Darkness + Storm = Nothing to do at night.

[RogueGunslinger]

What does everyone think of the instance where at night, with any level of storm going on(or even pre-storm), you can't see anything at all? I think night-time would be a lot more attractive if you could always see with a torch/glow/lantern. Perhaps make it so that you need 2 or more light sources to get proper lighting?

Night time has a lot of drawbacks that I generally dislike, and I think this would go a long ways toward making it more playable.

[Erythil]

If you have a torch, and you've memorized the directions inside the city, you can sort of speedwalk from one indoors destination to the next.

[RogueGunslinger]

How I would do it:

1 light source = you see when sand is piling in small dunes(where the weather is in cities most of the time).
2 = see in level 1 storms
3 = see in level 2 storms
4 = see in level 3 storms

Nothing will allow you to see in tremendous storms.

[whitt]

What does everyone think of the instance where at night, with any level of storm going on(or even pre-storm), you can't see anything at all?

I think that's a pretty good time to stay indoors and find something to do that doesn't require you to be out in the weather that is neither fit for man nor beast.

I would be up for some level of direction sense being attainable by everyone (like ride and pilot) so that you have a better than nil chance of struggling through that mess to get somewhere that you could walk in your sleep, but aside from that?  It's a harsh environment.  You should have to be aware of the weather as an enemy.

[bardlyone]

How I would do it:

1 light source = you see when sand is piling in small dunes(where the weather is in cities most of the time).
2 = see in level 1 storms
3 = see in level 2 storms
4 = see in level 3 storms

Nothing will allow you to see in tremendous storms.

Yas.

I think that's a pretty good time to stay indoors and find something to do that doesn't require you to be out in the weather that is neither fit for man nor beast.

Unless you have good reason to be outside. Like belonging to one of multiple tribes who have what is a coded firepit type area in the middle of your camp where you're trying to make dinner or hang/dance/whatever.

I would be up for some level of direction sense being attainable by everyone (like ride and pilot) so that you have a better than nil chance of struggling through that mess to get somewhere that you could walk in your sleep

Yas.

It's a harsh environment.  You should have to be aware of the weather as an enemy.

Except the ways this fucks with actually being 'able' to use stealthy/criminal stuff supposedly being given a boon at night being totally f'd with in cities.

I think you should only have to worry about not being able to see without a light source at night, if you are outside of a city - you know, the primary area where the weather is SUPPOSED to be an enemy.

[RogueGunslinger]

I don't think this would make night any less dangerous.  It would make it so you could actually go and face that danger instead of avoid it entirely. If you're in the city you're already stuck there, and it makes very little sense to be able to spam-walk anywhere you want in zero visibility simply because you remember the way.

If you're outside of the city, you're also stuck there, so it'd be nice to be able to do... anything other than sit and wait it out and, if you're lucky, have some conversation. I say if you're lucky because I tend to notice everyone starts surfing the GDB/reddit and doing other things than play the game when outside at night. It's pretty annoying to not even be able to tell who's talking. Despite being with a group of clannies you've known forever.

I'd also make it so that with enough light sources you could hunt/forage at night, with penalties.

[Raptor_Dan]

Y'all ain't havin' enough fun with not being able to see anything at all.

Code Select Expand


You can't see anything at all.

You think: "Oh no, where's Amos."

You shout, in sirihish: "Thrain!!"

Someone shouts from the east, in sirihish: "Ironsword!"

You think: "Okay, he's over there."

You snicker.

You run east.
Terrible, biting sands cause you to lose your bearings.

Someone shouts from the north, in sirihish: "Thrain!"

You think: "Shet."


[nauta]

Let me start by saying that the weather code at night is something I don't fully understand.  There are places (e.g., clan campfires) where it doesn't seem to behave like it should, and also times where IG I'm like: WTF?  So some nuance could be had.

But in general, weather/darkness is something people with <direction sense> are able to handle better than people without, at least in terms of navigating.  So I'd be cautious of making this skill less useful.  There are places where you want to go lights out, in the dark, and have a guide lead you.

If you're in the city you're already stuck there, and it makes very little sense to be able to spam-walk anywhere you want in zero visibility simply because you remember the way.

There is the 'exits' command which actually sucks off 1 movement point and gives the echo of 'fumbling around you look for exits';  I used to think it was a meta command but now I don't.

