inhabitant's characteristics, sort of like a stance imposed on everyone. These are typically defensive. Any attempt to enter a new terrain may succeed or fail based on your stance, current terrain, and your monster's attributes. Each terrain has a stat that is tested to enter it or not. Movement is a quick action just like changing a stance. Each terrain also has an element associated with it, largely for reference purpose and for certain skills.
Clearing (Typeless/Speed) - Nothing; always the starting point
Plain (Light/Speed) - No modifications
Forest (Plant/Strike) - Increases defenses and evasion
Field (Wind/Speed) - Slight increases to supplemental action
Hill (Earth/Strength) - Increased critical chance
Mountain (Lightning/Strength) - Physical damage suffers and the magical kind increase
Sea (Water/Agility) - Decreases supplemental resistance, hit, and critical chance
Wasteland (Poison/Speed) - Decreases defense, resistance, and curation
Tundra (Ice/Virtue) - Offenses, hit, and critical resistance suffer
Snow (Ice/Defense) - Decreased damage and hit; increased supplement and critical chance
Thundering (Lightning/Virtue) - Increased magic and critical chance
Darkness (Dark/Arcane) - Increased magic, and supplement; decreased curation, hit, and critical chance
Moonlit (Dark/Strike) - Increased magic and supplement; decreased hit and critical chance
Bright (Light/Virtue) - Increased hit
Then, of course, there are a ton of techs that were implemented. They are typically much weaker than a spell, but have special functions and cost nothing (or little) to use:
Quick Strike - Attack with much less wait time than normal, but much more recovery time
Patient Attack - Purposefully delay use of attack; has short recovery time
Power Attack - Double the power of a normal attack for twice the time to use
Natural Attack (10MP) - Attack with one element of your monster chosen at random
Natural Force (10MP) - Cast a spell with one element of your monster chosen at random
Slots (10MP) - Attack with up to three elements chosen at random from your monster. When wielding certain elemental relics, their element will be counted as a possibility. Slots may result as Typeless.
Roulette (10MP) - Cast a spell that may or may not contain any elements that your monster or relic possess. Roulette may result as Typeless.
Magic Blade - Upon a critical hit, results in Fusion typed damage
Spirit - Deals Spirit typed damage
Plow - Damage and hit chance are inversely related to the size difference of the user and opponent; smaller attackers can more easily hit large targets but do less damage while large attackers have difficulty hitting small foes yet deal more damage.
Recharge - Recover magic points
If you have them, you will see skills can be used in battle. Their effects are far ranging and varied. Here is a run-down of skills that monsters currently in BD possess and their current effects when used:
Flight - Special stance that may only be used in above-world areas with fair weather; incredibly defensive
Celestial - Much like Flight, but it can be used during poor weather. It cannot, however, be used in any non-open area such as a forest, mountain, or cave.
NightVision - Gives a special stance that gives great advantages when in a Dark terrain or weather condition
Track - Special stance that increases strike
Stealth - Special stance that increases evasion
Phase - Special stance that increases defense
Alert - Special stance that increases critical avoidance
Corpse Devourer (5MP) - Acts as a normal attack, but it will give back a lot of life if it slays the enemy
Break - Reduce mountains to Avalanches, Caves to Cave-Ins, Volcanos to Lava Flows, and Graveyards to Rubbled Monuments
Cutter - Turn Plains and Fields to Clearings and Forests, Jungles, and Dead Forests to Felled Forests
Wither - Turn Plains and Fields into Wastelands and Forests and Jungles into Dead Forests
Terrorize - Cause the enemy to randomly flee in any direction
Ferry - Force the enemy into a terrain in any random direction
Medic (10MP) - Special weak recovery
Regeneration (10MP) - Special weak recovery
Well, that's enough for now!
[Editted by MintMan on Mar 7, 2004 3:03]
[Editted by MintMan on Mar 7, 2004 21:26]
SailorSassyStar
Posts: 419
Member #19
Mar 11, 2004 16:44
OH! I think I remember you mentioning this a while back...or maybe not. Before I actually read all the details and how to's let me just get this straight using simple words. BD:M4 or whatever it's called is now like an AT thing where you walk around and kick other critters butts? NO! I don't have time to finish! *runs from homework* ~*SailorSassyStar's VanillaFudge*~
wyvernofab
Posts: 85
Member #162
Mar 11, 2004 18:55
yay! the only thing that could make me happier would be if i had the attention to read all of what u rote!EDIT idea! im not sure if u can use this but maybe u could make a pollution weather, like acid rain or somin, for poison, cus i kinda feel left out... cheese monkey
[Editted by wyvernofab on Mar 11, 2004 18:58]
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Mar 11, 2004 19:47
Yeah, that would make sense if Acid Rain existed in medieval times barring the rare occurance of a sulphiric spring explosion. Seriously, man!
