RMMV Noob Melee Weapons Idea

[Frostorm]

So I plan on having 3 forms of "gathering" in my game for crafting purposes: Logging (wood), Mining (metal), & Skinning (leather). Ok, now onto the topic at hand...you know how all RPGs have very crappy/weak weapons that the player starts with? It might be a "Practice Sword" or "Rusty Sword" or similar. More often than not, these entry-level weapons usually get replaced very early, rendering said weapons obsolete and nothing more than filler. Anyway, I was thinking...why not use the tools intended for gathering as the beginner/noob weapons? It would fit perfectly since they would be a Heavy (2H), Medium (1½H), & Light (1H) weapon respectively:

• [Logging] Felling Axe:
  • Heavy (2H) weapon
  • Blunt/Slash dmg
  • +8 Strength
• [Mining] Pickaxe:
  • Medium (1½H) weapon
  • Blunt/Pierce dmg
  • +4 Strength
• [Skinning] Skinning Knife:
  • Light (1H) weapon
  • Slash/Pierce dmg
  • +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity

Players can even Dual Wield their Pickaxe + Skinning Knife lol. Basically, these 3 tools double as weapons of different types so players can experiment w/ different fighting styles. Also, this way the player's starting weapons won't become obsolete 20-30mins into the game. Thoughts?

Oh, and the player doesn't need to have these equipped to actually perform the gathering (logging, mining, or skinning). They merely need to possess the respective tool/weapon to perform the gathering action.

Also, "Medium" (1½H) basically function differently depending on whether the unit has anything in the 2nd weapon slot or not. If so, it acts like a 1H weapon, if not, it acts like a 2H weapon.

 

[EpicFILE]

Never thought something like that, but it seems like a good idea.
Since weapons can be used for gathering and fighting,
maybe you can separate the weapon type?

The one for fighting is strong, but it's bad for gathering.
The one for gathering is weak, but it's good for gathering.
However I don't know if it's realistic or not. xD

 

[Andar]

you are not the first to have that idea, it can be used effectively - for example on android the game "Last day of earth" uses a similar concept of tools needed for gathering, and if your main weapon fails and you have one of those you automatically switch to it (or when gathering).

I don't know if it would fit your regular RM game however (LDoE is a non-RM survival/crafting game), the player usually doesn't care about old weapons and you don't have to progress as quickly through weapons as a lot of games seem to do.
Because that is basically caused by small teams (often only one developer) forcing short games and still wanting to go through the entire length of ten weapons through that short game...

You can easily make any weapon last longer by not forcing such a quick increase in enemy strength while the story progresses...

 

[Frostorm]

Never thought something like that, but it seems like a good idea.
Since weapons can be used for gathering and fighting,
maybe you can separate the weapon type?

The one for fighting is strong, but it's bad for gathering.
The one for gathering is weak, but it's good for gathering.
However I don't know if it's realistic or not. xD

Well, I don't really plan on having more than these 3 tool weapons. As in, there won't be stronger versions of the Felling Axe, Pickaxe, & Skinning Knife. It would probably get too complicated having a tier system for gathering tools lol. But yeah, the actual weapons meant for combat would definitely have stronger/higher stats. I just wanted to replace the crappiest weapons w/ these tools, which normally wouldn't be weapons at all. They used to be Key Items the game checks to see if you possess them to allow the player to perform the respective gathering actions. And hmm, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to allow actual weapons to be used for gathering... Is that a feature that you find satisfying/viable?

you are not the first to have that idea, it can be used effectively - for example on android the game "Last day of earth" uses a similar concept of tools needed for gathering, and if your main weapon fails and you have one of those you automatically switch to it (or when gathering).

I don't know if it would fit your regular RM game however (LDoE is a non-RM survival/crafting game), the player usually doesn't care about old weapons and you don't have to progress as quickly through weapons as a lot of games seem to do.
Because that is basically caused by small teams (often only one developer) forcing short games and still wanting to go through the entire length of ten weapons through that short game...

You can easily make any weapon last longer by not forcing such a quick increase in enemy strength while the story progresses...

Yes, I realized that recently, which prompted me to redo all my weapons' stats. And since I was redoing it, this idea popped into my head. It's reassuring it's been done before, and it's not surprising something similar's been done before lol. In addition to slowing down the growth rate overall (both player and enemy), I also took the opportunity to make it non-linear.

