Suggestion for new Technologist system (long)

Hi all; new here, first post, blah blah. Nice boards.

Alright, cutting to the chase: I love playing technologists. I think technology in Arcanum 2 should focus more on a technologist's ingenuity, rather than his schematic "cookbook". I propose a modification-style system, in which schematics allow you either alter a normal item to make it modifiable, or to modify those items. I wasted a whole day at work thinking about this, and here's a rough outline of what I'd like tech disciplines to be like.

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Smithy Level 1: Modern Light Armor (Item with 1 Cuirass/Gauntlet/Helm/Boot/Shield Slot)
Starting with normal nonmagical leather or cloth armor, helms, hats, boots, and wooden shields, the technologist adjusts them a bit, slightly increasing protective properties and allowing them to be modified further with other tech disciplines (ie, they are now "slotted").

Smithy Level 2: Modern Melee Weaponry (Item with 2 Melee Slots)
Similar to Modern Light Armor, but used on any nonmagical melee weaponry.

Smithy Level 3: Elite Craftsmanship (Mod for All Armor Slots)
Reduces the noise of the armor.

Smithy Level 4: Modern Chain (Item with 2 Cuirass/Gauntlet/Helm/Boot/Shield Slots)
Similar to Modern Light Armor, used on nonmagical medium-level armors and shields.

Smithy Level 5: Feather-Weight (Mod for All Slots)
Makes the item weigh less than usual.

Smithy Level 6: Balanced (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Increases weapon speed.

Smithy Level 7: Modern Platemail (Item with 3 Cuirass/Gauntlet/Helm/Boot/Shield Slots)
Similar to Modern Light Armor, used on nonmagical heavy armor and shields.

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Mechanical Level 1: Mechanical Trap (Item with 1 Melee Slot)
Similar to the original spike trap, but with a modification slot (for explosives, poisons, paralysis, etc)

Mechanical Level 2: Clockwork Decoy (Item with 1 Melee Slot)
Similar to the original. When the Decoy is destroyed, it damages the attacker slightly, applying the mod bonus in the slot (if any).

Mechanical Level 3: Compound Bow (Item with 2 Bow Slots)
Turns any nonmagical bow into a modifiable compound bow.

Mechanical Level 4: Eye Gear (Mod for Helm Slot)
Gives the wearer an increase to perception.

Mechanical Level 5: Mechanized Arachnid (Item with 1 Melee Slot and 1 Cuirass Slot)
Similar to Clockwork Decoy, but is able to fight. Slow.

Mechanical Level 6: Mechanization (Mod for Melee/Bow Slots and Cuirass/Gauntlet Slots)
For weapons, increases damage. For cuirass, increases the wearer's strength. For gauntlets, does both.

Mechanical Level 7: Automaton (Item with 1 Cuirass Slot, 1 Helm Slot and 1 Gauntlet Slot)
The Automaton in Arcanum 2 is more like a regular follower, and can wield any Tech Weapon and use any item given to it except armor and magical items (ie, it can use healing items on you).

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Electrical Level 1: Lightbulb (Mod for All Slots, or Item: Flashlight)
Either makes a flashlight, or makes the modified item into a light source.

Electrical Level 2: Resistive Coating (Mod for All Armor Slots)
Gives wearer electrical resistance.

Electrical Level 3: Vitalizing Charge (Mod for Cuirass/Gauntlet/Boots Slots)
Gives the wearer an increase to dexterity.

Electrical Level 4: Light Deflection (Mod for All Armor Slots)
Gives the wearer a bonus to prowling.

Electrical Level 5: Electric Charge (Mod for All Weapon Slots and Cuirass/Gauntlet/Shield Slots)
Causes electrical damage when the wearer strikes (for weapons or gauntlet) or is struck (for cuirass or shield).

Electrical Level 6: Healing Field (Mod for Cuirass Slot)
Gradually heals the wearer. Ineffective (or maybe not? Interesting..) on mechanical followers.

Electrical Level 7: Magnetic Field (Mod for Helm/Gauntlet/Shield Slots)
Gives a bonus to magic resistance and deflecting arrows and bullets.

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Gunsmithy Level 1: Pistol (Item with 1 Gun Slot)
Regular revolver-style pistol with slots. Light damage, short range, medium ROF.

Gunsmity Level 2: Silencer (Mod for Gun Slots)
Reduces the noise level of a gun.

Gunsmithy Level 3: Repeater (Mod for Gun/Bow Slots)
Increases rate of fire for guns and bows.

Gunsmithy Level 4: Rifle (Item with 2 Gun Slots)
A standard, modifiable rifle. Medium damage, long range, slow ROF.

Gunsmithy Level 5: Long-Range (Mod for Gun/Bow Slots)
Increases range allowed and decreases range penalties for guns and bows.

