Armageddon General Discussion Board

General => Code Discussion => Topic started by: jmordetsky on June 25, 2009, 01:08:58 AM

Title: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: jmordetsky on June 25, 2009, 01:08:58 AM
This is more a question - should it?

"Signs of a camp are here."

I'd like this just because of the ninja dissappearing trick.

Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: FantasyWriter on June 25, 2009, 01:55:16 AM
I think it should.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: RogueGunslinger on June 25, 2009, 02:18:10 AM
I like that,
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Sephiroto on June 25, 2009, 02:24:55 AM
It's a cool idea, but I really don't think it is necessary.

Typically I never roleplay quitting out as camping.  Normally I roleplay that I'm continuing on my journey but going a separtate route from my party.  It doesn't make sense for my character to remain in one spot but unable to be interacted with while offline and percieving a "camp" of someone who logged out would be just as irking.  I've never seen any vnpc campers in room descs and the idea that someone is or was camping in a room but they can not be found our interacted with leaves me with a blank WTF expression.  In contrast, I like how when someone quits in the city they blend into the dozens or hundreds of people in a barracks or passersby in a crowd.  Instead of simply quitting out you might attempt to roleplay wandering off into the wilderness before quitting.

Otherwise, if you want to leave signs of encampment before logging out you could light a fire or pitch a tent, break it all down, then quit.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: solera on June 25, 2009, 02:28:50 AM
It is challenging to be following foot prints that suddenly disappear.  Do you OOC think they quit, when there may be Real reasons like majick or hidden menace.  It would be helpful to provide us with the OOC indications where applicable.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Sephiroto on June 25, 2009, 02:36:50 AM
Quote from: solera on June 25, 2009, 02:28:50 AM
It is challenging to be following foot prints that suddenly disappear.  Do you OOC think they quit, when there may be Real reasons like majick or hidden menace.  It would be helpful to provide us with the OOC indications where applicable.

I mean yeah its challenging, but I've encountered anomolies while tracking raptor and other NPC's where their tracks disappeared too.  I'm certain those NPC's they didn't fly away or quit out, so I"m more than willing to concede that tracking is not always perfect.  Some tracking mechanism that says to me "the guy you're looking for quit out" is even worse then wondering where the feck his tracks disappeared to.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: spawnloser on June 25, 2009, 07:05:42 AM
Interesting idea, but I'm with Sephiroto on this one for one reason only...
Quote from: Sephiroto on June 25, 2009, 02:36:50 AM
Some tracking mechanism that says to me "the guy you're looking for quit out" is even worse then wondering where the feck his tracks disappeared to.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Eloran on June 25, 2009, 10:22:07 AM
I thought it already gave the message "someone has made camp here recently".

I might be thinking about "someone used a tent here recently" though.

Either way, #1 would do well for ranger-quit if it isn't already in.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: jmordetsky on June 25, 2009, 11:48:14 PM
Quote from: spawnloser on June 25, 2009, 07:05:42 AM
Interesting idea, but I'm with Sephiroto on this one for one reason only...
Quote from: Sephiroto on June 25, 2009, 02:36:50 AM
Some tracking mechanism that says to me "the guy you're looking for quit out" is even worse then wondering where the feck his tracks disappeared to.

I would concede that if we had a threaten command (see other post), but recent experiences -  it just seems very uncanny how often I'm seeing this stuff.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Fathi on June 25, 2009, 11:55:58 PM
The only reason this concerns me is that it could lead to the Arm equivalent of spawn point camping.

However, I've only seen that happen a tiny number of times in regards to actual quit rooms, so it's probably a negligible worry.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Dalmeth on June 26, 2009, 12:00:05 AM
Quote from: Fathi on June 25, 2009, 11:55:58 PM
The only reason this concerns me is that it could lead to the Arm equivalent of spawn point camping.

Probably the best reason not to do this.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: LauraMars on June 26, 2009, 01:22:47 AM
What what what what?  You want to know what room some ranger quit out in?  To what other possible purpose could this be put BUT spawn camping?  You guys remember that quitting out doesn't actually happen ICly, right?  Quitting is an ooc function that we use because we all need to poop sometime.  Our characters live on in game, going about their business, their daily lives - and let's remember that it is just a game.  Abuse of the quit command to avoid confrontation will be dealt with by the imms, hey presto.  That is definitely not an issue over which anybody needs to don a gold plastic sheriff star.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Synthesis on June 26, 2009, 01:50:07 AM
I think the intent is so that you know that the dude you were tracking logged out, so you don't have to go off the deep end speculating about whether he cast teleport, started flying, or is is still actually hiding in the room where his tracks end.

In the absence of knowledge, you have to simply assume that they logged out, but this may or may not be the actual case.  This allows people who -are- casting teleport or flying to basically get away scot free, because the easy assumption from an OOC perspective is that the person quit out...not that their tracks mysteriously ended abruptly.

