relook command... or... something

[Malifaxis]

Alright, I hope I don't make a fool of myself with my first post, but something I would very much like to see implemented is a command that would allow you to look back at someone when they look back at you, automatically, with no risk of targeting malfunctions.

I mean, if you think of it, it makes sense.  You're sitting in a bar, and someone looks at you closely, checking out your stuff.  You should be able to immediately look back at them, and take note of who is examining you through a freak'n microscope.

I wanted to bring this up at the last player/staff meeting, but I was too overwhelmed from the fact that it actually ran so smoothly.  In all my years of mudding, as player and as staff on various muds, I've never seen a system quite as solid for running a P/S meet.  Serious kudos to whoever came up with modifying the ancient 'passing the bone' tradition!

[Bestatte]

Typical scenario:

You walk into the bar in the middle of the day, the sun's shining into the room, which means you are shadowed by it. You're facing the other end, the wooden bar is to your left, the antechamber is to your right.

You have the advantage, since anyone who tries to look at you will have to squint, and would probably not see your features very well because of the sunlight.

So you look at me, who is facing the east wall and talking to the person across from me at my table. You can see my left side and all my features pretty well.

The only thing I notice *immediately* is that a shadow has just obscured the sunlight from the entry. I wouldn't know that it's a person, or a cloud, or a sudden gust of wind flipping up the sand outside.

If I wanted to look at you, I would have to make a conscious effort. Actually interrupt my conversation to turn my head to the left and LOOK at you.

Forcing me via someone *else's* look command, to look at them automatically, would very much distract from the RP and not add to it.

On the other hand, I also find it distracting to see someone ELSE look at someone ELSE..when my character is facing the other direction and doesn't really see any of it going on. I would love for the look command to only let me see when someone is looking at me, or at someone in my party (sitting at the same table, or walking in the same group).

And if you're looking at an elf at the bar, and I'm at the table, I wouldn't see that you're looking at the elf. There's no reason for my character to know that, since she's not looking at either of you.

[Malifaxis]

Perhaps I used the wrong word.  I didn't mean that anyone who looked at you would automatically have your gaze turned to them, I meant the suggestion of having a command implemented where, by choice, you could turn and look directly back at someone who was looking at you.

It would be a concious decision to do so on the part of the player.

And aye, the sun streaming in would block the vision, but I return to you this:

You walk in to a bar filled with 8 elves, 4 of them are wearing voluminous, grey hooded windcloaks, one of the figures in the windcloak turns to look at you.  You, as a character, would know which one it was... if it was the one at the bar, one of the two at the table, or the guy standing in the back.
But as a player... you pretty much have no clue.

And IRL, mayhap I'm a bit too twitchy and observant, but if I'm in a room smaller than a hotel lobby, and someone walks in, I pretty much look over at them whether I'm talking to someone or not.

[crymerci]

And IRL, mayhap I'm a bit too twitchy and observant, but if I'm in a room smaller than a hotel lobby, and someone walks in, I pretty much look over at them whether I'm talking to someone or not.

Yeah...and just look at the only major pop-culture reference for tavern-sitting...Westerns. (Yes, you read that right.) In a John Wayne movie, damned sure if someone walks into a tavern masked, or who's a stranger to the regulars, there's definitely going to be a bunch of heads swiveling in their direction.

[mansa]

I invision the Gaj and Gladiator as a bar around 200 people, with people constantly moving in and out.  

The only thing I say, with this 'auto return look' is that, i think, realistically, you would -not- catch everybody looking at you.

Here's my example:

A attractive girls walks into the bar.
You take a glance at her, then go back to the table with your friends.
She strides through the area, orders a sweatened drink, and moves over to another table.

-Then- she looks at you.  

What would happen, then, in that example?