New skill ideas for everyone (more or less)

[Morrolan]

While wandering around in a storm, I had a thought.

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

Start the skill at a useful level for rangers, or maybe even maxed.  For other characters, make it like ride is (and maybe this is the case?):  make this a skill that starts out really low, and maybe even maxes low, or gains only slowly over time.  For subguilds that might have some skill with this, make the start/cap a bit higher.  But for everyone, make it something that with long experience, they can learn at least a little.  That way your 20 day merc who has travelled the known world on his kank and fought his way through storm after storm can at least do a better job than a non-ranger that's never seen a dune before.  I'm not saying even a 20 day character would be as good as a ranger, but at least he or she would get better with time.

On the same note...I don't know if there are any skills that affect mining or lumberjacking percentages of success, but I'd like it if there were one.  Over time, it would make sense that people who mine over long periods of time would get better at it.  Maybe this would go against what mining is meant for in the game (since it's sort of a newbie-quest for many characters), and I understand that.  But a hidden skill that got better with time (if it isn't already implemented) for mining and like activities would be nice.  Another possibility would be for it to work off the forage skill (again, maybe it already does).

Just a couple of ideas.  What does everyone else think?

Morrolan

EDIT to clarify a point.

[Rindan]

I personally like the idea of storm navigation being a skill everyone gets.  I once had a 20+ day bad ass mercenary who had been to every edge of the known world and then some.  At one point he spent a few IC years in Red Storm with a group of mercenary / spice hunters.  He went out every day and collected spice.  Some days he would travel one mercenary missions.  If he was alive today, he would be shit out of luck if he had to live in Red Storm.  Red Storm would keep him penned inside for days.  Hell, one bad storm suddenly hitting would leave the poor bastard completely unable to even get back and as likely to walk into the silt sea as he would be to make it to the gates.  To me, this seems silly.  Anyone who spends enough time in the desert should eventually be able to navigate it.

If you did this, you could build on the weather code some more.  Make lesser levels of sand cause you to get lost occasionally.  Your big old mercenary could start out going out in semi-dusty weather to get a feel for traveling when visibility is poor.  Over time, he might work up to being able to travel in a full blown sand storm.  Cap it off so that only rangers can travel perfectly and make it so that everyone else screws up from time to time even after they have maxed out their abilities.  Then, make it so that it takes some quality time before one's ability to navigate in a storm builds up unless you are a ranger.

[Cale_Knight]

It really is excessively silly that only rangers can navigate in a storm.

I'm down with pretty much any given solution for the problem.

[Dalmeth]

I have had a non-forester character and a forester character.  The forester required dramatically less swings to get a tree to fall.  It seemed a bit twinky to me, but I enjoyed it.

I don't know if it's exactly a "skill" per se, but it's something you can get your character to specialize in at creation.  I suppose it's what makes a forester worthwhile.


Oh yeah, and if you want to find your way through a storm, hook up with a ranger buddy.  If you choose a warrior over a ranger, it's assumed you're spending morer time learning how to bash heads than survive out in the wilds.  Specialization happens.  Deal.

[moab]

Rangers are not the only ones that can navigate in a storm.

However, allowing only rangers to quit out in the wilderness - now that is silly.

[Cyrian20]

Rangers are not the only ones that can navigate in a storm.

However, allowing only rangers to quit out in the wilderness - now that is silly.

While I agree somewhat, it is a balance issue. Otherwise mose people that wanted to make that character that tested just how far the grasslands go would make warrior/<suitable to how they planned on playing it> rangers would really become obsolete. Especially if there is ever a sub-class that has scan or wilderness quit. Now the sandstorm thing I would like to see redone a little. Cause it is annoying when the 10 ic yr byn sergeant can't walk you around the city one lap without becoming lost.

[Halaster]

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

[RunningMountain]

Some people tend not to realize that it's not just any storm. I'd prefer the weather code to get looked at then the ranger issue. Becaus the storm that we are all talking about is massive, you can't see, you can barely move, and the sand is blinding and biting. I think it should do HP damage and stun damage personally.

You think warriors can't navigate in a storm? Go out when it's terrible, biting sand and you can navigate just fine, and see only 1 room. But when it becomes a huge storm that nearly knocks you off your mount, things change, you need the knowledge and instinct of someone who has spent years in the desert. And warriors don't fit the bill. They are fighters. Not guides. No matter how much you want them to be.

