Is it just me or does analyze very rarely do anything, as just about anything Ive ever tried to analyze (including items I made myself) it just gives a blank line, and sometimes, if I'm very lucky, it says I dont know anything about it just yet.
Analyze very rarely does anything for me as well. I too get a blank line, or that saying. :(
Analyze works. It goes like this:
If the item cannot be crafted, you will recieve a blank line.
If the item can be crafted but it requires skills that you do not have, you will not know anything about it.
There are another couple of options, but you'll see them.
If you try to analyze something like a travel cake, anyway, you will witness the skill in all its glory.
It doesnt do that, as I made a duskhorn skullcap, out of a duskhorn hide, then I analyzed it, and it just gave me a blank line.
Check your spelling. And that you're analyzing the right thing (possible keyword mishap).
I've had the same problem. Things i can make, I still can't analyze.
Anyone else have any advice on how to use it properly?
Larrath's answer is enough I believe.... If you recieve a blank from a craftable item and you are sure you are not making a spelling mistake.. then "bug" it.
The skill is working fine from mine and the other immortals I have checked with's standpoints. It may be particular items that are flagged incorrectly, or bugged, or something.
When using analyze...
If something is craftable with a skill you have, but you are not skilled enough to make it, you will receive the message: "You have an idea how that is made, but you're not sure."
If something is CRAFTABLE IN GENERAL, with a skill you dont have, you will receive the message: "You cannot tell how that is made."
The only exception is CLAN-MAKE items, things made exclusively by an existing clan in the game. If an item is craftable, but not available to you because of clan, you will receive the message: "The style is unfamiliar to you, and you're not sure how to replicate it."
If there is no crafting code whatsoever on the item, you will receive a very uninformative blank-line, which Im not sure why it hasn't been changed, but is beyond my capacity anyways.
So if you just made an item, using the crafting system, and then can't analyze it, feel free to bug it with the bug-command, since something there is broken, since the analyze skill isn't (as a whole) broken.
And finally, make sure you HAVE the analyze skill. Its not a COMMAND that is available to everyone, but rather a skill. (Which may or may not be available to everyone).
Does the analyze skill fail? Could that be why people seem to be seeing blank lines when they should be receiving some sort of message?
From experience (i.e. testing it with a low skill, high skill, etc) I'd say no. There are other features to analyze that are skill-based, but as long as you have the skill your able to get the messages listed in the above post, or the actual items nescessary to make it if your able.
Thanks for your help, although most of the things I find to be unanalyzable are usually weapons and armour. I suppose most other items work fine, and that isnt why lots of people have an issue with it.
if one does have issues with this skill, how should we inform the imms? Bug it perhaps?
Yes
*blank*
Please don't include the exact list of needed items.
With this out of the way: raw and tanned hides will sometimes have identical sdescs. This is done intentionally, because only a closer look would show whether it is tanned or not.
Please do consider editing your post to remove the analyze results.
It's possible that the item requires a tool to in order to make, or perhaps you have a few copies of these hides in your sdesc. Whenever you 'craft' an item, it will become 1. in your list. This means that if you have more than one 'hide' in your inventory, things could become messy and thus hinder the crafting process.
EDIT: addition.
Either way, 'analyze' is working just fine here. :P
Its still not working well for me, about 2/3 of the items I try to analyze just return a blank, its quite irritating.
AFAIK, there are -loads- of items that can't be crafted. Definitely more than craftable stuff.
edit: as a wise person pointed out to me, I am talking about coded crafting :)
That might well be it, but then they should make some sort of special comment about the item when you use analyze on it, something like
You dont think you would be able to reproduce this.