DM Training

[knarfling]

I played one of the Original DM games on an Atari ST years and years ago and fell in love with it. Many years later I have re-discovered that it is still around.

I have tried a couple of the clones, and although I like the windows and key mappings of CSBWin, I really love the ability in RTC to just pick up an item and click it into the character's inventory without having to actually switch to inventory mode.

As I have explored RTC, I found that they bow and arrow was the fastest way to bring up the Ninja levels. (I couldn't resist adding a Quiver to the dungeon. I hated the 5 arrow limit imposed by the original DM.) (This may not be true in other clones but in RTC, ninja levels are a cinch with a bow and a few arrows.)

However, I have a question about training the warriors. Which gives better fighter training? Lots of swings with a Falchion, or a few good swings with a sabre or samuri sword? Or even fewer thrusts with rapier?

In other words, does the amount of damage I do affect my experience? I know that I get more experience if I am attacking a creature than if I am swinging at empty air, but do I get more experience for hitting it for 35 hp than if I only hit for 9?

If my creature has a 100 hit points, would I get more experience and raise levels faster with 11 swings of a falchion, or 4 thrusts with a rapier?

[Ameena]

I don't think amount of damage done affects the exp you gain, but as you've mentioned, swinging at a monster does. I don't think attacking a wall or door makes a difference though. One other factor in exp gain is the level of the dungeon - the lower down you are, the more exp you get per action (so you get the most exp when you're down in the Dragon's lair).

[Paul Stevens]

Would you believe that the amount of
experience received is partly based
on whether a monster has recently
attacked you? Makes the Dungeon
Master Two-Step a little less useful.

Edit:

I don't know if this is true in RTC or DSB.
It was true in Atari CSB and very probably
in Atari DM.

[zoom]

*ehem*
what exactly is an attack ?
Is it still an attack if there was no damage dealt to the player?

does it mean monster trying to do damage
or monster succeeding in damaging?

probably both...

and> the ruster does very little damage, would this creature still
multiply exp because it attacked? i though not...!

what about the giggler? I have the feeling it does not help you
gaining fighter levels when these attack you.. besides you lose
your weapon....So is there a distinction between attack methods?
like stealing items and doing damage?

-just for interested-

[Lunever]

As far as I know damage inflicted is the main factor used for fighter XP.
I think RTC does the same as orignal DM in regard to giving more XP if the party has been attacked a few seconds ago, along with the XP for being attacked. Also I think that both FTL-DM and RTC count in how dangerous an area generally is, so in DM1 you'll get more XP if you attack a screamer on level 3 than if you do so on level 1.

I don't recommend artificial training in RTC though - since you can reimport your characters into new dungeons indefinitely, including DM2, just keep on playing.

Slaying lots of dragons in CSB by using berzerk attacks is the best fighter training imho.

[Sophia]

The experience formula used in FTL-DM and DSB for a melee attack is:

XP = (Method_XP + (Damage * Monster_XP_Bonus) / 16) + 3) * Level_XP_Multiplier

So, yes, actually, damage done does matter. As for the other values-- the Method_XP is a base xp given for using the method, and the Monster_XP_Bonus is a multiplier associated with the monster. The DM Encyclopaedia should have both of these values for each method and monster if you're curious about the specifics. The Level_XP_Multiplier is a fixed bonus for each level of the dungeon, as Lunever stated.

RTC doesn't use FTL's formulas and it's closed source so I have no idea what it does.

I don't know if this is true in RTC or DSB.

It is true in DSB. Generally speaking, I've tried to make DSB play by the same rules as FTL-DM.