[jhunter]

The ability to navigate in a storm should be something any pc that spends enough time in the outdoors can learn.
I think this is a fantastic idea to make it a skill that everyone has. Make rangers start out with the skill maxxed. Non-rangers start at 0 with perhaps a bonus dependant upon their wisdom.

Then, if you don't ever use it as a non-ranger you won't magickally be good at it. If you are playing a pc that deals with the wilds every day, you will logically get good at it.
And it will be difficult to get better at it because you will have to risk travelling in a bad storm while you suck at it. Trying to do so could get you killed. Safely waiting out the storm isn't going to help you get any better at it.

I think that this is a way better idea than the way it currently stands.

[Delirium]

Not to mention those that undergo survival training and/or end up having their lives take an unavoidable shift toward spending a lot of time roaming the wastes.  As it is now, they can't ever adapt.  I'm willing to accept the thought that if they spent 10 IC years surviving out there, they'd learn to deal with the storms, if not perfectly.  This would also make a certain branches of clans viable for other classes (with some hard work) rather than open to nobody but rangers.

[Ghost]

I think the fear of the storm code is being exaggerated.

I am currently playing an outdoorsy character, and my PC is spending most of his time being very close to one of the city-states.  And I have not yet seen a storm that would make non-rangers lose their way yet.  Yes, I have seen storms.  Annoying ones, that you can only see one room ahead.  But even that was not a "Blinding" storm.  So around the place where my PC lives, I have not yet seen a storm needing a ranger's skill to venture through.

I'm willing to accept the thought that if they spent 10 IC years surviving out there, they'd learn to deal with the storms, if not perfectly.

I agree with that.  Someone putting 10 years out in the wastes can have it.  But if it is made a skill, most probably anyone will be able to learn it in 1 IC month.  So instead of a skill, I would prefer it to be given by imm intervention.

[Morrolan]

Instead of making rangers simply immune to getting lost in storms, why not make it a skill?

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

Awesome.

[flurry]

We have considered this, more than once recently.  While no one is actively pursuing this project, I will say that it has been looked into and seriously considered.  So, I'm not promising anything, but will say it's something you may see one day.

This sounds like a good idea to me.  

I haven't liked the idea that you are either perfect or terrible at navigating harsh weather.  One because it seems like there should be shades of gray, particularly if you have non-rangers spending much of their lives outdoors.  Also the perfect/awful setup just adds to guild-sniffing.

[Recharge]

If this were to ever become a skill I think it would be best to have rangers at 100% when they start, so they never fail and perhaps every other non-ranger guild could have a max cap at say, 80%? Maybe higher based on guilds and subs.

[Ritley]

Here is a few skill ideas:

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

[Tamarin]

Here is a few skill ideas:

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

This is unrealistic, because most of the "one room up" rooms are not really rooms at all, but cliffs that no mortal could possibly ever hope to ascend with a single bound.  And usually, they are climable, which is already a skill.

[Dakkon Black]

No freaking way man, are you insane?

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Is poison not enough of a lesson for you? I can just see this happening for like, months on end till your skill is up

torture elf

You attempt to hit the elf, but whip yourself in the face instead

[Ritley]

No freaking way man, are you insane?

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Is poison not enough of a lesson for you? I can just see this happening for like, months on end till your skill is up

torture elf

You attempt to hit the elf, but whip yourself in the face instead

So? this would resolve many issues with torture. Templars would start off with it maxxed anyway. In response to Tamarin: Yes throw the crappy jump idea out the window.

[sarahjc]

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

I'd say noway on this one too. I can't see how following you would justify a boost in how good they would be at doing something. You just standing there doesn't make them a better fighter or merchant. Also what if the skill sets are different?

we have the teach command in the game, which I think makes sense. That if someone is actually teaching you something you will get better. And that's done via emoting and Rp'd out lessons, then using the command. That said, they have to be REALLY good at it to teach you.

Sorry Ritley.

[Ritley]

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

I'd say noway on this one too. I can't see how following you would justify a boost in how good they would be at doing something. You just standing there doesn't make them a better fighter or merchant. Also what if the skill sets are different?

we have the teach command in the game, which I think makes sense. That if someone is actually teaching you something you will get better. And that's done via emoting and Rp'd out lessons, then using the command. That said, they have to be REALLY good at it to teach you.

Sorry Ritley.

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do. I didn't put this down because I wanted skill bonuses Lol

Shout Today we go, and kick some barbarian ass!

You shout: Today we are going to kick some barbarian ass!

The troops roar.

