Close your eyes, enter the night!

[titansfan]

I think a cool light addition would be to be able to close your characters eyes. You would still be able to hear things around you, just couldn't see.

I just wanna play hide and seek without cheating guys!

[RogueGunslinger]

This would be cool.

[Delirium]

...and because you want to train blind-fighting.

Let's get blindfolds while we're at it, that'd rock too.

[titansfan]

I would actually like blindfolds too. In the darker seedier areas of Arm they would add so many cool aspects to the scenes. I've also always wanted to use ropes to be able to tie people up if they were unconcious too, but that's a whole different topic.

[A Large Bag]

I want to be able to do this and have blindfolds in the game. Should be a tag onto a pc for look or assess for it too.

look man

Main desc blah blah

Tdesc
His eyes are closed/open.
The tall, muscular man is in excellent condition.

[BadSkeelz]

Be neat to be able to wear a bag over your head too, or have one put on you to blind you.

[Barsook]

I dig all of the ideas that you have posted.

[drunkendwarf]

I've desperately wanted blindfolds IG for many, many years. Especially since the introduction of the blind fighting skill.

[stark]

Blindfolds and ropes? What the heck are we REALLY talking about here?

[titansfan]

Whips are already implemented, we just need to complete the rest of the trio.

[Drayab]

Let's do a careful analysis of blindfolds!

PROS:
o High-end warriors can now humiliate you even more - they can kick your ass bare-handed AND blindfolded.
o New prop for interrogation scenes.
o Extra kinky mudsex.

CONS:
o Rooms full of blindfolded, sparring fools.
o Twink enabling.

[MeTekillot]

every dwarf ranger ever walking around with a blindfold on 24/7

[Patuk]

I want to be able to shut someone's eyes or mouth when I subdue them, too. When that drunk in the Gaj is singing way out of tune it'd be nice to actually shut the guy up.

[Drayab]

A very relevant thread is here.

Blindfolds are an interesting idea for a variety of reasons and have been tossed around as a potential script before.  It has never been a high priority, but you may see such a thing someday.

[Schrodingers Cat]

Let's do a careful analysis of blindfolds!

PROS:
o High-end warriors can now humiliate you even more - they can kick your ass bare-handed AND blindfolded.
o New prop for interrogation scenes.
o Extra kinky mudsex.

CONS:
o Rooms full of blindfolded, sparring fools.
o Twink enabling.

Pro: Something to put on hostages before you take them to your super sekrit hideout of doom where you will hold them for a ransom of one million obsidian!

[RogueGunslinger]

o Twink enabling.

What does this mean? How would this code enable people to twink?

[Barsook]

Peaking = twinking or maybe they try to be able to get better at hitting you in a sprring match.

[drunkendwarf]

o Twink enabling.

God forbid people try to get better at their skills.

Luke Skywalker did it, why can't I? 

[Drayab]

o Twink enabling.

What does this mean? How would this code enable people to twink?

Peaking = twinking or maybe they try to be able to get better at hitting you in a sprring match.

Yeah, pretty much. It would make skill maxxing a little bit easier. I do think it could be roleplayed correctly - I also had a vision of Luke Skywalker when I read this thread earlier today.

[Patuk]

To be fair, at the rate at which warrior skills raise as of now, I do think that making them a bit easier to train is just.

[Riya OniSenshi]

Warrior skills raise just as well/poorly as any other mundane guild.

[FantasyWriter]

Meh, just make it NOT raise blind fighting or make a very minor difference and let it. Everyone but the twinks would be happy.

[Yam]

It is a crime to want to raise your blind fighting skill. People who do it should be put in jail.

[Schrodingers Cat]

It is a crime to want to raise your blind fighting skill. People who do it should be put in jail.

And this is so they can practice it in peace, right?

[Creslin]

Love these ideas. Blindfolding. Binding people with rope. Blindfolding. Blindfolding. Binding people with...Blindfolding.

Seriously though, hope this stuff gets some attention in the future.

[Karieith]

Being blinded when you don't wanna be sucks. 

[musashi]

It is a crime to want to raise your blind fighting skill. People who do it should be put in jail.

People who train any skill are twinks and should be publicly shunned.
Viva la MUSH!

... ... I want blind folds.

[Kalai]

If you start with a missing left eye and a missing right eye, do you start blind?

Blindfolds would be cool. Being able to close your eyes without sleeping would be cool too.

Having a sensible way to train blindfighting would be pretty cool too. (Having a new not-sensible way to train blindfighting would also be entertaining and possibly tragic.) ... Maybe not for just closing your eyes though.

