Disengage

[Anonymous]

I'd like to know how an npc who attacked a group of people mangaged to disengage from one pc and attack another in the middle of the fight?
As far as I know you cannot disengage if your the main fighter (Which the npc was.)
Also it so happens that the npc turned on a char who happened to be the least experienced char, how would the npc know this?
Just have to ask, seemed really twinkish to me.

[Eclipse]

Change target.

When fighting two people at once, you can change target to the other person. This makes the original target the support fighter and the new target the main target (so he can't disengage without fleeing).

[Anonymous]

Change target eh? Thanks never even heard about it until now.

[The Lonely Hunter]

change opponent <keyword>

[Cuusardo]

Does this also work in the same way that the follow command works?  Say, for example you're sparring with someone and want to back out of the fight...

[mansa]

"Disengage" allows you, if you're not the two main fighters in a fight, to back away.

If you're sparring a buddy, one on one, you must type 'Flee'

[Cuusardo]

Darn!  I was hoping for something besides fleeing.  It just doesn't seem right for one person to run as if his or her life was at stake when you're only sparring.

[Marauder Moe]

I've seen people just ignore it and RP as if they just stopped fighting.  Sometimes including emotes to that effect when they move back to the sparring room.

[Stroker]

It be interesting if there was the option to flee, as it is now and an option to retreat, which would allow you to disengage even if you are the person being attacked.

[creeper386]

But what would it do? All the person thats fighting you to stop attacking? And if you did disengage when in a group, what would decide who the person would go after first? And if it's a PC that you disengage from?


Creeper

[mansa]

Actually...I heard a rumour, once.

If both parties type 'Disengage' at the exact same time, the fight would stop.

Can anyone back this up?  Morgenes?

[creeper386]

Know how difficult that would be even if it was true?

Creeper

[Plazgoth]

I highly doubt it is even possible. Things are sequential on the mud so there is no two things happening at exactly the same point in time.

[Lazloth]

I highly doubt it is even possible.

Actually, if you've ever looked at diku code, combat was handled via positions (eg., standing/resting/sleeping/etc) and pointers.  I imagine you've seen Whatever is fighting someone who has already left. on another mud, or felt a hit after you've fled..?

..So person_a is set position_fighting (fighting->person_b), person_b is position_standing, (fighting->none), gone.  

Given that a successful hit initiates your victim's fighting (eg., sets their pointer), presumably, if disengage resets position & fighting-pointer, and the fighting is checked each round, if both people disengage before the next round (or next successful hit), the combat ceases.

I'm not saying the above follows on Arm, but that's how it'd be possible.

i thought disenage only works if you 'Assist' a person and want to back out. But I wasnt sure.

[Dan]

Nah, disengage works in a few ways. Two people are already fighting, you can attack them and then disengage so long as they don't change opponent to you. You can assist someone and then disengage so long as they dont change opponent to you, and finally if two people are fighting, and you attack one, and the person who is being attacked by the person your attacking flees, you can disengage before you hit them or attack them again and it will stop the fighting. Confused yet? Its easier to explain if you draw it out.

*'*   ---- those two are fighting....

*'*'* ----- you join in on the end....

*----*'*----- the person who you aren't attacking from the first fight flees

*'* ---- if you disengage right away you will stop the fight between you and the other person from continuing. It has to be before you throw an attack in though.

Just so long as your not the target of an attack you can disengage from a fight, easiest way to put it I think.