Stun Display

[Rhyden]

I had an interesting idea.

Presently, we can display other character's general HPs and stamina. A general hit-point display can be seen by looking at a character or by assessing them. Stamina can be checked out with the assess command.

However, there's a third component that characters in Zalanthas have. They have the stun ratio.

STUN  (Character)  


Stun points are a representation of your mental consciousness. Many things can tax your stun points, from combat, to using psionics, to the abrupt stop after a fall.

The loss of all your stun points will result in your character becoming unconscious for a period of time. Your character will wake up automatically when his/her body is able to, generally when he/she has recovered to 1 Stun point.

My suggestion would be having a general display of how many stun points a character has. Although it may not be as elaborate (if at all) of what the hitpoints and stamina displays are, it could be useful and realistic.

:arrow: This would allow characters who are spamming their 'contact skills' to give it another thought since others will know if they're excercising considerable mental tension to themselves.

:arrow: It could be useful for those who have the bludgeoning-type weapons so they might be able to know when their target's gonna finally fall backwards unconscious. Same applies for those with skill sap.

I wouldn't know what sort of general display messages could be used to show how little or high one's stun count is, but it could be along the lines of...

100% stun - Perfectly conscious
75-99% - A little drowsy
25-74% - Looking dizzy
1-24% - About to pass out
0% - Unconsious

Good idea? Bad idea? Unrealistic? Jarring? Green tomatoes? Sap Rhyden?

What do you think?

Of course, all opinions above, if any,  are IMO.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Rhyden wrote:

This would allow characters who are spamming their 'contact skills' to give it another thought since others will know if they're excercising considerable mental tension to themselves.

Sorry, I don't see how this would help anything. The Way adds a large amount of distrust, tension, and conflict to the game, and I'd hate to be in a situation where some one says, "don't use the Way or I'll kill you". Or where the noble knows I just gave the order for his assassination simply by glancing at me. Or where someone attacks me because they can "see" I just got done chatting with my girlfriend telepathically, and know I'm an easy target.
Thumbs down.

[Whira's Luck]

You can set your prompt to display this information as well as a host of other things.

the command 'help prompt' while in the game will display all of the options and explain how to set up a personalized prompt.

It may also be possible, using this, to set up a script, alias or whatever in your mud client to display the 'words' you want to display instead, but I would have no idea how to go about doing that.

[Rhyden]

Yeah, it means that anyone who's stun is close to a state of unconsiousness will look completely ordinary. Even though I'm sure there must be -some- sort of physical side effect.

I know about the prompt system. I'm speaking about the general knowledge of other characters' stun.

I understand its a pretty shaky idea. Just wanted to get it out in the open to see whether or not it would be a possibility.  

[Stroker]

because they can "see" I just got done chatting with my girlfriend telepathically, and know I'm an easy target.

Isn't it true, however, that if you -are- weary from the telepathic conversation, it should be visible? Hence, you could almost make the accusation that by NOT presenting this information; you are, in fact, acting OOCly to withhold this imperative IC information.

In general, I believe that the idea is superfluous..... but that has never stopped *things* from being implemented.... so ... '?'

[Larrath]

I think this is realistic, but only to a degree.
Being at 90% stun isn't all that dizzy at all.  It's maybe the same as tossing your head from side to side a couple of times.

If people are at 50% stun or below, there could be a message saying they're looking a little dizzy, and for 10% definitely.  But above 50%, I think it should be the same as though they were at 100%.

[bloodfromstone]

I think the idea has some merit, but from my experience, the Way is being used pretty much constantly. I'm in contact with people more often than not, and I know a lot of the people I'm around are the same way. It'd be kind of annoying at this point, when you walk into the bar and see a huge list of X is here, looking dizzy.

[John]

I like the idea, dislike the numbers. I'd say something more along the lines of
75-100% - normal with whatever you want beneath that. I can comfortably hover around 60% without being in danger of being about to pass out. Distracted? Sure. Passing out? Nope (this is for 1 day or more old chars).

[Ghost]

No I don't like the idea much.  You know being mentally tired and passing out from a hammer's blow is not the same thing.  Displaying stun would be treating them as the same.

[JollyGreenGiant]

I agree with Ghost.  Sometimes people who are feeling dizzy or faint look like it - but there are plenty of times when they look and act fine right up until the point where they pass out.  I wouldn't want to see "So-and-so is here, looking dizzy." in the MUD, because I have no mental image of what that should look like.  Bleeding heavily?  Sure, got it.  Tired?  Yeah, I know what that looks like.  Dizzy?  Not so much.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'd implement the idea in a heartbeat, with some major changes to the numbers. Have them look fine from 100% to 20%, and then tuck in all those little messages in the next 20%. I'm sorry, but when you are about to pass out, you look like it, and you will not be hiding it.

[moab]

Before we change stun messages, we need to change wound messages so you know if a person is poisoned, bleeding from wounds, or some how magickally drained of lifeforce.

[Cuusardo]

What's wrong with roleplaying how your lack of stun makes you feel?

[jhunter]

Like others have said I don't think it's necessary.

[The Dude]

What's wrong with roleplaying how your lack of stun makes you feel?

