No, this wouldn't be coded in this way. EverQuest, for all the wondrous
claims of its development team, is 99% Diku code from everything I've been
able to tell (Right down to how emotes are coded) They didn't even bother
to change some of the methods for commands...
The basic "Structure" of the game is much much different but the combat
engine behind everything looks/feels and sounds VERY close to original Diku
code. Experience in Diku code was very linear in progression and
numerically based. What little information I've been able to wheedle out of
friends up at Verant leads me to believe this is still the case (they even
use Mob #'s to load NPC's etc still, just like in DIKU).
Which means that A) They've tinkered with the original Diku experience
tables (NEEDED!) and B) The Hell levels and the H+1 levels are either
extremely intentional or some collosolly bad coding. I'd personally support
either opinion equally. I'm not that impressed with Verant's programming
prowess.
Lyrnia Jongleur
Bard of Norrath
----- Original Message -----
From: Reece, Tom - 25IDL G4 <g4mntofcr@...>
To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2000 2:42 PM
Subject: [eqbards] Levels after hell levels
> From: "Reece, Tom - 25IDL G4" <g4mntofcr@...>
>
> > I'm sorry, but this doesn't make any sense. I cannot envision any
scenario
> > in which a programmer would suggest, much less implement converting
> > numeric
> > data into graphical data only to then revert back to numeric data.
> >
> I was not implying that. Instead, I was throwing out the
> possibility that EXP is a graphical representation from the outset. In
> Wayne's post, he used a standard 500 EXP loss per death. Variations in the
> amount your EXP bar drops is due to the amount of total EXP required to
> complete that level. What I was saying is that instead of a constant
> numerical value for EXP loss (based on your level), the game instead
applies
> a constant number of pixels that you lose on the EXP bar. Lets say it
takes
> 20 pixels to fill up one bub on the EXP bar. A death in a regular level
> results in a loss of 10 pixels (1/2 bar). A death in a hell level results
> in a loss of 5 pixels (1/4 bar). A death in a hell+1 level results in a
> loss of 20 pixels (full bar).
>
> My next suggestion was that when you die in a hell+1 level and drop
> down to a hell level, the number of pixels you lose is based on what level
> you started out in. You just made 31st and die. Game determines you lose
> 20 pixels. That puts you back to 30 with a full bub required to get back
to
> 31st. If you were at 30th with only a pixel left to make 31 and you die,
> game determines you only lose 5 pixels. End result is that the penalty
for
> dying at 31st and dropping to 30 is four times more severe than if you
were
> 30th and just about to level.
>
> Galtin of E'ci
>
>
> > The most obvious explanation is sloppy coding by Verant. Instead of
using
> > hard numbers for EXP loss, its possible Verant uses a graphical
> > representation instead. For example, you just made 31st when you die.
> > Using Wayne's numbers below, you are supposed to lose 500 EXP pts
> > (500/1000=20%= a full bub on the bar). But its possible the game
doesn't
> > use hard numbers and instead says you lose a full bub on the bar (when
you
> > die in hell+1) and then calculates how many EXP points you need to lose
in
> > order to graphically drop a full bub. Since you just made 31st, you
don't
> > have a full bar's worth of pixels built up on the EXP bar so you lose a
> > level. Here is where the sloppy coding comes into play. Instead of
> > applying the hell level rule (1/4 bub using Wayne's numbers), it applies
> > the
> > hell+1 rule EXP (one full bub). So now you are back at 30th level with
a
> > full bub to get 31st back. End result is that instead of losing 500 EXP
> > pts
> > (one full bub at 31st level), you lost 2000 EXP pts (one full bub at
30th
> > level).
> >
> > I think this explains what happened to John. But its making my head
hurt
> > so
> > I'm through with trying to figure it out. I'm just gonna take John's
> > advice
> > from a long time ago and 1) don't die when your in a hell+1 level and 2)
> > if
> > you do die in a hell+1 level, make sure you have a full bub buffer
before
> > you do.
> >
> > Galtin of E'ci
> >
> > > This only fits part of the puzzle though. It does not explain why
you'd
> > > lose more of level 30 when you
> > > die after JUST reaching 31, then you do if you simply die at level 30.
> > >
> > > Laluni
> > >
> > > Wayne Sheppard wrote:
> > >
> > > > From: "Wayne Sheppard" <mrwayne@...>
> > > >
> > > > Some of the people who run ShowEQ have been trying to come up with
an
> > > > experience formula. They have come up with some formulas that
> > > > explain much of the hell level and hell level +1 effects. Based on
> > > their
> > > > formulas (which are only a guess) I think the difference in
experience
> > > loss
> > > > can be explained.
> > > >
> > > > lvl, exp needed, exp lost (examples made up)
> > > > --------------------
> > > > lvl 29 5000 500
> > > > lvl 30 10000 500
> > > > lvl 31 2500 500
> > > >
> > > > As you can see, the experience lost is linear, while the exp needed
> > for
> > > hell
> > > > level takes a big jump, and there is a dip afterwards.
> > > >
> > > > A death at 29 costs you half a bubble.
> > > > A death at 30 costs you a quarter of a bubble.
> > > > A death at 31 costs you a full bubble.
> > > > But the total experience loss is the same in each case.
> > > > (based on the made of example above)
> > > >
> > > > Since experience for HL+1 is so much less than HL, the same amount
of
> > > > experience loss will result in a bigger percentage of the bar. You
> > are
> > > not
> > > > really losing that much more experience numerically, but just
> > > graphically.
> > > >
> > > > You can test this yourself by measuring how long it takes to make up
> > > from a
> > > > death in HL vs HL+1. The time to regain the lost experience should
be
> > > > roughly equal, therefore the loss is roughly equal. Your bar
dropped
> > > more
> > > > in HL+1, but you regain it faster.
> > > >
> > > > Wayne
> >
>
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