It's pretty annoying to not even be able to tell who's talking. Despite being with a group of clannies you've known forever.

Tents solve this.

I do wish you could sit on cookfire/campfire objects and thus be able to see everyone.

ETA: Also, you should be able to light cookfire in complete darkness -- just as you can 'get torch satchel'.

[Lizzie]

If there's a raging storm, a campfire doesn't seem very logical. First, you'd have to light it. In a raging swirling sandstorm of sand and wind. Sand + wind = no fire. Or worse = you, lit on fire because the wind blew the flame onto your skin.

From a playability point of view, these spots of sandstorms are few and far between and if you're wandering out in one at night, you accept the risk that something bad will happen as a direct result of your choice to do so.

Regarding coded encampments: that's one thing I agree should have one outdoor spot safe from storms. If the tents can all "not" be blown away by storms, then a campfire area encircled by tents certainly should be protected from the worst of it.

[The Lonely Hunter]

I'm just going to leave this right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv4BhZV5mAA

[Desertman]

I don't mind if rangers and ruks get the ability, since it sort of makes sense for them.

Everyone else, not so much.

There are already some things that can see perfectly at night, and when you encounter them and you can't, it makes for some very interesting situations.

[Reiloth]

I'd just like it if (inside a city) visibility were reduced completely. So you could see in the room you are in, but couldn't see to the directions/exits around you. The high walls of a city would most certainly prevent the worst part of a storm, but not entirely. This also assists the playability issues that RGS mentions, and for which we only have band-aid solutions for at the moment.

I wonder if a newbie would have the patience for the game if they logged in during a storm at night, for example.

[Lizzie]

I'd just like it if (inside a city) visibility were reduced completely. So you could see in the room you are in, but couldn't see to the directions/exits around you. The high walls of a city would most certainly prevent the worst part of a storm, but not entirely. This also assists the playability issues that RGS mentions, and for which we only have band-aid solutions for at the moment.

I wonder if a newbie would have the patience for the game if they logged in during a storm at night, for example.

I don't remember when the last time was, that there was a storm -inside- the city that affected visibility. I don't remember even a "harsh storm" in the city at night. I know it used to be that way, when even with a torch you would get turned around. But I can't remember the last time that happened. Maybe in the early 2000's.

[Reiloth]

I'd just like it if (inside a city) visibility were reduced completely. So you could see in the room you are in, but couldn't see to the directions/exits around you. The high walls of a city would most certainly prevent the worst part of a storm, but not entirely. This also assists the playability issues that RGS mentions, and for which we only have band-aid solutions for at the moment.

I wonder if a newbie would have the patience for the game if they logged in during a storm at night, for example.

I don't remember when the last time was, that there was a storm -inside- the city that affected visibility. I don't remember even a "harsh storm" in the city at night. I know it used to be that way, when even with a torch you would get turned around. But I can't remember the last time that happened. Maybe in the early 2000's.

I think the debilitating "you lose your direction" storms were taken out of cities. Definitely not as long ago as the early 2000's, I remember them in Tuluk around 2003-4. I was speaking more to the "You can't see anything; sand swirls about you" storms, which do happen with frequency.

[Riev]

In City, you won't be able to see if its the "sand piling" storm with a torch.

However, if its a Moonless Night, you won't see anything anyway, without a light source. I've been stuck MANY times without a torch on my city-bound characters, because I think "who needs a torch? Its a city street!". There seem to be SOME grids that provide light, and others that don't. I wouldn't be TOTALLY averse to certain major crossroads having an irrig-lamp that gets automatically turned on at dusk. Certainly not on every room, but every so often, so people can stumble to somewhere "safe" under a street lamp.

[nauta]

In City, you won't be able to see if its the "sand piling" storm with a torch.

However, if its a Moonless Night, you won't see anything anyway, without a light source. I've been stuck MANY times without a torch on my city-bound characters, because I think "who needs a torch? Its a city street!". There seem to be SOME grids that provide light, and others that don't. I wouldn't be TOTALLY averse to certain major crossroads having an irrig-lamp that gets automatically turned on at dusk. Certainly not on every room, but every so often, so people can stumble to somewhere "safe" under a street lamp.

This came up within the last year on the gdb (can't find the thread), and I thought the consensus was that this is no longer the case.  I've, at least, never encountered it in Allanak proper, the rinth, or Tuluk.

