Discussion for Change to Storm/Darkness navigation

[Morgenes]

I understand how this might irritate the folks who are the perpetual ranger playing sort...

...but I feel this is the best playability code change made since I started playing a few years back.  

For anyone that's ever wanted to play a desert elf warrior in a tribe where the player base cannot insure the constant presence of a ranger to guide them through the threat of blinding weather, this is a fantastic change.  A huge thank you, Morgenes.

You are welcome, I'm glad it's helping you play more.

The only improvement I would desire is that -all- desert elves would have this skill at least at the subguild cap... and perhaps that desert elf rangers should not require the extra equipment in order to have perfect storm navigation (excluding "tremendous" sandstorms).

All rangers when they fully get the skill to it's cap should have almost no problem with all but truly tremendous sandstorms without gear.  With gear they should never fail in sandstorms.

[KankWhisperer]

Yeah thanks for forcing everyone to buy [redacted].

[mansa]

Yeah thanks for forcing everyone to buy [redacted].

You would think that in a desert world, people would start with them

[Synthesis]

[redacted]

[jmordetsky]

Yeah thanks for forcing everyone to buy [redacted].

[redacted] used to useless, now they serve a purpose and the game is more playable and flexible. Double win.

[KankWhisperer]

I don't care if everyone else can find their way in the storm just don't take away my ability.

Also having played a guide and now losing everyone really sucks too.

[Morgenes]

I have edited posts in here that is spreading IC knowledge.  Please do not do so, being upset that your cheese has moved is not an excuse.  If we had wanted that to be common knowledge we would have added it to the helpfiles.  I see more of this behavior and I will be banning accounts.

[KankWhisperer]

Well you are staff but I still think you are wrong.

I think you are making what should be common knowledge super sekret find out IC knowledge.

Then you put [items in question] in [locations in question] that you probably need [items in question] to get to in the first place.

[Synthesis]

Well you are staff but I still think you are wrong.

I think you are making what should be common knowledge super sekret find out IC knowledge.

Then you put [items in question] in [locations in question] that you probably need [items in question] to get to in the first place.

There are PC-craftable versions of [item in question] but ironically you can only acquire the materials from [location in question] or [location where it practically never storms hard enough to need {item in question}].

[Rhyden]

Nice addition. Now nobody is going to guild-sniff my rangers ever again.

[Synthesis]

Just poked through the helpfiles to see which subs get direction sense.

Subguild scavenger should get it, if they don't already (it isn't noted in the helpfile).

First line of help scavenger is: "Scavengers, skilled at surviving in the wilds...."  That's just as strong a claim to it as rebel or forester.

[AmandaGreathouse]

Just poked through the helpfiles to see which subs get direction sense.

Subguild scavenger should get it, if they don't already (it isn't noted in the helpfile).

First line of help scavenger is: "Scavengers, skilled at surviving in the wilds...."  That's just as strong a claim to it as rebel or forester.

Can't help but agree.

[Thunkkin]

I'm actually not sure why foresters have it.  Does chopping wood in the grey forest really teach you how to navigate harsh storms?  The thicker the vegetation, the less sand there will be blowing around anyway.

The scavenger helpfile goes on to give an example of "wilds" ... "the ruins of Tuluk."  I'm not sure how much the tomb-raiding skillset overlaps with navigating sandstorms.  However, I think it makes more sense for scavengers to have it than foresters.  Kinda hard to take away from foresters now, though.

[evil_erdlu]

Nice addition. Now nobody is going to guild-sniff my rangers ever again.

The chubby employer tells you, in Sirihish:
  "But I love roots and mushrooms very much. Can you go gather some for me from time to time?"

Joking aside, I had had a few more chances to try the sandstorm code, even though this time it was a tiny stormy area. The changes to the code seems to take into account that rangers are rangers. You can fail once in a blue moon in weak storms and that's all.

[Cutthroat]

Well you are staff but I still think you are wrong.

I think you are making what should be common knowledge super sekret find out IC knowledge.

Then you put [items in question] in [locations in question] that you probably need [items in question] to get to in the first place.

There are PC-craftable versions of [item in question] but ironically you can only acquire the materials from [location in question] or [location where it practically never storms hard enough to need {item in question}].

Bears repeating, perhaps:

I added..the part about the new player. My main point was in response to Morgenes saying a new character (as in, straight out of chargen), *properly equipped* would have no trouble. And that is true. But a new character straight out of chargen isn't capable of being properly equipped, unless said character has access to said equipment. Which - isn't an option in some parts of the game.

We're looking at that too.  Given the desert world and all, you'd think such things would be more available.

So we can assume <item> is going to be available in more places soon. Of course if you feel a particular merchant should sell <item> you could always do an "idea <merchant> This dude should totally sell <item>! It would make sense. Awesome."

[Agent_137]

. . . being upset that your cheese has moved is not an excuse.  If we had wanted that to be common knowledge we would have added it to the helpfiles.  I see more of this behavior and I will be banning accounts.

lol self help book reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Moved_My_Cheese%3F

[jhunter]

I agree with the sentiment that it shouldn't be some super sekrit piece of gear and it should be common knowledge. I also believe that it should be very common and available in any settlement in some shape or form. I don't want to see it become something like masks that hid main descs used to be. If you make it too secret and rare, people will start unrealistically killing each other over said items.

