System Overview Ability

The Ability System

Abilities are a core component of Combat, so their effective design and implementation is key. Below is all the information you'll need to understand how the Ability System works.

The Properties of an Ability

An Ability has the following properties:

• An Ability is a discrete action taken during Combat. It deals 0 or more damage.
• An Ability must has exactly one of the following targeting modes:
  • Single: Any Combat Entity is a valid target.
  • Single Hostile: Any hostile Combat Entity is a valid target.
  • Single Friendly: Any friendly Combat Entity is a valid target.
  • All Hostile: All hostile Combat Entities are targeted simultaneously.
  • All Friendly: All friendly Combat Entities are targeted simultaneously.
  • All: All Combat Entities are targeted simultaneously.
• An Ability may contain one or more Combat Effect. Each Combat Effect is assigned to the target, or target pool upon use.
• An Ability contains one or more Combat Resource costs. An Ability cannot be used if its caster does not posses a sufficient quantity of all Combat Resource costs. Upon use, an Ability's caster is charged for all costs of the Ability.
• An Ability may contain 0 or more Requirements. If any Requirement is not met, the Ability may not be cast.

Learning an Ability

The Ability System allows Combat Entities to "learn" any number of Abilities. These Abilities may be learned regardless of whether the Combat Entity learning it meets the Ability's Requirements.

It is possible for a Combat Entity to learn an ability temporarily by equipping an Item. When the Item is unequipped, the Ability is "unlearned".

Combat Effects

Combat Effects are flexible tools that allow Abilities to create all sorts of in-game scenarios. For example, and Ability that burns the enemy for multiple turns would use a Combat Effect to do that.

Combat Effects have two major properties:

• Trigger Phase
• Duration

A Combat Effect's trigger phase determines at what point in a turn it will trigger. A Combat Effect's duration determines how many times it may trigger before it is removed from the entity that it is assigned to. A Combat Effect may also have no duration, which means it last forever.

There are several types of Combat Effects.

• AddPhaseEffect
• DispelCombatEffect
• FlatResourceEffect
• LevelResourceEffect
• ProportionalResourceEffect
• RemovePhaseEffect

Learn more about Combat Effects here