ETA: Just to clarify: I've never encountered being unable to see with a torch inside Allanak, the rinth, or Tuluk.  Without a torch, yes, you get Darkness or the Stingin' Sands at some spots.  

As to being stuck in the city without a torch, just have a look at those sandstorm videos.  I find it plausible and realistic to sometimes be stuck in a sandstorm darkness even within the city if you don't have a light source on you.

I wouldn't mind if NPCs actually had to light a torch.  I always found it humorous to follow the templar to morning devotions in the dark or in the stinging sands.

[Majikal]

There seem to be SOME grids that provide light, and others that don't. I wouldn't be TOTALLY averse to certain major crossroads having an irrig-lamp that gets automatically turned on at dusk. Certainly not on every room, but every so often, so people can stumble to somewhere "safe" under a street lamp.

I like this.

[Malifaxis]

There seem to be SOME grids that provide light, and others that don't. I wouldn't be TOTALLY averse to certain major crossroads having an irrig-lamp that gets automatically turned on at dusk. Certainly not on every room, but every so often, so people can stumble to somewhere "safe" under a street lamp.

I like this.

I would like them more if they could be manually extinguished...

[Delirium]

Someone extinguishes a pole-mounted glass irrig lamp.
The area is enveloped in darkness.

A male voice aks, in trope-accented sirihish:
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

[nauta]

Someone extinguishes a pole-mounted glass irrig lamp.
The area is enveloped in darkness.

A male voice aks, in trope-accented sirihish:
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

Code Select Expand


ext irrig.lamp;

You extinguish a pole-mounted glass irrig lamp.
The area is enveloped in darkness.

light irrig.lamp;

You can't find it.

think Fuck my life.


[Riev]

I think it would be great, just saying, if it was part of the White Robe Templar order to light a couple crossroads on the way to the temple. Of real lamps. That CAN be extinguished but its as illegal as picking leaves off plants or drinking water from a fountain.

I mean, it'd be great if you could stay hidden at a streetlamp, and turn it off as soon as someone enters. Now THATS ominous.

[path]

Riev! That's exactly what keeps happening to my characters! Moonless nights and no light. It's so shameful, but one time I wayed someone that I was lost and they were like, it's cool bro, I'll come get you and then we had tea. Good story.... I wouldn't be opposed to a lit crossroad or two.

So, I guess there are some code issues surrounding this, but my big desire is what Malifaxis mentioned. Lights in rooms which can be toggled.

Particularly apartments. It drives me mildly nuts how the lanterns light themselves as darkness falls. And those are the awesome fancy apartments where the builders have written variable descriptions based on time! <3 The others have ever-burning lamps.

I don't know about you guys, but I get this freaked out feeling in my gut when I'm outside, trapped in a sudden sandstorm and I can't see my friends or figure out where I'm going...and that's awesome! That kind've anxiety really puts me right back in my character's boots. Frustrated, frightened and bored. Pitch perfect. Why didn't I check the weather, why didn't I pay attention to the winds and the encroaching darkness?! Next time, I promise myself, I will and then if I do remember I get to incorporate all that added info into my roleplay. Yah! If it's possible for my path avatar to click her heels and simultaneously high-five you, the reader, that's what's happening.

And then like Nauta said there are tents which are SO COOL! They are the coolest! I want to be in a tent right now.

[Dresan]

Outside the city...I think its fine. The times you can see and travel at night are neat but that only happens in the north. Still the day is dangerous, and the night is annoying, and tents do help with this.

I think more visibility inside of cities isn't a bad thing. The storm thing before dawn has always seemed more of a bug to me. I can understand it being dark which should be resolved with a light source.

Within the city, the biggest danger of being outside of a safe place at night in the city should come from lack of crimcode code. Or at least it would be if it were for the fact there still seems to be many soldier (many which are half-giants) roaming the place. Though that was another thread all together. 

[Dar]

Reminds me when the sun took a vacation and it was permanent night for a few rl days. I ended up doing this whole public service thing by spreading irrig staves all over Tuluk.

I'm against removing total blindness times outside the city. If it's impossible to stay in complete wild, find other things to do. Like communal tribe tents, or taverns. Take a break from hunting and go get into some kind of trouble with other players.

I dont really mind the darkness in the city either. It doesnt really stop you from getting from point A to point B. And it does allow a certain high volatile crime to happen if done carefully.