Leader ship troops

You increase the troops morale with your leadership ability

Do you see what I mean? realisticy speaking it works. Also, it would make the speeches before war much more enthusiastic.

[Qetesh]

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do.

Yeah, but Merchanting skills? I dunno. Just seems like something that could be twinked and is a bit unnecessary. For Templars it may be cool that they give thier troops a boost in strength and stamina for a few minutes.

[Ritley]

I can. I can see it Icly acceptable for the leadership ability. What do you think all of those speeches, and stuff are before battle? they are intended to increase the troops morale. A better morale can improve every aspect of what you do.

Yeah, but Merchanting skills? I dunno. Just seems like something that could be twinked and is a bit unnecessary.

Ok, maybe not a merchant. The effects would wear off after a while anyway. I honestly think in my hearts of hearts it is a good idea. I think it should be there, because, simply it's realistic. It would make the wars better as well. Imagine a sergent with a army of peasants beating Tek, simply because his army had better morale. Don't you see it?

[Jherlen]

So just because I'm following a templar who's in the room with me, I'm all of a sudden stronger?

No way. No way at all. That's FAR to H&S for my taste. If the templar wanted to make everybody with him stronger he'd use his crazy templar powers and make people that way.

This should have been posted in a new thread instead of derailing an old one.

On topic, I agree with Ghost... if wilderness navigation was made into a skill, people would get good at it too quickly. If your PC has been a hunter/mercenary and actively taking wilderness trips for IC years, I'd be for giving someone navigation abilities then, but not as a skill anyone can learn.

[Ritley]

So just because I'm following a templar who's in the room with me, I'm all of a sudden stronger?

No way. No way at all. That's FAR to H&S for my taste. If the templar wanted to make everybody with him stronger he'd use his crazy templar powers and make people that way.

This should have been posted in a new thread instead of derailing an old one.

On topic, I agree with Ghost... if wilderness navigation was made into a skill, people would get good at it too quickly. If your PC has been a hunter/mercenary and actively taking wilderness trips for IC years, I'd be for giving someone navigation abilities then, but not as a skill anyone can learn.

That's why it should only be given to Templars, and master warriors because they won't spam use it, and they will only use it at the right time. You would actually have to type, leadership. Bah, just forget it.

[Rindan]

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

You shouldn't be able to jump three times and be at the top of the shield wall.  If you want to go up, climb.  Generally whenever there is something that you need to go up, you are going to need to climb it.  In fact, I really can't think of any place where it would make sense.  Even the strongest of humans can only jump a few feet.  If you want to go up, you have to climb.

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

This doesn't make any sense to me.  It doesn't take any sort of skill to hurt someone.  I have never tortured anyone in my entire life, but I can say with complete assurance that I could easily beat someone across the head with a bat and knock off their stun.  I could take a dagger and start getting stabby and knock off their health.  Inflicting damage on someone who can't fight back is trivial and should not be a skill.  The only skill involved with torturing is if you can torture in such a way that the victim will talk.  Getting a victim to talk is not something that can be done with code.  It has to be done with RP and no other way.

[Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

This too is something that should be RPed out.  Leadership DOES matter in combat.  Leadership DOES need to be trained, but it is more then just toggling your leadership skill on and making it so that everyone who is following you gets a sudden combat bonus.  Good leaders teach their soldiers how to fight together as a unit.  The code already supports this.  Take two groups of five people with equal skill, have them clash, and watch how the group that has superior leadership wins.  Why does the group with superior leadership win?  They win because they know what to do in a fight.  A fight is not as simple as everyone beating up on the same person.  In a fight, the proper uses of the guard command, rescue, and any sort of special combat abilities make a massive difference.  Getting a command to use these abilities not only takes practice in training, but leadership during the battle.  This process should not be dumbed down with a 'leadership' skill.

[Angela Christine]

I can see a Leadership skill factoring into your ability to lead a "controled retreat."  As it is everybody has to flee individually, running in all directions and possibly leaving behind the guys with poor Flee skill who are frantically typing FLEE over and over again and going no where.  It would be nice if the leader could lead his troops out of combat.


Angela Christine

[amoeba]

I can see a Leadership skill factoring into your ability to lead a "controled retreat."  As it is everybody has to flee individually, running in all directions and possibly leaving behind the guys with poor Flee skill who are frantically typing FLEE over and over again and going no where.  It would be nice if the leader could lead his troops out of combat.


