Implementing vermin

[Salt Merchant]

Simply define vermin to be NPCs with three or fewer hitpoints. Then modify the soldier code so that soldiers ignore creatures of three or fewer constitutive hitpoints when a PC swats at them (i.e. so the soldiers won't join the PC in the fight or turn on the PC).

[Cyrian20]

While this could be cool for the rare one, or rinthi's to survive on... But For some reason I see rat corpses and heads all over the place. To much clutter

[Salt Merchant]

While this could be cool for the rare one, or rinthi's to survive on... But For some reason I see rat corpses and heads all over the place. To much clutter

Why, do the NPC 'rinth dwellers rush to the defense of rats? I ask merely for my edification.

EDIT: Anyhow, let me tack on this note to head off further red flags. I am not suggesting here that vermin become a ubiquitous presence in the game, such that corpses of rats litter the streets everywhere, and, far worse, we're thrown back to the horrible spectre of killing rabbits and kaola bears for "xp" (i.e. skill advancement).

How they'd appear in the world would be up to the staff. I'm just suggesting a possibility for making the coding easier.

[Northlander]

Fine enough for the labyrinth, but I'd think it jolting to see rats nimbly avoiding clumsy circle-kicks around Caravan road. I'd rather see see the forage food command with a city dimension, where you'd then have a chance of finding rat meat.

I'd feel better if it didn't happen, but one way of playing the sapient 'rinth NPC's rat-assistance out would be that they see in you a busy, easy target.

[flurry]

To add flavor, I think something like this would be good.  I'm not so sure I like the idea of people running around trying to kill them, though.  It would feel too hack-and-slashy.  

Maybe this is something better handled with atmospheric room echos?

[moab]

make it so that vermin don't leave corpses and killing them doesn't increase skills.

[RunningMountain]

make it so that vermin don't leave corpses and killing them doesn't increase skills.

Brilliant.

[amoeba]

make it so that vermin don't leave corpses and killing them doesn't increase skills.

The only problem is that people wouldn't know this. Never underestimate the power of twinkdom,.

[RunningMountain]

Who cares if they don't know it. Better then having to find corpses all over wall road or places where you can sit wanted and let it wear off.

[Dakurus]

With no corpses and no anything, how is this different from just emoting seeing them, interacting with them, chasing them, and killing them.

Can't this be just solved by players working to bring the world alive, and perhaps a few rooms echos placed in certain spots?

[JollyGreenGiant]

Good to have you back, Dak.

I like the idea of just emoting about a rat going past your foot. However, what forms do Zalanthan vermin take? Rats, scorpions, snakes, beetles, spiders, and maybe some other earth-vermin seem safe assumptions, but what sort of Zalanthas-only critters might be out there?

[Edited to add:]

Oh, and roaches.

[moab]

tribbles with attitude?

[Salt Merchant]

There would be corpses, and people could gain a ruddy point of skill or two by hacking, slashing, shooting or stomping the vermin.

But only if they were quick enough about it. The point isn't to introduce a constant rat population the main streets of Allanak. Think of it this way instead:

You're in the barracks and the Sergeant comes in to grumpily announce another plintak infestation has broken out. The barracks aren't fit to be occupied until they're cleaned out. Watches are posted in the barracks to smack the bastards as they appear, but they're damned good at hiding, so it's important to seize the opportunities when they arise. However, the appearance of a plintak doesn't draw guards away from their posts through every entrance when you try to take one out.

You're in the tavern and Lord Fauntleroy has brought his pet foogle. The foogle gets loose and darts into the crowd. A moment later a dim-witted half-giant gets spies the foogle and smash! The half-giant doesn't (automatically) get jumped by every soldier around.

A cloud of tiny flying lizards swoops in over the city walls and takes up residence. At first, people think they're cute. However, the constant chirping and nattering quickly take a toll of the nerves of the populace. Soon, a one-time bloodbath is unleashed, while the soldiers stand back and laugh.

A morbid hush suddenly steals over the tavern patrons as they hear the chilling buzz of a deadly varad scorpion. People shrink into their chairs, weapons appear and wide eyes look all about. Suddenly a sharp-eyed patron spots it under a chair and dispatches it with a spear point. The soldiers don't immediately cut him down.

Or even you're out in the desert and you come across a low mound, a rare find. 'break' it open and suddenly twenty small beetles start running in every direction. They disappear quickly, but maybe you're fast enough to smack a few. The tiny carcasses are valued in making perfumes. No need to worry about that outrider nearby trying to maintain the "law".

