Artifact Caches (AKA "Booty call")

[Tiernan]

Really love this concept but sorta sad that it doesn't exist through reboots.  Is there any way for us to put requests to get something more permanent with a cache?

Currently, we do not have a persistent world that's backed by a transactional DB.  If we did, we'd also have a decay model so that things would spoil, rot, break down and all that good stuff over time.  I explored ways to add persistence to caches and came to the conclusion that it wasn't feasible given the limitations of our current engine.

Also, what happens if I bury a chest with a ton of stuff in it that I can't lift?  Does the item show up on the ground or go into my inventory?  

Same thing that happens now when you try to forage something and it doesn't fit into your inventory, it'll be on the ground but visible.

[Kankman]

Is it necessary to search and find the cache before you can forage its contents?

[James de Monet]

So awesome. Let the poop burying begin!


Edited to add:
In seriousness, I have been wanting this change for a long time. Should make the wastes far more habitable and interesting!

[Riev]

So, you can use "search" to discover the secret cache... or you can randomly "forage artifact" to pull from it (if it exists)?

Or does Search just let you know that, indeed, there is a secret cache there?


Edit: Clarification:
Can you randomly forage artifact in an area, and it will pull from a cache, if it exists? This would give high-forage PCs a reason to just randomly dig in the ground, at times.

If so, then the Search skill's only use (so far as burying items) is to determine, for a fact, there is a cache without wasting the forage attempts?

[Refugee]

Far out!!!!

[Kismetic]

This is so awesome.

[Tiernan]

Is it necessary to search and find the cache before you can forage its contents?

So, you can use "search" to discover the secret cache... or you can randomly "forage artifact" to pull from it (if it exists)?

Or does Search just let you know that, indeed, there is a secret cache there?

So we're venturing into what you'd consider good use of the code here versus code abuse.  For someone to go back and fetch what they left, they need to be able to forage it up without being reliant on the search skill.

However, I  cannot and will not condone using brute force "forage artifact" in every room you walk around the wastes in as proper and good use of the code.    It would be as bad as using brute force on "open" with every conceivable door keyword to find a hidden exit in a room.  Just because the code allows something doesn't always make it the best option to use.  You can expect the staff's position on brute force foraging to be consistent with our code abuse policy.

[Saellyn]

Okay. One more tiny clarification.

Anyone can forage artifact, that is proven.

So, let me just go off on a slight tangent.

I'm Joe Grebber warrior/hunter, and I bury myself a chest full of stuff in a save room. If I forage artifacts, will it eventually skill-roll to find THAT CHEST with all its contents? Or will it forage for the chest, or its contents one piece at a time?

[Tiernan]

We already covered that you can bury containers with items in them.  By the same logic, you can forage out containers with items in them.

[Voular]

This is very neat, thanks.

[Lizzie]

If I bury a chest..
and someone else buries a chest..
and someone else buries a chest..


and an hour later I return to retrieve my chest..

do I retrieve my own chest by default? Or do I retrieve the most recently buried one, regardless of whose it is?

or do I retrieve the least-skillfully-buried one, regardless of whose it is...

or

are multiple caches not buryable in the same room?

[Tiernan]

One cache per room.  Forage results may vary based on the real and virtual environment.  No semblance of ownership is maintained.  Once you bury it, it belongs to Zalanthas.

EDIT:  Signing off the long AMA about Forage Cache thread here.  I think we've reached a point where you can experiment with it IC and suss out the answer.

[manonfire]

Any plans to add city-based caches to the game? I'm sort of in love with the idea of dead drops in an alley somewhere.

[TheWanderer]

I can't wait to bury all of you.

[Riev]

I am now, ICly, renting out the entire square of space just north of each Allanaki Gate, for you to bury your chests and boxes of spice. I'll even TELL YOU I can guarantee their security, even if I can't! Come on down to Trader Amos' Silly Spice Sacks, today!

[Dalmeth]

However, I  cannot and will not condone using brute force "forage artifact" in every room you walk around the wastes in as proper and good use of the code.    It would be as bad as using brute force on "open" with every conceivable door keyword to find a hidden exit in a room.  Just because the code allows something doesn't always make it the best option to use.  You can expect the staff's position on brute force foraging to be consistent with our code abuse policy.

2 questions :

1. What method other than brute force should I to use when searching an area for a possible, randomly-placed cache?

2. What code abuse policy?  Can I see it?

[Potaje]

This makes me want to quit my rl job and become a treasure hunter.

[Nyr]

However, I  cannot and will not condone using brute force "forage artifact" in every room you walk around the wastes in as proper and good use of the code.    It would be as bad as using brute force on "open" with every conceivable door keyword to find a hidden exit in a room.  Just because the code allows something doesn't always make it the best option to use.  You can expect the staff's position on brute force foraging to be consistent with our code abuse policy.

2 questions :

1. What method other than brute force should I to use when searching an area for a possible, randomly-placed cache?

It really depends on the scope of what you are intending.  If you are a dwarf with the focus "dig up all of the things," it is reasonable to place an emphasis on this in your character's life.  Would it be reasonable to do this the entire time your character is logged in?  No, it would not--just like sparring constantly or doing any other coded pursuit constantly would be unreasonable.  If you are suspicious that there might be a cache in a certain area and you're looking for it, search an area methodically, sure.  But if you don't find it in a reasonable amount of time or you start spanning the entire Known World in search of something you are "sure" is there...maybe it's time to take a step back and not do that.

2. What code abuse policy?  Can I see it?

Don't do stupid stuff.  The things Tiernan mentioned are stupid things, gaming the game itself in order to achieve an end that has little to do with roleplay and a lot more to do with "winning."  On the same list would be traveling from one corner of the Known to the other because you can codedly do so, or sleeping to recover from wounds in a really stupid area because HP regen is more important than RP.  Things like that.

[FantasyWriter]

Has it been considered to add something to this effect in rooms for a certain time period?

Code Select Expand

A Room in the Desert [N, E, S, W]
     There is a lot of sand here, it is hot and dry, and something really nasty is probably about to eat your face.
The ground has recently been disturbed.

After a couple days of good weather, the disturbance in the force would disappear.
In a harsh sandstorm, it might disappear after only an in-game hour.

This would make buried cashes a little more risky for the the hoarder and a little more accessible for the scavenger.

[Barzalene]

Thank you.

[FantasyWriter]

Also..... OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG this is so f-ing awesome!!!!

[Kronibas]

Holy shit.

[Kronibas]

I think more numerous rooms in more obscure places would really help with this.

I mean, maybe a few dozen, so there will be more places to go, "Aha, maybe this will be a good place to dig."

Add a couple of dozen in places close to the city states, a dozen or so in mid-outlying regions, and a half dozen to a dozen in "shit, you're either a maxed ranger, sorcerer or polymorphed to get here, dude" places.


The more places there are to hide and dig for loot, the more badass this will be.

[Armaddict]

...why you do this -now-?  Now must play more.  Must lose characters to thirst because I cannot...stop...foraging.

[Lizzie]

Another question since it isn't mentioned in the forage help file:

Can things be buried in the same spot that "artifacts" exist? If they can, and I'm really and truly trying to find artifacts and -not- buried caches... how does the code handle that? Is there a special command for if you're trying to find only the same kind of artifacts as has historically been forageable?