Angela Christine

This is one thing that can actually be trained (as in ingrained into the player) very well IG as is. In fact the very act of getting a group of untrained, raw recruits to act as one is a very OOC skill.  There is one group at least, if the leaders are doing thier job correctly, can get the group to behave as one cohessive unit.  I have witnessed it personally. IMHO to add this as a coded skill detracts from that goal.  It has to do with preperation, training, and more training.   This is one of those learned skills like manipulating plots that should be developed IG by real people, not code.

[Dalmeth]

Uh, wouldn't a good leader have had them learn how to flee in an orderly manner and then would only have to give them an order mid-battle to initiate the retreat?

[Ritley]

I can see a Leadership skill factoring into your ability to lead a "controled retreat."  As it is everybody has to flee individually, running in all directions and possibly leaving behind the guys with poor Flee skill who are frantically typing FLEE over and over again and going no where.  It would be nice if the leader could lead his troops out of combat.


Angela Christine

This is one thing that can actually be trained (as in ingrained into the player) very well IG as is. In fact the very act of getting a group of untrained, raw recruits to act as one is a very OOC skill.  There is one group at least, if the leaders are doing thier job correctly, can get the group to behave as one cohessive unit.  I have witnessed it personally. IMHO to add this as a coded skill detracts from that goal.  It has to do with preperation, training, and more training.   This is one of those learned skills like manipulating plots that should be developed IG by real people, not code.

Oh alright. How about the torture ability then? this would help alot.

[SewerRat_inTheOpen]

The jump skill: Those who posess will be able to leap up one space high. If the skill is low you will fall down, and hurt yourself. If your a mantis you will start off with the skill maxxed, and able to jump two spaces high.

Climb works pretty well.
How high up is a space? If you meant like climbing spaces, some of them are pretty high up, unless you're a ninja.

Torture skill: I think there should be a torture skill available to all Templars, and some master assassins. There should be three types of this skill.
One damages your health
One damages your stamina
One your stun
All render you helpless, and unable to move, depending on the skill of the Assassin/Templar.

Templars don't really need this, it can be roleplayed out in their single-roomed cells. If it's time to lose the hand or the life, it's going.

Not too sure how this skill is going to work out for assassins.

Or how this skill works. I understand subdue could be a half-giant easily picking up an elf by his neck or just bundling him up in his arms, or a bearhug.

Leader ship skill: This should be available to all Master Warriors, Master Merchants, and Templars. What this does, if there is any body following you, they get a bonus to all of there skills, the amount depending on the skill of the person leading.

Morale talks/boosters make soldiers feel brave, not make them stronger. It's a subtle difference. They may feel brave when a certain person is leading, but that doesn't mean they are going to become slightly more accomplished warriors or crafters.

I can see a Leadership skill factoring into your ability to lead a "controlled retreat." As it is everybody has to flee individually, running in all directions and possibly leaving behind the guys with poor Flee skill who are frantically typing FLEE over and over again and going no where. It would be nice if the leader could lead his troops out of combat.

Some sort of controlled retreat might be good. But.. in a fight, not everyone is in the same place anyway.

Maybe those who are being guarded can follow the flee of those guarding.

[Sokotra]

Leader ship troops

Leadership is one word.  Unless you are like talking about the flagship in a group of silt skimmers... then that might be the 'leader ship'... heh.  Sorry I had to point that out.. it was just really bugging me for some reason.  


I can see it now..

"leader ship troops"

You order your troops to begin loading up on a silt skimmer at the edge of the sea of silt, leaving you standing alone to face the fierce group of spice-raiders.

A sad day...

[Cenghiz]

Since I'm back, let me speak about my opinions..

1. Jump: We junked it already.. Didn't we?

2. Torture: Torture is one of the things which's pure RP.. People do not feel pain because their hp is lowered by 25 or their stun is halved. They fear the fire, the sharp edge of the obsidian and the biting swings of the whip. That's what torture is all about. An elementalist of the proper type to manage to create fearful mental illusions would be way more effective than a young hunter with a knife, even when the hunter maxxed the skill spending his time torturing.

[Derail]What's next? A MUDsex skill?
>mudsex woman
You have some hasty monkey sex with the blue-eyed, buxom woman.
She's deeply satisfied.
>think OOC: I guess I've maxxed it.
[/Derail]

3. Leadership: I.. I don't think we should quickly bash this idea. You know, in time some additional coded effects may be added.
.....
A helper gith has arrived from west.
A helper gith has arrived from west.
A helper gith has arrived from west.
A helper gith heroically joins the fighting gith's fight.
A helper gith heroically joins the fighting gith's fight.
A helper gith heroically joins the fighting gith's fight.
Fear tingles in you as your foes hoarde around you.
>stat
....
....
....
You are affected by:
  Fear
....
....
....
>emote shudders slowly backing off, wildly swinging his swords.
.....
Maybe in time there can appear coded effects of fear, exhaustion and... leadership for folks who do not like to play these out themselves. Just a tiny coded effect to help the RP, eh?

