What happened to reel?

[Gimfalisette]

It's been a good long while now since I saw anyone get reeled in combat, or was reeled myself, or reeled anyone. As in, I think it's got to be at least an RL month now. Am I the only one noticing this?

[spawnloser]

Only a month ago I was, to paraphrase another, reeled to death by an NPC.  I haven't had much combat experience since.

Editted to change 'quote' to 'paraphrase,' a more accurate statement.

[psionic fungus]

I'm not fighting much with my current PC, but I believe the last time I was engaged in combat there was 'reeling' involved.

[X-D]

Actually, I was just wondering the same thing...I'm not complaining mind you, I disliked reel anyway. But it would be nice to know if it is actually gone or if we have to worry about SUPRISE its alive again.


Keep in mind, I have a PC who has, in the last 2 weeks done several frightenings and unspeakables to head and neck of standing PC and NPC with no reel. And taken a frightening 1x to the head with no reel...Thank god.

And while we are on the subject of things gone, Really, why do NPCs no longer fall down when bashed? Yes, I know there is another thread on that.

[Gimfalisette]

Previously, I'd often see reels even in unarmed combat, with a decent hit to the head or neck, or in regular combat with wounds and very hards. But NADA now. And I am doing combat on a daily basis.

[spawnloser]

Isn't it possible that the staff has simply modified the 'reel code' so that it isn't quite so deadly but is still in effect?

[psionic fungus]

While I personally would not like to see REEL removed (and I would like to see a toned down blood-loss code reinstated for everyone, once you reach half your hitpoints, or something) I do think it could have been further toned down.  Initially it was devestating, and the last I encountered it, it still seemed slightly overpowered (hits to non-vital locations reeling players, 'light' hits to the head reeling, etc).  Still, I think REEL did -something- to impress the seriousness of hard hits on players. I know that when my character gets dazed the first thing I do is start considering escape options. :/

[Fathi]

I've definitely noticed changes as far as that goes. Even if the code itself is still doing reel-levels of stun, I haven't seen the echo itself for quite some time, and I'm in combat pretty much daily.

[rufus]

Reel's still here.

[Coat of Arms]

Reel is still there, but it seems pretty rare these days.

[Twilight]

If you are doing combat daily, and not noticing any reels, it might be good to remember the staff announcement about some skill that gave resistence to being reeled, the better at combat you were.

[WWYD]

EDIT: Huh. Twilight's post rendered mine stupid looking.

[psionic fungus]

If you are doing combat daily, and not noticing any reels, it might be good to remember the staff announcement about some skill that gave resistence to being reeled, the better at combat you were.

Could you point me in the direction of this announcement?

[Eukelade]

I haven't seen a reel for awhile either, and I can make mekillots fight salt worms.

Which I did.  No reeling.

[Gimfalisette]

I haven't seen a reel for awhile either, and I can make mekillots fight salt worms.

Which I did.  No reeling.

Am envious now.

Further data: Going back in my logs to the day that ARM came back up from that 10-day downtime in July, I see that the strings "reels from the blow" or "reel from the blow" are found in almost every single log until August 16th:

7/16
7/19
7/20
7/21
7/22
7/25
7/26
7/28
7/29
7/31
8/1
8/2
8/4
8/5
8/6
8/7
8/8
8/10
8/11
8/12
8/13
8/14
8/15
8/16
8/28

And then there's a big gap between the 16th and the 28th, and nothing since the 28th. This is doing combat on a daily basis pretty much, against opponents who should be getting reeled, same type of situation as previously.

I thus submit my hypothesis that reel has changed somehow.

[Dakkon Black]

I thus submit my hypothesis that reel has changed somehow.

Nope. Reel works on a random roll. And it's been "Reely" Random lately.

[Twilight]

Someone asked for when it was announced that there was a skill that changed your chance of being reeled:

//[/http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22964&highlight=

[Coat of Arms]

After some testing, it seems that reel has in fact been disabled, at least for NPCs. Or the message has been disabled. Or the chance has been lowered to 0.1%, I dunno.

