You're Being Attacked!

[Fujikoma]

If you're using a screen reader, chances are you will need to turn brief combat on just to try and keep up with everything.

[RogueGunslinger]

Seriously?

No. I'm just trolling. Oh no, that was you!

Yes, seriously. Survival requires you to pay attention. Sometimes, a lot of times, we just die stupidly, like not realizing you were in combat, or being AFK. Part of it.

You ignored everything in my post but the one bit to which your only advice to is "So just never use Brief combat and everything is fine."


Okay! Thanks!


Making the game harder through coded frustrations is not the same thing as keeping the world harsh. What you're suggesting is that dying randomly to coded malfunctions and strange obscure coded nuances that you don't know about makes the game a better place.

[ShaLeah]

Seriously?

No. I'm just trolling. Oh no, that was you!

Yes, seriously. Survival requires you to pay attention. Sometimes, a lot of times, we just die stupidly, like not realizing you were in combat, or being AFK. Part of it.

You ignored everything in my post but the one bit to which your only advice to is "So just never use Brief combat and everything is fine."


Okay! Thanks!


Making the game harder through coded frustrations is not the same thing as keeping the world harsh. What you're suggesting is that dying randomly to coded malfunctions and strange obscure coded nuances that you don't know about makes the game a better place.

There is no coded malfunction here. It DOES tell you you're being attacked. There's ALWAYS a message. What do you want? Intuition? The Force? Heh. Adding a more noticeable attack message wouldn't the game a better place. It's an OOC nuance you're talking about, one that be redundant. You dig?

[Ouroboros]

I'm all for any change that makes the game easier for sight-impaired players, especially when it's such a minor change with a potentially big impact to those players. I've witnessed a session played played through a screen-reader, and can only say my hat's off to those players for managing to keep up with the spam. Our eyes are trained to scan and pick through written information throughout our lives, in a way hearing can never truly match.

There is no coded malfunction here. It DOES tell you you're being attacked. There's ALWAYS a message. What do you want? Intuition? The Force? Heh. Adding a more noticeable attack message wouldn't the game a better place. It's an OOC nuance you're talking about, one that be redundant. You dig?

Simmer down. It's one line of text that might be useless and redundant to you, but clearly isn't to other players. Unless you specifically get off on PK'ing the blind or otherwise sight-impaired, I really don't see a reason for anyone being against this. It changes nothing about the outcome of a fight, and the adrenaline factor is there regardless, as is the confusion factor that ensues from the spamfest that usually follows an attack. It's just a heads-up that's easier for someone using a screen-reader to catch, in a sea of text. Someone AFK or not paying attention won't benefit from this any more than they do from the rest of the attack spam Ginka spits out after combat begins.

[ShaLeah]

Unless you specifically get off on PK'ing the blind or otherwise sight-impaired, I really don't see a reason for anyone being against this.

You did not just tell me to simmer down with that surly retort, your Lordship.  We can argue THAT off the forums. 

Back on topic, I agreed with Seeker and said I was unconvinced.

We could set up a trigger for that line to send a beep to alert us to combat so we can skip ahead to what is happening.

Since we can do that now and there already is a message, I find adding another message redundant. More spam for an already spammy situation.

[Barzalene]

I like the extra line.
Sometimes things get lost in spam. Especially when moving in a group.
I think an extra line is a little extra without going overboard. It's not a flashing neon sign. It's just a pause so you can catch it.

[ShaLeah]

I like the extra line.
Sometimes things get lost in spam. Especially when moving in a group.
I think an extra line is a little extra without going overboard. It's not a flashing neon sign. It's just a pause so you can catch it.

We could set up a trigger for that line to send a beep to alert us to combat so we can skip ahead to what is happening.

You can do that exactly, client side.

[maxid]

This is a great idea, especially since it seems like it'd be easy, and would really help visually impaired players enjoy the game.

[LauraMars]

I'm all for visually impaired players being able to enjoy the game more easily!  I like this idea - generally speaking, I like any idea which improves accessibility for people who aren't sighted.

[Ouroboros]

Since we can do that now and there already is a message, I find adding another message redundant. More spam for an already spammy situation.

Setting up triggers is complicated for many players. There is no specific attack message when you're attacked, it cuts straight to the combat lines, which vary in messages and make setting up such triggers doable but tedious. Another line of text would be redundant to most of us, but helpful to those using screen-readers. Solution? Implement it as a toggle. That way if you're so concerned about spam that the very thought of a single redundant line of text keeps you up at night, you can toggle it off.

Personally speaking, I tend to despise redundancy with a passion. In this instance however, it's simply a matter of understanding that while such a line of text might be redundant for me, it isn't so for others. Meaning it still serves a purpose.

And yes, when you come off like a smartass, you can expect a similar response from others. You've been around long enough to know that, especially when making light of an issue that affects some player's ability to play and enjoy the game as you do. You dig?

[LauraMars]

Here's an idea - why not play a sound?  The mud *beeps* when things die, so why not play a different noise when combat is initiated?

