Lost...

[shanahan]

Hey, my character fell into a cave and now I have been wandering in there for over 5 hrs until I gave up and just went to sleep.  I am not kidding about the hours.  It is pitch black meaning I have to use a torch every time I wander about, any tips or help that I can get.  I realize that this is part of RPing experience but I don't think getting stuck in a pitchblack cave where you can't tell where the wind is coming from is realistic too.

[Xygax]

You must never have been spelunking, then.  It's very easy to get lost even in a fairly small, shallow cave, if it has a few good twists and turns.  If you need to bail out but can't find a safe room, wish up and someone may be able to remove you from the world safely.

-- X

[Dakkon Black]

Tips, well of course.

1) What did your char think before he went into that cave.

a) Oooh, probably loot in here
b) This will be neat, I haven't entered an uncharted most likely death bringing dark unpopulated dangerous cave in weeks!
c) I wonder if whatever lives in here really needs an opening this big?
d) I shouldn't go in here alone, that would be insane!

If it was D, congratulations.

But it wasn't was it?

The first thing you really need to do, is treat your char like a living bieng, not like a piece of text to throw around. The reason you are having little sucess in there is because this isn't a hack and slash mud. Chances are if you do find loot in there, it will be because you prepared and set up a team to do it. Very few survive in the wilds alone.

As for a more helpful hint for the moment. You can sense exits still by walking around the room you are in. Syntax is: exits or exit

This will show you where the tunnel goes, and hopefully you can make your way somewhere.

[shanahan]

e. I fell in there

[shanahan]

I am no noob to RPing, MUDs, etc. I am a 3 year veteran of SoI, insane RPing and similar system.

I was wandering about to go for RP reasons in the first place and I literally fell into the cave and was knocked out for a good 10 minutes.  I have found some sweet l00t in there, but it does me no good if I am dead.  Furthermore, this is providing to be one of the best areas for me to learn the game, as this is my first character.

I have rats and stuff chasing me, forcing me to sneak, evade, conserve energy, etc.  So far, while I regret having to wander, it has proved to be quite helpful.

[Hexxaex]

If you fell into a hole that you can't get out of, the exits command will tell you which ways you can go if the hole has multiple rooms.  If you fell down into the hole, which way, logically, would you get out of it?

No offence, but the negative attitude you're giving the help and your situation aren't going to get you out of it.  Your character may find a miraculous way out, or their fate may be exhausting themselves trying and dying of starvation.  I can't tell you how to get out, and nobody else can.

Because you're new to Armageddon, a staff member may be able to get you out of this mess.

[shanahan]

Well, at first I tried climbing straight up but I would just keep on falling and losing life, and only one room had light.  Soon though I figured out how to use the torch and now have gone through at least 70+ rooms, it is multilayered and very vast and complex.  I am in there right now, and no imms are on when I am.

[jstorrie]

I think I know exactly which area you are speaking of, and it can be a deathtrap. I would offer a few bits of advice:

Think about how you got down here in the first place. You didn't just fall, did you? You fell while doing something kind of irrational!

Does your character have friends? Does he know anyone at all? If he does, try using the Way. Maybe someone could come help him out.

You likely won't starve if, as you say, there are rats! Your biggest worry is probably your torch burning out.

If you were lost in an underground cave system, what would -you- do? Could you come up with some way to keep track of which tunnels you've been down and which you haven't?

In a dimly-lit natural cave system there are bound to be certain tunnels which aren't all that obvious. Try using the search command to make sure you aren't missing anything. Similarly, maybe you could use the hunt command to see if anyone else has been through these caves lately. Maybe they've left a trail you can follow out.

And most importantly: your best chance for survival is finding a way out before you run out of light, but while you're wandering around, don't fall down any further! If you fall even further below ground you're probably totally boned, given the scant resources you have on hand. Watch your footing!

[Savak]

I don't pick up a "bad" attitude from these posts.  I do think, however, that people like me who have gone through this before know just how bad the grimace factor is, and start to think it's actually more intuitive to avoid, get out of, or get around in than it is.  The trouble is, not all game systems treat "darkness" or even "climbing" the same, and until you've been through it it's really frustrating.  If you've already been through it (sometimes many, many times..), there comes a point where it's just RIGHT that way.

Anyway, my rambling point is -- pretty much everyone who has played Armageddon has been through this (or a scenario very much like it), and although it can be a real frustration I think taking it as a learning experience is the best thing to do.  And although I've said that most of us who have been through it have fallen into the superficial trap of feeling that's the best and only suitable way for the game to handle it, we -are- open to ideas and ways to make it better in the long run (while still believable and in some way difficult on a character).

