Changes to item handling

[GlyphGryph]

In line with various goals, I propose the following changes to the item system:

Part 1: Overwriteable Instance Values
Items should be able to have individual values, and send the query back to their itype only if one isn't provided. For example, if an item had the name "Crowbar", we might decide to replace it's individual name with "Jenson Prybar" but otherwise keep it identical. If no alternate is provided, it should simply pull from the base itype's suggested values.

This will allow for several benefits:

• Items can be individually flavoured through JSON alternate components, without requiring the creation of new item type definitions.
• It will allow varying items without needing to change any spawn rules for them.
• It will allow for dynamic naming later on, when we add a "corp list", so that we can have "name brand" items - NukaCola in one world, QueenCola in another.
• It will allow for values that can change in response to severe item damage.

Part 2: Component Tracking
Crafted items should track which items were included in their construction, and this should overwrite the default disassembly rules. This will also require recipes to distinguish between items that are "components" and items that are "consumed", which it currently does not.

Part 3: Item durability
Items should have two values - Durability and Health. Durability is akin to armor, and the greater the difference between durability and damage dealt, the less the effect on health.

This should not be a hard cap, though - Once durability is surpassed, all additional damage will be dealt straight to health, but durability itself can be impacted at damage values over 50% of durability, and more at over 75%. Whether this is hard cut offs or a smooth curve is not particularly relevant.

For example, if an item had a durability of 20, then damage sources that deal less than 10 damage would have no effect. Every point after 10 would have a chance an increasing chance of reducing durability - once it reaches 20, the point of .durability loss is guaranteed.

Health loss, however, is what actually has an effect. Damaged items can have their quality values, offensive damage and defensive protection lowered, or be destroyed if their health falls to zero. Some items, such as electronics, won't work if they are damaged at all.

Health can be easily repaired with makeshift solutions like duct tape, durability can not. Durability can be repaired by "recrafting" the item, however, but it takes all the same tools that initially crafting the item took.

Crafting skill determines, when crafting, whether or not the maximum possible durability for the recipe is reached - a poor crafting attempt may make the resulting value significantly less.

The desired result is this:
Primitive and makeshift items will eventually wear down, getting worse at their job, pretty much no matter what you do. You either need to constantly repair them, or regularly replace them.
More advanced crafts will be more durable, giving a reason to seek out better items which can withstand the rigors of day to day life without requiring regular maintenance.
Even then, though, prolonged periods of stress (for example, bashing your baseball bat against a robots metal shell) can eventually wear them down and make it desirable to replace them before they run a risk of breaking.
Makeshift Repairing is an easy short term solution to item damage and getting it working again, but bringing it back to tip top shape requires more effort and supplies.
Single large sources of damage, such as nuke explosions, can destroy almost anything.

Why?
This will make better quality crafts and scavenged industrial goods in more dangerous areas worth seeking out, while still allowing primitive woodsmen to make everything they need.

[dwarfkoala]

Now, if there's going to be variable item durability and effectiveness, what about allowing the player to craft items in different types of durability via one entry in the crafting menu?

You scroll on the crafting menu to find the crowbar entry. From there, you can do the hammer and pipe makeshift crowbar or forge a crowbar at the forge. That way we wouldn't need to clog up the crafting menu with 3 or 4 entries for the same item basically but with different durability, stats, health, so forth.

[GlyphGryph]

It's certainly possible we might end up doing something like that. All of these would need to be in first before it could even really be considered though.

[i2amroy]

Definitely some good ideas. +1

[atomicdryad]

#2 was/is on my todo list yeah; makin bash/destroy/iuse_hammer/etc work off a central component list would be neat.

#1 is what kept me from adding major kong's b52 as an uber-rare alternative to helicoptor crashes ("adderall" -> "pep pills", etc)

[kevingranade]

Some good ideas, but too broadly scoped to be an issue. (see issue already addressed but no change here)