Game Coding Q&A

[Xenocidius]

Xeno,
I see the methods here are pretty straight forward variable fixed code set...
I don't know much about what systems and tool sets additional languages outside of flash are being used nor budget matters, etc;
But,  I have some AI experience behind me in different application, but I was wondering if zanz or anyone else deeply involved in development of this site is interested in some different approaches to the AI to make it much more dynamic?

The game only really uses Flash/Actionscript, along with PHP/MySQL for the database/Arena/etc.

Currently only Zanz is involved in development of the game. I doubt he'd be interested in different approaches to the AI; with the current foundation laid down, it would be difficult and time-consuming to change it. Since Zanz is a single developer and a very busy man, I don't think he has enough time to change the AI system.

Improving the AI is always a good idea though, and alternate approaches may be looked into if any more developers are hired. Elements is just Zanz's portfolio project though, so that's unlikely to happen.

[KeeperofDreams]

Cool and I understand, I was just something to do outside of work and family and tossing it up there, it's an area I could help with that's all. 
Good luck to zanz and his projects.

And yeah unless zanz wanted to restart the project to utilize the next wave of technologies like ajax/jos/html5/java services/postgres and recode it, it's really inefficient to do much else other than what he is currently doing.

[furballdn]

How much money does the oracle give you?

[dragonsdemesne]

Some of these may have been asked before, but...

Are the possibilities for Chaos Seed/Power, Fate Egg, Mutation, skeleton rewinding, Shard of Serendipity (and any random effects I may have forgotten) all equal?

What are the formulae for freezing on Ice/Permafrost Shield, for skeletonizing on Skull Buckler/Shield, and for freezing with Ice Bolt/Lance?

[furballdn]

Some of these may have been asked before, but...

Are the possibilities for Chaos Seed/Power, Fate Egg, Mutation, skeleton rewinding, Shard of Serendipity (and any random effects I may have forgotten) all equal?

What are the formulae for freezing on Ice/Permafrost Shield, for skeletonizing on Skull Buckler/Shield, and for freezing with Ice Bolt/Lance?

I'll assume the possibilities for chaos seed is equal. I suppose fate egg and skeleton rewinding are as well. Mutation is equal except for Chimera, Fate Egg, Devonian Dragon, Scarab, and Immortal. Not sure about Serendipity.

Skull shield has a 50%/X where X is the attacking creature's hp chance of turning the attacking creature into a skeleton.
Ice shield has a 30% of freezing if a creature with more than 1|2 attack attacks.
Ice bolt's freezing chance is 30%+5% for every point of damage done.

Of course, I'm not 100% sure about this data, as I just read it off the wiki. Xeno can confirm.

[Rutarete]

Does the AI have a name? 

[furballdn]

Does the AI have a name? 

It's name is Jenny.

[ZephyrPhantom]

This likely has to do with the way the game is coded.

Rain of Fire, Pandemonium, Thunderstorm, Flooding, Plague, etc. all select appropriate targets and apply their effects one at a time instead of all at once. Because of the way that the 'targeting' works, Immaterial creatures are immune to mass-CC.

Wrong.

Those spells do not affect immaterial targets because when the game loops through creatures to deal damage/poison them, it specifically makes sure the creature is not immaterial. In other words, Zanzarino wanted them to not affect immaterial creatures. If he wanted to make, for example, Thunderstorm affect immaterial creatures, he could (though that would be bad for consistency).

Based on this information, is it possible to code AoE or Targeting spells that ignore Immaterial?

[Xenocidius]

How much money does the oracle give you?

I could answer that, but it's funner letting you all figure it out (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27797).

Some of these may have been asked before, but...

Are the possibilities for Chaos Seed/Power, Fate Egg, Mutation, skeleton rewinding, Shard of Serendipity (and any random effects I may have forgotten) all equal?

Yep.

What are the formulae for freezing on Ice/Permafrost Shield, for skeletonizing on Skull Buckler/Shield, and for freezing with Ice Bolt/Lance?

30% chance to freeze for Ice Shield. 0.5/(creature HP) for Skull Shield.

Ice Bolt has 60% chance to freeze with under 10 quanta. It gains 10% chance for each 10 quanta.

Does the AI have a name? 

I like to call it Jessica Simpson.

This likely has to do with the way the game is coded.

Rain of Fire, Pandemonium, Thunderstorm, Flooding, Plague, etc. all select appropriate targets and apply their effects one at a time instead of all at once. Because of the way that the 'targeting' works, Immaterial creatures are immune to mass-CC.

Wrong.

Those spells do not affect immaterial targets because when the game loops through creatures to deal damage/poison them, it specifically makes sure the creature is not immaterial. In other words, Zanzarino wanted them to not affect immaterial creatures. If he wanted to make, for example, Thunderstorm affect immaterial creatures, he could (though that would be bad for consistency).

Based on this information, is it possible to code AoE or Targeting spells that ignore Immaterial?

As I implied, that's what the code would normally do had Zanz not specifically made those spells not affect immaterial creatures (for AoE). As for targeting spells ... it is possible but suboptimal and makes for bad game/card design.

[gumbeh]

To finally put an old bone of contention to rest - FGs use the same AI as everything else, right? I.E., custom AI6 is a valid method of testing FG counters?

[BluePriest]

How complicated is the card creation process? For example, if Zanz wanted to, could he easily flood the game with vanilla cards (ones with no effect) by simply filling in a few variables, sort of like how we have tools that automatically fill out our opening post for card ideas  and it be bug free?

Note, im intentionally oversimplifying this. Of course you have to add a variable for the card, ect, but Im asking if theres any "cookie cutter" type of way that he could simply spam vanilla cards if he wanted to with little to no effort.

[Xenocidius]

To finally put an old bone of contention to rest - FGs use the same AI as everything else, right? I.E., custom AI6 is a valid method of testing FG counters?

Correct. Sometimes the Trainer is a version or two behind, though, so if there were AI changed in the new version, custom AI6 might not be valid.

How complicated is the card creation process? For example, if Zanz wanted to, could he easily flood the game with vanilla cards (ones with no effect) by simply filling in a few variables, sort of like how we have tools that automatically fill out our opening post for card ideas  and it be bug free?

Note, im intentionally oversimplifying this. Of course you have to add a variable for the card, ect, but Im asking if theres any "cookie cutter" type of way that he could simply spam vanilla cards if he wanted to with little to no effort.

Well, vanilla cards are pretty easy to make, yes. It is basically a process of filling in some variables, editing a file or two, and finding some art. It wouldn't be without effort, but spamming a few vanilla cards would be easier than creating, say, a semi-vanilla card. Of course, it's obvious which is the more favourable option.