According to Vince Seese:

> > One can increase the difficulty to get an item by:
> > - raising the level needed to get it (which puts all rare items at the
> > level 50, everything before is chaff)
> > - raising the difficulty of the location (which, once a group gets down
> > the unvarying routine down pat, stops being true)
> > - raising the difficulty of finding the item (which is the case with
> > mega-rare spawns. How many players do you know with a Scarab Ring?)
>
> There is one other solution that to me is a lot more in keeping with the
> AD&D style that I think people are used to - randomization. You are

That counts as raising the difficulty in finding the item. Once the item
can no longer be depended upon to be in the hands of named mob X...

> Everyone knows who to talk to to start the glowing stein. Instead of
> his fixed dialog though, imagine if he says I need a rare and exotic
> drink. You say "I would like to help you". He says "Here is a recipe
> book. Find the ingredients listed here and return them in the book to
> me." Each item would have one more set of fields that should be
> randomly generated every time you get the quest given to you. Maybe

Not possible. At least within the framework of the game engine. After
a while, you know what is supported and what is not. The only things
that the quest engine can do now is:
- check your level (too low, rejected, too high, rejected)
- check your faction (too low, rejected)
- supplying one combination of items in the quest list array
of the quest giver

You cannot "attach" a quest list to a character. I doubt there's storage
for this in the PC databases.

Would be nice, yes, but that's not possible. For EQ2 maybe. For EQ, never.
Alas.

> quest!) THEN - continue this. You return the book. You get the item
> "The Glowing Stein". Except that its is +5 to +10 int, and +5 to +10
> dex - maybe you get lucky and get the ultra rare +10 +10 stein. Voila -
> you have a dynamic quest that no web page is going to spoil, and
> everyone is NOT alike!

Again, not possible. Your "item slot" yields a structure similar to:
# item pointer in table
# number of charges remaining

note that you never have simultaneously a charged item and a stackable
item; the structure is reused, and "number of charges" has meaning that
depends on what the item would be.

So, the "random Stein" would need 36 entries in the table of existing
items (one for each variation of int and dex).

> Lastly, to address the twinking problem: Maybe the stein instead of
> giving +10 int would give (+2 times level/10). Therefore, your level 50
> wizard has a +10 int stein, but his twinked level 2 wizard has the same
> stein at +0 int! Easily explained that with wisdom of levels you gain
> the ability to use a sword better (damage =level, or something similar),
> gain more power from the gem, or whatever.

Again, too complex. My idea would be that any item require a minimum
skill level to use.

Rubicite armor? You need defense 90 to wear. Flowing Black Robes?
Forget wearing it unless you have chanelling at 100. Barbed leather
whip? If you do not have 80 in 1-hand slashing, you do 1 damage with it
tops :)

--
Vincent ARCHER -=-=- Herve Schauer Consultants -=-=- archer@...
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