Watch?

[Delirium]

To stave off boredom and Crackageddon withdrawls today, I was reading through the player-staff meeting logs, and happened upon an idea I thought was very good. I'd give credit where it's due, but the person that suggested it was masked.

Yep, a 'watch' command.. I would LOVE to see this, for several reasons. I realise it's probably a daunting task code-wise, but the more I think about it, the more I think it'd be a great addition to the game.

Particularly in the case of rangers, though I don't in any way think they should be the only class to get this skill:

I always found it kind of irksome that your character can't hear or see a bahamet - or any other animal that's of decent size - coming up on them until it enters the area you're in and tears a nice big chunk out of you. (Unless, of course, you're typing l e, l n, l s, l w every five seconds.)

It would be affected by closed doors, of course, and you could toggle it on/off. In fact, I imagine it being coded much like the listen skill and depending a good bit on the size of the subject in question. The better you are, the more you'll pick up; perhaps a beginner would only be able to notice a bahamet a room away, but a master could see a gimpka rat several rooms away. Perhaps it could also tie in to scan - with large penalties to keep it fair.

An example of what I think it could be like:

Very far to the east, you notice a bahamet move in from the north.

To the north, you notice a gizhat move in from the west.

Far to the south, you notice a raptor run in from the south.

To the west, you notice a strange shadow sneak in from the west.


Just something to throw out there. I'm sure it's got flaws, but I liked it.

[nakrat]

It's a nice idea, but it would be a bit hard to watch all directions at once. Maybe state the direction in the syntax,e.g: watch on/off <direction>. And possibly if you get the skill up a bit, then you could watch all directions.

Just my thoughts.

[Lazloth]

http://www.armageddon.org/HyperNews/get/general-archive1996/12.html

[Delirium]

Okay, so Zalin came up with it first!

Maybe just an add-on to scan... monitors all directions one block away from you.

[Lazloth]

Maybe just an add-on to scan... monitors all directions one block away from you.

(a.) If you're a raider sitting behind a rocky outcropping, all attention drawn on the road to your distant west, I don't think you will notice a gimkpa scamper behind you;

(b.) Why should classes/subclasses without scan not benefit from looking in a particular direction/at a person or thing?  My stone cleric is perfectly able to monitor a doorway and beyond, seated in a bar;

(c.) This idea was documented as suggested some seven years ago?  I wouldn't hold my breath.

Then perhaps only those with the scan skill can monitor all directions, someone without can only scan north, which a 'scanner' could still do, but with greater distance or success?

[Delirium]

You bring up good points, Lazloth - and you're probably right, I don't think it should be something only someone with the scan skill can hope to have - I was thinking more along the lines that it would tie closely in with scan, but be a separate skill. Something that anyone could have a chance of doing to a limited extent, but those that specialize in it would be able to truly get good at.

Going off of Tony's suggestion, perhaps it could be that if you're watching all directions, you only see movements in the surrounding block. That makes a lot more sense than my original idea, anyway.

Then if you want to focus on the distance, you'd have to focus on one direction only, and how much you pick up depends on how good you are.

For example.. 'watch all' would set it so that you're looking all around you - 'watch n/s/e/w' would set it for as far as you can see in that direction. Of course, the skill would be modified by weather and lighting conditions, as well. Then a 'watch status' and a 'watch off' command.

I just see a lot of RP potential with this command as well as the convenience of being able to tell if that bahamet/mek/siltflyer is coming toward you.

[Anonymous]

A watch command that was available to everyone would be very useful and save me the trouble of l n; spamming when I emote watching that
direction.

I don't think it should have anything to do with scan.

[Marc]

The only thing scan should do for you is give you a chance to spot sneakers in the direction you're "watching"

Great idea.  Seven years ago, nine years ago, five years ago, and now.

[Delerak]

I don't think it would be that hard to code, because there is already a code in place where if you are in a certain room, such as:
Atop a Star Dune.
You will get messages from 3 rooms away I believe.  
Far to the east, an insect-like scrab walks north.

