XML Suggestions

This thread is for suggestions on how to improve the game's XML format to fix some problems and give more freedom to developers.

Random Damage/Resistance types
The Toque of Kanada provides 6 resistance to Hyperborean damage:

Code:

<resistbuff hyperborean="6"/>

I'd like to be able to define a 'random' type, which would be randomly picked when the item is generated. Example: A ring of resistance that gives you +3 resistance to a random type.

Code:

<resistbuff random="3"/>

This would make the 'exotic damage' dungeon levels easier to manage for melee players.

Scaling Factor
All spells scale according to magic power. This includes procs (such as Assassination), non-magic abilities, items, wands and traps. The devs are aware of this as far as I know and are working to fix it.

Instead of hard coding the 'scaling factor' that is used I'd like to be able to specify it on a tag-by-tag basis. Example: Et Tu? (the final Assassination proc) deals high scaling piercing damage:

Code:

<effect type="damage" piercing="3" piercingF="0.5" bleed="1" />

If a 'factor' attribute was added that specified a secondary attribute id (similar to the way secondarybuff tags work) it would be possible to set the scaling factor for this individual bit of damage:

Code:

<effect type="damage" piercing="3" piercingF="0.5" factor="4" bleed="1" /> // 4 = Crit Chance

This would make Et Tu?'s damage scale according to your critical chance.

 

Whenever and if ever you do see this and the programmers do modify the scaling, (and I really don't want to hijack the thread but it pertains), can you fix the scaling for healing and maybe add scaling to a few other things like knockback or buffs (and btw a lot of things relating to knockback don't work at the moment anyway).

 

Mostly I'm just bumping this because I'm really really really in favor of the factor="X" idea and I'm wondering if this has a decent chance of ever becoming a reality.