Why The Sandstorm Code Is Impractical

[proxie]

Okay, here's an idea or two.

1) The subguild of caravan guide and nomad could be restricted for obviously city based classes like: burglar/pickpocket/perhaps assassin. That would help limit some of the people trying to make an uber pc that can do it all. Maybe have the stealthy/outdoorsy combination be available through special app or karma to give it to people who will use it appropriately.

2) Maybe desert navigation for other classes/subclasses could be on a percentage system. Rangers are perfect straight out of the box, caravan guides and nomads start at 50% straight out of the box, everybody else will take years to get good, thus equalling the amount of time needed to be spent outside in blinding storms to figure out how to navigate.

3) Rangers are the only class that can lead people in the storms. So yeah, Janebob the Merchant/caravan guide can get herself back to civilization with a reasonable amount of success, but the rest of her caravan is screwed, so it's just too bad she didn't hire a ranger to lead it. And good luck on that pack kank she's leading while she rides her other one.

4) I really think whirans should get something to help them out in storms if they don't have it already. The wind is supposed to be their element, if they have to hunker down inside their cave/temple/city, then they can't go out and take advantage of it.

5) Perhaps there needs to be a bedroll or tent object that you buy (not cheaply) that if you have it in your inventory, it gives you the ability to quit out in a non standard location, but it only has a few uses. (It gets damaged too badly by the storms for extended use.) Then the person who knows they're going outside without a ranger can pick up one before they leave so they don't have to always leave their pc linkdead in the blinding wastes so they can go to work in the morning. But their kank is stuck and runs the risk of getting kidnapped/killed or running away.  I'm sure Kurac has their gnomish inventors or whatever working on something like this.

6) I'd like to see some people with a controlling ability over the weather. I was in Nak once and we had a templar that had to put off something or other because it was storming and night. Don't you think that the Highlord would give his henchpeople some ability to make sure his justice and whims can be met at any time of the day?  Maybe an area affect that reduces the severity of a storm a few points in the immediate area of the caster? Templar(in their city only)/whiran/rukkian?/defiler?


Predicting storms... if the wind's blowing strongly, that usually means it's going to start storming soon folks.  I'd say you have less than a day to batten down the hatches and run to the grocer/watering hole to stock up on supplies before it hits, and you don't want to be caught outside at night, that's for sure.

That said, I do wish that they would get over quicker, usually by Tuesday, if a storm's hit, I know it's going to be crummy weather until the game crashes or imm day.

Just a few ideas... discuss.

Proxie

[Dracul]

Really....weather n is even more useful than look north.


Just take the time. I've played rouge magickers out in the desert and by using that I find it pretty simple to stay alive. And yes...sometime...I do just have to sit it out inside/not go outside.

Desert elves though...shouldnt 'all' be rangers...but warrior delves, magicker delves. It's like there something 'wrong' with them. When making one you should probally consider that, a warrior desert elf has some very seroius faults to his/her character. Why do they keep getting lost when the rest of their tribe has no problem...bah.
Shaman Delves though...that I think is the main focal point. But...those are suppose to be rare because of all their other advantages...of course.

[flurry]

Although I would like to see some changes made with regard to the current storm code, I have to say I hate the idea of subguilds having the ability to navigate storms.  A reduced penalty maybe, but definitely not matching rangers IMHO.

I do think rangers should be unique in this regard.  My only concern is the extent to which the storms are an issue now.  

I love the idea of seasons as a way of addressing this.

[sacac]

Me also.
I'm not saying we need all of these, but one of them.

1. Decrease the duration of full-effect sandstorms.

2. Make one of the subguilds have half the skill in a sandstorm than a ranger. Or Full ability as a ranger, but they can't lead anyone with full effect.

3. Seasons.

[Revelations]

Decrease the duration -and- seasons. You got everyone's problem solved with just that. A small increase in the ability to travel in a blinding sandstorm, like I mentioned earlier, won't help much unless your only a few rooms away from a city-state. Even then, you won't manage to get inside the gates unless your fortunate. Maybe, if anything was to be changed with subguilds, a chance to drift in 3 or 4 steps might do alittle good, but I don' think it's worth all the trouble of coding it. Any lesser percent of randomness isn't realistic, and any more would be practically useless to get to a quitsafe room or gate.

[Elgiva]

I don't see any problem with current system, but I like the idea of "one-message-warning" before weather changes drastically.
Just my opinion.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

The ability to follow a road (you know, the hard cobble or the flagstones as opposed to the drifting sand) would work just fine for trying to get back inside the city.

[jhunter]

4) I really think whirans should get something to help them out in storms if they don't have it already. The wind is supposed to be their element, if they have to hunker down inside their cave/temple/city, then they can't go out and take advantage of it.

I agree, the same with Rukians. A blinding sandstorm is compose of two main elements which falls under the realm of Whira and Ruk.

[Yokunama]

2. Make one of the subguilds have half the skill in a sandstorm than a ranger. Or Full ability as a ranger, but they can't lead anyone with full effect.

If you want sandstorm navigation, play a ranger.

[sacac]

I don't want the navigation, I want to get into a massive city without getting lost and walking the wrong way.

[Praetorian]

4) I really think whirans should get something to help them out in storms if they don't have it already. The wind is supposed to be their element, if they have to hunker down inside their cave/temple/city, then they can't go out and take advantage of it.

I agree, the same with Rukians. A blinding sandstorm is compose of two main elements which falls under the realm of Whira and Ruk.

