Game Mechanics as Powers

[Reppuzan]

I was making MapleStory profiles when I realized an important question.

Should game mechanics and their specific numbers be translated into powers?

For example, if an ability allows one to ignore half (or more specifically, 50%) of his opponent's durability, should be accepted as such or listed as simply "a large portion of their defense" and dismiss the numbers as technical details?

Other applications include:

The attacks power (Damage Modifiers)

Shielding (i.e. Blocks damage equal to half of the user's health)

Attack Speed/Stat Modifiers (i.e. Swords Dance raises one's physical attack stat by two stages, or 100%)

Proc Frequency (Ability X activates 10% of the time)

And a lot more.

This is particularly important for MMO characters like those from MapleStory, Elsword, and (to an extent) World of Warcraft as well as practically every character from LoL.

In case you have a bout of TL;DR,

Should in-game numbers be taken at face value?

 

[Yamatohime]

I think if game mechanics do not contradict with cinematic or other types of feats - it's probably acceptable. But in most cases it has a lot of other limitations for proper implementation.

 

[The_Everlasting]

These types of mechanics seem acceptable to use.

 

[Yamatohime]

Durability is kind of equal of HP so... Def.Down abilities is kind of hard to implement outside of game mechanics. The only way is partial durability negating of sorts.

 

[Reppuzan]

I thought so, that's why I labeled MapleStory characters as having "Limited Durability Negation" since most of them have abilities or passives that allow them to ignore a significant portion of their opponents' defenses (which is counteracted somewhat in-game by the fact that most bosses have 300% or more defense)

In addition, some abilities are designed to deal extra damage against bosses and only bosses. How would this be implemented?

 

[Yamatohime]

In addition, some abilities are designed to deal extra damage against bosses and only bosses. How would this be implemented?

Aside of being big HP sponges are bosses have anything in common?

 

[WeeklyBattles]

Hmm, i've been wondering about this myself, since this can work for MOBA games like League of Legends and SMITE as well, since there are attacks and items that partially ignore physical and magical defenses, as well as deal different amounts of damage based on the enemy's maximum health.

 

[Yamatohime]

Hmm, i've been wondering about this myself, since this can work for MOBA games like League of Legends and SMITE as well, since there are attacks and items that partially ignore physical and magical defenses, as well as deal different amounts of damage based on the enemy's maximum health.

They have lore that can contradict with in-game feats.

 

[WeeklyBattles]

They have lore that can contradict with in-game feats.

Nine times out of ten their in-game abilities aren't included in their lore though

 

[Reppuzan]

In addition, some abilities are designed to deal extra damage against bosses and only bosses. How would this be implemented?

Aside of being big HP sponges are bosses have anything in common?

In MapleStory specifically, most of the major bosses are either massive monsters (such as Horntail who tried to rule all of Leafre, which consists of a forest covering a vast portion of a continent, and Ursus, a massive bear monster) or Black Mage Commanders, powerful beings who pledged service to the Black Mage in exchange for resources and power.

Several of them have the ability to create barriers that cause damage to be instantly reflected back at the original attacker, ignoring all durability.

Other than that, it all comes down to mechanics (i.e. Von Bon has Time Manipulation, Hilia can life drain opponents, Magnus calls down meteors that chunk a certain amount of your health based on a percentage).

However, it is generally agreed that most of the Black Mage Commanders are on par with each other with certain exceptions (both The Demon and Damien swatted aside Arkarium, who held a small fraction of the Transcendent of Time's power once they got serious and Orchid and Lotus were the ones who taught the Black Mage his powers of darkness in exchange for gaining a human form).

 

[Yamatohime]

Nine times out of ten their in-game abilities aren't included in their lore though

It's always like this. Ne Zha in-game directly stated that he can't scratch Chang'E (if he defeat her he says" "Return to the Moon!" - BFRing her his only option).

In MapleStory specifically, most of the major bosses are either massive monsters (such as Horntail who tried to rule all of Leafre, which consists of a forest covering a vast portion of a continent, and Ursus, a massive bear monster) or Black Mage Commanders, powerful beings who pledged service to the Black Mage in exchange for resources and power.

Several of them have the ability to create barriers that cause damage to be instantly reflected back at the original attacker, ignoring all durability.

Other than that, it all comes down to mechanics (i.e. Von Bon has Time Manipulation, Hilia can life drain opponents, Magnus calls down meteors that chunk a certain amount of your health based on a percentage).

However, it is generally agreed that most of the Black Mage Commanders are on par with each other with certain exceptions (both The Demon and Damien swatted aside Arkarium, who held a small fraction of the Transcendent of Time's power once they got serious and Orchid and Lotus were the ones who taught the Black Mage his powers of darkness in exchange for gaining a human form).

Then make those abilities to work vs... Monster class enemies with... Well, we need something additional that is common between them.

 

[Reppuzan]

From what I can scrounge from the top of my head:

Every Black Mage Commander has their own personal army.

All of them are powerful enough to face characters like the Six Legends in single-combat, who are all continent level via scaling from their fight with the Black Mage.

All of them are empowered by the Black Mage or some other evil force.

All of the monsters are absolutely massive, and most of the Commanders have multiple forms or stages in their fights.

All of them are capable of devastating effects (the boss monsters from the Temple of Time can screw with time stability and memories, putting those who try to pass them without defeating them first in an endless loop that sends them back to the entrance of the Temple, Hilia casually razes the landscape and raises armies of the undead, Arkarium has time control from stealing a tiny portion of the Transcendent of Time's power, Damien was sucking all of the life energy out of Maple World, causing all vegetation to die, rivers to dry up, water to become murky, fields set ablaze e.t.c.)

Almost all of them have the ability to use the Attack Reflection ability I mentioned.

Basically, any monster that isn't fodder and is somewhat story relevant (meaning that at the level the game is designed to have you fight them, it takes a while to beat them).

So... anyone Continent level and above?