Nothing, but there's everything wrong with dropping under, say, 10% stun Waying people as you run miles through the desert or jog up stairs or rock climb and not giving any indication that you're even the slightest bit affected by it.

One of the biggest obstacles people have against letting others have a little fun as they play out their deaths is the fact that they could be Waying others frantically as they die. I'd be willing to bet that it's cost plenty of PCs the chance to have some time to at least emote out their character's untimely demise - a small mercy, really, but one I've wished I'd had at least a few times.

Furthermore, as it stands I do feel the Way is a bit too safe a means to communicate, and this would be a step in the right direction.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a character showing extreme mental exhaustion when they are in fact, extremely mentally exhausted.

[jhunter]

One of the biggest obstacles people have against letting others have a little fun as they play out their deaths is the fact that they could be Waying others frantically as they die.

Not an unrealistic obstacle in a world where beings use the way.

[moab]

I'm for roleplaying this.

Two things come to mind:
1. Playability.  The Way as it is is a compromise between a very robust messaging system that is easy for players to use and an IC logical one.
Making it more difficult to use damages the first part of the compromise for the benefit of the second.

2. Mental Exhaustion.  Sometimes you can't tell someone is feeling dizzy or is about to pass out until they do.  Then they look bad.  People feint in RL and hit the floor often - because no one can tell the person is going to pass out.  Sometimes they do, but I guess they were just roleplaying their exhaustion.

Alright, one more since I've feeling verbose just now

3. Experience.  If you continually practice getting your mind stressed to within passing out, you would - like other forms of mental or physical stress get used to it and can probably deal with feeling like crap.

An extreme RL example - my dad is used to having an oxygen saturation in his blood of about 82% or thereabout.  Hook a o2 sensor up to your finger and see how comfortable you find that.  He can deal with it because he's used to it - but I bet you'll find it _amazingly_ uncofomfortable and actually difficult to maintain for any length of time.  However, looking at him - I can't tell a difference between 82% and 98% at all.  And trust me, there is a HUGE diference between those numbers.

I understand your point, but its better as a call to realistic role play than a code modification.  Let the players RP how they are feeling.

[Maybe42or54]

I for one love the idea. With maybe a little bit more this way.
100-55%- Perfect condition
55-35- Looks a little dazed.
35-20- Looks a little off balance.
20-5- Looks really off balance.
5-0 How are they standing?



I changed them because, I can pretty much stay perfect IRL but when it finally hits me, it hits me hard.

[corona]

I think it's best left to be roleplayed, myself. I could see this as something others would use to twink out on for some odd reason. I think the system we have is fine. Why change something that doesn't need fixing?

[Moofassa]

Why just sdesc tags, why not implement stumbling when you're below 15% stun. etc etc

[Tamarin]

Rhyden, you have befouled Ottawa.

[Maybe42or54]

Or how about a skill that goes with Sap?

[Moofassa]

I befouled ottawa [\derail]

I like the idea, it's realistic, if your movement shows, your state of... 'mind' would surely show, especially if you're below 15%..

[Tamarin]

Unlike fatigue, there can sometimes be a very thin line between conscious and total blackout.

I suppose the same could be said about fatigue, but I think the way it is currently coded, the messages for stamina drain are fairly imprecise.

Perhaps a method could be implement for stun, but it is my opinion that it would have to be a -lot- more imprecise than the current stamina ratings.

[Rhyden]

It was pretty much befouled before I came along.  

I put the 'O' in Ottawa.

Man, I'm doing it again, are't I? Somebody stop me, seriously.

But I like the idea. Perhaps change the original number system I randomly created to something more realistic and I think it would really be an asset.

[Savak]

Actually.. I kinda like the basic premise as well.

[Whira's Luck]

It might be nice if this was implemented in a way that reflected race-specifically too, since in help psionicist (thought it was help psionics but I was wrong) it reads:

As species have evolved, humans found themselves at a disadvantage. No
longer the strongest, fastest, or even smartest beings around, their
survival was in jeopardy. For one reason or another, the human brain was
able to unlock more psionic powers than any of the other beings.

It should also be something apparent in a closer observation than a general glance.

In fact, it might be nice to add this to the information gotten from the assess -v command, and only at certain high percentages of stun loss... like at 15-20% of stun or less on humans and possibly 40% or less on other races?

[sacac]

That is a good Idea.
No longer the race of Averages. Huh?

[HardCarbon]

One of the biggest obstacles people have against letting others have a little fun as they play out their deaths is the fact that they could be Waying others frantically as they die.

Not an unrealistic obstacle in a world where beings use the way.

Ahh the fond memories  foes who are going to kill me.. dangling hope in front of me...  pushing me around.. poisoning me.. making me eat tofu..  


Meanwhile I've spent the last in game day telling everyone I know who was doing what to me.. and why..

 
 Revenge.. a dish best fried up with butter and lemon and served with a cold brew or two...

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

If there is actually a skill used in PSI, and this skill can increase with time and use, you might also consider lowering the % as the skill rises. For instance, a newbie human will show that he is mind-weary at 20% or less, while a five RL year veteran who's been using the Way a lot might not show until he is at 5% or lower, and a psionist at 1%.