'assess -v' and 'view'

[SailorMars]

Hi,

I've noticed there is some valuable information you get from 'viewing' an item in a shop: Can you handle the weight, where can you sheathe it, how hard the pull of a bow is, etc.

Far as I know, assess -v does not give those bits of information. However, they would be very useful when trading between PCs, and the bow pull information would be handy any time.

My questions are:
1) Is there a way to get the 'view' information from an item in your inventory?
2) If not, could the information from 'view' be appended to the information from 'assess -v'?

[God]

This was brought up on the Help, I'm a Newbie! board a while ago, but there was no immortal response.

We need information on how much a container carries and how hard the pull of the bow is from assess, and not just view. It'd be a very convenient update.

[5 day lifespan]

I would have to agree and add also that a comparitive tensile strength of materials guide would be nice (IE is Carru stronger than tandu or braxat? Scrab or Kank? Silt Horror or Bahamut?), if not in game then in the help docs, but Ive been after that for YEARS to no avail, so im not certain anyone will listen to that particular cry for help.

5DL

I agree to adding bow pull to assess, I don't think containers as much though, since perhaps a merchant might be telling you about how much a pack can hold... certainly not which materials are stronger, you'll just have to go on description, since that way, you still have deceptive materials, some tough looking materials (IRL and in game) are actually quite crap armor, and some flimsier materials are pretty tough.

[God]

You can easily judge a container by how much space is in it. Don't try to defend something that really doesn't need defending. The shopkeepers aren't telling you much these things can carry or whether you can pull it or not.

I agree on not showing which armor or weapon is stronger, though.

[Bestatte]

Umm..the view command DOES tell you how much a container can hold. And if I can see a pouch, sitting on the rack behind the counter of a shop, and have some idea of its capacity....

Then it makes good sense that I should be able to tell the general capacity of the pouch that I'm holding in my own hands.

I'll add my vote to allow "assess -v" on items in your inventory to show you the same things that "view" shows you in shops.

I didn't mean so much as the capacity of the container, like how much space in it, but more or less how much -weight- it can hold, without breaking the straps, seams etc.

[spawnloser]

I'm with everyone on containers and bows...which materials are stronger though?  That can be deceptive.

[5 day lifespan]

People seem to think that material's tensile strengths might be deceptive, but that's not necessarily true.  If one were to cut through a length of carru hide, say, with a bone knife, then not be able to get through chalton hide with the same knife, then easily get through Braxat... see what I mean?  This is why I think it could be in an offline helpfile, or even a doc accessable to crafters, so at least THEY know.  I would have just stuck by the old stand by of comparing prices and deciding that more expensive stuff is worth more, but if you go north, scrab shell is worth alot more than it is in Allanak, and in 'Nak northern materials are worth more.  This makes sense due to rarity and how economics "works".  But it also means I need to travel across the known world to comparison shop, when I could just ask someone.  I cant ask someone, though, because no one knows.  Hell, Id even put up with asking the merchant and having him act like a used car salesman.  "Well yeah, sure its blackened, uh, that just means its been fire treated.  Fire treating makes the leather stronger, yknow!  In fact..." :the grey haired merchant raises his offer 20 sids:  "Now, I can throw in an undercoating on that for a few more 'sids..."
 It might also help if there were definitions of the armors or pictures posted in the helpfiles, as Ive met armor crafters before that had no idea what greeves or cuisses were, the difference between a cuirass or a jacket, and dont even ask about carboulli!  It was only some time in the SCA that identified these pieces for me, and some extra curricular internet research.
 And since Im on the subject, we could use an expanded animal list in the helpfiles, too.  75% or more of the animals Ive been seeing lately arent in the helpfiles.  If this is on purpose, Ill understand.

[SailorMars]

Personally, I am just asking that the 'view' and 'assess-v' information be consolidated. From what I have seen of the 'view' information, none of it is really merchant-dependant. It has to do with the customer holding the item and making some judgement calls about it. This should also be possible with an item you already have in your inventory as well, I would think.

As for material strengths, that is tough. Shell A may be stronger than Shell B against Weapon C, but not against Weapon D. Could you really tell if bahamet shell is stronger than tortoise shell by feel? I feel like the information on item's description is generally enough, i.e. this piece of armor seems to offer heavy protection, moderate protection, or not as much as others of its type, etc. So long as those are accurate it seems like enough, for me. Call me perverse, but the trial and error process is something to do.

[X-D]

Could you really tell if bahamet shell is stronger than tortoise shell by feel?

Um....hhmmm, I'm sure that would be pretty hard to do.

Excuse me mister bahamet, could you tell me which is stronger...Your shell or your shell?

Anyway, putting in relative material strengths would be nifty, but I can't say it is needed....having assess and view be one on the other hand is needed....(looking at a backpack in a shop) Hhhmmm, looks like it will hold around 40 stone....see another one laying on the ground, but a different type, Wonder how much that will hold, Ah, no idea...wait, I'll sell it to this merchant here cause he has magick shelves that let me actually get some idea how big it is.

[spawnloser]

People seem to think that material's tensile strengths might be deceptive, but that's not necessarily true.  If one were to cut through a length of carru hide, say, with a bone knife, then not be able to get through chalton hide with the same knife, then easily get through Braxat... see what I mean?

The problem with this is that you're assuming that certain materials don't react differently to different types of damage, which isn't true.

[5 day lifespan]

I wasnt concerned really about the different types of damage, I can figure that out by looking it up in a AD+D 2nd ed book, or just figure it out, but relative hardness/toughness will give you a good idea of what the uneducated consumer will want.  Tough=Good.  "Let that putz find out on his own that it doesnt save you from clubs, I have his sid, what does it matter?"  Thats what I mean.  A relative toughness scale will let you know alot of info without spoiling the game by giving numerical stats.

[spawnloser]

I suppose I can accept that...however, once things get too hard, it's kinda hard to figure out which is really harder than the other.