Well, SSS, not exactly. You would have to play to see for yourself. You do not actually see yourself or move around that much. All opponents are always occupying the same terrain; the original BD:Future script had it otherwise, and, well, let us just say that is the sole reason it is no longer around.
Rather, this is more like Dragon Dice (for the no people here who know what that is). All parties are at the same terrain every time a maneuver is completed; therefore, the effects of the terrain are on all players. This is one of the reasons movement is such a very fast action, and even faster if you fail (like 5% of an attack's time).
SailorSassyStar
Posts: 419
Member #19
Mar 12, 2004 21:33
Thanks for the explanation. ^__^' You were absolutly right when you said I'd have to see it for myself, because you still lost me and don't bother trying again 'cause words are confussing no matter what. I'm afraid I haven't heard more than the name of Dragon Dice before, so that doesn't help at all...what you said makes me think of Yu-Gi-Oh though. (please don't kill me) If you had a terrain of...a bog the jabberwocks and other beasty serpenty guys would get stat boosts and the wittle light creatures would be in trouble. Do I get points for trying? X__X When will I be able to see it for myself? *anticipates* Oh the fun and joY! *Artimis hids behind SSS's pile of homework* ~*SailorSassyStar's VanillaFudge*~
Crez
Posts: 7
Member #164
Mar 14, 2004 18:29
I, like cant use the ai for m4 or Monster mayhem blah blah blah
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Mar 14, 2004 22:07
Well, it depends when and what you mean by "can't use".
Do you mean that you cannot use it as in it is too big and confusing, or do you mean that it causes errors for you? If it causes errors, when did it cause them? Earlier in the day when you posted, or a while back, because I was editting it heavily before the weekend.
Rook
Posts: 497
Member #112
Mar 15, 2004 21:42
According to my Battle Logue My monster and my opponent's monster are attacking themselves and powering up their opponent.
If you do a stance twice does it double the affect it has on your monster?How did it feel meeting so many trainers like yourself in your travels? What was awoken inside you? I want you to hit me with it all! Now, bring it!
~ Steven: Ruby/ Sapphire version champion
writer77
Posts: 409
Member #4
Mar 15, 2004 23:02
I think Mintman already knows about the weird attacking bug. And as far as I know, the stances are not cumulative. I'm pretty sure you can only be in one stance at a time, and no "double stances." By "pretty sure," I mean that Mintman told me, and it's positive... unless I misheard him, which is unlikely.
And plus, if you could double up on stances, you might send some of your stats into negatives.... which would probably cause all kinds o' bugs.Endless Horizon "It looks like I'm going to die as I have lived.... completely surrounded by morons!"
-Bl. Mage
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Mar 16, 2004 24:19
I freakin' said:
... and you can only be in one stance at a time...
That answer your question?
Stances are technically not even status modifiers. M4 works on a revolutionary system in which all stats are calculated on the fly. There are several base things that are checked for (offensive damage, hit ratio, movement check, and so forth), and in each of these functions, the necessary stat is retrieved from the monsters, then the monster's stance is applied, and then the current terrain is applied. That way, I do not have to re-calculate everything each time the stance or terrain is changed; the monster's stats stay untouched at the core, which prevents a whole lotta rounding errors.
I mean, seriously man, double-standing? C'mon! Could you possibly stand is an overly-normal stance?
Attacking yourself? Yeah, I caught that, which is really wierd because I thought that problem was long gone. Anyhow, I shoved in the quick fix (which does not work for three or more person fights, so I have to fix it eventuall ), so it should be okay now.
Zedd
Posts: 286
Member #76
Mar 16, 2004 4:40
You could probably do a stance that was halfway in between both stances... But that would probably actually be less effective than a 'regular' stance (if that's what it is called)...- Zedd i Randir, Lord of the Storm
Rook
Posts: 497
Member #112
Mar 22, 2004 21:03
Sorry! I was only skimming through. so that's probably why I never noticed. THanks for clearing everything up!
I'M SUCH A FREAKIN' 'TARD!!!How did it feel meeting so many trainers like yourself in your travels? What was awoken inside you? I want you to hit me with it all! Now, bring it!
~ Steven: Ruby/ Sapphire version champion
Battalon127
Posts: 753
Member #25
Mar 23, 2004 14:21
Hmm, attacking yourself and powering up your opponents? That'd be a neat effect- in the middle of a battle, all your and your opponent's moves would affect the opposite of what they normally do. It provide an interesting twist. (Note: this is not a serious suggestion, I know MM hates those, I just thought it would be cool (hmm, maybe I'll create an online game...))There's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the boogeyman, or Michael Jackson. ~Bart Simpson
Alcohol, the cause of, and solution to all of life's problems. ~Homer Simpson
Very poor AI selection procedure currently
on you). I also have it coded so that if I ever wanted, say, to allow five relics... I could easily do so 
