Hello folks! With this patch we are drastically improving performances with a new NPCs despawn system! We also have built a new combat rating comparison system, which will be used when exaiming creatures, you better check this out!
NEW NPCs SPAWN/DESPAWN SYSTEM
The Nordock module has a lot of areas and a lot of NPCs!
- Many of them are NPCs with a complete set of active scripts (like guards), and even if an area is empty (without players), the game engine still has to take care of everything happening there (all scripts from all creatures are still active and firing, soaking a lot of CPU power).
- This led to a situation that made us “reduce” the amount of NPCs into old and new created areas, to avoid performance issues in the long term.
But now this is all about to change, thanks to this new system that removes the NPCs from empty areas, and respawns them only when they are needed.
- This means that the only NPCs that there will be in the world, will be those in the areas in which there will also be players!
- We espect a good improvement in performances after this new system will be implemented.
We still haven’t increased the number of NPCs, or made specific changes in that matter, but if this system will work as we think, changes will be made!
NEW COMBAT RATING COMPARISON SYSTEM
With latest patch we have disabled the vanilla “Challenge Rating” comparison, showed while examining a creature.
- That was because it was giving more problems than benefits.
- The math behind it were not taking into consideration a lot of important factors, which are needed in an extended and complex PW like this one.
This new system takes into consideration a lot more factors like:
- Race ECL
- Creature Boss status
- Unique status
- Scales based on the dungeon level in which a creature is, if any.
This new system “should” give a more realistic comparison between you and the opponent you are checking.
Later on we might add skill checks to have you really understand the strength of an opponent, but we want to see how this works before that.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- This system does NOT check your gear VS opponent gear
- If you receive the “easiest” message available, that creature “might” still give you troubles, if you are not well geared, if you don’t play smart or if you face “n” of those creatures at the same time withouth a proper strategy.
OTHER CHANGES/ADJUSTMENTS/FIXES:
- Made some improvements & adjustments in new “West Benzor – Slums” area
- Rebalanced some creatures in More, BD and POR (nothing big)
- Fixed some old items being replaced in loop because of bad ResRef usage
- Fixed player corpses not retaining owner weight data properly
- Fixed an issue with unlimited ammunitions
- Fixed drown spell not checking for Death Magic Immunity
- Fixed quest system that required to destroy a placeable not triggering the quest completed
- Fixed quest system that required to find an item not triggering quest completed on item acquired, or not triggering quest as not completed if the item was dropped
- Fixed corpses system conversation not triggering if the speaker was in combat
- Keys can now be stolen from NPCs and players