Repair Armor (The Skill)

[Fragmented]

Looking at Coat of Arms' post on the Ask the Staff board reminded me of a problem I've had with the Repair Armor skill since.. well. since forever. I really, really do feel the skill is absolutely worthless for the fact that you need the right type of material to fix it.

Some examples:

Mekillot hide -anything-. Pants, gloves, armguards.. chances are you've paid less then a hundred sid to buy these pieces of armor brand new. Now they're broken, and you want to try out your nifty armor repair skill... sure thing. Let's go kill a MEKILLOT. :twisted:  Even if a hide was for sale in some raw material shop, chances are you're going to pay out the nose for the material, and then probably screw it up anyways. Instead, you can take it to a repair shop, and pay about 20 coins (roughly).  Same goes for tortoishell armor, braxat shell armor, inix hide stuff... all of these creatures are pretty dangerous. Some so dangerous it's a bit twinkish to solo them even if you can. Like a man with a bone spear fighting a T-Rex.

I propose the Repair Armor skill not need a material in the inventory to repair it. Let the material be virtual, or even better, assume you're doing it patchwork. Okay.. those mekillot hide pants are tore up? We're going to patch the hole with (much cheaper) tandu hide, or tembo hide. Basically, I'd like Repair Armor to work without extra material, but if not, I think armor should be repairable with cheaper hides, at the cost of being able to fix them to 'like new' status. Example is the mek pants. They're 'worn out'. Now you can fix them to 'new' with tandu, carru, chalton, basically any kind of leather material (since the pants are leather) but in order to get it perfect, like just off the shelf, you have to actually have mek hide. If 'new' is too good, drop it to the next lowest status, which is I think 'used'.

Then, to top everything off... make repairing equipment to right off the shelf status insanely expensive, to make people seek PC armor repairers more. Those mek pants used to cost 25 coins to be repaired from 'new' to no modifier? Now they cost 100 coins, bitch. Muaha. 'Used' to no modifier? 200 coins. Or 400. Anyways.. just my thoughts on Armor Repair. I don't like the skill -at all- the way it is currently.

[Anonymous]

agreed.

[Angela Christine]

Patching with similar materials should be possible.  Usually damaged armour is either torn or punctured, it doesn't actually have a piece missing.  So you just need a patch to help keep the two sides of the hole connected to each other, not to cover a space between them.  Any kind of leather should be able to do that.  A thinner, more flexible leather might even be better than a tough, stiff hide for connection patches.  Perhaps even some kind of leather or sinew laces, used to sew the two edges of the tear together would be possible?   Also, aren't salvaged leathers supposed to be useful for repairs?  

Imperfect repairs shouldn't affect the functionality (the customization might even make them fit better) but I wouldn't mind something cosmetic like the stained tag being added to the item description when you look at it.

Code Select Expand

> look vest

This is a totally radical mekillot hide vest.  Oh, yeah, gigantic lizard bits all the way, baby.  It is all tough and leathery, it looks pretty strong and protective and stuff.
A radical mekillot hide vest has been inexpertly repaired.

It still works as well as the never-patched version, but it gives you the "grubby mercenary" look rather than the "noble guard" look.  If you want an undetectable repair you go to a professional (just like if you want your clothes stain-free you take them to a professional cleaner).   Visibly patched items might have a slightly lower resale value, just like dirty or damaged items do.

I bet people would be deliberately getting amateur repairs to their armor, just to get the patched tag.  In the past I have deliberately cleaned things without soap even when I had soap, in hopes of getting the permanent "stained" tag, for that grubby, piss poor look.   :oops:  Even an expensive piece of armor won't make you look too classy if it is visibly stained and patched.


As for raising the price of professional repairs, I'd go for it only if you also got the option of specifying how much repairing you want.  Sometimes you'd be happy to have your gear repaired back to "used" condition, you don't need or want it in perfect condition.  So getting it fixed back to an undetectable "null perfect" (no descriptor) condition might cost 100, but getting merely repaired back to being functional (the "used" tag) would only cost 50.  If repairs are too expensive, folks will just sell off their broken gear for salvage, and buy new stuff.  Generally people won't pay 100 to repair a vest that costs less than 120 new.


Angela Christine

[Bogre]

What if you could salvage a similar piece of armor and use whatever you get to repair it.

I.e. salvaging your extra pair of mekillot gloves to repair your damaged mekillot sleeves.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I like the idea of using virtual materials.
I've had an issue with this skill for a while... here's a very similiar thread, from back in the day.
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=139754&highlight=#139754

[jcarter]

I'd like to see the armor repair skill given to rangers and warriors then.

[Morgenes]

I'd like to see the armor repair skill given to rangers and warriors then.

I'd like to be independently wealthy so I didn't have to work.

[ShaiHulud]

How about, the crafting halls in the merchant houses have virtual repair supplies, allowing armor repair to be done by clanned members of a house having said skill.  This represents the wealth and supply gathering ability of a merchant house.  Independants, without the use of the "flagged" crafting halls, must gather thier own, real coded materials?  Crazy?

[John]

How about, the crafting halls in the merchant houses have virtual repair supplies, allowing armor repair to be done by clanned members of a house having said skill.

I always like the idea of the Merchant Clans dealing with PCs first, and having to deal with "special code"/Imms as a last resort.

This represents the wealth and supply gathering ability of a merchant house.

The logic behind my point is that the virtual crafters deal with the virtual supplies, while the PC crafters deal with the coded supplies. I mean, why not just make an NPC that repairs it themself, instead of bothering to hire PCs?

[Yokunama]

Code Select Expand

> look vest

This is a totally radical mekillot hide vest.  Oh, yeah, gigantic lizard bits all the way, baby.  It is all tough and leathery, it looks pretty strong and protective and stuff.
A radical mekillot hide vest has been inexpertly repaired.

Angela Christine

I'd like to see this.

Code Select Expand

> look vest

This is a totally radical mekillot hide vest.  Oh, yeah, gigantic lizard bits all the way, baby.  It is all tough and leathery, it looks pretty strong and protective and stuff.
A radical mekillot hide vest is damaged beyond repair.

or

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>assess -v shield

A radical mekillot hide vest is damaged beyond repair.
A radical mekillot hide vest can be worn across one's body.
A radical mekillot hide vest looks like it will fit you.

[Halaster]

Patching with similar materials should be possible.  

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is possible.  Experiment with the salvage command combined with armor repair.

[spawnloser]

Yeah, I was going to say, most items don't need the specific kind of material used to make the item...some items in the game aren't craftable, but are still listed as made from a certain kind of material.  Leather, chitin, poop...you know.  I think you only need the appropriate TYPE of material, not the exact same.  I encourage people to experiment with this as Halaster has done.

[Vanth]

Code Select Expand

> look vest

This is a totally radical mekillot hide vest.  Oh, yeah, gigantic lizard bits all the way, baby.  It is all tough and leathery, it looks pretty strong and protective and stuff.
A radical mekillot hide vest has been inexpertly repaired.

I am totally recruiting you next time I need objects written up.