Good luck.

-Savak

[moab]

Just to add my bit:

If you found "sweet loot" it was probably from the last person in the same situation you're in.  I lay two to one that you'll leave your "sweet loot" behind to add to the pile.

Good luck!

[Cuusardo]

Word of advice:  Map the place.  If you've got Excel, or some other program similar, make yourself maps of new places.  Even a text file would work if you do it in ascii.

[amoeba]

Word of advice:  Map the place.  If you've got Excel, or some other program similar, make yourself maps of new places.  Even a text file would work if you do it in ascii.

Just for another perspective, personaly I don't like to map.  Say for instance another character of yours is involved in a plot concerning that very same area.  Having a map availible can be just too much of a temptation. At least if you never made one, you don't have an easy solution tempting you to find an easy way out.  It's also the same reason I stopped writing down names and descriptions for every character I encountered as I used to do when I first started.  It is easier to be less than perfect if all you have to rely on is your memory.

[proxie]

If he's been lost for five hours, then come on... let the poor guy map!

Just don't use the maps much afterwards, but if you figure out where you've been, you have a better chance of getting to where you need to go. Especially the area you're talking about. Thankfully, most DIKU areas are still rather linear in design due to their six sided exit system.

You may not get out with this PC but, as you said, you're learning a LOT about the world. Armageddon gets along with Darwinism rather well. Your next PC will be a bit smarter about things like torches and supplies when in potentially spooky areas.

Good luck!

Proxie

[amoeba]

If he's been lost for five hours, then come on... let the poor guy map!

I don't care if anyone maps or not, it was simply -my- perspective.  And I'm pretty certain I know the place he is at, I'm rather suprised he surived the inital fall.  I'm also suprised there is this much talk about it, considering it is not common knowledge.

[jstorrie]

I'm also suprised there is this much talk about it, considering it is not common knowledge.

There's this much talk about it because everyone has had a PC fall down there at least once. I heard Mansa fell down there like eight times.

No saying where there is, though. We can't ruin it for the people who haven't fallen into it yet.

[Delirium]

Not everyone.

What I suggest is a scribble map if you have a hard time keeping track.  Some people (like me, I will brag) have a pretty good sense of direction in MUDs but some people can't find their way out of a four-room cave.  

So for the latter, writing something down might help.

[Agent_137]

i think i had a char once fall in. but then a big fucking worm fell in after him and ate him.

sucks.

the worm should have splattered.

sucks.

[Anonymous]

I personally think you folks are giving out way to much information on this situation.  If you want people to learn first hand then they shouldn't be given so much info on the underdark it is a dangerous and mysterious place and should stay that way.  If you make a mistake such as light or such then when you die you'll know for next time.  But instead this looks to me like," hey I'm lost help me" and every one is giving out information that they had to learn the hard way.  Let this poor individual go through the same.  If it becomes to much they can wish up and the Imms will help them out. I know this for fact.  As for the one that is lost, good luck my friend.

[Qetesh]

I don't really see much in the way of IC information here except the fact that there is a large vast whole somewhere in the game and that apparently there are rats there in the dark (No big shocker). And things that are hunting you and are hungry will most likely hunt you until they are tired, lost or dead.

I don't think there is much need to go on about it though, because this will eventually lead to IC info.

If the person stuck is still alive, there are a few good suggestions here on how to stay alive and "maybe" find a way out. Good Luck and watch where you step going forward.

As a helpful hint to new players, Most "bad" places/things in the game, come with a warning signal in the description. Not all, but most. Pay attention to what your surroundings are and play them out realistically.

As for using mapping. I personally think it's a discretionary thing (not a staff opinion). If you are Rp'ing out that your PC is keeping track of places he/she has been. Leaving markers, like little torn bits of cloth or something. I'd say, go ahead and map. I might use it in that sense for this scenario.

I normally don't use mapping ever. If I don't know a place, I don't know it and will try to learn  my way around.

Mapping tends to make that more difficult. Like Auto dial on your cell phone, you become confident that you have all the phone numbers you will need, but god forbid you loose your cell phone, you probably couldn't collect call your mom.

The Newbie Bynner looks at you and says, "Um Sarge? What do you mean you don't know the way to Allanak? We just came from there."

You say to the newbie Bynner, "Yeah.. Um.. I seem to have lost my memory of it, must be that bad scrab head I ate."

-Not a situation you want to be in Rp wise.

Anyway, Good Luck my cavern encased friend. I am locking this one down.