Creature Prefix/Suffixes idea

[Gheeda]

Any thoughts on how I could set up battle creature selection to Select 1 random Creature from Database ( that applies to location adventuring in )...and then select 1 random prefix 100% and 1 random suffix 1%. Pre and Suf's would have their own database. ...and somehow temporarily add the pre/suf bonuses to creature in question. Its an idea I've had for a while...wondering if any attempt at this will result in permanent changes to creature stats?.....or perhaps send newly created creature data to a playercreature db....That'd get full quick though

..edit : although I could opt to delete the creature entry after creature is killed or player is killed.

[Jackolantern]

This would actually be pretty simple. You have to have a master monster table in the database anyway, as well as an "in combat" table to keep up with the mob's current HP, and other changes in stats that may happen during battle that you do not want to reflect on the master monster table. The master monster table is like a set of blueprints, and the in-combat table is like the actual, finished product. What you would do is first select the monster from the master table, then use whatever odds you like to select a prefix and/or suffix, add the modifications to the monster's stats in variables, and then commit the changes to the in-combat table (including the prefix and suffix names that you added, if you want to display them).

[Callan S.]

You can also make place for the monsters stats in the players own entry, so the player stores their modified copy of the monster. That way it's a bit easier to manage. But it depends on how many stats there would be.

[Gheeda]

Prefixes would increase 1 particular stat(atk/def/etc). And suffixes would modify Loot Drop <---this I'm unsure how to implement...but its the most necessary....say one suffix is 'of the walking dead'. It would allow random roll on 'zombie' set items/weapons/potions. or 'the Hoarder' would increase amount of items dropped on death.

[Jackolantern]

You can also make place for the monsters stats in the players own entry, so the player stores their modified copy of the monster. That way it's a bit easier to manage. But it depends on how many stats there would be.

It would be better to make a separate combat table that references the master monster IDs, the combative player ID, and the current stats of the mob. If you added it to the player entry, that is going to create tons of empty fields in the player table, since a player is likely to be in combat less time than he is not in combat.

[Callan S.]

I'd think alot of stats are kind of treading water outside of combat - hitpoints, for example. Or bonus to hit. But in terms of sheer optimisation rather than storing stats for aesthetic reasons, if you can manage the programming for inserting and deleting monsters and refering to them, it would make for a tighter database per player you have registered.