How to deal with the hoodlums? Help on fighting hooded figures.

[nauta]

So, this is a new combat player question.  What are some mechanisms that we use to cope with combat involving multiple hooded figures (including yourself)?  Here's an example:

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The figure in a dark hooded cloak (elf #1) is here, fighting the figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #1, leader).
The figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #2, assisting human #1) is here, fighting the figure in a dark hooded cloak (elf #1).
The figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #1) is here, fighting the figure in a dark hooded cloak (elf #1).
The figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #3) is standing here looking confused. (<---- That's me!)
The figure in a dark hooded claok (elf #2) is here, fighting the figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #3).
The figure in a dark hooded cloak (human #3) is here, fighting the figure in a dark hooded cloak (elf #2).


To toss out some:

1. Use NAMES when you can.
2. Use RACE when you can't get a name (e.g., kill gith NOT kill hooded).
3. Use ASSIST LEADERDUDE rather than KILL when appropriate and when you can.

But here are some open questions:

1. Is there a way to tell which hooded figure is fighting Bossman Leader, so that you can target it with an arrow or a spell?
2. Is there a way to tell which hooded figure is fighting YOU, so that you can target it with assess or look?
3. Is there a way to tell who is assisting and who is taking the damage?
4. If you have your own hood up, are you 1.cloaked?  Who is 2.cloaked?  Or is there no rule to that?

There's probably more, but that should get us on the right track, I think.

I had thought maybe some combination of using the KEYWORD command might work, but actually testing this is difficult to do in-game, since, you know, everyone is fighting!

So, what are some tips and tricks that veteran combat people use to keep on top of these sorts of things, ESPECIALLY in cases where you don't know the names of people on your side or the names of the enemies?

[BadSkeelz]

But here are some open questions:

1. Play a real guild and melee. Use assist Name to assist friends.
2. You can configure your prompt to show the sdesc of the person fighting you, but this won't help in distinguishing which of the brown cloaked figures is fighting you.
3. The best I've managed is to try and remember heights and pronouns as well as cloak sdescs, so I can make an educated guess as to which of my hooded underlings is getting whacked.
4. I think you're 1.cloaked, but if there's a system behind keyword assignment I'm not 100% Sure I know what it is.

Using kill keyword when you can assist a known name is a newb move.

Personally I am not a fan of fighting in hoods, despite the advantages they provide in disrupting targeting. In PVE they do nothing but confuse your allies.

[whitt]

4. I think you're 1.cloaked, but if there's a system behind keyword assignment I'm not 100% Sure I know what it is.

Keywords are assigned by order of entry into a room.  So the #.keyword for a given keyword may/will change if/when more of the same keyword arrive or leave.

[nauta]

1. Play a real guild and melee. Use assist Name to assist friends.

Thanks for the answers.

Well, even the warrior has to target with bash and disarm and the like.  Is there a way to target (or easily target) the opponent fighting just you (when there are many that fit the sdesc hooded)?

[BadSkeelz]

If you just type

>bash

or

>kick

It will automatically target whatever or whoever you're currently engaging.

[lostinspace]

I use the most powerful tool the immortals have given us, keyword. Let's say I'm riding out with my two buddies Curly and Moe and we are all wearing or cool new abas we got for joining up with the Byn when a scrab jumps us and starts attacking someone(not me). I type keyword Moe and get the response The short, fat figure in a shit-colored aba is here. I type keyword Curly and get The figure in a shit-colored aba is here, fighting a scrab. I type rescue Curly and die to the scrab so he can live or whatever. This was very useful when I was riding around with 6-7 other players all with our hoods up, I'd spam the keyword command when we mounted up to see who all was riding with me, I'd spam it as we rode to keep a count of how many are with us in case we lose one, and I'd spam it in fights to figure out the best course of action, and after we skinned the thing and I was in charge of sorting it all, I'd spam it to figure out where things go and how many I need to pull out the bag and stash in the trunk.

[BadSkeelz]

Good suggestion, lostinspace, but I would just type >assist Moe, then >assist Curly in that situation. Skip the step of checking the keywords.

So, what are some tips and tricks that veteran combat people use to keep on top of these sorts of things, ESPECIALLY in cases where you don't know the names of people on your side or the names of the enemies?

Going back to the OP, if you're fighting without knowing the names of the people on your side... why are you fighting with them? In that situation I would just try and keep track of the highest ranking PC's keywords and keep assisting them. Or guard them, so you can get dragged into a fight that way.

[nauta]

If you just type

>bash

or

>kick

It will automatically target whatever or whoever you're currently engaging.

That's friggin' amazing!  I'm definitely adding that as a suggestion to the improve the helpfile thread.  (I checked the help files on those two and KICK mentions this trick, but BASH does not.)  Are there other commands where this is the case (e.g. disarm, charge, throw, shoot, others?)

[BadSkeelz]

Disarm, like bash and kick, will default to your currently engaged foe if you don't specify a target. All three can be specifically targeted at people other than the one you're swinging at. If you're fighting Amos but want to disarm Talia, >disarm Talia will attempt to disarm her.

Trying to bash, kick, or disarm someone will engage combat, so be careful using it in a sparring hall. If you're fighting Amos and try and >kick him, but someone rescues him before the command goes through, you will kick him and re-initiate combat. This can be bad.

Charge is an engagement action, only usable when you are out of combat. You must specify a Target.

Trample's an odd one. As best I can tell, you don't need to specify a Target, BUT it can only be used on a Target that is currently engaging you. Maybe you can engage with it, I'll have to test that.

Throw and shoot both need a target, as well as the direction if they're not in the same room as you. You can also shoot stuff into a room without an intention of hitting anything.
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Shoot
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Throw

[lostinspace]

Good suggestion, lostinspace, but I would just type >assist Moe, then >assist Curly in that situation. Skip the step of checking the keywords.

So, what are some tips and tricks that veteran combat people use to keep on top of these sorts of things, ESPECIALLY in cases where you don't know the names of people on your side or the names of the enemies?

Going back to the OP, if you're fighting without knowing the names of the people on your side... why are you fighting with them? In that situation I would just try and keep track of the highest ranking PC's keywords and keep assisting them. Or guard them, so you can get dragged into a fight that way.

Yeah, for commands with no end-lag you can just spam assist everyone you are riding out with, it becomes more imperative if you want to do something that has endlag, because you might try to assist Curly and then wind up incapable of helping Moe before he gets chomped.

[fourTwenty]

Disarm, like bash and kick, will default to your currently engaged foe if you don't specify a target. All three can be specifically targeted at people other than the one you're swinging at. If you're fighting Amos but want to disarm Talia, >disarm Talia will attempt to disarm her.

Trying to bash, kick, or disarm someone will engage combat, so be careful using it in a sparring hall. If you're fighting Amos and try and >kick him, but someone rescues him before the command goes through, you will kick him and re-initiate combat. This can be bad.

Charge is an engagement action, only usable when you are out of combat. You must specify a Target.

Trample's an odd one. As best I can tell, you don't need to specify a Target, BUT it can only be used on a Target that is currently engaging you. Maybe you can engage with it, I'll have to test that.

Throw and shoot both need a target, as well as the direction if they're not in the same room as you. You can also shoot stuff into a room without an intention of hitting anything.
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Shoot
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Throw

Dafuq is Trample? Is this a seperate command from charge?

[BadSkeelz]

Yep!

http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Trample

http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/charge