NPCs with "mercy on"

Started by Rhyden, February 09, 2012, 09:52:34 PM

Time and time again, I've seen PCs die unnecessarily to little code mix-ups and die at the hands of NPCs.

Why don't the majority of NPCs inside cities have "mercy on"? Is it possible for NPCs to have mercy on in order to prevent any more future accidents?

This would be most useful for soldiers and clan NPCs in their respectful areas. The next time when someone makes a small coded mistake and 10 NPCs jump them, then knock them out within 5 seconds flat, that unlucky PC will be spared when the NPCs' "mercy on" kicks in.

Anyone else for toggling the majority of NPCs with "mercy on"?

I've experienced NPCs with mercy on.

They usually re-attack you after you get to 1hp and keep you mortal-locked at negative hp.

Interesting concept.. can't you just type 'die' to leave your ..mortal lockingness?
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Quote from: Rhyden on February 09, 2012, 09:52:34 PM
Why don't the majority of NPCs inside cities have "mercy on"?

Because mercy on doesn't stop you from getting ganked if you typo, lose link, lag, or do something stupid, and assigning this value to specific NPCs across a broad swath of the game (yet not all of the game) would be time-consuming and difficult.  It "might" help.  It is easier to adjust things playerside instead.

Quote
Is it possible for NPCs to have mercy on in order to prevent any more future accidents?

No, and again, I would disagree with your assumption that it would prevent future accidents.
Quote from: LauraMars on December 15, 2016, 08:17:36 PMPaint on a mustache and be a dude for a day. Stuff some melons down my shirt, cinch up a corset and pass as a girl.

With appropriate roleplay of course.

Is there anything else that can be done code-wise to resolve this issue?

I mean, it's a bit much when you see:

The tall, muscular man attempts to subdue the slender woman, but fails.
A half-giant soldier arrives from the north.
A half-giant soldier arrives from the north.
A half-giant soldier hits the tall, muscular man solidly in the head.
The tall, muscular man's eyes roll up into the back of his head.
The tall, muscular man crumples to the ground.

The half-giant soldier hits the tall, muscular man's head, doing frightening damage.

The half-giant soldier hits the tall, muscular man's head, doing frightening damage.

The half-giant soldier hits the tall, muscular man's head, doing frightening damage.
*beep*


If there could be some kind of code fix to prevent NPCs from continuing to kill PCs after they were knocked out, at the very least, I would be happy.

nosave arrest
Quote from: LauraMars on December 15, 2016, 08:17:36 PMPaint on a mustache and be a dude for a day. Stuff some melons down my shirt, cinch up a corset and pass as a girl.

With appropriate roleplay of course.

Just remember that fleeing the grasp of a soldier turns it off.

Having just caused a PC to die to NPC soldiers, because said PC left a piece of code active by mistake, I can say I would certainly beg that something to be done to give a little gap to how quickly a pc can be killed.

I know the game is supposed to be harsh, but this was truly just a sad, sad waste.

If it's not feasible or efficient to turn mercy on for all npcs, then I'd ask something else be done. If this has already been researched, and there's no fix available.. well, ugh. Sorry, I just feel sick to see a PC wasted like that. Especially because of me.

Quote from: help deathDeaths caused by link-loss, lag, typos, the
callousness of other players, and rampant stupidity do NOT fall into the
category of exceptional circumstances.

That may seem callous of us to put it that way, but we do have it as a policy.
Quote from: LauraMars on December 15, 2016, 08:17:36 PMPaint on a mustache and be a dude for a day. Stuff some melons down my shirt, cinch up a corset and pass as a girl.

With appropriate roleplay of course.

Quote from: Fragmented on February 09, 2012, 10:57:11 PM
If it's not feasible or efficient to turn mercy on for all npcs, then I'd ask something else be done. If this has already been researched, and there's no fix available.. well, ugh. Sorry, I just feel sick to see a PC wasted like that. Especially because of me.