[AreteX]

It wouldn't be feasible to not be able to see anything codedly as a "blind" person, forever.  You have to be able to interact with the world somehow.

Short-term coded ways of being blinded is great though, especially blindfolds.  I think an expansion on the "Subdue" command could be something cool to look into.  Once someone is subdued, they can perhaps be blindfolded, gagged, and a branching of Subdue that would be tying someone up so you are then free and not having to hold them yourself.

This would all add to the game I think and the first time you see someone with wrists bound, blindfolded, gagged running down the street going, "MMMPH!  MMMPH!"  you'll be glad they were put into the game.

Bring on the mudsex jokes!

[titansfan]

I think the first time you walk into a room and someone is tied and blindfolded, and it's a very dark, sinister part of town. You will pause, think: "Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!"....turn and walk out with pursed lips.

[Drayab]

Short-term coded ways of being blinded is great though, especially blindfolds.  I think an expansion on the "Subdue" command could be something cool to look into.  Once someone is subdued, they can perhaps be blindfolded, gagged, and a branching of Subdue that would be tying someone up so you are then free and not having to hold them yourself.

I don't think it necessary needs to be branchable skill. We just need a script that allows attaching a blindfold and rope to a subdued person. Flee, of course, should be useful for breaking free.

Severed heads are nice, but wouldn't it be cool to bring them back alive?

[AreteX]

I only mentioned branching because its almost an entirely different thing... tying someone as opposed to just man-handling them in a grapple.

Also, the first time I walk into a dark alley and see someone tied and blindfolded I think of awesome opportunity to 1) Save someone's life 2) End someone's life 3) Figure out WTF is going on!.  That is really cool stuff in my opinion.  One of the problems with current circumstances for anything but outright killing someone or a very brief interaction is that when you subdue someone they can try to flee.  In my times of being subdued I have often escaped with a few instances of flee.  I suppose it can be harder if someone is good at the skill.

But, with the added benefit of being able to tie someone up, perhaps the "Flee" to try and break away could be much more difficult based on that person's skill.  It also allows for one person to interact with someone who is subdued in a manner that doesn't have the restrictions of being subdued.  Removing items, beating on them a bit or.. killing them entirely.

The more non-lethal options to take someone out and still roleplay with them the better in my opinion.  If you are able to subdue/tie someone up then speak to them while they are blindfolded so they can't get a good look at you... well, I am sure you can all imagine the possibilities for threatening someone, telling them a secret, forcing them to listen to what you have to say, or scaring the heck out of them!  Imagine taking a low-level thug group, subdue, tie, blindfold, gag someone and perhaps beat them up a bit.  Now they can't see, are being drug someplace, and even if they way someone they say "The last thing I saw was my apartment door."  Then, they're in some new place they have no idea about and can't relay that in any way.

Now a new voice appears.  "It seems you've not been paying attention , Amos... I think it's time you learned your lesson."  Instant-awesome scene in my opinion.  No way to identify the person speaking through his voice alone, and you wouldn't know who they were and your only leads after they drop you off in some alley someplace would be the original low-level thugs.

Really cool!

This is a bit side-tracked from the original topic, but I think it's all relative when it comes to closing your eyes, blindfolding/tieing up and such.  I just think it would add much flavor to encounters and make many more of them not end in deaths with actual viable options that won't always get the bad guy insta-recognized.

[titansfan]

What AreteX just said is the very reason I want this. Imagine all the plots this would open up, all the new ways to subterfuge other people's plans, and even more ways to get information out of people.

So cool.

[RogueGunslinger]

It wouldn't be feasible to not be able to see anything codedly as a "blind" person, forever.  You have to be able to interact with the world somehow.

It's been done. So...

[flurry]

I like the idea of blindfolds in game. Even using them to train with seems okay, as long as that is appropriately dangerous.

Relevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4qmzArq25M

[Schrodingers Cat]

It wouldn't be feasible to not be able to see anything codedly as a "blind" person, forever.  You have to be able to interact with the world somehow.

It's been done. So...

While not impossible, not being able to target anyone or anything would make playing extremely difficult, if not impossible for some.

[Desertman]

Pretty simple really....

Make it a commonly known thing that sparring while wearing a blindfold is frowned upon for being twinkish the same way backstabbing sparring dummies or throwing at them is frowned on for being twinkish, or filling your pack with rocks and sparring is frowned on for being twinkish.

