Standardize range values

[Kazuo256]

Sometimes range zero means one tile, other times range one means one tile.

[aki-cat]

where is this?

[Kazuo256]

I believe most target maximum ranges (as in how far you can pick a target) use zero as a single tile, while area of effect ranges consider range one to be a single tile. Not sure though. If it really is consistent by the "kind of range", then maybe it's ok to leave it as is.

[aki-cat]

Ah, I see. I think that's actually the fault of the AoE range then. I propose it should use "standard stamps" instead of a "range". Like a set of area shapes to choose from. What do you think?

[Kazuo256]

Assuming AoE's are really the only ones with different range values, and given how distance and time correlate in this game, we would have to play test whether that is exploitable.

For instance, consider a monster that deals AoE damage in a "circular" area around itself. You could place youself diagonnally to it, and your targeted abilities with similar range would reach it while its area ability wouldn't touch you. It might be a desirable behavior though.

[aki-cat]

Using predefined shapes is not necessarily exploitable. You can just as well make square shapes than make cross or circular shapes. So any exploitability would be 'by design'.

[Kazuo256]

Fair enough.

What about effects that "increase the area of effect"? How do they operate?

[aki-cat]

...are there effects like that? like bigger explosions and such?
hmmm yeah, using predefined shapes kinda makes that impossible

[Kazuo256]

There aren't currently, but it is good to know the limitations of this choice.

[Rewasvat]

What if instead of defining an AoE shape as a pre-set of tiles, define it as a mathematical function, either to define the shape, or to check if a tile in in range.

Doing it this way may enable AoE mutator effects by changing parameters/constants of said functions.

[aki-cat]

That's actually not a bad idea, but, well, the functions will need to be presets (an enum of available functions), and they will need to have access to the actor's/body's current state and attributes. And I'm not going to be the one doing them because I suck at visualising functions.