I can totally relate, having done this accidentally before in the past. It really, really, really sucks.

I'm sure several other leaders can relate too, when your NPC guard begins killing some PC and continues to kill said PC despite trying to get them to flee, or disengage, or stop.

All I'm asking for is to have NPCs not automatically kill PCs to avoid these kind of mix ups. And if that's not possible, perhaps some kind of command that leaders can use to force their NPCs to hold those needless killing blows.

Can't you order npc disengage or order npc mercy on if you're capable of it? I seem to remember being able to do that but it was a long time ago and I can't remember for sure.

You can order your NPCs to turn mercy on if you're able to command them.

Quote from: MeTekillot on February 10, 2012, 07:08:25 AM
You can order your NPCs to turn mercy on if you're able to command them.

This is untrue, at least on some scripts.

Quoteperhaps some kind of command that leaders can use to force their NPCs to hold those needless killing blows.

It's possible that we could toggle that as something that could be ordered.  People would still complain that they forgot to order an NPC to mercy on, or complain if they failed to revive someone that had gotten beaten down into the negatives, but we can look into it.
Quote from: LauraMars on December 15, 2016, 08:17:36 PMPaint on a mustache and be a dude for a day. Stuff some melons down my shirt, cinch up a corset and pass as a girl.

With appropriate roleplay of course.

Quote from: Nyr on February 10, 2012, 08:57:32 AM
Quote from: MeTekillot on February 10, 2012, 07:08:25 AM
You can order your NPCs to turn mercy on if you're able to command them.

This is untrue, at least on some scripts.

Quoteperhaps some kind of command that leaders can use to force their NPCs to hold those needless killing blows.

It's possible that we could toggle that as something that could be ordered.  People would still complain that they forgot to order an NPC to mercy on, or complain if they failed to revive someone that had gotten beaten down into the negatives, but we can look into it.

A suggestion to that end:

If the guard is "automatically" on guard duty (such as soldier NPCs who are programmed to auto-attack a criminal), then perhaps they could have mercy on be set as a default. And it could be togglable by whoever is authorized to command them, such as a templar, or senior Militia officer, for example. That way, they -will- still attack if you do something stupid, but you have a better chance of surviving to explain your stupidity to the authorities. AND..that way, the authorities can ensure that you don't live to tell anyone else about it, because they can still order the killing blow by toggling the guard's mercy off. So it would be intentional, rather than circumstantial.

It doesn't prevent you from getting killed because your defense just really suck that bad or there are too many NPC soldiers all attacking you at once. But it does provide a wider window of survivability and potential for RP rather than instadeath.

Quote from: Nyr on February 09, 2012, 10:28:42 PMassigning this value to specific NPCs across a broad swath of the game (yet not all of the game) would be time-consuming and difficult

Quote from: LauraMars on December 15, 2016, 08:17:36 PMPaint on a mustache and be a dude for a day. Stuff some melons down my shirt, cinch up a corset and pass as a girl.

With appropriate roleplay of course.

I don't think it's a big deal. It makes you learn to pay attention to what you're doing and you can avoid being killed by soldiers and guards in most cases very easily. I think I've been killed by soldiers twice, once over my own ignorance of the game code, and the other because of a keyword mistake. I've had a lot of characters too.
"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
~ Doug Larson

"I tried regular hot sauce, but it just wasn't doing the trick, so I started blasting my huevos with BEAR MACE."
~Synthesis

Leaders who are in a position to possibly get other PCs killed due to carelessness or lack of knowledge about the crim code should, simply put, be more careful. I've seen it happen numerous times (due to the actions of other players), but to be honest when I have played a leader who could have gotten PCs killed I managed not to, by being scrupulously careful. It sucks when it does happen, but all you really need to remember is that if there are ANY NPC soldiers (or same-clan NPCs) within a one-room radius, and you take ANY kind of aggressive action toward another PC (yes, subdue is an aggressive action) then you are risking their PC's life.
Quote from: Decameron on September 16, 2010, 04:47:50 PM
Character: "I've been working on building a new barracks for some tim-"
NPC: "Yeah, that fell through, sucks but YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIREEE!! FIRE-KANKS!!"