What?!?  Are you insane?  If Ruk was minding his own business and left his dirt on the ground where it belongs, none of us would be having this trouble!  Its Ruk being a little crack whore and getting all 'up and riled up' that causes them sandstorms!  I think in Allanak if a sandstorm lasts for a long time people should start throwing feces and rotten fruit at their temple and practitioners in angered protest!  Its probably their fault anyways...those twisted vile things...blame them, HATE them, KILL THEM ALL!!!

[jhunter]

4) I really think whirans should get something to help them out in storms if they don't have it already. The wind is supposed to be their element, if they have to hunker down inside their cave/temple/city, then they can't go out and take advantage of it.

I agree, the same with Rukians. A blinding sandstorm is compose of two main elements which falls under the realm of Whira and Ruk.

What?!?  Are you insane?  If Ruk was minding his own business and left his dirt on the ground where it belongs, none of us would be having this trouble!  Its Ruk being a little crack whore and getting all 'up and riled up' that causes them sandstorms!  I think in Allanak if a sandstorm lasts for a long time people should start throwing feces and rotten fruit at their temple and practitioners in angered protest!  Its probably their fault anyways...those twisted vile things...blame them, HATE them, KILL THEM ALL!!!

Mmmmmm....crack whores....

[ashyom]

Consider that these maxxed out storms have the power to ruin your homes, to send kanks flying, to rip the very flesh off your bones...Picture trying to walk in worst hurricane Florida has ever experienced, and factor in the sand as well as flying debris.  Think you'd be able to stay upright?  And be able to fight 100 MPH+ winds to get to the bar across the town?  I don't think I could or would, heh.

This is basically why we haven't altered the storm code so you can navigate the city or roads.  It isn't that you don't know the way nor that you can't feel/see the roads; rather, the problem is the force of the storm is so strong that it forces you into different, random directions, regardless of your desires.  Rangers, or so I imagine them to, can more easily find the path of least resistance in the storms, and use that knowledge to travel to their destination.  

However, I do agree that there could be more of an advance warning, though from what I know of the code, I'm not entirely sure whether that's doable for a few reasons.  I'll try and snag one of the coders this week and see what he thinks.  
I also agree that playability is important, and will ask whether we can tweak the code to make sure the maxxed storms doesn't last RL days.
Ashyom

[Tamarin]

If the logic behind this is that storms should cause physical harm, then why aren't they coded as such?

[Dracul]

Yeah Ashoym, why don't they cause damnag...huh...huh...

I would support damage though, and seasons as in the other thread.

[ashyom]

We did discuss it at one time, but the idea was discarded in favor of playability.  If ya'all are interested, though, I can bring it up again.  

100H/100>
E walking out of the building

100H/100>
A kank flies overhead.

100H/100>
Emote looks up in disbelief.

100H/100>
The winds rips your skin, exposing muscles, organs and bones.

10H/100>
think Oh shit!

*BEEP*

:twisted:

[sacac]

This is basically why we haven't altered the storm code so you can navigate the city or roads.  It isn't that you don't know the way nor that you can't feel/see the roads; rather, the problem is the force of the storm is so strong that it forces you into different, random directions, regardless of your desires.  Rangers, or so I imagine them to, can more easily find the path of least resistance in the storms, and use that knowledge to travel to their destination.  
Ashyom

A random direction? Wouldn't we just -Go- with the wind? Or get blown down like we were drunken?
I think rangers would go with the wind, but a little more in the direction they wanted to go.

[Tamarin]

Maybe we should re-think just how harsh this world's winds and sandstorms actually are.  Especially since there is no water nearby, and you really need some kind of huge body of water to have a diverse enough ecosystem to warrant the kind of storm that can throw kanks and disentegrate humans into their more baser components.

[Dracul]

...sea of silt?
REST of the know world...
Ravaged by magick?
We don't need to rethink the storm code.

And seriously, although that is WICKED...what was posted...90hp damage...beep. I really would like to see minor damage done in violent storms. And even ways to possibly prevent it (like camping, a tent...that would work as it is already if damage was only implemented) , although that delves into more code. So...bleh.

But still. *thumbs up*  And it would affect my character...negatively.

[Yokunama]

...sea of silt?
REST of the know world...
Ravaged by magick?
We don't need to rethink the storm code.

And seriously, although that is WICKED...what was posted...90hp damage...beep. I really would like to see minor damage done in violent storms. And even ways to possibly prevent it (like camping, a tent...that would work as it is already if damage was only implemented) , although that delves into more code. So...bleh.

But still. *thumbs up*  And it would affect my character...negatively.

Responding to red text:
You have to remember that these are people from another world, and they are physically built to withstand the sandy winds pelting their skins, the temperature, and a few more things. Also, think about this minor damage over long periods of time. Many people would have long lost their characters in the sandy storms, due to this minor damage.

People are already complaining about it, and theres no need to keep them going.

[Revelations]

Well, for the realism fanatics, all you need is to be prepared for storms with a handy tent, which I think should be practically a must if it wasn't a game. But, for the sake of playability, I wouldn't push too much for damage during a sandstorm. Yeah, it would be great for the veterans to get more excitement when travelling, but not very good for the entirely independant and the new players, who might know how or a way to gather the money. If tents were cheaper, I'd reconsider.

[ashyom]

Okay, this thread's getting a bit long, and I've seen some good ideas.  I already emailed one of the coders regarding them, and we'll see what he says.  In the interest of keeping GDB running smoothly, I'll go ahead and lock this.  If anyone else comes up with a genius idea for additions or modifications to the weather code, feel free to email me, or the mud.

Thanks for the feedbacks!
Ashyom