"Let's see...I can kill this motha fucka and take his...here and now, or I can travel through storms, gith, elves, etc. for a couple days -and- pay for one..."

[musashi]

It doesn't really seem so hard for a newbie to figure out though. I mean ... really.
The help files say proper equipment can really help out.
The newbie gets in game and noticies the skill is low and sucking and asks another PC in game about what kind of equipment they can get to help out.
The other PC tells them.
-or-
The other PC doesn't, and later either a different PC does or they just see it on another PC and put two and two together on their own.

Lets leave the newbies at least a "little" detective work 

[Nyr]

I did the groundwork for figuring out where these are rare.  Expect some changes soon.

[original]

I enjoy the Ranger class and would feel jipped if someone was making it useless. This skill does not make it useless, that is like saying giving combat to other classes makes warriors useless.

I know not a single admin in this community, but it is my assumption they at least think through two steps ahead and made rangers the uber on this skill, so you will still go to them if you need a guide, but just like when you can't afford that 50 day warrior guard and need the 4 hour burglar one, there will be others with a weak version of the skill to at least -survive-, although I see the admin keeping any free happy living to the rangers. I could be completely wrong though. As for outside quit, that is the one and only thing I don't ever want to see shared with Rangers, it gives them purpose.

Sure I could use a 3 day warrior to just HnS the cave, but since he can't quit out instead I'll need a 20 day ranger to sneak, snipe, run, bandage, climb, and finally quit out so I can continue my long journey to death tomorrow. And that makes the game fun to me.

[Naruto]

Okay. I'm playing a 90+ day ranger. Because of some IC reasons I don't ride out too much lately. So, how am I supposed to get back to my old level? What reason could make my PC to break the IC rules to twink that said skill. I had the chance to ride in the gritty storm at 25th and lost my hitched mounts. Which was terribly annoying at the given time. Because while trying to gather one back I lost the other. Here are my two questions:

First: Can someone please explain me what hitching a mount means? I always thought I was tying their reins to the saddle of the one I'm mounting. If that's the case how can they get lost, even in a blinding storm when they are tied to me.

Second: Somebody please tell me how my PC can be able to ride through the storms with no trouble once again, as he's supposed to be after playing 10+ IG years or 90+ playing days.

[Morgenes]

First: Can someone please explain me what hitching a mount means? I always thought I was tying their reins to the saddle of the one I'm mounting. If that's the case how can they get lost, even in a blinding storm when they are tied to me.

You are correct, this is a bug, and I've got a fix ready to go in with the next reboot.  Hitched mounts shouldn't wander off.

Second: Somebody please tell me how my PC can be able to ride through the storms with no trouble once again, as he's supposed to be after playing 10+ IG years or 90+ playing days.

It's a skill, you're going to have to work it up if you want to be perfect at it.  There is gear that you can obtain that would help you in the meantime, but in doing so you may make it so you don't learn, and won't be the best you can be at it naturally, which has other reprecussions, but I'll leave that up to you guys to figure out.

[jmordetsky]

So we can assume <item> is going to be available in more places soon. Of course if you feel a particular merchant should sell <item> you could always do an "idea <merchant> This dude should totally sell <item>! It would make sense. Awesome."

Exactly.

You are correct, this is a bug, and I've got a fix ready to go in with the next reboot.  Hitched mounts shouldn't wander off.

Thats actually pretty awesome as well because there was this odd catch 22 going on for non-rangers in a storm whereby if you mounted in the storm you'd probably spend a lot of time falling and if you dismounted then odds are you were going to lose your mount .  Nice.

[Cavaticus]

Okay. I'm playing a 90+ day ranger. Because of some IC reasons I don't ride out too much lately. So, how am I supposed to get back to my old level? What reason could make my PC to break the IC rules to twink that said skill.

Code Select Expand

The grizzled, squint-eyed man stands just inside the gates and looks out over the dusty plains in the distance.

Running his thumb along the brim of a dusty wide-brimmed hat, the grizzled, squint-eyed man says, in sirihish:
       "Son, the desert is like a lover. When a man is young he spends all his time with her and learns her curves and her sighs and the way she moves and her endless beauty."

The grizzled, squint-eyed man turns his head and spits ruminatively on the ground.

Wistfully. the grizzled, squint-eyed man says, in cowboy-accented sirihish:
       "Been many a year since she and I met. Many a year."

Looking down at the fresh, eager youth, the grizzled, squint-eyed man takes off his dusty wide-brimmed hat.
Holding it out, the grizzled, squint-eyed man gives his dusty wide-brimmed hat to the fresh, eager youth.

The grizzled, squint-eyed man nods once.

The grizzled, squint-eyed man wears [REDACTED] on [REDACTED].

The grizzled, squint-eyed man tells the fresh, eager youth, in cowboy-accented sirihish:
        "Tell your mother... tell her I'm going out to meet a friend."

The grizzled, squint-eyed man walks west, with a curious bow-legged stride.

The fresh, eager youth holds his dusty wide-brimmed hat in both hands, staring west.

The fresh, eager youth thinks:
        "God all this fucking melodrama over a storm. I hate you old man."

The fresh, eager youth utters an incantation.

Anyway I'm sure you won't have any problem finding a reason for your 90+ day ranger to ride out. And if not, well, then I guess he's out of practice since he doesn't ride out too much lately.

[drunkendwarf]

Aren't there multiple items that should give a bonus to storm navigation? I can think of at least four off the top of my head.