I would be sorely disappointed if resurrections weren't given for these sorts of mistakes.
Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.


Lame.
Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

Quote from: help deathDeath                                                              (Newbie)

   When characters die in Armageddon MUD, there is no resurrection. Only if
at least two senior staff members agree that the death occurred directly as
the result of some major bug, or other exceptional circumstances, can the
character be resurrected.  Deaths caused by link-loss, lag, typos, the
callousness of other players, and rampant stupidity do NOT fall into the
category of exceptional circumstances.
Quote from: Decameron on September 16, 2010, 04:47:50 PM
Character: "I've been working on building a new barracks for some tim-"
NPC: "Yeah, that fell through, sucks but YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIREEE!! FIRE-KANKS!!"

By 'bug' I assume it's meant such weird stuff as NPCs with infinite health for no reason, rooms that insta-kill you when they shouldn't, ect. And not NPCs bashing your head in for sparring in the wrong zone.
Quote from: Wug on August 28, 2013, 05:59:06 AM
Vennant doesn't appear to age because he serves drinks at the speed of light. Now you know why there's no delay on the buy code in the Gaj.

Quote from: Talia on February 11, 2012, 11:09:44 PM
Quote from: help deathDeath                                                              (Newbie)

   When characters die in Armageddon MUD, there is no resurrection. Only if
at least two senior staff members agree that the death occurred directly as
the result of some major bug, or other exceptional circumstances, can the
character be resurrected.  Deaths caused by link-loss, lag, typos, the
callousness of other players, and rampant stupidity do NOT fall into the
category of exceptional circumstances.

Yeah, you can draw a hardline just for the sake of drawing a hardline. It doesn't mean there is any reason to it, especially when all parties agree there is a mistake involved.
Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

February 12, 2012, 01:39:16 AM #23 Last Edit: February 12, 2012, 01:43:26 AM by Culinary Critic
Quote from: Jingo on February 12, 2012, 12:24:13 AM
Quote from: Talia on February 11, 2012, 11:09:44 PM
Quote from: help deathDeath                                                              (Newbie)

  When characters die in Armageddon MUD, there is no resurrection. Only if
at least two senior staff members agree that the death occurred directly as
the result of some major bug, or other exceptional circumstances, can the
character be resurrected.  Deaths caused by link-loss, lag, typos, the
callousness of other players, and rampant stupidity do NOT fall into the
category of exceptional circumstances.

Yeah, you can draw a hardline just for the sake of drawing a hardline. It doesn't mean there is any reason to it, especially when all parties agree there is a mistake involved.

Not to derail (though it probably will), this hardline is one of the things that I love most about this game.  Yes, losing a cherished character to something stupid is terrible (and sometimes traumatic), but the permadeath aspect is absolutely vital to the realism of this game.  It forces you, the player, to get better and better at understanding the code, the rules and the way the game works.  -This- makes the game better and better, at least as far as I'm concerned, for the rest of the players.  As we play, we learn to emote better, say and talk better, interact better, fight better, craft better, brew better, hunt better, politic better.  Why not stay alive better?

On topic, agree with staff on this one.  Too much effort to put into something that should be a player responsibility.  Learning how to keep your characters (or followers) alive is our ooc perception of their desire to stay alive.

Edited to add: It particularly sucks huge mounds of ass when your actions/inactions result in the death of someone else's character.  The guilt/sorrow I feel at my own characters death is bad enough, but to know that you caused this to someone else?  So much worse.

Sometimes, mistakes do happen, just as in real life.  They are sometimes tragic, and it's important to remember that you're actively telling a story, even in your death.