Shooting arrows into places?

[Anonymous]

As far as  I know it is not possible to shoot arrows inside places you have to 'enter'. If it is possible what is the syntax? If it really isn't why not? I think it could be a lame way of someone avoiding being shot at, and gives them a cheesy hiding spot.

[Dazed and Confused]

You must be kidding.

As long as I dont stand in the doorway or window. You cant shoot me with an arrow.

[Anonymous]

No I am not kidding.

I was thinking more of other places that you can enter, that are not necessarily buildings. But lets take your example of a building. What's to stop me from standing in the doorway and shooting anyone inside?

[Dazed and Confused]

If your in the doorway...your in the tavern.

[Angela Christine]

A year or so ago I got beat up, ran away, found an outpost object and went in.  I relaxed for a while, healed up, and was ready to walk home.  Then I look out and the horrible beastie has tracked me to the outpost and is waiting outside!  I tried shooting it from the safety of the outpost, but to no avail, I couldn't shoot "out".  I assume shooting in would be as difficult as shooting out.

AC

[aeshyw]

Shooting a target inside a crowded inn or shop has always seemed to -me- to be a bit on the twinkish side.  Of course, that's just a personal opinion, but the thought of all the other PCs, NPCs and VNPCs standing around, many of them in motion and bending, straightening, walking, etc... makes me think it wouldn't be very easy at all to hit a target sitting way across the room.

Further, the virtual mechanics of it would demand you stand in the door to see your target, particularly in the crowded room.  But - the ooc code allows you to shoot 'safely' and anonymously from a distance.  Mind you, I'm all for assassins in the streets, or anyone who dares to -enter- an inn and attack someone.  But the whole shooting a seated duck thing has always seemed unrealistic and icky to me.

Just my two sids.

[Savak]

At one time there was some work being done on shooting into and out of things, with some focus on wagons.  This was of somewhat greater import when we thought the new wagon code was going to stick and work, which would have meant wagons would be pulled by "real" NPC mounts -- and would thus also be more vulnerable.  Being able to shoot out at chasing raiders seemed like a fair counterbalance.

At any rate, at present (as far as I'm aware) that project has gone the way of the wagon code project -- which is to say, it has been fiddled with but has gone onto the back burner due to roadblocks/bugs.

-Savak

[Anonymous]

Shooting a target inside a crowded inn or shop has always seemed to -me- to be a bit on the twinkish side.  Of course, that's just a personal opinion, but the thought of all the other PCs, NPCs and VNPCs standing around, many of them in motion and bending, straightening, walking, etc... makes me think it wouldn't be very easy at all to hit a target sitting way across the room.

Further, the virtual mechanics of it would demand you stand in the door to see your target, particularly in the crowded room.  But - the ooc code allows you to shoot 'safely' and anonymously from a distance.  Mind you, I'm all for assassins in the streets, or anyone who dares to -enter- an inn and attack someone.  But the whole shooting a seated duck thing has always seemed unrealistic and icky to me.

Just my two sids.

You know, I can see your point, but I've just always pictured the taverns in most of Zalanthas as looking like a house from the Flintstones.  So I can see an assassin hanging around outside a tavern, waiting to toss a dagger in there at someone if its roleplayed correctly.

The problem is that the interpretation of table location relative to the entrance is either left up to the individual players or not even indicated in most cases.

I'd like to see table sdescs feature more location and less material info.

More 'A large round table in front of the door' and less 'a large table of baobab.'

Otherwise who is to say that your PC isn't sitting at the table facing the entrance?  Given the way a lot of people immediately respond to PCs entering the tavern, I'd have to say a lot of them *are* facing the entrance.

Tossing a knife twenty feet at someone's upper torso and head who is facing you doesn't seem like a reach for most PCs with the ability to throw a knife.

[Rindan]

I personally don't see much problem with throwing a knife into a tavern.  Sure people are moving around, but I am also sure that there exist plenty of chances for when someone isn't in the way, especially at off peak hours.  If someone were to mill about the entrance to a tavern casually for a few minutes, then suddenly flick a knife in through the entrance, I don't see the issue.

As to being inside or out, the code is going to screw someone either way.  If you go inside, the noble's 10 NPC guards are going to gang bang you, despite the fact that you are in the doorway and they are around the noble's table.  They are not going to RP running across the room at you.  If you throw from outside the tavern, then no one is going to come after you except things triggered by the law code, when in reality a dozen guards would come swarming after you after you threw your dagger.  You might be ahead of them, but you would not have much time to look back.

I think the easiest solution is just to wish up and inform the imms of what you are going to do.  Even better, if you are going to whack an important noble, e-mail them first if time is not a big concern, and wish up before you do it.  That way I think everyone should be happy.  The imms can make sure people in the area act realisticly, and the assassin doesn't have to get gang banged by a dozen NPC guards who are half way across the room.

[Anonymous]

I think this thread has gone in the wrong direction. I agree with all the points made about taverns/inns/assasins/etc. My original question was about "other" places you enter not buildings. The way it is now many taverns do not require you to "enter" them so you can shoot right inside without much of a problem. The places I was thinking about are like wagons especially the loading area which I think is open to the outside, I was also thinking of places which you have to "enter" but are still outside and can check on the weather and such. There are quite a few such places where you enter something but from the descriptions of things you are not really inside anything, it's just a way of coding more rooms into the same outside room area.

[Rindan]

I think this thread has gone in the wrong direction. I agree with all the points made about taverns/inns/assasins/etc. My original question was about "other" places you enter not buildings. The way it is now many taverns do not require you to "enter" them so you can shoot right inside without much of a problem. The places I was thinking about are like wagons especially the loading area which I think is open to the outside, I was also thinking of places which you have to "enter" but are still outside and can check on the weather and such. There are quite a few such places where you enter something but from the descriptions of things you are not really inside anything, it's just a way of coding more rooms into the same outside room area.

It seems to me that it is a coding issue that they never were able to resolve, and not an attempt to enforce realism.  I agree with you though, it would be nice, especially in the case of wagons to be able to shoot inside 'enter' objects.

In reply to Savak's comment, wouldn't it be easier to just build a Crow's Nest, or whatever you want to call it, atop the wagon? You can get the same effect of being in a tower, and see all around, and be able to shoot. This way you don't have to code anything to do with shooting out. Although I don't know how the coding would work, I just figured this would be a better idea.