Crafting(Builder)
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Contents
Creating Recipes
There are two ways to create recipes for crafting skills. One is to modify the skill's recipe list, the other is to create an item (GenRecipe) that players must have in their inventory in order to create that item.
Modifying recipe lists
A builder may use the shell commands or file browser to edit the skill's recipe list, or may use the Skill Recipes editor in the grinder to create a new recipe. After creating the new recipe(s) it is advised to view the skill's entire recipe list using the Skill Recipes editor in the grinder. If the grinder fails to pull up this skill's list, it means that one or more recipes in the list have an error. If you review the Server Log, you will see the line number of the first invalid recipe (remember, the list starts at line 0, not at line 1). Fix the error in the recipe list, and try to view the skill through the Skill Recipe editor again, repeating as often as required until you can see the full list of recipes through the editor.
- The asterisk (*) in the Spell_Code field announces what the semicolon(;) means in the string.
- If the * is the first character, then the ; separates different ability ids.
- If there is no leading *, then the first ; separates an ability id from the parameters for that ability.
Balancing Recipes
Items should be balanced with your other items from your MUD. You may need to use Appendix C in the Archon's Guide, or your own scale. From the command line, you can rebalance gear by creating/crafting the item in question, setting all the stats the way you basically want them. Then compare the item level to the item's power level by using the Thief_Lore skill or Identify spell. You can RESCORE the item by setting the item to level 0, then setting the item to the desired level, which will auto-adjust the basic characteristics of the item to values to make the power level of the item equal to the item level.
GenRecipes may be intentionally overbalanced due to scarcity, prop_itembinders or how to obtain them (GenShopkeepers requiring a special faction rating, a specific tattoo, etc). My recommendation is to keep the power level within a factor of 1.5 of the item level, except for very rare items. If your MUD is a magic-starved mud, I would keep the power levels even closer to the item level, to ensure players are more reliant upon their abilities than their gear.
One important consideration for item balancing is that classes are assumed to require a certain amount/type of gear. Mages, for example, are assumed to use cloth armor an light weapons. They are not as reliant upon gear as Fighters and Clerics, who can use heavy metal armors for added protection, and a variety of weapons. A mage can perform fairly well without gear, while a high-level fighter with only a starter equipment will struggle with most fights.
Recipe Testing
It is highly recommended that you test your recipe to ensure it properly generates each item on the page. Some properties of the item may be ill-defined in the initial recipe code. You can use the CODED_SPELL_LIST to provide additional key field information (like damage=5).
GenRecipes
GenRecipes allow a builder to add new items to a skill through discovery, instead of through leveling. A GenRecipe can contain a specified number of recipes for one skill.
Ingredient Nomenclature
When specifying the required material types for a recipe the following names have special meaning:
| Name | Result |
|---|---|
| GEMSTONE | Precious rocks |
| ROCK | All non-precious of rocks |
| STONE | Only the STONE GenResource |
| WOODEN | All types of wood |
| WOOD | Only the WOOD GenResource |
Notes
- When making recipe names, the name should be unique. If you make a recipe for a SMALL UMBER, then do not also make a recipe for UMBER. Instead, make a MEDIUM UMBER so that the parser can distinguish it from (SMALL) UMBER.
- All recipe names should be in lower case for consistency.
- Make sure your recipe names don't have a double space in them. It can be hard to spot the difference between SMALL CHEST and SMALL CHEST on some clients (and very confusing to players).
- The seventh column in boatbuilding is the RIDE_BASIS, which doesn't really apply, since we are making GenBoats. RIDE_BASIS examples include AIR, WATER, LADDER, etc. Just leave this column blank.
- Item Restrings are not generally available as skills due to huge potential for player abuse. In a text-based game, the ability to modify the text of an item has huge impact. Therefore, all crafting abilities that do allow for a form of restring use specific formulas. Examples: Jewelmaking and Locksmithing.
- When making new GenResource subtypes, such as through smelting or textiling, the resultant TYPE of resource should not be more valuable than the subtypes. For example: If you combine COPPER and GOLD into a new GREENGOLD subtype of GOLD, then any recipe which requires GOLD (including GREENGOLD) could use GREENGOLD instead (since it it a GOLD type, GREENGOLD subtype). Instead, consider making the material the lesser value, or an alternate TYPE (so, for the GREENGOLD example, make it either COPPER or BRONZE as the type, and GREENGOLD as the subtype).
- When adding an article to your crafted item before a material wildcard (%) be sure the article fits. For example, use "a(n) % sword" so that it chances case for a steel sword vs an iron sword.
- Thrown weapons should generally be quicker to craft. Recommend dividing craft time by 4. This is due to the nature of using thrown weapons generally requires multiples to be effective.
