You Try To Attack It, But It Rises Overhead...

[jhunter]

My semi-ideal fix, based on 1.Arm physics and code:

1. Impossible to initiate a melee attack on something that is flying.
     a. Exception: unless the aggressor is also flying.

2. Possible to initiate a ranged attack, but the ranged attack doesn't necessarily initiate combat (coder's discretion).

3. Something that is flying can attack a grounded target, but as soon as it 'disengages,' the grounded target is no longer able to strike it with melee attacks.
     a.  Exception:  if the flying thing is currently reeling from a powerful blow and it disengages, it will disengage, but melee will continue until it is no longer reeling.
          i. Exception: if the flying thing disengages and the grounded target disengages, melee will cease regardless of reeling status.
     b.  Exception: if the flying thing is suffering from a combat-delay timer (from the kill, backstab, kick, bash, etc. commands), it will disengage, but melee will continue until the timer expires.
          i. Exception:  if the flying thing disengages and the grounded target disengages, melee will cease regardless of combat-delay timer status.

4. All regular combat commands can target something that is flying if it is engaged in melee combat with a grounded target.
     a.  Optional:  additional damage to target from bash and/or charge and/or trample, reflecting presumed height of fall.

5. If something that is flying initiates a ranged attack on a grounded target, it does not automatically engage melee combat.

6. If something that is flying is "stumbled to the ground" by a ranged attack, it suffers fall damage equivalent to falling off a 1-room drop.

I think that pretty much covers it.

I think you'd probably have to move Whiran up a couple of karma ranks, though.

I like it all except the last part. If whirans were move offensive of a class sure but I don't believe them to be offensive enough for this to be a problem.

[Synthesis]

Heh, if you don't think Whirans are an offensive class, you've never been pk'ed by one.

[Miri]

Can we not discuss how epik PK awesome a karma class may or may not be, guys? It bothers me, and it's more or less thinly veiled IC info, even if a ton of us veterans know that sort of thing. Leave the newbies some discovery, please.

[Synthesis]

Every magicker is scary as fuck, and can fuck your shit up entirely, and entirely without warning.  Everybody should know that, IC and OOC.

That being said, I was more addressing the problem of buzzards/hawks/falcons/siltflyers.

[Miri]

Yes, I realize that, but ... eh.

I think I agree with the premise that flying creatures should need to initiate combat, though I wonder if it hasn't been implemented before due to balance reasons. On the same topic, I don't think disengage should automatically stop combat for said flying person. That's what flee is for, after all. Maybe a bonus to that, if it isn't reflected already?

[musashi]

I believe flee'ing already is painfully easy for flying creatures.

[Cerelum]

My position is it should be hard as hell to kill flying things without a ranged weapon or magickal spell.

I would like to see one of you slash a hawk out of the air with a bone longsword...  IF you can do it, youtube it.

[Dan]

I believe flee'ing already is painfully easy for flying creatures.

Should be much harder to flee from something that is flying too.