Attack of the Super Npcs

[Dead and buried]

It happened before to me and I was disgusted. Someone posted a discussion about it, and I thought it would be fixxed and was still upset about it. It happened again, and now I'm REALLY angry, because it was a great pc that died a stupid way. Here is a bit of what happened.

*blank* has arrived from the west.
The*blank* sheathes a jagged bone pickaxe.
The *blank* attempts to grab you, but you wrestle away.
The *blank* draws a hardwood dagger.
The *blank* draws a jagged bone pickaxe.
The *blank* stabs your body.
The *blank* pierces you, barely grazing your body.
The *blank* stabs your leg, nicking you.
The *blank*  viciously pierces you on your wrist.
The *blank*  has arrived from the west.
The *blank*  sheathes a heavy wooden hammer.
The *blank*  sheathes a hardwood dagger.
The *blank*  draws a heavy wooden hammer.
The *blank*  draws a hardwood dagger.
The *blank*  bludgeons you very hard on your body.
The *blank*  stabs at you, but you dodge out of the way.
The *blank* has arrived from the west.
The *blank* sheathes a stone-bladed battleaxe.
The *blank* stops using a circular baobab shield.
The *blank* draws a hardwood dagger.
The *blank* lightly stabs your body.
The *blank* stabs your foot, nicking you.
The *blank* swiftly dodges your hit.
The *blank* swiftly dodges your hit.
<prompt>
The stout, sun-tanned man pierces you very hard on your body.
The stout, sun-tanned man stabs you, barely grazing your hand.
The athletic, bronzed woman stabs you very hard on your wrist.
                               _______                                ___
                             /\\_____//~-_                        _-~\\__
                            (~)       ~-_ ~-_                  _-~ _-~  
                           (~)           ~-_ ~-_            _-~ /-~      
Welcome to Armageddon!

I want this many actions, and lagless combat ability. Seems unfair for only npcs to be able to do such miraculous feats of combaticism. But also, I'd REALLY like to see it fixed, because its horribly wrong, I didn't even get a chance to type a command, let alone submit to arrest.

Please please please, fix this.

[crymerci]

It wouldn't have made any difference to be able to get a command in.  Can't say much more without getting too IC, but that's what passes for justice in some places.

[creeper386]

It'd make a huge difference to be able to get at least a flee command in during the time that these NPCs charge in, unwield everything, attempt subdues, re-wield everything and attack all in the span of maybe a second.

It's rather crazy, specially combined with a near instantanious kick/bash/disarm, it's plain terrible.

I know NPCs are stupid, mindless mobs... But just beefing up their stats and skills and leaving it so they have no lag isn't the way to combat it, as it makes much more problems and leaves bad tastes in everyones mouth most the time.


Creeper hardly ever has this problem himself but definately can see it.

[ashyom]

Please mail the mud when this occurs.  We as the staff, have no way of knowing if there's something wrong, unless someone lets us know via emails.  Contacting the mud is the best way to get results.

Thanks,
Ashyom

[hammie2]

You know, this looks like when a certain clan (no naming names), actually had it happen to three of my chars by three different clans, decide to lock ppl in a room and use npc's and other people to kill you.

It goes something like :
*blank* opens the door.
The short figure wearing *blank* enters from the south
The extremely short and thick figure wearing *blank* enters from the south
The extremely tall figure wearing *blank* enters from the south
The extremely tall and thin figure wearing *blank* enters from the south.

*blank noble* closes the door
*blank noble* locks the door
*blank noble* places a *standard key* in a *blank*

*blank* whispers to *insert standard npc*
*insert standard npc* pierces you on your neck doing hurrendous damage.
The extremely short and thick figure wearing *blank* heroically joins *insert npc's fight*

etc.....

Mantis Head to follow

I figure since this behavior on behalf of persons not to be named, is acceptable then why should npc's not be able to do it.

[creeper386]

I figure since this behavior on behalf of persons not to be named, is acceptable then why should npc's not be able to do it.

PCs may be able to line up alot of commands and such, but they still are going to have lag on most every one of those commands. Most notably as they are entering and they are locking doors. NPCs on the other hand can instantaneously remove a key from their wrist or something, unlock the door, open the door and wear the key. They could probably pretty much enter the next room, close and lock the door all before a PCs movement lag has worn off. It's alittle different over all. NPCs might have some command lag but if they do, it's basically non existant.

