I suggest a two-layer system where the player chooses game difficulty and RPG difficulty independent of each other. Game difficulty - easy - normal - hard These values determine the number and type of monsters in any given dungeon map (just like in the original Hexen). Advanced Roleplaying Elements - off - simple - complex Off - All these extras are switched off. When the player levels, attributes are automatically increased. Simple - You need to increase your attributes manually after reaching a new level. - Armor deteriorates with time. - Some monsters have resistances to certain types of attacks (e.g. wendigos take less damage from frost shards). Complex - You need to increase your attributes manually after reaching a new level. - Armor deteriorates with time. - Some monsters are immune to certain types of attacks (e.g. wendigos take no damage from frost shards). - Prices in shops change depending on your interactions: If you sell a lot of the same item, its price decreases. If you buy a lot of an item, its price increases. - While traveling the countryside (on the travel map), you may be attacked randomly by groups of roaming monsters. In such a case, you get thrown into a small outdoors map with a bunch of monsters heading straight for you. If you survive, you can continue on the travel map. If you don't, savegame is your friend.

I like that <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/orc2.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->, difficulty settings are already there as you say, but for the RPG 'completeness' we could define a CVAR (pretty much like the deathmatch CVAR for KA, which defines the gameplay mode) that controls this, it's not too difficult, we only need to extend the rules that will go to each type of gameplay type a bit more, so that the logic behind this works fine <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/orc9.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->.

I second that.

I've been thinking about auto point distribution, in the end I think the only useful option is to let it assign one point to each attribute every level. For this end, maybe it shouldn't be part of the RPG advanced elements switch but be a separate setting? I.e. that even if a player prefers to turn extra RPG stuff off so he can concentrate on killing stuff, he might still want to be able to determine how his character gains power (e.g. giving a fighter only str, con, dex and ignoring the other three attributes completely, which means weaker and shorter berserking phases, but a strong and fast character with lots of hp).

Hmm, that would make things too complicated to code IMO, actually if your level is odd then the first 3 attributes get upgraded (if you have less than 6 points to assign), if the level you get to is even then the second 3 get upgraded, if you can't advance anymore, then the maxed attributes get skipped and others get upgraded then, so in the end if a fighter has maxed up his intelligence attribute, strength and speed will get upgraded, giving the same result you describe in your post. So I don't see much point on adding that kind of options IMO.

I think you mix up KRPG and KMOD. In KRPG, every one of the six attributes is valuable to some extent to every class. Also, in KRPG you gain 6 attribute points to spend every time you level up, regardless of the difficulty setting. So the simplest kind of auto distribution is simply to increase every single one of them every time the player levels up.

Then this has to be corrected in the code, right now only easy and very easy skills grant 6 points to level up, the other skills just give 3 points IIRC. Yes, I would say to go ahead and increase every single one each time, but what about max values?

No need for max values.

OK, good to know <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/orc9.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->.