Cyber Battles Calculations

[TheMcCool]

Beaming stuff, and combat actions.. The game calculates them invisibly in the background, using percentages and random number generation. I was thinking it would be nice if the players could see those calculations in some form, like in a little sidebar. Just an idea... People who aren't familiar with the game, newbies and such, would see what's going on right there. Why stuff fails, why someone's attack succeeded and their's didn't, etc. I think it would really cut down on frustration and confusion.

[Bakster]

On the other hand, it could complicate matters and people will start whining about the calculations being rigged etc.

[Dodger]

I agree with Bakster, good idea but people would take it the wrong way.

[TheMcCool]

Seems like alot of noobs (and even a few vets/decent players) already think its rigged or wrong in some way. If you don't get to see the dice at all, just someone telling you whether you won or lost, aren't you more likely to think a game is rigged? Again, just speculation... Not a big issue I guess.

[matlu]

he game calculates them invisibly in the background, using percentages and random number generation.

the game calculates stuff in the background, but all formulas are publicly known. There is no real formula behind beaming-down, it's just probability, like when you throw a dice. The combat system is publicly known.

I was thinking it would be nice if the players could see those calculations in some form

well I was also thinking about it. But please realise that in the end for ANY action (whether it is beaming down or an attack in combat) I just somehow compute the probability, and then generate one random integert number in range from 0 to 9.
For example if action has probability 30% it will succeed when the generated number is 0, 1, or 2.
So all you could see would be something like:
Probability 40% generated 7  = failure
or
Probability 20% generated 1 = success

if you think it could help you I can make it. Probably the best way would be to print it to chatbox (as there is very little space left on the main screen). It could be triggered by some special command, so only the people interested in it would see it. Anyway, the people could only make some use of it *if* there *really* understood what's actiually going on and what these numbers means.

[TheMcCool]

Hmm, food for thought... I guess it wouldn't make much difference.

[zzboots]

From a personal experience, I say knowing the exact percents isn't as fun.

But its posted on the forum and merely remembering 50 33 20 10 3.  Hopefully you can figure it out.

[TheMcCool]

I know all that already zz.. This would be more about seeing the generated numbers, not the percentages.

Edit: And I do see now how it would be kind of pointless. People would probably just ignore it after a while.

[matlu]

one clarification, my previous post was a bit inaccurate It described only beaming down. For beaming down there is only single percentage, which is computed from action's "native" probability modified by world alignment. Everybody can see what is the result (or you can also compute it if you know what is "base" probability of an action and what is current alignment). It is always probability from 10% to 100% and the game only generates one random number in range 0..9

For combat it is a bit more complicated, the game generates 2 random numbers, first is added to attack, the second is added to defence. If "modifield" attack is greater than modified defence then defending monster is killed.
But generating these 2 random number is only "helper", in the end there is of course some "combined" probability which is single number (depending of difference between strength and defence). ZZboots sumarized it very nicely as sequence 50 33 20 10 3. If you know something about statistics you can probably understand it (or compute it yourself), if  you are not skilled in math then you have to just believe it.

[TheMcCool]

I'm perfectly familiar with how combat works, I worked it out myself long ago. The two main points of this thread was that it would help new/casual players understand what was going on (as most of them probably don't read the forums much), and that we'd also be able to see the generated numbers, just for the heck of it...

[zzboots]

I'm sorry I misunderstood what you were trying to say, cool.  As interesting as it would be, I doubt many people would even care.