[SailorMars]

I've seen this many times too, and it's lame. What's better: A) Someone gets gang-banged by spiced-out guards and dies instantly, or B) The person is arrested, interrogated, tortured and killed by a templar. C'mon who wouldn't choose B!

The bad thing is the cracked out justice code can kick in over like a minor bar brawl in the Gaj. Granted Allanak (in this example) is a military state, but surely a bar brawl or two happen without the half-giants cleaning house in a sea of blood?

While a good wholesale slaughter is grand, the RP around doing something illegal, getting busted, and letting it play out, is often more rewarding for everyone involved.

Please make a flag to automatically submit to guards and templars that is seperate from nosave. It's like impossible to type nosave fast enough to save yourself when this happens, and you would never walk around with it on...

[drunkendwarf]

I know I started a thread on this after I had a near 30-day char go down in less than a second because of a poorly thought out action just outside a city gate....

Please mail the mud when this occurs. We as the staff, have no way of knowing if there's something wrong, unless someone lets us know via emails. Contacting the mud is the best way to get results.

All this accomplished for me was 'We only give a res for bugs'. Regardless of how little IC sense it made for my character to be slaughtered at the gates, it happened.

It wouldn't have made any difference to be able to get a command in. Can't say much more without getting too IC, but that's what passes for justice in some places.

While that may be true in some circumstances...it's not always the case.
Let me quite the helpfile on criminal....

Penalties for crimes are generally much more severe for non-citizens than for citizens. It is thus a particularly bad idea to be caught
committing a crime in somewhere other than your character's hometown.

My character was fairly well-known, and had belonged to a clan that had, on several occaisions, offered their services to the militia and Templarate of the city-state we lived in. My character had personally volunteered to aid a couple different Templars with a relatively dangerous task. Yet my character is given absolutely -no- chance to surrender peacefully at the gates of his hometown?

I whole-heartedly agree something should really be done about this code....a 'surrender' flag is an excellent suggestion, I think. I feel your pain, Dead and Buried, it REALLY sucks to loose a char like that when IC he would have dropped to his knees and locked his hands behind his head as soon as he saw the pissed off soldier approaching with that mean old sword in hand....stop the insanity! :}

[EvilRoeSlade]

I don't think that nosave should even encompass saving throws in regards to poison, climbing, magick, or what-have-you.

I mean, how is that somebody can willingly let poison enter their veins without allowing their bodies immune system to fight it?  Pretty freaky metabolism, I say.

[Kalden]

I agree, EvilRoe.

I idea'd this a while ago... but wouldn't it be nice to see if your nosave is on or off by your prompt?

[Gorobei]

What exactly does nosave affect?  I know it makes climbing impossible, and you can't get away from subduers.  What about people stealing from you?  You stealing from others?  Backstab?  Combat?

[Summer]

Please mail the mud when this occurs.  We as the staff, have no way of knowing if there's something wrong, unless someone lets us know via emails.  Contacting the mud is the best way to get results.

Thanks,
Ashyom

Unless I'm mistaken this happens at every gate I've seen. If someone that is wanted/should be killed the guards are on them in an instant.

[waroth]

Being a past coder on several muds, I am inclined to defend the code on this instant.  I know how much work would be involved in revamping the entire combat system to make a NPC have "simulated" lag, plus, I know how even getting that done would lead to abuse by players.  I am not saying everyone would do it, but chances are there are people out there who are not honest.  :wink:  

 Imagine if, let's say, Player 1 runs down the street and attacks Player 2 in the wide open for no reason whatsoever. Okay, then here comes the NPC militia slowing trudging along to the rescue.  Player 1 has time to get in a few shots, maybe even killing Player 2, then has time to type "Flee" and escape the miltia.  I am sure Player 2 would be complaining then about how the NPC's don't react fast enough. :roll:

 There are several points on which the mud world will not be as realistic as the real world.  It's then you have to remember it's just a game and accept it.  At least this is my opinion and you have the right to ignore it or flame if you wish.  Just tossin' in my two 'sids.

[Kalden]

If there was some way to toggle always submitting to guards, no one would ever die from them, and it would be completely IC. Only suicidal fools try to fact that in these cities, and all too often we fight back and die just because we forget to toggle nosave back on.

This is an urgent problem.

[Summer]

Waroth, player 2 would have had time to type flee too. I think the guards should have the same delay on doing things that players have. However the submit to authorities flag would be a good change.