"Break" is now "Cease" in Regards to Psi

[mansa]

Cease[/url]"]
Cease     (Communication)

This command will end a sustained psionic activity. If used without an optional ability this will end all sustained psionic activity, including mental shields (barriers) and contact with another character's mind.

Syntax:
   cease [ability]

   Example:
   > cease
   > cease contact
   > cease barrier

   See also:
   psi contact, psi barrier, Psionics

Psionics[/url]"]
Psionics     (Communication)

All intelligent creatures on Zalanthas are able to use psionics (often called the Way or the Way of the Mind) to some degree. Psionic powers enable people to communicate across vast distances, track people and animals, and barricade their minds against intrusion. Non-psionic races are long since deceased on Zalanthas, not having been able to compete with those who possessed the ability.

There are two varieties of psionic powers: sustained and immediate. Sustained psionics are those powers which remain 'turned on' until stopped, and immediate powers are those which have an instant effect.

Sustained powers are:

contact, barrier

Immediate powers are:

psi

Once psionic contact has been established, it is possible to send thoughts directly to the person with whom your character's mind is linked. This is done with the psi command, which operates like say (q.v.) but has no requirements of distance or specification of target (since characters can only maintain psionic contact with one other character at a time).

Syntax:
   psi <message>

   Example:
   > contact sanvean
   > psi How are you today?
   > cease

   Immediate powers require that a certain sustained power be currently
   active. The individual help files will describe which sustained powers must
   be combined with which immediate powers. The cease command can be used to
   end all sustained psionic activity, including mental shields (barriers) and
   contact with another character's mind.

   Note:
   It is possible to have your character fall unconscious if you do not
   monitor his/her use of the Way carefully. While unconscious, your
   character is in an extremely vulnerable position, to say the least.

   See also:
   guild_psionicist, psi barrier, psi contact, stun, way

Break[/url]"]
Break     (General)

Certain types of plants on Zalanthas can be broken open to provide food or other things. Using this command gives a character a chance of breaking a plant open to provide something beneficial. Ranger characters, having a far greater affinity with the wilderness than others, have a better chance of using this command successfully. Generally, the break command is used on plants, and the skin command (q.v.) on animals' corpses.

The break command can also be used to open scrolls that have been sealed.

The break command can be used with bottle objects to create a crude weapon. You must be holding the bottle to do so.

Syntax:
   break <object>

   Example:
   > break plant

   > break scroll

   > break bottle

   Note:
   If you are looking for the command to destroy an object, you are looking
   for the junk command. Break is no longer used for stopping psionics, see
   the cease command.

   See also:
   cease, junk, seal, skin

And, finally, an immortal response to the reason -why- the change was made:

Question and Answer from Ask The Staff[/url]"]

what was the point of changing "break" to "cease"?

The "break" command is overloaded to do a lot of things that have nothing to do with psionics. We felt that separating the two would provide clarity and resolve a number of syntax-related bugs.

-- Xygax

[Anonymous]

I think the real reason it was changed is because the number of incidents where someone passes out from overuse of the Way is dwindling.  A command name change to befuddle me when the stamina is disappearing rapidly and I'm panicking will fix that quite nicely.

[Manhattan]

hey thanks mansa.

pickpockets of zalanthas be ready, people will be dropping like flies everywhere!

breaking a bottle makes a weapon? that's .... extremely awesome  

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Were you able to "break" a mental barrier before this change? Anyone know? Or was this an added function of "cease"?

[ale six]

"break" used to work for barriers, yes.

[Mental Case]

Just use an alias, thats what I did.

[mansa]

Were you able to "break" a mental barrier before this change? Anyone know? Or was this an added function of "cease"?

Yes.  That's how you lowered your barrier before.  You would type 'break' and it would lower it.  Now you can type 'cease barrier' and ONLY lower your barrier.

Just use an alias, thats what I did.

I wouldn't recommend that.  If you come across some plants, and you wanted to open them, you can't 'cease plants'.  If you wanted to smash your cup and cut someone with it, you can't 'cease mug'.  So, I wouldn't recommend to alias it.

I made the post because I thought some people who don't have characters at this moment won't be able to notice the change until they do.  Or until the weekly update updates itself.  ...If only 'motd' was accessable outside the mud.  :)

[Mental Case]

Then I'll make an alias for cease:

Alias cease break
Alias break cease

Too used to using break for contact, and hardly ever break items IG.

[Maybe42or54]

Want to know another really loaded command?

Nosave.

[Tentless n00b]

There actually was a real reason for this change.

It used to be if you typed "break" in a room with a tent or other items it'd first break the tent or plant or whatever and then the second (or in one case third) time it was used it'd break the psionic contact.

It's an annoying change because I was used to using break but I for one am all for it.  Gives us wilderness Wayers the chance not to lose all our stuff  :?

[amoeba]

I'm all for less overloading.  I actually broke a dead NPC once.  I was trying to break a plant.  It was a bit odd to play through.

[Agent_137]

one time I killed a ...fuck i've been away too long, the armadillo type animal. . . by trying to break a mental contact.

Very good change. uurah!

[Xygax]

One time (at band camp) I broke Tektolnes while trying to sever a mental contact.