A "Watch"ful Eye or Spam?

[Anonymous]

Is there a command in this game that would help you "watch" a certain area/direction/person?!? I'm trying to figure out if there is such a thing... When you play a character that specializes in doing things better left undone, you need to be able to keep an eye on things... Unless a person spam looks in a certain direction, I can't seem to find anything that would hint a watch in this game... Spam looking also has it's disadvantages too... It gets annoying, and you don't really watch to see where whatever it is your trying to keep an eye on has gone... This comes as a great inconvenience in trying to stalk people that I really shouldn't be stalking... It is hard for a person such as myself to make a living if he is having trouble watching someone... What is he supposed to do?!? Sneak everywhere his prey/victim/whatnot goes and risk almost certain detection?!? It is a bit annoying in the end... I was just curious if I'm overlooking an important command that will take care of my issue, or if anyone else has shared my pain?!?

[Bestatte]

There are a couple of things possible, none of which involve watching as you hope they would.

SCAN lets you detect invisible or hidden people/critters in the room you're in.

HUNT lets you detect the tracks of people/critters/wagons that have come into the room you're in, or tracks of those who have left that room, and the direction they headed.

SHADOW lets you follow someone while you are hidden, so you don't have to keep chasing after them.

All of these are coded skills that have checks for success/failure.

There is curently no "watch" command implemented in the game, though I heard from an IMM once that such a thing had been coded at some point and just never released. Whether it's because the code wasn't perfected, or if they changed their minds, or if the IMM was just breaking my balls and goofing on me, I have no idea.

But a "watch" command has been discussed in the past here on the GDB, and if I remember correctly, there was some measure of interest from the staff.

[Anonymous]

I am aware of the aforementioned commands... what I would like a "watch" command for is for those times when distance is needed from whatever it is that is your objective... maybe there is a big nasty off in the distance, and it just so happens to be the same direction you want to go, it would be of interest to be able to "watch" that direction until it has moved on... I can just think of several things "watch" could be helpful for...

On second note, I tried to find a post on the board for anything that resembled a "watch" command... I didn't find it, I might have overlooked it (I'm pretty good for that)... so forgive me starting a new thread about a past subject...

[Bestatte]

I'm glad you brought it up again. There seemed to be a lot of support for different variations of a "watch" command so who knows? Maybe this will spark new interest.

[spawnloser]

Guest, as already stated, there is no command like you're asking about.  The idea has come up at least once before and there was a LOT of support for it, but it hasn't been implemented...hell, I don't even know if the Imms are considering implementing it.

[creeper386]

Yeah. I think there was a long thread about it around the time the new GDB was made... Although it might have been on the old GDB... Can't remember. They all look the same now.


Creeper who is insupport of it.

[lukie]

I remember the watch thread. Seems like a good idea for me. And it's probably something anybody could do, with varying amounts of success depending on where you were watching. Watching a crowded street from a building would be hard, but watching inside a small shop would be much easier.

Lots of us want the skill/command. For various reasons.
Here is some more reading:

http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1802&highlight=watch+skill
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2106&highlight=watch+skill

[Carnage]

'Watch' threads seem to come up basically once every month or so. Nothing new here, move along now.

[Sakra]

I almost posted a new watch thread. Silly me. :oops:

Watch north

You see see a Bahamet charging very far away to the north.

You see a Bahamet charging far away to the north.

You see a Bahamet charging near to the north.

Think "Crap."

[Armaddict]

I've never heard of a shadow -skill-.

It's just a command hidden people can use.  You can use it when you're unhidden as well, but it still gives them the message of 'so and so starts following you'

[flurry]

I like the idea, but I think maybe it should make you somewhat less aware of your immediate surroundings.

[X-D]

I agree with flurry, and Yes, we certainly need a watch command, And to carnage, yup, pops up about once a month, must mean something, It is a needed command useful for pretty much anybody, I myself am getting darn tired of having to hit look (direction)  100 times while I watch somebody waiting to see if they move or even just l to make sure a particular person does not hide or sneak off without me noticing, Not saying watch should stop hide or sneak, but make it a bit harder and deliver a message to the watcher, say like So and so is no longer in your view.

[Anonymous]

What would be cool is if there was a command called watch or something that let you `watch` rooms in a certain direction.  Anyone else agree?

[Lazloth]

snicker.

[JollyGreenGiant]

And if you 'watch up' during the daytime, you go blind.  Don't stare at the sun.

[Stroker]

There was a command such as this in another mud I played. When turned on it would tell you when something moved nearby. For instance, if something moved nearby to the north it would say - something moves eastward somewhere nearby to the north - or something along those lines - it was quite helpful when hunting in very large areas.

[Sephiroto]

Due to peripheral vision here is how I'd like to see the skill:  Almost everyone can use the skill and they can see one room away in three directions.  Toward their left, right, and the front.  You arrive from the west, so you see north to your left, east in front of you, and south to your right.  I think that rangers should/would be able to advance their skill to allow them to see over greater distances in the wilds.  As would certain other classes in a urbanized area.  Then if you've walked into a room you can reset which directions you're watching, say, if you want to start watching behind you.

Watch, essentially as a command and not a skill, for everyone.  Watch, as a skill, for more keen/observant type characters.  I think that there should be a percentage, since everyone is not going to always see who or what is walking where in the distance.  But I also thing that there should be some places that make watching easier, such as being out on the salt flats, or in a confined area such as the Gaj.

Let me know what you think of this proposal.

Thanks, -Seph-