Combat...

[drcode]

Since there were a lot of complaints about combat being too easy, I've fiddled with the formulae a bit to try to get them closer to the originals, in that:

1. One's 'level' is no longer used.
2. 'Combat' counts for much more in determining whether a hit takes place.

I'm still trying to figure out what role 'dexterity' plays.

[Max aka Moscow Dragon]

IIRC the combatant with higher dexterity can choose the combat distance.

[GeniusLoci]

Dexterity determines the hit/miss ratio for missle and thrown weapons.
A low dexterity skill means you miss your target, sometimes even hitting
your allies. Anyone remember the hell with giving a character like Julia or
Janna the Juggernaut Hammer? (shudder)

[Neutronium Dragon]

I do recall that higher dexterity gave a character a faster swing speed with their weapon.

Neutronium Dragon

[fliptw]

dex·ter·i·ty (d http://cache.dictionary.com/dictionary/ ... ebreve.gif k-st http://cache.dictionary.com/dictionary/ ... ebreve.gif r http://cache.dictionary.com/dictionary/ ... /prime.gif http://cache.dictionary.com/dictionary/ ... ibreve.gif -t http://cache.dictionary.com/dictionary/ ... /emacr.gif )
n.

1. Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; adroitness.
2. Mental skill or adroitness; cleverness.

I'd think it would factor into the hit ratio, by this def.

[Dominus]

It doesn't really matter what a dictionary has to say. More of how it was used in the original U7.

[Oblivious]

"Anyone remember the hell with giving a character like Julia or
Janna the Juggernaut Hammer?"

Anyone remember the hell of giving Iolo a bow of any kind? Esp. a triple crossbow?

One time in Skara Brae, he accidently shot Julia in the back with a magic bow&arrow, killing her instantly. (this was in the original)

Antoher thing that annoyed me was when a juggernaut hammer or magic axe would get stuck in a tree....

[Kurt]

I'm always losing magic axes
I don't remember losing one ever in the original mind, but I need a new one in every round of combat in Exult.

[drcode]

It doesn't return? Thought I'd checked that recently...

[Oblivious]

I never had that problem in Exult, before.....

[drcode]

Yes, I guess they always returned. Until just before Beta, they didn't behave very well, in that you'd see a character throw the axe while it was still in the air.

[Stephan]

No, they didn't always return in the original. I am not sure about the circumstances, but both the Juggernaut hammer and the Magic Axe could slip out of a fighter's hand occasionally.

[artaxerxes]

I recall that happened to me in U7orig

Artaxerxes

[suraimu]

Happened to me all the time, party members losing weapons. Although
I don't think it's the same thing in this instance, because the thing that
always made my party members lose @!#$ was the thing where they would
drop stuff when they were fleeing, and Exult doesn't do that.

[Neutronium Dragon]

As I recall, the weapons usually seemed to get 'stuck' when they were thrown at/hit something on a different elevation.

This tends to happen the most if there's a fight with aerial creatures, particularly if it happens amidst buildings (such as happens with the monsters in Moonshade later in SI).

Neutronium Dragon

[Max aka Moscow Dragon]

I had a Juggernaut stuck between the boulder and the mountain north of Minoc.

[Soul Harvester]

I always figured in u7 that "combat" determined your chance to hit, and "dexterity" determined your chance to avoid an attack (and hit with missle weapons). Seems simple enough imo, but of course I don't know.

[Oblivious]

Strength determines this:

*effectiveness with blunt weapons
*carrying capacity
*hit-rate with blunt weapons, I think
*health

Dex determines:
*effectiveness with bows and swords/daggers
*hit rate with any weapon, particularly ranged and swords
*evasion rate, possibly, though this seems to be determined more by armor class.

INT determines:
*magic effectiveness
*possibly your effectiveness in haggling (INT did affect prices in U5)