Storm Navigation: Err... Let's not. I know a friend who can max his parrying, two weapon skills and bashing in a few OOC days. A skill usually means abuse.
Your warrior/guard suddenly shifted his goal in life and became a duskhorn hunter, living in the plains for days before coming to the city? Wish up, explain the situation and let them leave a note in your account. As you become more and more experienced, let them decide if you should navigate in storms with ease or not. Let the staff decide if there's enough sand in your arse hole.

Being back looks entertaining.

[Hexxaex]

The suggestion for a torture and leadership command, to me, takes away from roleplaying and introduces us into a code-dependant playing type.  If we want to keep Armageddon as the best roleplaying-enforced experience there is out there, then we should be straying away from suggesting new coded commands for things that you can roleplay out, and get the same result.

Of course, it can be all up to the players to decide if they twinkishly dodge the templar's sword in the half-giant's grip, leaving their hand on, as well as deciding whether they emote their fighting with more pride and courage when their leader leads them.

[Morrolan]

Storm Navigation: Err... Let's not. I know a friend who can max his parrying, two weapon skills and bashing in a few OOC days. A skill usually means abuse.

Yikes.  Send in the RP police.

[Sokotra]

I don't think the answer is to stop implementing skills/commands.  The greatness of Armageddon is the RP which is SUPPORTED by coded realism so we don't end up turning to mush.  There's always the argument that something will be abused, which is a poor excuse in my opinion.  I think it goes without saying that when a new idea is implemented, you will want to put some sort of limitations in the code so that abuse isn't profoundly easy or something that will be done constantly.  All the commands and skills that we have now can be abused... heck.. emotes can be abused.  Sure, there's different levels of abuse but let's not let that excuse be the end of some possibly great ideas.  Given the chance to grow beyond the initial idea, some of them might end up being worthwhile.

[Ritley]

I don't think the answer is to stop implementing skills/commands.  The greatness of Armageddon is the RP which is SUPPORTED by coded realism so we don't end up turning to mush.  There's always the argument that something will be abused, which is a poor excuse in my opinion.  I think it goes without saying that when a new idea is implemented, you will want to put some sort of limitations in the code so that abuse isn't profoundly easy or something that will be done constantly.  All the commands and skills that we have now can be abused... heck.. emotes can be abused.  Sure, there's different levels of abuse but let's not let that excuse be the end of some possibly great ideas.  Given the chance to grow beyond the initial idea, some of them might end up being worthwhile.

Thank you Sokotra -exactly- my point. You can emote you are doing better in fighting, but the opponent might disagree and say he's doing better. You can torture someone but the someone might emote he dodged your whip.

[Earendur]

My two cents..

To hard-code a tortue process would be to remove all player input on how their characters would actually respond in a situation.  Any time someone is getting tortured, their willingness to betray the information in question would depend vastly on what they are trying to keep secret and who they're hiding it from.  So to have a skill like:

torture bob

You press the hot dagger firmly to the man's arm and trace shallow cuts.

Then have Bob see:  You would reveal your information at this point.

Would just kills any possibility of Bob's player make a responsible choice.  What if the information will endanger Bob's last living relative who he'd rather die for than see harmed?  I realize that some players might play out the unwavering victim of steel who laughs in the face of gut-wrenching pain, but hopefully most people realistically portray their character's limits.

As to if you succeed..typically torture victims are typically subdued somehow, which tends to remove all possibility to avoid getting tortured.  Anyone that's pulling Superman dodges when they've been neglected and malnourished for any length of time is blatantly disregarding realism.

