Cataclysm-dda: Make point modes a world setting, consider freeform mode a cheat

[Wuzzy2]

Game version: ae5bdc036830b3c950337526d0870ec45489bd7d

Operating system: GNU/Linux

Tiles or curses: curses

Mods active: Default

My problem

The way the new point modes are implemented do not make much sense.

First, the elephant in the room: Freeform mode. This is obviously just a cheat because you can just jack up everything to maximum. I strongly opine the freeform mode needs to be considered a cheat. This doesn't make sense. At least hide it a little in the settings.

Then, the idea of asking the player to select the point restriction rule invidually for each character seems a little odd. If you get to choose the points rule per-character, what's the point of the rule anyway? This just doesn't feel right and a bit messy.

Suggestions

First, I suggest to rip out the point rule selection from the player creation menu. Instead, the point rule is to be enforced by the world, and the world only. This means all characters have to use the same point rule per-world.

The world setting “Character point pools” shall allow you to select exactly ONE points mode. This is the points rule which is enforced by this world for all characters. This can be single-pool, multi-pool and the freeform.

Because this setting will become much more important then, it should be the second-highest entry in the list of world settings.

Hell, maybe freeform mode should not be a selectable option at all. Instead, it must be first enabled in the Debug menu.

[Leland]

This is obviously just a cheat because you can just jack up everything to maximum. I strongly opine the freeform mode needs to be considered a cheat... At least hide it a little in the settings.

Are cheats a Bad Thing™ in single player games?

There are game modes in AAA titles these days that will literally remove all enemies from the game, allowing one to simply wander through the environment. That's a setting typically shown at game start.

Personally, I think that letting players play the way they want to is awesome.

[tyrael93]

It's okay to not like thing
but asking people to remove thing from the game because you don't like thing isn't really okay
You can give yourself 99 points in any mode just changing a setting in the options menu already, should that be locked too?

[illi-kun]

Freeform mode works as intended, don't use it if you don't like it. No need to restrain other users in their choices.

[Wuzzy2]

You all fail at reading comprehension. :-1:

I never said to remove it entirely, just to reorganize how things are displayed. Why is the points mode selected per-player and not per-world?

---

Anyway, as a compromise: Here's a more lightweight suggestion:
Make the setting of “default points mode” to “No freeform” instead of “Any”.
Reason: This is a survival game at first.

[Leland]

I was not arguing from the standpoint of removing it. I think it's a normal selection and doesn't impede anything nor should be considered a cheat. Therefore, from my point of view, it needn't be renamed or relegated to be per-world.

All this to say that I do not see an issue with a user deciding to have character in a world with a standard load out, and another character in the same world with all stats maxed out on freeform.

If anything I think the phrase "freeform" is too obscure. I'd want users to even _more easily_ be able to decide whether or not to "cheat"