Just about anything can be abused in some way, but I like to think our playerbase, aside from dwarven players (yes, I went there, mostly just kidding), is mature and responsible enough to handle things like this.

We are a self-policing playerbase in a lot of ways. It is the dynamic of Armageddon that is the most impressive/most important about our community and our game in my opinion. 

Blindfolds would be awesome for certain situations. I am for them. But, I don't want to see rooms of nublets blindfolding themselves to sparr, and I don't think I would.

Why did I even post? Why? Oh well. Let the silly rebuttals for the sole purpose of argueing commence, as they always do.

[A Large Bag]

I disagree. If you were going to train to fight with your other senses in real life, you would train with a blindfold on. Real fighters in real life, train with packs of weights (or weight vests) on them sometimes too. There's nothing twinkish about doing something that's -realistic- to better yourself. It's twinkish if it's -unrealistic-.

Backstabbing a sparring dummy is considered twinkish because a dummy has no vitals (and cannot be surprised) to aim for and that's what backstabbing is, a surprise attack on a vital area. The code doesn't recognize this so it would still train your skill even though unrealistic.

People seem to be under the mistaken impression that training your skills is twinkish. It's not. Training your skills in an unrealistic fashion is.

[Desertman]

I disagree. If you were going to train to fight with your other senses in real life, you would train with a blindfold on. Real fighters in real life, train with packs of weights (or weight vests) on them sometimes too.

I don't know any fighters that do this. I train with a lot of fighters.

Sparring while wearing weights or while wearing a blindfold would be showing a direct disregard for the safety of your fellow training partners.

Which is exactly why I would lash people in game under my command if I ever caught them doing it. In fact, I know some clans in game have specific rules about not doing it just for this reason, but, you will have to find out about the specifics IC.

[A Large Bag]

I know fighters that do train with extra weight on them. *shrug* If I could remember where it's at, I've watched video of them training with weight vests on.

[Desertman]

I know fighters that do train with extra weight on them. *shrug*

So do I, just not while sparring.

This about sparring isn't it? Did I miss something?

[A Large Bag]

I know fighters that do train with extra weight on them. *shrug*

So do I, just not while sparring.

This about sparring isn't it? Did I miss something?

I doubt the Zalanthas Safety Commission is going to come down on fighters for sparring with the extra weight on them to improve their speed and strength. There is a basis in reality for this helping in training. Therefore, it is not unrealistic. Just because in modern society it is rarely done, doesn't make it unrealistic. Training in history is much more brutal than in our modern day society. I would tend to believe, it would be so on Zalanthas as well. Your basis for calling it twinkish is that: We wouldn't do that or it's frowned upon in modern society. That's the flaw.

[Desertman]

I know fighters that do train with extra weight on them. *shrug*

So do I, just not while sparring.

This about sparring isn't it? Did I miss something?

I doubt the Zalanthas Safety Commission is going to come down on fighters for sparring with the extra weight on them to improve their speed and strength. There is a basis in reality for this helping in training. Therefore, it is not unrealistic. Just because in modern society it is rarely done, doesn't make it unrealistic.

We don't have a commission that governs it either.

We are just smart enough not to do it because we care about doing stupid things that injur our training partners for no reason.

That being said, this would be a perfect way to sparr against breeds and elves.

But as I said before, there are already clans IG that have rules against this because even in Zalanthas it is frowned upon. Find out IC.

I'm just saying, blindfolds would likely fall into this same category, I could be wrong.

[A Large Bag]

See the rest of my edit I was adding onto the previous post.

[A Large Bag]

But as I said before, there are already clans IG that have rules against this because even in Zalanthas it is frowned upon. Find out IC.

Yes, a few do. But that was brought about because of the misconception that it's unrealistic to train with extra weight on you to better yourself. It was done for OOC reasons. Because IC, it actually makes it safer for your opponent if you are weighed down. Not more dangerous for them.

[Desertman]

But as I said before, there are already clans IG that have rules against this because even in Zalanthas it is frowned upon. Find out IC.

Yes, a few do. But that was brought about because of the misconception that it's unrealistic to train with extra weight on you to better yourself. It was done for OOC reasons. Because IC, it actually makes it safer for your opponent if you are weighed down. Not more dangerous for them.

I disagree, I believe the rules are in place for IC reasons. Though I can't go into those IC reasons, for obvious reasons.

[Nyr]

a bunch of misconceptions barreling towards assumptions that are also not true

we're talking about closing your eyes right?

[Desertman]

a bunch of misconceptions barreling towards assumptions that are also not true

we're talking about closing your eyes right?