Gunsmithy Level 6: Gun Mount (Mod for Cuirass Slot)
Mechanized gun, mounted on armor over the shoulder (or on mechanized followers), that auto-fires at the nearest enemy in combat. Low damage, short range, high ROF.

Gunsmithy Level 7: Large Gun (Item with 3 Gun Slots)
Similar to the Elephant Gun. Heavy damage, medium range, slow ROF.

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Explosives Level 1: Molotov Cocktail (Item with 1 Melee Slot)
Thrown explosive that does a small amount of damage, and has knockback.

Explosives Level 2: Flash Charge (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Adds a blinding flash to an attack.

Explosives Level 3: Grenade (Item with 1 Melee Slot)
Thrown explosive that does a medium amount of damage and knockback.

Explosives Level 4: Pyrotechnics (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Adds explosive fire damage to an attack.

Explosives Level 5: Bomb (Item with 1 Melee Slot and 1 Bomb Slot)
Thrown or planted explosive that does a large amount of damage and knockback.

Explosives Level 6: Timed Detonator (Mod for Bomb Slot)
Turns bombs into timed explosives.

Explosives Level 7: Proximity Fuse (Mod for Bomb Slot)
Turns bombs into deadly proximity mines.

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Chemistry Level 1: Animal Scent (Mod for All Armor Slots or Item: Animal Scent)
If used on armor, keeps animals from attacking the wearer. Otherwise, it's made into an item that can be used at any time.

Chemistry Level 2: Poison (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
A moderately strong poison that does continuous damage.

Chemistry Level 3: Corrosive Acid (Mod for All Weapon Slots and for Cuirass Slots)
If placed on a weapon, does acid damage to a defender and his armor. If placed on a cuirass, does acid damage to an attacker and his weapon.

Chemistry Level 4: Stun Gas (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Temporarily stuns your opponent.

Chemistry Level 5: Hallucinite (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Frightens your opponent with hallucinations.

Chemistry Level 6: Dragon Cologne (Mod for Cuirass/Gauntlet/Helm Slots)
Increases the wearer's Beauty (or Charisma?). Ineffective on mechanical followers (not that it matters).

Chemistry Level 7: Anesthetic (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Paralyzes your opponent.

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Since the "combine two items" system is more realistic for herbalism and theraputics, they don't require serious changes (except for something in the herbalism discipline that would allow for the creation of medical arachnids).

These additions obviously make technologists much more powerful (not to mention lets us mostly skip the annoying "run circles around Tarant rummaging through garbage cans" part of the game). The balance already mostly favors mages, what with all their magical doodads and whatnot, so only a slight bit of adjustment to them and to the non-tech-or-magic skills would keep everything balanced.

Personally, I think this would be a great system, and would put technologists on equal standing with those annoying spellchuckers. Any comments?

 

Impressive work! I think that this system of yours has some merit. The only problem that i see lies in electrical level seven. The magnetic field might need to be tweaked some for balance reasons in order to be relative to the magick of a given adversary/person.

For example: if you encountered a wizard with the same level of character points invested in magic as your character has in technology, the field might work to a lesser degree.

Anyway, just my two cents wort.

 

Your two-cent wort? Like a wart?

Anyway, I liked some of it, mainly the trap thing for all kinds of traps, and adding stuff to other stuff. It sounds good, but it is a little lesser in some areas then it already is... Like the electric and smithy are a little boring, as well as the gunsmithy... it would need work, and I doubt they would go with it, because it is such a big change, but they may add a skill/new technology group for that kind of stuff.

 

Interesting, but I think mechanization lvl 7 seems a bit too powerful

 

Perhaps...we can use his idea, except, to make it a little less powerful, but yet keep his idea, just use what they already are using as a blueprint for the modification.

-example: smithy level 1- combine various metals to create a stronger alloy or sheetmetal
-smithy level 2-combine a sword hilt, and previous metals to create a more powerful sword (dependent on the metals)
-smithy level three- well, you should get my point by now...in short, make the elements used more variable, dependent on type, and the results more dependent on how well the player can play (or cheat *snicker*)
oh, hey...that would be interesting to see what would happen when you use a magical item in the mixture :winknudge: hmmm, maybe put a gamble when magic items are used *takes notes* either it could turn to crap, do nothing special, or become powerful *continues writing* hmmm, more possibilities for people to cheat, or have fun.