But anyway, is the consensus basically that this is an acceptable idea? I just wanted to make sure people didn't find the idea weird or a turn-off in some way.

 

[EpicFILE]

Well, I don't really plan on having more than these 3 tool weapons. As in, there won't be stronger versions of the Felling Axe, Pickaxe, & Skinning Knife. It would probably get too complicated having a tier system for gathering tools lol. But yeah, the actual weapons meant for combat would definitely have stronger/higher stats. I just wanted to replace the crappiest weapons w/ these tools, which normally wouldn't be weapons at all. They used to be Key Items the game checks to see if you possess them to allow the player to perform the respective gathering actions. And hmm, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to allow actual weapons to be used for gathering... Is that a feature that you find satisfying/viable?

It's just an idea that suddenly popped in my mind, but I guess you're right.
It's weird to have battle weapons for gathering.

 

[Tiamat-86]

every time i see this in a game i always have to test if its got any hidden attributes.

encounter a treant or golem, put away the lv30 sword n pull out the axe/pick see if they ignore defense or something.
and when theres no hidden attribute i just find myself wondering "why the hell they were ever even weapon options to begin with? these things just going to forever take up inventory when i would rather just sell them?" but of course you cant because while they are a weapons, they are also key items.

kinda breaks the immersion for me if a battle axe cant be used to cut a tree and the logging axe does nothing to a walking tree.

would just prefer them to be kept separate in that case. the logging axe and pickaxe could just be 1 double sided tool with description implying that its unruly for use in battle. and the skinning knife is to fragile for combat.

 

[Pootscooter]

I like this idea! It sure as hell beats using a lame wooden practice sword or a rusted sword lol.

kinda breaks the immersion for me if a battle axe cant be used to cut a tree and the logging axe does nothing to a walking tree.

Imo, wouldn't it break immersion if you couldn't use them as weapons? And...why have hidden attributes at all? I think all stats/effects should be shown on the item, such as using the item requirements page (I saw @Frostorm's thread regarding that plugin) to display more info (since the help window is so limiting). Or let's say he uses does it your way and made it so the tools couldn't be used in combat, via a description as previously mention ("skinning knife is too fragile for combat"). That would mean anything more fragile than a skinning knife should also be unusable in combat. Like anything made of wood for example, would be more fragile, due to not being made of metal. So there goes all bows and staffs...none of those would be usable in combat. Idk, I just think making these tools unusable for combat would be more immersion-breaking than allowing them to be used as weapons. As for the Treant (walking tree), you could just make them weaker to Slash damage in general, so that Felling Axe would still do a bit of damage. It just wouldn't be BiS (best in slot).

*(I like parentheses if you couldn't tell lol)

 

[Frostorm]

these things just going to forever take up inventory when i would rather just sell them?" but of course you cant because while they are a weapons, they are also key items.

Well, I don't actually set them as key items, so they are sellable. In fact, they are just weapons like any other in the weapons section of the database. So you can definitely sell them and buy them. I just meant that the player could think of them as Key Items in the sense that they have a special purpose. So apologies, bad wording on my part. Oh, and I use grid inventory! The player will rarely feel like there's not enough inventory space (80 items displayable at once, before needing to scroll) ^.^

 

[Pootscooter]

@Frostorm Whoa those icons are cool! Where did you get them? Or did you make them yourself? The purply axes near the bottom look like a Dark Edge of Insanity from WoW lol.

 

[alice_gristle]

I think it's a good idea, aaand... I don't really have much to add. Oh, except I'd feel dumb using a pickaxe for a weapon. Dunno why, I mean historically it's pretty sound, but... it'd just feel weird.

Another thought: if you're just sick of crappy starting weapons, why not make ya starting weapons cool? They'd have weak stats, sure, but that didn't mean they couldn't be glamorous, too!

 

[Frostorm]

@Frostorm Whoa those icons are cool! Where did you get them? Or did you make them yourself? The purply axes near the bottom look like a Dark Edge of Insanity from WoW lol.

Nah, I didn't draw them myself. I got them along w/ a bunch of other assets for a $1 last year on Humble Bundle. I wish I could find more icons like those, but the artist that made them only made so many...

Another thought: if you're just sick of crappy starting weapons, why not make ya starting weapons cool? They'd have weak stats, sure, but that didn't mean they couldn't be glamorous, too!

Definitely worth considering... if I do it this way, I might just make the starting weapons unique and upgradeable. Idk, gotta think about it lol.