Blindfolds my man, blindfolds.

[Lithium]

I think the "blindfolds will lead to twinking" is a moot point. Characters with skill blind_fighting can already train by going somewhere dark or waiting for the night. Besides, any character who spars blindfolded is up there with those who think they can take armed opponents while unarmed.

[Malifaxis]

Playing this game leads to twinking.

[Nyr]

Ok, let me correct the factual misconception first:  depending on the clan you're in or where you are, it may in fact be alright to train certain skills against a sparring dummy provided it has been set up to do so.  That was changed early last year.  Discuss with your clan staff.

As for combat/skill twinks, we keep an eye out for you and oftentimes we'll change stuff just to see if you keep doing unrealistically stupid stuff in order to skillgain.  There's still people doing stuff that has little to no benefit codedly just because they think it is beneficial...even if it doesn't make any sense. 

We think they're funny.

At any rate, blindfolds aren't a bad idea.

[chrisdcoulombe]

Blindfolds sound awesome.
If you are blind folded, what would you notice?  Is there a chance you can still see?  Could you tell what kind of terrain you are walking on?  Do the stealth classes or certain sub-guilds have a safeguard against blindfolds being effective?  I guess if its dark or a fierce sandstorm now, you don't get the benefit of knowing the terrain so why would you if blind.  If you type exit will it give you any indicators if you are blindfolded?

I like the idea of having ways to bind people too.  I recall a thread in the past where tying people was shot down because of slavery or holding against their will or something.  I think that issue can be dealt with though by making it a consent only action.  In the mean time we could all just respect the lack of code and if someone rps tying us up, stay tied up to allow time for the plot to unfold.

Edit, OH yeah open and close eyes, yay.  lol

[titansfan]

This was originally about 'close/open eyes' >.>

Blindfolds = Yay!

Binding people who are unconcious = Yay!

Close/Open Eyes = Yay!

[brytta.leofa]

Close/Open Eyes = Yay!

But code it so your eyes open involuntarily when somebody hits you.

[Potaje]

I would point out that there are a few guilds, not just warriors, that would benefit from blind fighting.

[Barsook]

Close/Open Eyes = Yay!

But code it so your eyes open involuntarily when somebody hits you.

Yeah, that will be more realistic.

[Synthesis]

I would point out that there are a few guilds, not just warriors, that would benefit from blind fighting.

Warriors are the only guild that get blind fighting that have a problem training it, because there's a common circumstance under which the other ones can train it more or less easily.

However, I think if we're going to have something as silly as blind fighting implemented (this amuses me since everyone is taking great pleasure in shitting on the unarmed combat idea in another thread), you might as well make it trainable by blindfold or closing your eyes.  Makes just as much sense as anything else.

[jstorrie]

I doubt the Zalanthas Safety Commission is going to come down on fighters for sparring with the extra weight on them to improve their speed and strength.

Some clans have already started to prohibit this, and for good reason, I think.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I think it's dumb that anybody cares how much I am handicapping myself when I fight. There are so many unrealistic situations in game, like NPCs that track you from Hell to Heaven, or physical stats you can't raise except by aging ... why do you care that I have a marine-sized backpack on so that I can spar with the newbie and possibly get an iota of skill from it? So no, I have no issue with being able to raise blind-fighting by using blindfolds.

That said, their game, their rules. I follow them - I just don't get them. And in that spirit, simply make blindfold objects fall off when combat ensues, and make people open their closed eyes when fighting begins. There ... untwinkable.

[brytta.leofa]

The best solution re: blind fighting might be to remove the skill entirely and make it impossible for anyone, NPC or not, to target someone he can't see.  (NPCs aren't properly affected by darkness, right?)

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

In the past they certainly were not. To be fair, though, I think that is because some of them have infra vision. I don't have an issue with the skill. I'm actually glad they added it, as it would seem to be a sixth sense.

What I have an issue with is constantly being told that this or that is a bad way to raise this or that skill. I don't support real twinking, to be clear, but I do support those who find creative and IC ways to enhance learning. A bag of rocks, or a blindfold just don't seem to me like terrible ways to deal with these things.

No, I'm unlikely to be found doing what I'm told not to do, but I'm also unlikely to understand what seems to me to be cloudy judgement.

[Medivh]

I think the "blindfolds will lead to twinking" is a moot point. Characters with skill blind_fighting can already train by going somewhere dark or waiting for the night. Besides, any character who spars blindfolded is up there with those who think they can take armed opponents while unarmed.

