Wild Life Unbalanced?

[Majikal]

I think the new wildlife is great and requires pc's to deal with alot more IC consideration about your sunbacking trip across the desert.. alone.. in a sandstorm.. with little to no experience on how to use their flashy new weapon. I was even cautious as fuck with my 60+ day ranger when riding through spider country and even being as careful as I was I remember a couple of times when riding alone was something I almost regretted. It's dangerous as shit in Zalanthas, riding alone ever from that oh so simple ride from tuluk to Luirs can prove death for even experienced players from time to time.

In addition, the new spiders are easier than the old ones and even though they're easier they're alot more fun and I wish more creatures had scripted features like that.

I think the only real issue, which has been an issue for as long as I've been playing is the track code. I wouldn't mind seeing a change where anything that procs a huntings beasts track code will only be pursued for X amount of rooms, maybe produced randomly on a 1d30 roll or something, or even as simple as until the next time change, where as if it was early morning when the tracking started when late morning rolled around it would quit. Seems as though that wouldn't he too hard to impliment, certain beasts triggered to reset at certain times in the day. I suppose that's another thread all together though.

[Morrolan]

Or...every time the beast "tracks" it has a 5% (or cumulative 1%) chance of dropping the track?  And then returns along the same route it came by, or at least to the same area?

It's actually the second part that interests me...territorial behavior is good and cool, especially if it doesn't always hold true.

Morrolan

[Gagula]

A raptor followed me and a friend all the way into a bar once.  A whole IC day after we got there.

So two noobs and a raptor walk into a bar...  

I don't know if I support a nerf to the npc tracking ability, even to balance it with pcs. A range cap or assigning it as a skill as with pcs could very thoroughly neuter their ability to actually pursue, and as it stands npcs already have a whole ton of disadvantages.

All in all I have mixed feelings about the subject. It would be nice if the behavior of wildlife was dynamic and interesting, but any changes to their code need to keep in mind that they behave in a very simple, predictable manner, have no memory, and are easily exploited. Which is just as well, otherwise they might end up doing something silly like building orbital weapons platforms.

That reminds me, gotta go get my sticky grenades from the merchant in Nak.....that'll show those raptors!

[Sephiroto]

Speaking of bugs with the tracking command.  I have a story I want to share with everyone.

I had a character killed by a sandy-brown mantis (or something like that) a few years ago.  I didn't realize I had a large, heavy bag in my inventory and ended up fighting the mantis at a high encumberance.  Needless to say, my character didn't fight very well in that instance and was moderately wounded.  Anyway, I fled to the Mul outpost for some shelter and to recover.  Keep in miind that this outpost was guarded by both human and mul bandits who like it when travellers spend lots of coins there. 

Anyway, the mantis tracked my character all the way from where I was hunting them, walked into the mul outpost, tracked me through the outpost into a dark, underground room, and killed me there as I rested.  Aside from tracking me a considerable distance, the thing tracked me into an outpost of NPC's that probably didn't like mantis an awful lot, wasn't attacked by them, tracked me through the city somehow..., and saw me in the dark without aid of a light source (because NPC's have perfect vision i.e., I've had invisible characters spotted in complete darkness by NPC soldiers).  The whole thing sounds fishy and presents a whole host of bugs which should probably be investigated at some point.

So, I'm up for the chance that NPC's tracking characters will lose the trail by some probability and return from where they came.

[Gunnerblaster]

I would like to see the animals take on territorial characteristics. In the past, I've had NPC creatures 'track' me down all the way up to the gates where they were spam killed. You would think that after ten to fifteen rooms or so, the creature would give up chase and begin hunting something else.

[deviant storm]

I would like to see the animals take on territorial characteristics. In the past, I've had NPC creatures 'track' me down all the way up to the gates where they were spam killed. You would think that after ten to fifteen rooms or so, the creature would give up chase and begin hunting something else.

Agreed. I'd like to see the trail go 'cold' for tracking critters after a while. Or for them to give up once you've gone way out of their territory. Once you've managed to put oh, 5 or 10 rooms between where you encountered the beastie, they should decide they can't catch you and go back to where they were.

[Dakkon Black]

I noticed several complaining that it is too dangerous to solo outside of the gates.

All I can say is *BOGGLE*

You should not be leaving the gates solo. This isn't WoW.

[deviant storm]

I noticed several complaining that it is too dangerous to solo outside of the gates.

All I can say is *BOGGLE*

You should not be leaving the gates solo. This isn't WoW.

Sometimes it's a choice of solo-RP inside the gates, or solo-RP outside the gates. I think it should be up to the individual what kind they would rather do. Telling people what game this isn't really doesn't lend much to this discussion.

[brytta.leofa]

I noticed several complaining that it is too dangerous to solo outside of the gates.

Maybe I'm insanely lucky, but I haven't recently found this to be true.

[Shalooonsh]

I noticed several complaining that it is too dangerous to solo outside of the gates.

Maybe I'm insanely lucky, but I haven't recently found this to be true.

Noted.

[FantasyWriter]

I noticed several complaining that it is too dangerous to solo outside of the gates.

Maybe I'm insanely lucky, but I haven't recently found this to be true.

Noted.

HAHAHA! Poor Brytta, hope you aren't too attached to your current PC.

[brytta.leofa]

WHAT HAVE I DONE?

[X-D]

BTW Loon, one of your critters does not seem to be hiding anymore and the neat script that was with it seems to have gone as well...I miss it already.

[Shalooonsh]

The script, for some reason, wasn't working correctly, so it was disabled rather than risk further player confusion.

[th3kaiser]

Awwww, those things were fun! I want me some more.

[Shalooonsh]

The script is fixed.






And hungry.

[Eloran]

The script is fixed.






And hungry.

...

Wait.

[Morgenes]

Note that we have tested it, but you guys are far better testers than us.  If you see anything weird out of the wildlife mentioned above, please mail morgenes and cc mud.

[Fathi]

AWESOME.

I missed this.

[th3kaiser]

Awesome, let's hope I don't die while testing!

[Gunnerblaster]

Oh God. What've I done?

[Moofassa]

I wasn't aware this game was about balance.

[RogueGunslinger]

That wasn't what the OP was really about...

[Moofassa]

That wasn't what the OP was really about...

Do you think I read the thread~?!? jeeeeeez


Balance bothers me.

[RogueGunslinger]

Lol, I do agree though.