Concepts

• General
  • no levels, no classes, no numbers (textual/graphical descriptions instead)
  • player starts out with no skills or abilities
  • no spells, magic or enchantment
• Attributes
  • raised slowly while practicing the corresponding skills
  • raised by going to a trainer and spending time/money
• Skills
  • rate of how fast one can learn a skill
  • learning cap makes it difficult to learn beyond capacity
  • knowledge of skills deteriorates over time
• Health
  • individual body part health status correlates to overall health
  • the only way to get healed is through a healer in town, binding wounds or using herbs and salves
  • suggestion: permanent death? no resurrection or respawning
  • endurance fatigue is affected by encumbrance and actions (running, blocking, attacking, etc.)
  • food and water consumption important to overall health and performance
• Items
  • no magical properties
  • items that can be equipped have no attribute or skill requirements
  • condition status for various locations (i.e. a plate helm that covers the head, eyes, ears, face, and neck; a sword's blade, hilt, and handle)
  • items will have various sizes and weight will be measured in pounds
• Creatures
  • equipment that creatures are wearing will always be dropped
  • faction determines how creatures favor others
  • ability to steal items (they remain on their person)
• World
  • need the ability to search, forage, etc.
  • areas have spawn tables for creatures containing creature, location, timer and probability
  • shops have the items displayed for the peruser
  • merchants may offer a price for items trying to be sold/bought
  • bartering may be used to negotiate prices
  • all items can be stolen
• Combat
  • creature spawns exist throughout the world (not random battles)
  • creatures respawn on a timer based on the room or area that they're in
  • active combat (not turn based)
  • damage indicated without numbers

Attributes

• Strength (physical power)
  • damage directly proportional to weight
  • encumbrance
  • hindrance
  • reduces loss of endurance due to heavier worn/equipped items
• Dexterity (physical speed and accuracy, movement and body coordination)
  • damage indirectly proportional to weight
  • attack speed
  • chance to hit
  • defensive skills
• Constitution (physical resistance and recovery)
  • max endurance and endurance recovery
    • endurance is lost whenever an action occurs
    • regeneration of endurance occurs at slightly irregular intervals (small random effect)
  • max health and health recovery
  • resilience to disease/poison
  • resilience to physical damage
• Will (mental concentration and focus)
  • minor effect to all skills
  • chance to hit/defend
• Acuity (mental finesse/the ability to learn)
  • speed at which skills are gained
• Memory (mental capacity/ability to retain information)
  • skill level capacity
  • retaining skills over time
• Charisma (persuasiveness and influence)
  • bartering
  • perceived ability in combat/intimidation

(options)
Strength/Might, Constitution/Stamina/Vitality/Health/Endurance, Recovery, Dexterity, Hand-Eye Coordination, Agility, Reflexes, Speed, Discipline/Concentration/Focus/Will, Perception/Attention to Detail, Intelligence/Acumen/Acuity/Intuition, Wisdom/Spirit/Sagacity, Willpower, Memory, Charisma, Luck, Hearing, Smell, Distance Vision, Night Vision

Skills

• Offensive Skills
  • unarmed / hand to hand
  • one-handed slash
  • one-handed blunt
  • one-handed piercing
  • two-handed slash
  • two-handed blunt weapons
  • two-handed piercing
  • polearms
  • staves
  • throwing
  • bows
  • crossbows (no attribute damage modifier)
  • kick
  • bash / shield bash
  • backstab
  • dual wielding
  • double attack?
  • disarm?
• Defensive Skills
  • unarmored resistance (skin toughness)
  • maneuvering in cloth armor
  • maneuvering in leather armor
  • maneuvering in mail armor
  • maneuvering in wooden armor
  • maneuvering in bone armor
  • maneuvering in plate armor
  • evasion
  • blocking
  • parrying
  • engaging multiple opponents
• Survival Skills
  • foraging
  • perception
  • stealing
  • climbing
  • swimming (holding breath too?)
  • skinning
  • hiding
  • sneaking
  • tracking
  • lockpicking
  • trap disarming
  • bandaging
  • bartering
  • appraisal
  • carrying
• Trade Skills
  • alchemy
  • baking
  • brewing
  • carving
  • fishing
  • fletching
  • jewelcraft
  • pottery
  • smithing (armorcraft/weaponcraft)
  • tailoring

skill level descriptions

• [EverQuest] awful, feeble, very bad, bad, below average, average, good, very good, excellent, master
• [DragonRealms] novice (lowly, promising, able, trained, full), practitioner (beginning, competent, proficient, experienced, skilled), dilettante (beginning, competent, proficient, experienced, skilled), aficionado (beginning, competent, proficient, experienced, skilled), adept, expert, professional (exceptional, outstanding, renowned, true), authority (exceptional, outstanding, renowned, true), genius (exceptional, outstanding, renowned, true), savant (exceptional, outstanding, renowned, true), master (distinguished, venerated, exalted, transcendent), grand master (distinguished, venerated, exalted, transcendent), guru, legend