Except that some characters can't or won't go somewhere dark or wait for the night. They might have a real reason to train blind-fighting though.
And some characters can take armed people while unarmed.

I think it's dumb that anybody cares how much I am handicapping myself when I fight. There are so many unrealistic situations in game, like NPCs that track you from Hell to Heaven, or physical stats you can't raise except by aging ... why do you care that I have a marine-sized backpack on so that I can spar with the newbie and possibly get an iota of skill from it? So no, I have no issue with being able to raise blind-fighting by using blindfolds.

That said, their game, their rules. I follow them - I just don't get them. And in that spirit, simply make blindfold objects fall off when combat ensues, and make people open their closed eyes when fighting begins. There ... untwinkable.

I agree.

Although I have heard of people sparring with beds on their backs. Which is overboard.
A big problem is that people can't hold back at all against new opponents. Which is what happens in real life, a lot.
But hey now that Arm 2 isn't a thing that might finally get put into the game, right?

On blind-folds, staff already said it might be put in the game.
It adds new role-play opportunities. It adds scenes to the game that cannot be played out very well atm.
It also makes training blind-fighting easier. This is not a bad thing.
What are you going to do? Twink it out? It takes a long as regular combat takes. People already twink that out. Just adds something else for them to skill up. Which will slow them down overall.
Unless they're just going hogwild and spar all day. If they do that, then staff have a greater chance of seeing them play unrealistically.

Adding blindfolds makes twinks skill-up slower, and makes it easier for staff to watch twinking.
Shits like magic.

Why aren't they already in game?
I blame the role-players.

[EldritchOrigins]

The proposition of blindfolds isn't necessarily an all or nothing situation when it comes to combat and blind fighting.  If for some reason training blind fighting with blindfolds were an issue, I'm sure any blindfold implementation would have little or no effect on skill gains.

[BadSkeelz]

A big problem is that people can't hold back at all against new opponents. Which is what happens in real life, a lot.

This isn't true. Holding back is easy enough to do if you put a little creativity and effort into it. Not going full-bore at a newbie with your best weapon skill is a good place to start.

What are you going to do? Twink it out? It takes a long as regular combat takes. People already twink that out. Just adds something else for them to skill up. Which will slow them down overall.

I don't quite follow the logic here, of how adding another skill is going to slow down the twinks. I mean, presumably you improve blind fighting by fighting blind, so you're still going to be getting your weapon skill trained. Unless you start your blind fighting training unarmed, which would be the more logical place to begin.

Oh man, what if being blind disabled assess? Then training would get real hairy real fast, necessitating responsible trainers to be on hand (who really should be discouraging allday-erryday sparring anyhow).

[Kalai]

Er, I wouldn't advise training with -both- folk blinded. 

[A Large Bag]

Er, I wouldn't advise training with -both- folk blinded. 

Yeah, I would think that it would get someone into trouble. One person working to learn to do it in a match though I would think should be fine.

[RogueGunslinger]

I had a character who held back all the time. He would just keep nosave combat on, and engage/disengage very quickly whenever he wanted to land a strike. I've never seen people really do it this way before and I don't know why. Usually they just defend for a while then whoop your ass at the end.. or whoop your ass at the beginning and then tell you to keep going as they defend.

Just got to explain to them in-game to keep attacking.

Oh man, what if being blind disabled assess? Then training would get real hairy real fast, necessitating responsible trainers to be on hand (who really should be discouraging allday-erryday sparring anyhow).

Well, you'd still know when you yourself needed to flee. That's all that matters.

[Medivh]

A big problem is that people can't hold back at all against new opponents. Which is what happens in real life, a lot.

This isn't true. Holding back is easy enough to do if you put a little creativity and effort into it. Not going full-bore at a newbie with your best weapon skill is a good place to start.

What are you going to do? Twink it out? It takes a long as regular combat takes. People already twink that out. Just adds something else for them to skill up. Which will slow them down overall.

I don't quite follow the logic here, of how adding another skill is going to slow down the twinks. I mean, presumably you improve blind fighting by fighting blind, so you're still going to be getting your weapon skill trained. Unless you start your blind fighting training unarmed, which would be the more logical place to begin.

Oh man, what if being blind disabled assess? Then training would get real hairy real fast, necessitating responsible trainers to be on hand (who really should be discouraging allday-erryday sparring anyhow).

Some characters can end a fight with a newbie character unarmed. In one or two combat rounds.
Adding any weapon to their hands makes it worse. Sometimes they don't have a best or worst weapon skill.
Currently the best way to hold back is to not attack at all, but that has it's own problems. It's not a big deal in large clans like the Byn, because you almost always have someone around your skill level to train with.
It is more of a problem for off-peak players.