If rangerquit left a distinct message, it would clear this confusion up:  either the tracks end abruptly right there, in a mysterious fashion, or the person you were tracking is still in the area, you're just unable to locate exactly where.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: MarshallDFX on June 26, 2009, 02:27:13 AM
You notice the tracks seem to be leading in a tremendous circle.  You suddenly get the idea that if you waited long enough, perhaps whatever was leaving the tracks would arrive back at this point.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Lizzie on June 26, 2009, 08:09:00 AM
Instead of a quit camp echo, how about a teleport/fly echo?

>The tracks end here, abruptly.

So now, you know they did come this way, and *something* happened ICly that made their tracks suddenly disappear.

I don't like an IC echo to provide OOC information like the ranger quit thing. I do appreciate the desire for -some- kind of indication. I just feel that keeping the OOC info out of the game, and supporting the IC info, is the more appropriate way to go.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: spawnloser on June 26, 2009, 08:28:12 AM
I think Lizzie's got the right idea.  I don't know how it would be coded, but that's the better solution in my eyes:  Give IC information for IC things, and don't give IC information about OOC stuff like quitting.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Synthesis on June 26, 2009, 02:19:11 PM
Quote from: Lizzie on June 26, 2009, 08:09:00 AM
Instead of a quit camp echo, how about a teleport/fly echo?

>The tracks end here, abruptly.

So now, you know they did come this way, and *something* happened ICly that made their tracks suddenly disappear.

I don't like an IC echo to provide OOC information like the ranger quit thing. I do appreciate the desire for -some- kind of indication. I just feel that keeping the OOC info out of the game, and supporting the IC info, is the more appropriate way to go.


Yeah, that's probably a much better way to approach it.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: jmordetsky on June 26, 2009, 02:21:00 PM
Quote from: Synthesis on June 26, 2009, 02:19:11 PM
Quote from: Lizzie on June 26, 2009, 08:09:00 AM
Instead of a quit camp echo, how about a teleport/fly echo?

>The tracks end here, abruptly.

So now, you know they did come this way, and *something* happened ICly that made their tracks suddenly disappear.

I don't like an IC echo to provide OOC information like the ranger quit thing. I do appreciate the desire for -some- kind of indication. I just feel that keeping the OOC info out of the game, and supporting the IC info, is the more appropriate way to go.


Yeah, that's probably a much better way to approach it.

I could go for that as well.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: jmordetsky on June 26, 2009, 02:27:02 PM
In thinking about this though - I'm not sure I'm entirely against the idea of someone waiting around for someone to return to camp. (I'd be a lot more for it if anyone could quit in the desert with some penalty to health and stam, rangers being immune to this).

But, if I was a raider, and I came across a camp and I could see the camp was reasonable fresh. I might hang around there to see who came back. That's not to say this isn't ripe for abuse, but I'm not sure why that would entirely different then hanging around the Span because you know people will rest there.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Agent_137 on June 26, 2009, 05:02:28 PM
lol, so by lizzie's suggestion, if you see tracks end abruptly you know you're either dealing with a magicker or a ranger. how does that not still give you heavy OOC clues? how is that even IC? Wtf did the ranger do to make his tracks suddenly stop?
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: jmordetsky on June 26, 2009, 05:12:24 PM
Quote from: Agent_137 on June 26, 2009, 05:02:28 PM
lol, so by lizzie's suggestion, if you see tracks end abruptly you know you're either dealing with a magicker or a ranger. how does that not still give you heavy OOC clues? how is that even IC? Wtf did the ranger do to make his tracks suddenly stop?

Exactly. But try to look at it from the other side of things. Wtf did the ranger do to make his tracks suddenly stop....

It's a double edged sword.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Ashes on June 27, 2009, 12:23:39 AM
Even experienced trackers can lose a trail due to circumstances.  Having played more than my fair share of trackers, I usually roleplay it as "well, I lost the trail on those rocks," whatever my suspicions might be as a player.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: Xio on June 27, 2009, 05:38:35 AM
Personally, I've never lost someone's tracks and went 'Oh, he must've quit out.' Usually I think something like: i lost his/her trail, (s)he is still around somewhere (in the room) and i need to look harder, they doubled back past me while I was too busy looking at the ground, or they're a dirty 'gicker and i'm better off. Depending on the situation. Even if they did quit out, the first, second, and third scenario all seem like viable situations to me.
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: SMuz on June 28, 2009, 07:16:22 AM
Quote from: Dalmeth on June 26, 2009, 12:00:05 AM
Quote from: Fathi on June 25, 2009, 11:55:58 PM
The only reason this concerns me is that it could lead to the Arm equivalent of spawn point camping.

Probably the best reason not to do this.

Lol, you're going to wait a RL day for the guy to return? Hell, since some low playtime players love raiders and rangers, you might even have to wait a week or more. And die of thirst :P
Title: Re: Ranger Quit - leaves tracks?
Post by: flurry on June 28, 2009, 07:11:34 PM
I like Lizzie's idea too.

The problem I see with having a message telling that someone made camp there is that not only is it more OOC than IC, but I would find it strange on the IC level.  Especially if you're in hot pursuit of someone, and you found signs of a camp in the area, would that make you stop looking? If anything, you'd look even harder. Losing the trail altogether is an better explanation IC, I think.