The Guards should know...

[Vessol]

Ok this is a idea that I have been thinking of for a long time due to past and somewhat recent events IG.
First of all we all know that in major settlements(Allanak, Tuluk, Luirs, but Red Storm would not count) that each gateway(that is known to people, not counting any 'other' ways into the city) has guards posted at the gate.
Now we also know that in the past there have been criminal PCs that have had bounties put on their heads by people of major power and such. But, at the same time these criminals roam the cities of their enemies freely.
So my idea is to implement code that would allow a PC, such as the Templars of both city-states, and major members of Kurac, to codely be able to enter a PCs sdesc(could maybe also use name, or other sources), and that ICly they would tell the guards what this character looks like and such.
So when Raider Joe walks into Allanak after a hard day of killing noobs that mine obsidian outside of 'Nak, the guards being told by the Templars what this person looks like(the Templar was tipped off by many a survivor), either arrest him or kill him on the spot. The arrest would give a guard the order to bring the PC to a cell that has been designed for such and then alert(if codely posable) the closest PC Templar/Kuraci who would then ICly question them.
Also to add a point of reality to this, there would only be a 60-80%(could be changed of course) chance of the guard recognizing the person at all.

I personally think this would work well and fix some unrealistic things I have seen and give some real power to some leader PCs.
Imagine that some stupid grebber has made you mad, and you being the all-rich nobleman that you are go off and find a Templar of your respective city and offer a reasonable offer for the Templar to give his guards the order.
This could lead to many a good roleplay opportunities, where as the Templar would choose to take this reasonable offer for his own well-being or deny poor Noble Joe and send him to the arena.
I do see how this could be abused in a sense, as in OOC friends of the PC's in power(Templars, etc) tipping off the Templar on some OOC communication because Raider Joe killed their poor Grebber Joe, but I really do not think that someone in such a high position(only trusted players take these roles) would give in.

I can tell some criticism of this, as in it is just adding less code, but do you think that Templars and others have all the time in the world to wait at the gates, and realistically in the past and present guards are at the gate for a reason, to make sure all who enter the city are allowed to.

Also last notes. Hoods would not block a guard from checking you, but if you could sneak past the guards it could be possible.

I am open to any ideas or criticism, and would hope the immortals check this out too, I do hope it is codely possible.

[Marauder Moe]

Absolutely not, and for several reasons.

One, how are the gate guards going to know who you are?  Because some Joe Schmoe told you that "the tall, bearded man" is raiding miners?  Are they going to stop and question every tall guy with a beard?  This taps into the whole issue of unrealistic use of descriptions in IC speach, something I'm known to rant about from time to time.
(Yes, I'm aware that that's how the crim-code system currently works.  It's an admitted problem, but there doesn't seem to be a better solution.  Let's not add more code to make the problem worse, though.)

Second, the militia are peacekeepers, not bounty hunters.  While they're not not illegal, there is no formal system for bounties.  You shed blood in the city, you get arrested.  That's all the law cares about.  If you want the militia's help in collecting a bounty (or having one fufilled), you're going to need to go outside the formal word of the law and offer a few bribes.

[Vessol]

Well the thing is that only people in high position(Templars and such) would be able to issue the thing at first. Though I do see your point in just identifying by the sdesc, but seeing as those are supposed to be the most noteable features of that person, there would be a reason why they could be identified by that.

[Marauder Moe]

Though I do see your point in just identifying by the sdesc, but seeing as those are supposed to be the most noteable features of that person, there would be a reason why they could be identified by that.

Basically, it's not realistic.  You can't give someone a 35 character description of a person they've never met and expect them to go into a busy city and pick said person out of a crowd.  Yet, in Armageddon if you ICly say "Yeah, Raider Amos is a barrel-chested man with raven colored hair" (a ridiculous thing to say in itself), they'd immediately know that 'the barrel-chested, raven-haired man' sitting in some crowded bar is Raider Amos.

