A 'close eyes' function...

[CalmThyPalm]

Would be nice to have something along the lines of 'close eyes' that simply makes us unable to see without sacrificing consciousness that isn't dependant on time nor place.

It would open up for easier and safer (I know, I know, two things that don't really fit with how the Known is, but hear me out for a moment here) methods of practicing skills like Blind Fighting or Direction Sense that don't force us to need to move to a pitch-black space nor wander around in a sandstorm just to be more confident in our other senses aside from sight.

Also opens up for more roleplay opportunities where a concerned party being able to see plays a minor yet still significant role in the events playing out, like say a hostage situation where Toon A is coercing (with OOC consent, of course) Toon B to move to some other place in order to hide them but doesn't want their victim knowing where they are or how to get there. A 'close eyes' function would let Toon A emote out putting a blindfold around Toon B's peepers and Toon B could use the command to really follow through with it instead of simply honoring the emote by their PC OOC-ly not noting how their toon is being moved. Would also remove the need to knock someone out for an extended period of time just to truly drag them about without them knowing, IC and OOC, where they're being taken and held in these kinds of scenarios.

It would essentially be the same as 'sleep', but like I've mentioned, without sacrificing consciousness. Voices and non-silent nor hidden emotes would still be heard as how they can be while in darkness, replacing sdescs with 'someone', and if you tried to look with your eyes closed, it could reply with something along the lines of 'you should open your eyes first' like how trying so while being asleep tells you to wake up before looking.

I'm sure there's much I'm missing with possible ways this could go wrong if implemented, and much that can be more polished than what I've proposed, but I thought it was a nice idea and so there you have it.

[LidlessEye]

A small change. Why not have blindfold instead of close eyes? Similar to bandage, why not have a scrap of cloth, or length of cloth held, and blindfold (me/person) will blind them? In your case, it always works, and in the other person's case, they should either be subdued, or have nosave subdue on.

[Barsook]

Blindfolds would be nice, but I really would like to know why this never got in game yet as it's a frequently asked addition.

[CalmThyPalm]

Blindfolds would be nice, but I really would like to know why this never got in game yet as it's a frequently asked addition.

This is just me openly guessing, but maybe because Subdue in and of itself is already enough of a gamble against player agency? In every other physical aspect of the game, you have at least some control over however your character reacts to the situation. Something attacks you, you either fight back or you can flee. Somebody talks smack and antagonizes you, you can either smack back, ignore them, or just up and leave. In cases of Subdue though— and again this is just me musing aloud based on my own limited experience with the skill— you can only really try and break free, which can be very damaging to your toon especially when its local authorities holding you down, otherwise you're just a sack of meat being dragged around until you're let go. Most you can do is communicate: talk, contact someone, all that jazz. If you add on to that having no control whatsoever over who gets a say on whether you can even see as you're held down, while realistic, I understand can be quite frustrating for the receiving end.

[Veselka]

I'm into the voluntary 'close eyes' and 'open eyes'. Seems like a simple function of the body, no brainer.

As to blindfolds/binding someone up/gagging/etc.

Yeah -- With Subdue being as binary as it is, it makes things like blindfolding and being tied up more difficult to add nuance to.

For instance, if you are blindfolded against your will, how do you take it off? Can you just remove it if you aren't subdued or bound up? Can it only be applied to you if you are bound or subdued?

Same for being gagged -- Only while subdued? Voluntary?

As to blindfolds, unless it is put on very well, if your eyes are open you might 'chance' seeing something important, and this also doesn't take into account things like hearing and smell. Being blind doesn't block off your other senses -- You would be able to tell if your environment is hot or cold, make a guess if you are underground or above ground, smell if you are in a sewer or the open desert, and hear if you are near running water or a blowing sandstorm.

Part of the difficulty is that Room Descriptions often include many things that inform the senses, beyond just what you see. And on the other side of the coin, though you can 'sniff room' it doesn't provide much useful information (You don't smell anything odd, or whatever it says). You also can't actively 'hear' the room, you can just hear changes within the room.

Adding things like:

-Sector Smells to areas such as the desert, the forest, the sewers, caverns, tunnels, mountains, city, alleys, rooftops, that are background set, meaning you don't have to set them to each room. If it's a 'city' room in Allanak, it smells a certain way. You can override it by writing your own scent description for the room.

-Sector Listens to areas such as the desert, the forest, the sewers, caverns, tunnels, mountains, city, alleys, rooftops, etc. So instead of just passively 'listening' you can try to actively 'listen room'. It will trigger a prompt like hunt currently does (You try to listen around you...), and it will return the default 'noise' of that area.

Would be cool additions, and I think would help inform a more nuanced system should blindfolding be put in place.

[CalmThyPalm]

I'm into the voluntary 'close eyes' and 'open eyes'. Seems like a simple function of the body, no brainer.

As to blindfolds/binding someone up/gagging/etc.

Yeah -- With Subdue being as binary as it is, it makes things like blindfolding and being tied up more difficult to add nuance to.

For instance, if you are blindfolded against your will, how do you take it off? Can you just remove it if you aren't subdued or bound up? Can it only be applied to you if you are bound or subdued?

Same for being gagged -- Only while subdued? Voluntary?

As to blindfolds, unless it is put on very well, if your eyes are open you might 'chance' seeing something important, and this also doesn't take into account things like hearing and smell. Being blind doesn't block off your other senses -- You would be able to tell if your environment is hot or cold, make a guess if you are underground or above ground, smell if you are in a sewer or the open desert, and hear if you are near running water or a blowing sandstorm.

Part of the difficulty is that Room Descriptions often include many things that inform the senses, beyond just what you see. And on the other side of the coin, though you can 'sniff room' it doesn't provide much useful information (You don't smell anything odd, or whatever it says). You also can't actively 'hear' the room, you can just hear changes within the room.

Adding things like:

-Sector Smells to areas such as the desert, the forest, the sewers, caverns, tunnels, mountains, city, alleys, rooftops, that are background set, meaning you don't have to set them to each room. If it's a 'city' room in Allanak, it smells a certain way. You can override it by writing your own scent description for the room.

-Sector Listens to areas such as the desert, the forest, the sewers, caverns, tunnels, mountains, city, alleys, rooftops, etc. So instead of just passively 'listening' you can try to actively 'listen room'. It will trigger a prompt like hunt currently does (You try to listen around you...), and it will return the default 'noise' of that area.

Would be cool additions, and I think would help inform a more nuanced system should blindfolding be put in place.

I'd never even thought of that! That TOTALLY would be a great addition to liven up the world: making the other senses matter as much and have as much things to react to as sight does. Smelling and hearing specifically, as you've pointed out, yeah.

[CalmThyPalm]

*Abrupt coughing.*

[Athapaxis]

This is a good idea.  I've always thought it would be fun to play a blind PC too and this would allow for that.

[CalmThyPalm]

This is a good idea.  I've always thought it would be fun to play a blind PC too and this would allow for that.

OOOHHH, true, true. Other physical impairments outside of lost limbs, muteness, and maybe also deafness have always been something I've wanted to have a shot at creating a character around. Being permanently on 'close eyes' would need some getting around combat though. Realistically, one would aim for sounds, but how would you actually code that? What would be the syntax?

[Athapaxis]

I'm thinking you would be pretty bad at combat.