Adding another skill slows down twinks, because your adding another skill to grind. It's like how eating three apples takes longer then eating two. Currently hardly anyone ever bothers to train it, ever. It's like it doesn't exist.
Mainly though, the parts related to the "Shits like magic" are semi-sarcastic.

[RogueGunslinger]

Twinking is twinking. It's not like someone is more of a twink if they get more powerful, quicker. It's slowing down skill progression. Not slowing down twinking.

A person can advance there skills as quick as possible and never once twink out.

[Medivh]

Twinking is twinking. It's not like someone is more of a twink if they get more powerful, quicker. It's slowing down skill progression. Not slowing down twinking.

A person can advance there skills as quick as possible and never once twink out.

What if the goal is to have the fastest skill progression? Although in my crude example it wouldn't actually slow a good one at all.

A person can advance their skills very quickly without being a twink, I agree.
I don't think it's as quick as possible though. Unless you mean as quick as possible, within realistic standards.
It's hard to beat ranger quiting on top of an npc spawn point.

Anyway, blindfolds increase the chances that people will have characters get good at blind-fighting. That's about it really.
Twinks will twink with or without them.
It adds cool role-play potential. I'm all for closing my eyes, and entering the night.

[RogueGunslinger]

You can skill up as quick as codedly possible without being a twink. That's pretty much all I can say without going into specifics.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I had a character who held back all the time. He would just keep nosave combat on, and engage/disengage very quickly whenever he wanted to land a strike. I've never seen people really do it this way before and I don't know why. Usually they just defend for a while then whoop your ass at the end.. or whoop your ass at the beginning and then tell you to keep going as they defend.

Just got to explain to them in-game to keep attacking.

What're you talking about, Willis? I taught you to do this!!! Or, at least, I've done that a lot too, particularly as a leader in a combat heavy clan.

Also, Rogue's right about not twinking while advancing as fast as codedly possible. The only thing I can say, I think, is to treat the game more like RL than a game. You'll get tired IRL, act tired IG. You fail, you need to think about how you did. Treat a IC day more like a RL day than 90 minutes. Without the numbers, this is what you need to do.

[Reiteration]

If your eyes are closed and you are struck with an offensive attack of some sort, you should open your eyes, or optionally have a nosave blind. (receiving an attack, not dealing one).

Being blinded should also increase the effectiveness of backstabs or other stealth manuevers against you, perhaps lessened to a degree if you are naturally blind as opposed to wearing a blindfold.

[Cerelum]

I got blindfolded once in game, though I feel it was an immortal who just inflicted blindness on me with an emote of blindfolding me.

[hyzhenhok]

I doubt the Zalanthas Safety Commission is going to come down on fighters for sparring with the extra weight on them to improve their speed and strength.

Some clans have already started to prohibit this, and for good reason, I think.

The code was adjusted a while back so that this was no longer helpful for training the skills of the person stacking on the weight IIRC. But there may be other reasons (perhaps entirely non-skill max related!) why people might want to handicap themselves in the sparring arena.

[Kieandatu]

I doubt the Zalanthas Safety Commission is going to come down on fighters for sparring with the extra weight on them to improve their speed and strength.

Some clans have already started to prohibit this, and for good reason, I think.

The code was adjusted a while back so that this was no longer helpful for training the skills of the person stacking on the weight IIRC. But there may be other reasons (perhaps entirely non-skill max related!) why people might want to handicap themselves in the sparring arena.

In this way, I've always felt that having what SoI had with "seteffort" would be great. Some way to set a percentage (in some mysterious way so skillmaxers don't -know-) of your skills you want to put forth. Like, seteffort low would give you, say, 20% of all your skills.

Then you can pump up the volume (dance dance) when you feel you need to exert a little pressure.

[Synthesis]

It's been my experience that adjusting things secretly so that skillmaxers can't do X generally only hurts the average player, because the skillmaxers always figure it out, even if it sets them back a few weeks RL time.  Meanwhile, the average players continue to do things that seem within the realm of reasonable, but have been blacklisted for skillgain, and never really pay attention to the fact that it isn't doing anything to improve their skills.

[DustMight]

I just think this is kinda silly.
Just pretend you don't see things.  Then you don't.

[chrisdcoulombe]

Just leave the room till you hear the beep. lol

[AdamBlue]

Close your eyes, and monsters can't spray shit into your eyes!