More on this here: http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16820&highlight=sdesc

[UnderSeven]

Besides which, there is probably enough of said raiders that it would just be an unending hassle.  Pcs only represent such a small portion of the actual people in game that if there is a raider amos pc, you can bet there is countless raider npc/vnpc.  And countless smuggler npc/vnpc.  And countless thief npc/vnpc.  Such is the hassle of law enforcement to keep track of them all.


That having been said, this is more or less possible as far as I know and implemented.  If someone is nitorious enough, they're going to be stopped at the gates everytime they try to get through them.  At least that was my experience in the past when dealing with ultra nitorious people.  (you know, the ones that you can assume are actually unique).

[Djarjak]

this command already exists.  It's called incriminate, and any templar can use it.

Guards would know in the same way all guards know instantly who a criminal is.

[Sokotra]

I guess I have a problem with the idea and the current crim-code, although it has majorly improved.  I'm just not into the idea of people being so easily recognized - period.  

Stuff that has irritated me for a long time are things like the insta-swift slayer guards that can see in pitch-black sandstorms and recognize you even though you went and covered your face with sandcloth bandanas or whatever and have your body completely covered with a hooded desert robe.  "Hey look, I see his pinky finger!  That's him!  Get him!"  

Heh, I know this has improved as of late, but I imagine that there's still things like this that have been left the same.  I know we don't want to make the guards completely idiotic, but I think this is part of the code that needs to be boosted up the reality chain a little bit more.  In a game world that is supposed to be harsh and full of criminals, it leaves a bland taste in my mouth when people can't get away with as much as they should.

Incriminate, in my opinion, shouldn't last very long unless the PC just sits there in the same spot like a sore thumb with no way of concealing his identity whatsoever - or it is just something or someone that is completely obvious.  (i.e. two-headed half-giants or whatever)  Other than that, I think pretty much everyone runs and hides out for a while, keeps their hood up or puts something on their face or whatever.  With hundreds of people coming and going in the city-states I think you would have to realistically lower the chances of being recognized to like... 5 percent, if that.  Just my two 'sids...

[Zalanthan]

I'm just not into the idea of people being so easily recognized - period.  Stuff that has irritated me for a long time are things like the insta-swift slayer guards that can see in pitch-black sandstorms and recognize you even though you went and covered your face with sandcloth bandanas or whatever and have your body completely covered with a hooded desert robe.  "Hey look, I see his pinky finger!  That's him!  Get him!"  

It seems to me that any gate guards would be extremely suspicious of hooded, cloaked figures entering the gates, especially during a sandstorm.  It would be perfectly appropriate for said guard(s) to approach/detain the ridiculously suspicious individual until they confirmed identity.  Think of the gates as a modern road-block; the officers can keep cars rolling by pretty quickly as they scan faces for their fugitive, but if a car with opaqe tinted windows pulls up, you can bet they will approach it with hand on holster instead of waving it by.  I draw my hood often in the wilderness and always in a sandstorm, but I never forget to lower it before returning to the gate because my character wouldn't want to stand out as a potential trouble-maker based on the way I dress.

[Shalooonsh]

Thousands of people come into and go out of each of those gates every morning, noon, and night of each Zalanthan day.

Unless this person was highly, highly, highly treasonous (IE:  had stolen Tek's sekrit maps/pornography of the north, was rumored to have possession of Luir Dragonsthrall's mummified penis, or had stolen Muk-Utep's favorite tree-and-bunny patterned security blanket) then most likely there wouldn't be any action taken in the way reminiscent of Uber Roadblock +15 vs. Raiders.  An order of this sort would likely only come from one of the Wicked High Muckitiemucks of said city, like a Black Robe in Allanak etc.

And if anything of the sort ever did happen, most likely the jails would be so full of people that vaguely resembled the person in question that it would be a laughingstock matter.  If a Black Robe/Inquisitor/Precentor or whatever ever did order this sort of action, every single swinging sword guard of the town would be locking up everyone that looked even partially like the subject in question, out of fear of being vaporized because they let 'that one guy' get away.

Note- This is not exactly the absolute view of staff, and whatnot.  I put some 'most likely's in there, so I'm off the hook.

[Red Sunrise]

tree-and-bunny patterned security blanket

I sense the next big-money item for Kadius right here.