Posted by Karla on September 29, 2000 at 16:19:07:
In Reply to: Re: Phased-turn in ranged combat posted by Heuristic Park on September 29, 2000 at 15:30:30:
Thanks. That was helpful. Let's see if I understand it correctly.
(1) If I stand still and don't do anything at all, a group of monsters that happens upon me will be able to make one attack each, and that's it. After they each made their single attack, they have to wait (not attack, and not move) until I make an action and "their time starts again".
(2) While a monster approaches me, his is not in time-phasing yet, but still in real-time. Only when he makes his first attack, does he switch to phased-time. Is this correct? Does his movement count as action before he launches an attack? Is it possible for a monster (without any ranged attacks) NOT to reach melee range because I am standing perfectly still and he spends all his action on movement and still cannot reach me?
(3) A little bit of movement (and all turning, I assume) does not count as an action. Moving more than a certain distance (speed-dependent) does count as an action. This distance is an internal variable and not visible to player (other than by consequences ;-)
However...
"Ranged combat (spells, bows&arrows, etc.) progresses in the psuedo-real-time to allow you to keep toasting monsters before they reach you. Once they do, and
take a whack at you, time-phase is invoked as described above"
That I don't understand.
Above you said that any action, by a monster or by a player invokes time-phase mode. Then you said that movement (more than a certain distance) counts as an action. Casting a spell is certainly an action, and so, I assume, is shooting an arrow. That all would seem to imply that ranged combat, just like any combat, should proceed in time-phase mode from the very beginning.
Yet now you say that time-phase mode gets invoked only when *melee* combat commences, and before that it's all real-time. So does it mean that if, say, a skeletal mage stands some distance from me and I do absolutely nothing, that mage can throw multiple spells at me? I understand that he has to wait for certain time between his spells, but, again, if I do nothing at all, will he be able to make multiple attacks?
The beginning of your explanation was consistent and understandable, but the end confused it all again.
So, how does it work? When does a monster get into time-phase mode? (a) when he becomes hostile, even before doing anything including moving; (b) when he makes the first attack (and the movement before that is free); (c) when he makes the first *melee* attack.
Is it (a), (b), or (c)?
And one more question which popped into my mind: are spells homing? I saw a burn spell of mine follow its target as it was walking, so I assumed that once a spell was launched you cannot dodge it. Yet you mentioned moving to avoid a flamestrike -- so, is it possible to dodge a spell? Can you run away from one? Move to the side so that it misses? Or the spell is resolved at launch time and all you are looking at is pretty animation?
Karla [still confused]