Holes in the ground

[DustMight]

I think this post should go here...

What do you all think about rooms that are "holes" that you can't even approach without falling into?

So many times (really, I'm kinda slow like this) I have characters approach some type of hole because they want to look down into it, but upon approaching, fall into it.
Seriously, do you always fall off a cliff just by peering over it?

This, I find, is annoying.

[Nyr]

Look before you leap.

If there's not a message of any sort that gives you an idea that the next room will be one in which you fall down, let us know and we'll go fix it.  (If there's no message, that's usually a typo.)

[RogueGunslinger]

The holes you're speaking of are dug as traps, and are neigh impossible to see from the angle the trapee is suppose to come from.

But I agree, once a character knows about the hole, he shouldn't fall into it.

[DustMight]

The holes you're speaking of are dug as traps, and are neigh impossible to see from the angle the trapee is suppose to come from.

But I agree, once a character knows about the hole, he shouldn't fall into it.

Actually, I think you got it right - that's exactly what annoys me.  If my character can see "massive hole to the east" going east should put him on the lip of the hole (able to look into it) and not at the bottom of it.

[Timetwister]

This is a time where it comes down to mechanics. If you forget to grab your sword before going outside and you do draw sword and end up dying, is it the players fault or the characters? Would the character really have forgotten his sword? Or his armor? Whatever. The point is that you can't code for stuff like that. You could have fallen into the hole for any number of reasons if your character knows about the hole. Maybe they did approach and slipped down into it. If you don't have climb you shouldn't be nearing the edge of any hole to begin with. If you do have climb it's safe to assume that you went close enough to have to climb over the edge.

[Bushranger]

Personally I blame the Maritoba-nong clan of Halflings who hang around holes, invisible, until someone comes to look down them and them -WHAM- the Maritoba-Nong Halflings push them into the hole and go laughing all the way back to their club house in the village.

[Thunkkin]

The fact that you can't look into a hole without making a climb check is frustrating.

It would be far too much work to go back and do this now, but perhaps going forward with new room building, the rooms around the hole could have this function:

"You are standing on the ground.  To the east is a chasm."

> l chasm

"Looking into the chasm to the east, you see:  Near: Nothing, Far: An annoyed desert elf fighting with four gith and some random mount that got stuck down there."

"You hear a male voice shout from the chasm to the east in allundean, "Quick Sits-In-Bamuk-Piss, throw me the rope!"

> shout (unslinging ~rope) I'll save you!

"Unslinging your rope, you shout in allundean, "I'll save you!"

> e

"You try to climb, but you slip! Ha HA!"

[RogueGunslinger]

I say make the holes tent-like objects, and the room it's in has a chance to teleport(fall) you into it. With proper echo's of course.

[Bogre]

I like the 'look chasm' idea.

[RogueGunslinger]

Yeah... I guess I do too.

[spawnloser]

Actually, you can't look down a cliff or into a hole (and not all holes are traps).  This is unrealistic and I sympathize with the OP.

[Synthesis]

You can look into a hole or down a cliff.

You just have to pass your climb check to do it.

I guess you have to shimmy halfway down to get a better look. *chuckle*

[spawnloser]

Well, yes, of course.  I meant that normal people without climb and those that fail their climb check can't look down holes or cliffs... except the hard way.

[jcljules]

Hehe. Sits in Bamuk Piss.

[BlazinDayz]

There is at least one hole in game that you can look down without having to climb over it. I would like more or all holes to be like that one.

[Kryos]

There are indeed.  If I get the chance IG, I'll try and send up a few holes that have no warnings about their existence, too.  I know of at least two without actively searching more out.

[ibusoe]

The fact that you can't look into a hole without making a climb check is frustrating.

[Rotten]

Ya know, the price of being unprepared is not doing everything you want to.  Sorry, you don't get to look down that hole.

That's called caution.

[musashi]

Ya know, the price of being unprepared is not doing everything you want to.  Sorry, you don't get to look down that hole.

That's called caution.

This is more about what would be realistic and yet was overlooked by the code.

[Salt Merchant]

Ya know, the price of being unprepared is not doing everything you want to.  Sorry, you don't get to look down that hole.

That's called caution.

I was able to look down into the Grand Canyon without throwing myself into it and without having to cling to one of its walls like a spider.

[Xagon]

Ya know, the price of being unprepared is not doing everything you want to.  Sorry, you don't get to look down that hole.

That's called caution.

I was able to look down into the Grand Canyon without throwing myself into it and without having to cling to one of its walls like a spider.

I failed my climb check, but was luckily able to scramble for purchase.

[Bushranger]

Ya know, the price of being unprepared is not doing everything you want to.  Sorry, you don't get to look down that hole.

That's called caution.

I was able to look down into the Grand Canyon without throwing myself into it and without having to cling to one of its walls like a spider.

Salt Merchant is not in the RL Byn and Xagon is?

I failed my climb check, but was luckily able to scramble for purchase.

[Ourla]

The fact that you can't look into a hole without making a climb check is frustrating.

Grr, agreed.  I've wished for this many times.

[staggerlee]

You are in the desert. [exits: N, S, E]
100/100/100> look n e

To the north you see: A sun blasted desert.
To the east you see: A sun blasted desert, with a hole in it.
To the north and east you see: A sun blasted desert.

100/100/100> think OMG!

100/100/100> look e d

To the east and down you see: The bottom of a hole.  The body of the tall, muscular man is here.

[Synthesis]

I just wish the "hey, there's a fuckin' hole here, dumbass" warnings were in the output for look <direction> AND in the room description, instead of just the room description.

When I'm out in the desert, 90% of my attention is devoted to l e;l n;l w;l s.