[psionic fungus]

Apparently the code tweak announcement from the above link was from October 2006... The -recent- issue with reel started around Aug 2007.  I don't see how the two could be related.

[Clamach]

Reel is still in effect, there are just some criteria that must be met before it will take place.

[Coat of Arms]

Are you sure these criteria are working correctly? I played a half-giant for a little while and never, ever managed to make anyone reel a single time. This was not long ago. Double grievously did not make opponents reel. Blows that took a human from excellent to poor in one swing did not cause a reel. It really leads me to believe that it's not working; unless it has been intentionally changed so that reel isn't caused by combat damage anymore?

[Zendri]

Are you sure these criteria are working correctly? I played a half-giant for a little while and never, ever managed to make anyone reel a single time. This was not long ago. Double grievously did not make opponents reel. Blows that took a human from excellent to poor in one swing did not cause a reel. It really leads me to believe that it's not working; unless it has been intentionally changed so that reel isn't caused by combat damage anymore?

I'll second that suspicion.  Earlier this summer, my character used to cause his opponents to 'reel from the blow' on a lot of his attacks.  After Saturday, August 18th, however, he hasn't caused a single 'reel' despite any change in his combat habits.  For whatever that's worth.

[Morgenes]

Looking at the code it appears a 'bug fix' 'fixed' reel.  I am fixing the fix, and reel will be back.

[mansa]

Looking at the code it appears a 'bug fix' 'fixed' reel.  I am fixing the fix, and reel will be back.

Are you saying that you're going to modify it so that it's somewhere inbetween the two?

Or you just going to fix it?

[Morgenes]

I'm saying a bug fix that was unrelated to the actual workings of reel indirectly broke reel.  I'm fixing the original problem properly so that reel will function as it did before.

That said, I am looking at making some minor changes to it, mainly taking into account hit location.

[Pale Horse]

I'm saying a bug fix that was unrelated to the actual workings of reel indirectly broke reel.  I'm fixing the original problem properly so that reel will function as it did before.

That said, I am looking at making some minor changes to it, mainly taking into account hit location.

THANK YOU!

I lost a favorite character due to being constantly under the effect of reel from a mob that walked in and instantly attacked at the same time.  I got hit on my foot of all places!

[Coat of Arms]

I think reel was fine as it was just before it stopped working (except for unarmed combat). Locations such as hands and feet required a really hard hit to score a reel, or you had to be within an inch of death already. If I walk up to you and brutally crush your foot with a mace, I bet you're going to reel as well. If you reeled from anything less than "very hard" to the foot, you were either extremely unlucky or already in a pretty bad shape.

[Dalmeth]

I lost a favorite character due to being constantly under the effect of reel from a mob that walked in and instantly attacked at the same time.  I got hit on my foot of all places!

That was always the real danger of the reel code.  It wasn't the mekillots and bahamets that were the great threat, but the tweaked NPCs that had erratic attack patterns.

[Coat of Arms]

Reel works again.

[Fathi]

I think reel was fine as it was just before it stopped working (except for unarmed combat). Locations such as hands and feet required a really hard hit to score a reel, or you had to be within an inch of death already. If I walk up to you and brutally crush your foot with a mace, I bet you're going to reel as well. If you reeled from anything less than "very hard" to the foot, you were either extremely unlucky or already in a pretty bad shape.

Since I've not seen the code, of course, I could be completely wrong, but my biggest issue with reel is that there seems to be no difference between getting reeled by a horrendous damage to the wrist or to the head, which I think is a bit silly.

I don't mind getting reeled by massively hard hits, but I think there should be some variance in the severity of the reel effects when location is taken into account. My PC would still be dazed by getting an arm practically chopped off, but not NEARLY so much as if it had happened to his head.

[Maybe42or54]

Maybe it is the weapon I use, but I make things reel all the time.

[X-D]

I still hate reel...from both sides, matters not to me if I'm the one doing it or the other way around, its pointless cheese IMO. I was happy with it broke...but am thankful that at least Morgenes is nice enough to warn us that the cheese is back.

Thanks.