 

In my opinion, Technologists aren't that weak compared to mages. I have divised a system allowing a PURE technologist to have a very high chance of killing them. The only drawbacks is if you miss or run out of ammo(limited to three chances) or, you dont strike first. But this is easily fixed. Just get Master for the specific weapons(there r two that server this purpose) and get Fate points, then your character is PureMageproof.
This however, may not neccessarily work on Hybrids bent more to magic same as one bent to Technology. My "system" allows me to kill up to 3 mages(presuming killing one by one at seperate areas) as long as i have 3 seconds to make it (i made sure i start out with ingredients) and up to 9 mages in a group(Unlikely to get such a number in the correct spot, but possible) and up to 81 at 9 at go when given enough time. But if the position the mages are in are not suitable, then a maximum of 15 mages presuming killing one at a go. However there is another weapon i could use once these run out, if i can get hold of the ingredients(unavailable in some maps) then mages will drop like flies. To implement this system it is best to be a hybrid bending to technology, preferable a non-elf/half-elf/dwarf with fate points. The Hybrid only needs one magic class, only up to spell three. My credibility to say this may seem non-existant to some, but based on the results i see playing Player Killing on the Net, as long as i dont let my guard down, my character is seemingly undefeatable compared to Pure classes(I saved points for flexibility) Now, to what the topic is actually about. I think, something that doesn't require you to build would be good. Like Nano technology.. What i mean by this is: something that raises certain stats permanently(but at small amount) given the excuse that Nano bots are in your blood that self replace using minerals from your body. So, in doing so, there is no excuse saying that the Nano bots ought to deplete some time.

 

Nanotech??? In Arcanum??? That seems a little too improbable, especially in schematic form. I mean come on: you need a good workplace and a set of micro tools. However maybe you could have to wait a hour and have a special tool kit to use it? Or, perhaps, you could make them at a technological institute somewhere. The idea does have potential though...hmm...it could work.

 

The system is good,but I must admit the segregration between the magic/tech system is disappoitning is the least I could say.


The smithy skill could relate to the skill needed to proparely alloy metals and to replace things, ie. Have iron, have steel , create alloy using tools and skills, 2 points, use alloy on dagger replacing blade, need 1 point, replace axe blade 3 points, increasingly complicated weapons would require more skills. Replacing a standard steel barrel would reauire a combination of smithy and gun working skills.

Though I suppose you could rework existing designs with a pair of pliers to be lighter and more efficent.

The chemicals skill could be used to mix chemicals to find a decent tranquilizer or a new form of tanning, (The introduction of random leather and a combination of smithy could supply you with a decent set of studs that arn't 5000 pounds)

bassically you arn't combining or placing skill on items but a combination area, (put alloy on any dagger and a standard stat increase (in %) would occur depending on alloy) but would use the previously mentioned conventional skill system .

 

bump

 

Amos, you do know that "despot" means tyrant, right?

 

I'm not sure ehat your talking about, and stay on topic and no this isn't hipocrasy, it's polictics.

 

Oh, right, sorry. What topic, exactly, is

?

It'd also say it's not "polictics", but more "bad spelling".

 

You can't even quote me properly, so lets go back to this whatsamajigis idea

 

rodion, you're a genius! I don't know if Troika is planning an Arcanum 2... but I serioulsly think you should mail this to them! Although some things might need adjustment, the general idea is awesome!

Read that just made me dislike the actual tech system! Well, nothing to say besides that!

 

FUll support

 

Quite honestly, I think its a fantastic idea. I play technologist characters EXCLUSIVELY and I would definitely like to see a technology system like this.

 

He, i like tha tidea, but i still think that some things arnt the best, here are the ideas that i find the most problems with.
"Smithy Level 6: Balanced (Mod for All Weapon Slots)
Increases weapon speed."
can this be used continuiously one one item (i.e, can i sloot an item 3 times and then can i put think in it all of thoes times, making it a kind of uber-fast thingy of death?
"Electrical Level 3: Vitalizing Charge (Mod for Cuirass/Gauntlet/Boots Slots)
Gives the wearer an increase to dexterity."
how much of an increase (having played through that game many times as a theif, i know how usefulthing would be and how potentially overused this can be)
"Gunsmithy Level 3: Repeater (Mod for Gun/Bow Slots)
Increases rate of fire for guns and bows."
how do you put something on a bow to make it shoot faster, the gun i can understand, but the bow is a little illogical

"Chemistry Level 3: Corrosive Acid (Mod for All Weapon Slots and for Cuirass Slots)
If placed on a weapon, does acid damage to a defender and his armor. If placed on a cuirass, does acid damage to an attacker and his weapon."
how does a thing that is put on your sword hurt the other person? it would make more sense if this was a throwing thing, or something.
"creation of medical arachnids"
im not sure, but my bro played it through as a tecnologist, and by the end he has somethign in his pocket that liiked like an arachnid but healed ppl, isnt that what u r talking about?
Sorry if the quote system is messed up, or if i said something thats already been discussed.