This could be turned off for people who are sighted or don't want to use the feature.

[RogueGunslinger]

We could set up a trigger for that line to send a beep to alert us to combat so we can skip ahead to what is happening.

Since we can do that now and there already is a message, I find adding another message redundant. More spam for an already spammy situation.

\

I specifically said in this thread there wasn't a message unless you're watching others fight. For you yourself, there is no message, you just suddenly get hit. Which would be okay(for people who don't have vision problems at least), if there weren't instances like Brief Combat where you wont see anything at all if a strike misses. You could be fighting a mekillot and never even know it. Which, like someone else pointed out, people with vision impairment pretty much HAVE to use 'Brief combat' to alleviate screen scroll for their Screen-Readers.


I have a question, do you find the "The tall muscular man attacks the short, burly woman!" That already occurs to be too spammy? Is that extra line cluttering and annoying your experience? Because odds are you, like me, never gave a shit about it.

[Ouroboros]

I have a question, do you find the "The tall muscular man attacks the short, burly woman!" That already occurs to be too spammy? Is that extra line cluttering and annoying your experience? Because odds are you, like me, never gave a shit about it.

Exactly. Look at it this way, ShaLeah... When you get attacked, everyone else in the room gets spammed about it already. Why should you be a special exception to that spam, when that very line is helpful to others in ways it's irrelevant to you?

[bcw81]

Here's an idea - why not play a sound?  The mud *beeps* when things die, so why not play a different noise when combat is initiated?

This could be turned off for people who are sighted or don't want to use the feature.

The beep is a setting in your client, every client I've ever seen only has one spot for such sound files. Arm just tells your client to beep when something dies/someone beeps you. Certain clients, like Mudlet, don't even have a beep.

[Seeker]

Look at it this way, ShaLeah... When you get attacked, everyone else in the room gets spammed about it already. Why should you be a special exception to that spam, when that very line is helpful to others in ways it's irrelevant to you?

ShaLeah never asked to be "a special exception to that spam".  Putting words in other people's mouths so that you can argue with what you are trying to make them say is absolutely disingenuous.

It diminishes the credibility of any merit your argument might otherwise have held.

And yes, when you come off like a smartass, you can expect a similar response from others.

Seeker

[Yummri]

Yes, because me being stuck behind lines of rp or movement spam and having to read every line with no warning of being attacked or by what. Or if any of the people my character would rush to defend as soon as they were attacked is entirely fair and realistic to the game.

Don't add a little echo which is simple to level the playing field for everyone in general. This echo doesn't take away from that adrenaline rush as its still a surprise to be attacked, its just a clear indicator that you were and changes nothing of the life and death situation that you are in except to draw greater attention to that fact.

There is not message right now drawing my attention to this. So by the time I get to combat many rounds has already passed and that slows my reaction time to what is happening.

A simple line of You're being attacked or even just (name) is being attacked, if not by who or what. This is a very simple line to allow a sound. With less chance of things going wrong because it is a short and defined alert. It adds one line exta to allow for a better reaction time for everyone.

-Addition- And my client doesn't beep when anything dies. But that is what I'd use the alert for. The proble is the first line of combat varies based on damage and what is attacking you and with what it is using. So making a trigger for the irst line of combat is near impossible. When one line fixes the whole problem.

I still think this helps more than just the VI players. But I am fully behind the idea of it being a toggle if it has to be, to allow for more people to be happy with it.
If not a toggle...then just set up a trigger to omit it from your output. (sorry I couldn't help it and I am joking)

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

It's a good alert to throw in.

There's not really anything to be argued here. This is an online text game. In real life, in most cases, you can be sure you know the instant BEFORE a fight actually starts whether you are not the target. This serves as the premonition we have in real life.

It's a good idea, and I support adding the alert.

[Ouroboros]

There's not really anything to be argued here.

[HavokBlue]

But it wouldn't be the GDB without a dumb argument.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

That's ... not really a good thing.

[Morgenes]

I looked at the code, and the message exists, and having 'brief combat' on specifically removes this message.  Are you guys saying unanimously that brief combat should not hide this message?

[Refugee]

I don't see what it would hurt, having brief combat allow the message through. 

If it would help someone be able to play the game, why not?

[Barzalene]

I don't see what it would hurt, having brief combat allow the message through. 

If it would help someone be able to play the game, why not?

See above. Also, it seems like the kinds thing you'd notice!

[RogueGunslinger]

I looked at the code, and the message exists, and having 'brief combat' on specifically removes this message.  Are you guys saying unanimously that brief combat should not hide this message?

It should not. Yes. But are you sure it only goes away with brief combat and is otherwise there? I looked through a lot of logs and didn't see it once when I was being attacked.


Maybe I had brief combat on, I'm not sure. I'll check it out later today.

[Yummri]

I have seen a message for when someone else is attacked.

I have never seen this message when -I- personally am attacked by anything. With brief combat or without it. And that is the one that would be helpful and is needed.