Analyze....

[ashjpd]

I have been wondering a few things about the skill analyze. It is really useful in many ways, but not as much as it would be realalisticly. I mean, you could tell what something is made out of without actualy holding it. Like something on the ground that you can't pick up. You could rub your hand along the surface of it and other stuff, maybe there could be a delay if you don't have it in your inventory.

Also, I think it would be way cool for you to be able to analyze things that are for sale in shops. I am sure that some shops would allow you to feel something, examine it, and stuff. Maybe you can..
analyze #1
blah blah blah..
And then with a shop that doesn't allow you to examine thinsg up close...
analyze #1
You aren't allowed to do that here.

[Forest Junkie]

Also, I think it would be way cool for you to be able to analyze things that are for sale in shops. I am sure that some shops would allow you to feel something, examine it, and stuff. Maybe you can..
analyze #1
blah blah blah..
And then with a shop that doesn't allow you to examine thinsg up close...
analyze #1
You aren't allowed to do that here.

I too wish there would be some sort of way to analyze items in a shop. Nice thought.

[Tamarin]

I agree...some stores should let you do this, though others should not...possibly the stores on the really expensive side.

[ashjpd]

Should I put this in ask the staff?

[Ueda]

Go for it! I personally like the idea.

[Sholdyn]

When ever I use 'Analyze' it just doesn't do anything. My prompt comes back and nothing happens. This was the case with my last character too. Does that mean somethings wrong or can you only analyze certin things?

And yeah, in most shops you are actually taking hold of an item when you use 'view'. For example, you are buying armour or a weapon:

You test its weight and decide that you could use it.

This means you actually pick it up to gauge how heavy it is. You should also then be able to look at to see what's it made of.

[Tamarin]

When ever I use 'Analyze' it just doesn't do anything. My prompt comes back and nothing happens. This was the case with my last character too. Does that mean somethings wrong or can you only analyze certin things?

Don't quote me on this, but I -think- that means you are trying to analyze something you have zero aptitude for crafting...I.e. if you only have fletchery and stonecarving, and you analyze a bone longsword, nothing will happen, because you have no knowledge of weaponry.  In order for analyze to work, I believe you have to have the appropriate craft skill.

[Anonymous]

I think you are off here, Uberjazz.

Something that is craftable, but not in your skills to craft, you will get a message back that says something to the effect of 'You have no idea how this was made'.

If you analyze something and get no response, that means there is no crafting recipe for it.  But nothing says you can't submit it.

At least, I'm almost positive this is the case.

[Anonymous]

Ok. Thanks Uber. That makes a whole lot more sense now.

[Tamarin]

Oh right...now I remember, CRW.

[ashjpd]

Other times it says that you have an idea of what it is made of, but aren't exactly sure, I am pretty positive that means you just need a little more experience with the skill.

[Angela Christine]

This means you actually pick it up to gauge how heavy it is. You should also then be able to look at to see what's it made of.

You can examine it, but you can't take it apart and put it back together.  The crafting code is very specific, you can usually tell just by looking that a thing is made of wood, but it could be made of;

a long branch of afagari
a thick branch of afagari
a heavy branch of baobab wood
a wooden block
a wooden pole
a long thornwood branch
a log
a split log
a plank

Or it could be a combination of items like: a long branch of afagari, a long branch of afagari, a thick branch of afagari.  Or it could require three planks and two finishing nails.  From a glance you can tell that it is made of wood, but the peculiar recipie, which is at least half OOC, you can't tell without manipulating the  item.  I've made containers with lids that could be opened and closed without using a hinge, even thought the finished object's description mentions leather or bone hinges.  I've made stone lanterns without using oil, yet the lantern is full of oil when I'm done.  It's not magick, it's just that the crafting code sort of assumes you are adding in some necessary virtual objects in addition to the non-virtual objects needed to activate the code.  It is quirky.

The shopkeepers don't want you to pulling at the seams to see if it is held together with wooden pegs or bone nails.  They don't want sticking your thumb into the roasted scrab heads to see what herbs and spices were used.  The don't want you scratching at the paint to see what kind of wood was used.  And so on.  Mostly they don't want to help out the competition for free.  They will let potential customers briefly handle an item, but they won't let you poke and prod at everything they sell for as long as you want.  If you want to tinker with something and try to figure out how it is made, then you have to buy it.

Bummer.


AC

[Sholdyn]

I don't think I really know what Analyze does then. Oops. Oh well. I just wish you could use assess and examine on items in the shop before you buy them, but that would likely take way too much work to change the code.