[Nao]

putting all the silly skill ideaas aside... I'd like to see a torture command, not a skill that depends on skill level though. Command meaning that if someone is getting hurt/killed through rp and emotes, there would be a way to reflect that codewise so nast templar fancypats doesn't have to call two guards that take an game-hour to kill some buff but already near-dead warrior by code... Just because he's not near-death by code yet, even if he's in a more dead than alive state rp-wise.

there would even be a way to stop all potential abuse of this so we wouldn't have to restrict this to templars and chars that are closely watched by the staff at all times - make it work on yourself only. so if I play buff warrior bob that just got three fingers cut off by templar fancypants underlings, I use that command and substract some hp and/or stun from myself to reflect the damage code-wise. Lord templar fancypants emotes slitting my throat- voila, time to kill off my beloved warior bob and take away the remaining hp from myself and the char dies, without having to do any coded fighting that wouldn't really fit the situation.

the only possible way this could be abused is suiciding unwanted characters for ooc reasons... But that's already easy enough in a way that is less noticable to the staff, so I think that potential for abuse wouldn't damage the game.

[Bogre]

I'd love a hurt self command.

emote looks fearfully down at the crushed bone of his pinky, raising his wavy-bladed dagger +2 of pinky-dismemberment high!

hurt self dagger

You forcefully wound yourself, doing frightening damage.

[bloodfromstone]

I would also love the ability to wound your own character. I've played a character who was fairly self-destructive at times, and it would have been very nice to be able to reflect some coded damage on my poor unstable PC during some of these scenes.
It would have to have a selectable range of damage, though. I wouldn't want to emote running a dagger's blade over my palm and then deal half my health in damage. Then again, unless it's a major injury, it probably wouldn't warrent anything more than emoting. *shrug*

[SewerRat_inTheOpen]

I don't think the answer is to stop implementing skills/commands.  The greatness of Armageddon is the RP which is SUPPORTED by coded realism so we don't end up turning to mush.  There's always the argument that something will be abused, which is a poor excuse in my opinion.  I think it goes without saying that when a new idea is implemented, you will want to put some sort of limitations in the code so that abuse isn't profoundly easy or something that will be done constantly.  All the commands and skills that we have now can be abused... heck.. emotes can be abused.  Sure, there's different levels of abuse but let's not let that excuse be the end of some possibly great ideas.  Given the chance to grow beyond the initial idea, some of them might end up being worthwhile.

Agreed. That's why we are discussing it and we are stating our reasons as to why we think they are or not. Never played a mush before, but I think they have someone like a DM to determine if hits lands or not when fighting..

Thank you Sokotra -exactly- my point. You can emote you are doing better in fighting, but the opponent might disagree and say he's doing better. You can torture someone but the someone might emote he dodged your whip.

I don't agree with this torture scene. When a person is being tortured, most likely he is immobile. If he emoted dodging it.... get your people to hold him down with something, like a big boulder or with templars, those chains of bone. well, since he is being tortured, it implies he is unable to move much.*

*a scenario came to me as I typed the line before. Wrestling moves like figure of 4... which might be the kind of torture the Orginal poster was thinking about. I see someone being tortured as someone who has been somehow immbolised. It is probably both.

[Rindan]

I don't think the answer is to stop implementing skills/commands.  The greatness of Armageddon is the RP which is SUPPORTED by coded realism so we don't end up turning to mush.

I don't think anyone is against supported coded realism.  What people are against are things that detract from RP by throwing a number at something that is in truth is far more complex the a few dice roles.  For instance, making torture a skill ignores the fact that any idiot can take a dagger poke your eye out with it.  There is no skill required.  If someone wants to harm you and there is a big old half-giant holding you down, there is nothing you are going to do to stop it.  Making it some sort of skill doesn't increase the realism.  It detracts from the realism when I emote jabbing you in the gut, but I am only able to knock off 5 hp because my torture skill is low.

The same thing could be said about leadership.  Leadership is far more complex then a dice role.  RP is a MUCH better way of dealing with leadership abilities then slapping a new skill into the game.  Leaders don't give people hit point boosts are make them hit any better.  Leadership is about communicating to everyone what to do when the time comes, your underlings trusting in your orders, and your underlings being able to carry out those orders.  RP already handles these complexities far better then code ever can.  If you take five recruits, train them, drill them, and get them to trust you, you will trounce another guy with five recruits who are not trained, drilled, or trusting.

There is support for coded ideas that improve the realism of the game.  A new crime code that is more complex would be a perfect example.  I highly doubt there would be many people against giving the crime code a good once over.  The same could be said for the combat system.  I highly doubt anyone would shed many tears if a new and more complex combat system was implemented.  People are not anti-code, they just want code in places where it makes sense.  Of course, the other half to this is that the best code suggestions are ones that are easy to implement.  Everyone would like a new combat code, but I doubt you will have programmers lining up to tear out the guts of the games source code to get at it.