This is what I was getting at. Why settle for a few pallid emotes when the code can breath the life into the world, and Imms can use it to create events?

[Agent_137]

would be neat to have them coded, but all of the above could definitely be done with emotes and creativity.

go do it now.

[amoeba]

A good variety of room echos will probably serve the same point, more than likely even better as you don't have the quirkiness of the combat code to deal with.

That being said, I think there should be a -lot- more room echos, especially in busy areas. I am thinking back to a post I made when I first started, about a newbie's perspective.  One comment I made at the time, was that the scene's felt very static, like stepping from one frame of a comic to the other. There was motion and action depicted, but it felt frozen in place.  At the time, there were virtually no room emotes, it was oddly creepy.

Now to illustratate my point as to how effective room echos can be. I remember when the first room echos started getting put into the taverns something to the effect of "Someone brushes..something something".  It was hilarious to see how many people suddenly stood up and started scanning.  

I also know of one other room echo (as least I think it was one) that I wanted to do a kudo's to the staff on. Down south somewhere, 2 room tent, One NPC yells out something from one room, then a different NPC in the other room responds.  I thought this was quite a cool script. It made the scene feel more real. I would love to see more.  I could see a random townsperson in Tuluk get pissed at the very irritating kadian street hawker, they start yelling at each other, get into a fist fight, then get hauled off to jail.

The point I am making here is that I think we need to see many more vermin, we need to see a lot more activity in general, but I think room echos fill that role quite well.  They could even one on one echos, such as "You feel something wet and sticky crawling up your leg."

[Cale_Knight]

Yeah, the first time I saw "someone brushes up against you" in that particular tavern, I was up and blinking and jumping around.

The second time, I realized it was an echo.

By the 5000th time, I wasn't exactly paying attention anymore.

[Salt Merchant]

Yes, you could use emotes in some of those instances, to some extent.

This is Arm, though. I'm surprised at you people, opting for the MUSH approach.  :shock:

Wouldn't, for example, you feel a bit pissed if your Sergeant ordered you to stand and emote in a room for one and a half hours? Wouldn't it be more rewarding if you actually got to do something, and had a shell/tooth/tail to show for it as a trophy? And collected more, too, than that hotshot Corporal who everyone thinks so highly of?

Okay, I guess times have changed. Maybe it's a result of that period I read about when the wilderness was ultra deadly, culling out the more actively inclined.

[Agent_137]

I'm pretty sure I'd be perfectly happy as long as other people were emoting with me, and i'm also pretty sure i'd collect virtual trophies.

but like i said, it'd be neat if it was coded, but I think it's far from imperative.

Perhaps some immortal will pick up the project. idea it in game.

[amoeba]

Yeah, the first time I saw "someone brushes up against you" in that particular tavern, I was up and blinking and jumping around.

The second time, I realized it was an echo.

By the 5000th time, I wasn't exactly paying attention anymore.

Yep, this is the problem with too much repetition and not enough variety.  Some echos, such as grass blowing in the winds, should happen a lot. They are simply background. Some that should elisit some response should be much less frequent, and much more random in thier content.  Tricky to do well.

This is Arm, though. I'm surprised at you people, opting for the MUSH approach. Shocked

Eh...wanting a more detailed feel for the vermin rather than, "a small lice infested rat is here skulking in the corner" does not mean it leans towards the MUSH side.  If there were some coding involved, I would still want to see improved room echos giving us a feel for them.

If they were a coded feature, I would hate to see the normal combat code involved. I would dislike seeing stuff along the line of:

"The lice infested rat lunges viciously at you, but is blocked by your bloodied tandu cap."

I would rather have the vermin only capable of evading, and not attacking:

"The lice infested rat scrambles quickly over a patron's boot and under the wobbly table as it avoids your clumsy attempt."
"The lice infested rat darts quickly ithrough a crack in the baseboard, dissapearing from sight."

[FightClub]

*thinks of a rat walking into the Gaj, and initiating bar brawl code*

the emanicated rat hurls a keg of ale at yo face!
IT HITS YOU IN FACE AND KILLS YOU

that's why we don't have npc rats.
they'd kill all of the players, then you'd have people whining about getting killed in a city barfight with an unrelenting rat, who the guards woul not kill, because they had three or less hp and managed to ko you cold with their superior agility that made them punch quicker dodge more, and masters of the bar room brawl, BOOYAH!