Health

locations:

• head
  • scalp, forehead, ears, face, jaw
• face
  • eyes, cheeks, nose, lips, chin
• neck
• shoulders
• chest
• back
  • buttocks
• abdomen
  • groin
• arms
  • bicep, forearm, wrist, elbow
• hands
  • dorsal, palm, fingers, thumb
• legs
  • thigh, calf, knee, shin
• feet
  • ankle, heel, midfoot, toes

(options)
head (scalp, forehead, ears, face [eyes, cheeks, nose, lips, chin], jaw), neck, shoulders, chest, back, buttocks, abdomen, groin, arms (bicep, forearm, wrist, elbow), hands (dorsal, palm, fingers, thumb), legs (thigh, calf, knee, shin), feet (ankle, heel, midfoot, toes)

damage types:

• fresh
• scar
• nerve
• disease
• poison
• burn
• frostbite
• parasite

damage levels:

• [DragonRealms] scratch, cut, bruise, gash, gaping hole, stump

health levels:

• [DragonRealms] invigorated, none, bruised, hurt, battered, beat up, very beat up, badly hurt, very badly hurt, smashed up, terribly wounded, near death, in death's grasp

Items

• worn item
  • keyword
  • description
  • type
    • accessory
    • container
  • size
  • weight
  • location
  • occupance
  • contents
• armor
  • keyword
  • description
  • type
    • cloth
    • leather
    • mail
    • wooden
    • bone
    • plate
    • shield
    • [Options] cloth, leather, studded leather, light chain, heavy chain, mail, light plate, heavy plate, wooden, bone, small shields, medium shields, large shields
  • size
  • weight
  • location coverage
    • option 1: head, ears, face, jaw, neck, left shoulder, right shoulder, chest, abdomen, groin, back, buttocks, left bicep, right bicep, left forearm, right forearm, left wrist, right wrist, left hand, right hand, left leg, right leg, left foot, right foot
    • option 2: head, ears, face, jaw, neck, left shoulder, right shoulder, chest, abdomen, groin, back, buttocks, left/right bicep, left/right forearm, left/right wrist, left/right elbow, left/right dorsal, left/right palm, left/right fingers, left/right thigh, left/right calf, left/right knee, left/right shin, left/right ankle, left/right heel, left/right midfoot, left/right toes
    • option 3: head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, back, arms, wrists, hands, waist, legs, feet, primary held, secondary held
    • [EverQuest] ear, ear, head, face, neck, shoulders, chest, back, arms, wrist, wrist, hands, finger, finger, waist, legs, feet, charm, held, shield, range, ammo
    • [DragonRealms] head, eyes, neck, chest, abdomen, back, legs
  • maneuvering hindrance
    • [Option 1]
    • [DragonRealms] none, insignificant, light/low, fair, moderate, high, great, overwhelming
    • [DragonRealms] minimally, insignificantly, lightly, fairly, somewhat, moderately, very, highly, greatly, extremely, overwhelmingly, insanely hindered
  • protection
    • option 1: none, poor, very little, a little, some, low, fair, decent, moderate, good, great, high, awesome
    • [DragonRealms] none, poor, low, fair, moderate, good, high, great, impressive, tremendous, incredible, god-like
  • absorption?
  • construction
    • [DragonRealms] extremely weak, flimsy, somewhat flimsy, average, fairly sturdy, moderately strong, well-constructed, very strong, quite hard, incredibly hard, unbelievably strong
  • condition
• weapon
  • keyword
  • description
  • type
    • unarmed
    • one-handed slash
    • one-handed blunt
    • one-handed piercing
    • two-handed slash
    • two-handed blunt
    • two-handed piercing
    • polearms
    • staves
    • throwing
    • bows
    • crossbows
    • [Options] 1h slash, 2h slash, light edged, medium edged, heavy edged, two-handed edged, blade, short blade, long blade, swords, 1h blunt, 2h blunt, light blunt, medium blunt, heavy blunt, two-handed blunt, blunt, maces, axes, piercing, daggers, pikes, halberds, spears, polearms, hand to hand, marksman, slings, staff sling, short bow, long bow, composite bow, bows, light crossbow, heavy crossbow, crossbows, quarter staff, staves, light thrown, heavy thrown, thrown, brawling, offhand weapon
  • size
  • weight
  • damage (sharpness for blades/thrusting, material/weight for blunt)
    • [Option 1] none, poor, very little, a little, some, low, fair, decent, moderate, good, great, high, awesome
    • [DragonRealms] none, poor, low, fair, moderate, heavy, great, severe, bone-crushing, devastating, god-like
  • construction
  • condition
• use
  • keyword
  • description
  • use keyword
  • activated description
• quest

size descriptions:

• tiny
• small
• medium
• large
• giant

Creatures

factors:

• name
• description
• spawn description(s)
• attack description(s)
• death description(s)
• type
• size
• weight
• location
• attributes
• right held item
• left held item
• inventory of worn items
• equipment list of armor
• skills
• health

World

area factors:

• name
• description
• adjacent rooms
  • name of room
  • keyword to move to adjacent room (i.e. east, tunnel, lever)
• spawn table
  • creature name
  • time to spawn and a spawn counter/timer
  • time to live (and probability?)
  • spawn probability
• spawn limit and counter
• players in room
• creatures in room
• items on ground
• usable objects in room

Combat

• chance to defend/avoid an attack is reduced during the attack motion

Step 0: Attack Process/Speed Modifiers (Attacker)

• health status of the limb doing the attacking
• overall health status
• weapon size/weight
• strength
• dexterity
• endurance level
• skill in the weapon
• focus/confidence
• balance/footing?
• multiple enemies skill?
• hindrance (total armor weight - strength - armor skill)
• encumbrance (total weight - strength)

Step 1: Chance to Hit Modifiers (Attacker)

• health status of the limb doing the attacking
• overall health status
• skill in the weapon
• dexterity
• agility
• balance/footing
• position advantage (randomness characteristic)
• multiple enemies skill
• focus/confidence
• weapon size/weight
• hindrance (total armor weight - strength - armor skill)
• encumbrance (total weight - strength)

Step 2: Chance to Avoid Modifiers (Defender)

• evasion ability based on defensive allotment
  • overall health status
  • evasion skill
  • agility
  • balance/footing
  • hindrance (total armor weight - strength - armor skill)
  • encumbrance (total weight - strength)
  • position (randomness characteristic)
  • multiple enemies skill
  • focus/concentration
  • body weight/size
  • partial evade (randomness characteristic?)

• parrying ability based on defensive allotment
  • health status of the limb doing the parrying
  • overall health status
  • parry skill
  • skill in the weapon
  • dexterity
  • balance/footing
  • focus/concentration
  • weapon size/weight
  • position (randomness characteristic)
  • multiple enemies skill
  • hindrance (total armor weight - strength - armor skill)
  • encumbrance (total weight - strength)
  • body weight/size
  • partial parry (force of attack - force of parry)

• blocking ability based on defensive allotment
  • health status of the limb doing the blocking
  • overall health status
  • blocking skill
  • shield size/weight
  • balance/footing
  • dexterity
  • focus/concentration
  • position (randomness characteristic)
  • multiple enemies skill
  • hindrance (total armor weight - strength - armor skill)
  • encumbrance (total weight - strength)
  • focus/concentration
  • body weight/size
  • partial block (force of attack - force of block)

Note: It's possible to not fully defend and take some of the blow.

Step 3: Recovery (Attacker)

• balance (reduced if partially or completely failed attempt to attack)
• actions greatly drain endurance, especially attacking or defending
• the performance of an action is greatly reduced, especially attacking or defending
• recovery period duration can be reduced
  • weight of the weapon vs. user's strength
  • constitution
  • skill in the weapon
  • dexterity

Step 4: Damage Modifiers (Attacker)

• skill in the weapon
• strength
• dexterity
• effectiveness of the weapon (slicing/piercing/impact damage)
• health status of the limb doing the attacking
• overall health status

Step 5: Damage Reduction Modifiers (Defender)

• protection of the armor
• absorption of the armor
• unarmored resistance (if the blow goes through the armor)
• constitution
• calculate endurance & vitality

Step 6: Status Effects/Recovery (Defender)

• balance
• stunned, unconscious, etc.

Bad Ideas

• randomly generated items and item attributes
• inability to acquire all quests/items/etc. due to permanent environment changes
• inability to wear any equipment due to class restrictions
• necessity of usable items in order to efficiently progress (i.e. potions)
• lack of retroactive gain in stats (i.e. mana based on INT per level at the time of the level up)