Hunt!

[nauta]

I still think the current hunt dynamic is just right.  It takes time to hunt, and a clever prey can wear the hunter out pretty quickly.

That said, the biggest problem will be the fact that the game world has only so many places to hide, and the hunter can make some pretty easy inferences as to where the prey is going and just cut straight there (e.g., Tuluk).

But if you have a pretty clever prey, they can screw the hunter over, and ambush them instead.

For the most part, however, hunting-hunted interactions almost always end up with the prey reaching a safe spot.

[TheGoose]

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I disagree entirely here.  In more than one instance, I've had characters use hunt to track down one of mine literally from Tuluk to Allank and somewhere in the city.  Delf and not, before extended sub guilds and after.  Through sandstorms, and using various means to try and throw off someone.  Hunt is insanely powerful.  So much so, that some of the most powerful guilds(at least pre changes) have abilities designed to thwart it due to the fact it turns you into a homing missile.  Against someone with hunt, you can run, but you cannot hide.

That doesn't seem possible from what I've seen. If there is a version of hunt that works in cities at all without a, frankly, silly and twinkish amount of spamming the 'hunt' command, it's something specific to a certain guild/subguild combo. But I doubt that exists at all. With all due respect and no venom intended, I believe that you are exaggerating.

[Kryos]

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I disagree entirely here.  In more than one instance, I've had characters use hunt to track down one of mine literally from Tuluk to Allank and somewhere in the city.  Delf and not, before extended sub guilds and after.  Through sandstorms, and using various means to try and throw off someone.  Hunt is insanely powerful.  So much so, that some of the most powerful guilds(at least pre changes) have abilities designed to thwart it due to the fact it turns you into a homing missile.  Against someone with hunt, you can run, but you cannot hide.

That doesn't seem possible from what I've seen. If there is a version of hunt that works in cities at all without a, frankly, silly and twinkish amount of spamming the skills, it's something specific to a certain guild/subguild combo. But I doubt that exists at all. With all do respect and no venom intended, I believe that you are exaggerating.

There is no hyperbole in my statement. 

[Riev]

And I definitely believe it can happen. Some combinations could allow for city and wilderness hunting.

It requires no twinking.

Some city-stealth classes SPECIFICALLY get a city-based hunt.

Tracking someone from one city to the next could be relatively easy, if you know what you're looking for. Did they stop at every room? Maybe not. Maybe they stopped in places they assume you'd bunker down, hunted, confirmed you were headed South, and determined you are headed to Allanak. So they get to Allanak, and start checking for signs of you there, especially in places not frequented often by PCs.

Now. I have issues with city hunt, since its more like virtual paying off people to tell you if they see a certain person or not, since you can't tell one person's passing from a virtual person, but that's another story. The fact is, codedly, it does work, and requires no magick.

[Miradus]

City hunt is an entirely different issue.

I'm talking about a wilderness based character trying to catch someone in the wilderness. It's hard to do. If I pick up someone's tracks in, say, the Grasslands, and he's got a headstart on me, then he's likely to make it to Morin's or Luir's easily before I can catch him.

I'm talking about using hunt for PK activity. It's just really poorly designed to facilitate that.

Except, apparently, that magic combo that can do it both in the wilderness and the city.

[Kryos]

I am explicitly avoiding details that shouldn't be discussed, I hope everyone else does.

Locking on a PvP target(or skirting/shadowing outdoors) while staying outside, hunt is still extremely strong.  I've used it for these purposes many times to success.  Combine this with the recent follow changes and there's little more one needs.  All sorts of conditionals apply, of course, but at worst I consider it a great skill that does not need any help. 

[lostinspace]

If I pick up someone's tracks in, say, the Grasslands, and he's got a headstart on me, then he's likely to make it to Morin's or Luir's easily before I can catch him.

Shouldn't they get away when they have a head start though?

I feel like putting the track results in the room desc. is pretty strong, especially seeing as hunt is pretty painless to use outside of dismounting/mounting repeatedly.

[TheGoose]

I feel like putting the track results in the room desc. is pretty strong, especially seeing as hunt is pretty painless to use outside of dismounting/mounting repeatedly.

Fair enough.

What if tracking at a glance like that wasn't 100% reliable? What if doing that is likely to give false or misleading information?

[Kankfly]

What if you balance the tracking idea -with- the disguising tracks idea? Not just one but both, and both are dependent on your hunt skill. Right now it seems the discussion is more focused on "track" alone.

[TheGoose]

What if you balance the tracking idea -with- the disguising tracks idea? Not just one but both, and both are dependent on your hunt skill. Right now it seems the discussion is more focused on "track" alone.

Yeah, that.

[Vox]

I feel hunt sometimes gives a bit too little information. Wouldn't it be cool if you can:

>hunt
Someone has butchered a carcass less than a day/a few days/etc ago.

(Yes, I think i suggested that in another thread but thought I'd start a new thread anyway.)

Or, depending on the level of your skill, you can:

>hide tracks
>You start to cover up your tracks...
>You dust sand over your tracks and cover them up.

Or maybe even:

>disguise tracks (direction)

Then someone else with the hunt skill can (once again depending on the level of their skill):

>hunt
>You notice a mild disturbance on the ground.

>uncover tracks
>You pause to take a closer look at the tracks.

Or how about:

>hunt
>Something appears to be recently buried here.

Is this hard to implement? Thoughts? Ideas? Flames?

I really like these ideas. It adds functionality in a way that broadens hunt's uses in realistic ways.
Perhaps disguise tracks would be something that branches at a high level of hunt with a % chance for scan/hunt to detect the ruse.

[Molten Heart]

.

[Kankfly]

Some way to lay down fake tracks would be interesting.

https://www.littlethings.com/prohibition-cow-shoes

Yes. Tools will be awesome, to disguise one set of tracks into another. Sounds like a MC idea!