I don't know, just mentioning this.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it would be that hard to code, because there is already a code in place where if you are in a certain room, such as:
Atop a Star Dune.
You will get messages from 3 rooms away I believe.  
Far to the east, an insect-like scrab walks north.

I don't know, just mentioning this.

Yeah...that's what I've thought.

I'm not even talking about it having anything to do with seeing someone sneaking or something like that.

Muggers in the 'rinth, elves running away from people in the sands, raiders, hidden hunters....I just see so much use for this.

[Anonymous]

Just another thought to help balance this out, using the look or assess commands breaks the watch command.

That way people don't go watch east ; l; l u; l thief; l d; l n; and still see whats going on to the east.

[Bestatte]

Edited to add a disclaimer: My use of the term "shadow" has no relation to magicks. I mean it in a more literal sense - that of a shadow cast when light hits an object/person/critter.

Proposal: That a "watch" command be a branch of the "listen" command.

Justification: It takes concentration and effort to actively listen to various things going on at the same time, not only in your room but to every room in each direction, sometimes through closed doors, and even in whispers behind those closed door.

Anyone who can manage that kind of focus, assuming they have the have good eyesight (in other words, a "blind beggar" would not be capable of watching ANYTHING)...would likely be the best watchers as well.

Watching would let you see obvious things: someone in the next "room" in any direction including up and down, assuming that direction isn't dark or it isn't night time.

Watching would let you see shadows of things in rooms further away without having to "look" in that direction. It would also let you notice shadows at dusk and dawn in any direction, including up and down.

Watching would ALSO let you notice a faint shadow of movement under doors that are closed, assuming the room behind that door is lit up, or the person behind that room is holding a torch/crystal/ball of light on their head.

Watching would NOT give any benefit to noticing hiding people, any more than looking would. So if the hider sucks, the watcher would see them anyway, even if they weren't watching. Watching would have no effect on invis.

I was actually under the impression that some version of a "watch" command had been coded years ago, but never implemented in the game. I think it would be a great opportunity, but I think it should also be limited to characters who have proven by use of their listen skill (a code check) that they are capable of paying THAT good attention to things.

Though it has no correlation to real life, I'll add that being hearing impaired I have to work twice as hard as most people to listen - therefore I tend to listen much better (as opposed to just hearing). And my watching ability is also much better than most, in that I pay closer attention to detail than any of my friends, and I'm constantly aware of everything going on around me at any given moment. I am convinced that watching and listening can be very much related, in people who are physically capable of both.

[Delirium]

I was role-playing guarding a street the other day, from an expectant trouble coming down the road, and it came to me that I was consistantly 'look s'ing waiting for them to come. So I came up with a skill or command called watch.

It allows you to watch an exit, and tells you of movement on it.

Like-
watch s
Far to the South, a tall muscular man has arrived from the east.
Far to the South, a tall muscular man has leaves north.
Nearby to the South, a tall muscular man as arrived from the south.
Nearby to the South, a tall muscular man leaves north.
A tall muscular man has arrived!

It would just show movement, maybe emotes... like 'far to the sout, the tall muscular man flails wildly!'


It would be neat for guard jobs where you actively watching a directly. Or just idly watching the road, and see someone catch your eye.

The watch chain would be broke if you tried to look in another direction, or something like that. I dont really see anything wrong with the idea... so yeah. enjoy.

I'm not alone. Woohoo.

Could be like cooking or something.. everyone gets it, but each class would have its limits at how good they get. I imagine Rangers and assassins would be higher on the spectrum, and possibly thieves as well, due to their usual.. well, professions.

Another option would be to have it branch from 'listen'. Of course, you have people saying 'well, any bozo can stare down the road'.. but, it does take patience and perception to stare down the road and notice everything that goes on down the road. Just like saying 'well, any idiot could listen in on a conversation at a nearby table'.. it takes skill. I would like to see it tie in with scan, but only on the level that it allows you to see people sneaking if you're very good at both.