wood foraging

[jrizz]

I think that rangers and druids should be able to forage for wood without the use of the fire mechanism. Or at the least the fire mechanism should be treated as just a mech and not as a real fire (meaning that it would be seen by the bad guys, this is a no code change solution). The foraging skill should be useable with stealth, it turns up very few branches and can only be used once every 90mins.

jrizz

[Harloff]

hmmm.... I don't think that the foraging idea would work in real life at all picking up branches on the ground is okay for fire but i cannot be used for shafts and much less for bows.

Changes like those suggested would just result in the system being used i think...

[jrizz]

Put that way I would have to agree as I am an archer and have worked with my teach who made his own bows. We would go on trips to find the right wood and he took quite a bit of time to pick the right branches for use in bow making. So if we are to use the RL argument here, then we should remove the foraging skill completely. But this is not RL so we have a foraging skill that allows one to find branches that are weapons and crafting grade but it takes a fire to do this. This is the disconnect I see the fire as only the mech to trigger the skill or effect.

[Dorganath]

Here's the problem.
  Foraging cancels stealth and invisibility and probably Sanc./G.Sanc. also. The reason for this should be obvious...Druids and rangers could stealth their way to gathering these types of CNR without any risk at all if it were not the case.
  Foraging was not meant to be riskless, only an alternative for those, especially druids, who cannot equip axes due to class restrictions or Rangers who do not wish to waste a feat so they can equip a tool that arugably they should be able to use anyway...but which game mechanics prevents.

[Talan Va'lash]

Dorganath - 12/19/2005  12:59 PM

especially druids, who cannot equip axes due to class restrictions or Rangers who do not wish to waste a feat so they can equip a tool that arugably they should be able to use anyway...but which game mechanics prevents.

Rangers get Martial Weapon proficiency and can use a handaxe (chopping axe is a handaxe.)

as I remember the reasoning for rangers was the reason that it would be bad RP for some/many rangers to chop down trees (or lots of trees.)  Yet, many rangers are archers primarily.  This is a way for them to aquire wood without "harming the forest" or anything.  The same stands for druids, but the class restriction is an additional reason for them.

-TV

[Dorganath]

Talan Va'lash - 12/19/2005 9:14 PM
  Rangers get Martial Weapon proficiency and can use a handaxe (chopping axe is a handaxe.)

  Bah!  Was thinking exotic for some reason...don't ask me why...

[twidget658]

Is the tree chopped down or is just all the good branches used?   Game mechanincs shows the tree disappearing.   To me it is like pruning a tree. The useful branches have just been collected and the tree is actually still there.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Is the "fire" seen by near by enemies IF you are JUST foraging for wood?   Game mechanincs require a fire to be built to forage for wood. When I clean my yard and pick up branches, I don't have to build a fire. *shrugs*   I would think the "fire" is not really there and some branches can be collected slowly and quietly. Chopping is noisy and can be heard from a long way off, so it will definitely alert nearby enemies.
  Actually, the character has to leave stealth mode to forage for wood. The game does not 'kick' you out of it.

[jrizz]

well it is not completely without risk, you can still be spotted. If you are spotted while foraging you are one dead ranger or druid. Well you can run away. Foraging gives a very limited amount of CNR, furthermore it can only be use donce every 90 mins. The point here is that it is limited, and those limits will keep abuse from happening.

[Thunder Pants]

the problem is the only way for this to be done without the fire (IE something to click on to start a conversation) would be to make it a feat or attach it to a seperate item, both of which would need to be activated and would pull a ranger or druid out of stealth anyway


though i could be wrong about that but i'm fairly certain i'm not, perhaps Orth or someone could clear that up for me

remember in NWN you can't even drink a potion without coming out of stealth mode, so not being able to pick up some branches makes sense if you compare it to some things that you also can't do while in stealth

[Talan Va'lash]

By making the convesation enterable via the radial menu you can access it without leaving stealth mode (I think.)  A server I used to play on had replaced the craft skills radial option with the "emote tool" equivalent convo.  Which was really nice because you could activate it without canceling your current emote and without having to thrust your arms out agressively as you "use unique power" hehe.  I think it also let you use it without leaving steath mode (which let you sit down while stealthed etc.)

However, the point is that being able to do this while stealthed would allow you to circumvent the challenge that the CNR area is intended to pose.

It would allow a stealthed ranger or druid to harvest some amount of a CNR every 90 min that he would not be able to harvest any of otherwise.  This was introduced to give some rangers and all druids a way to gather wood that didn't clash with their rp.  It was not put in to make gathering wood easier, or to allow characters that couldn't otherwise handle the challenge to harvest some amount of the CNR every 90 min.

The time limit was just put in so that you could not sit there and hit forage for wood every 2 seconds ad infinitum since it does not remove the tree.  So, that limit is there to prevent flagrant abuse, not to regulate in the manner mentioned above.

That is the logic behind it as I understand it.

I would say its a safe bet that this will not be changed so that it can be used while stealthed.

-TV

[twidget658]

"I would say its a safe bet that this will not be changed so that it can be used while stealthed."
    I do not believe that this is what jrizz was saying. I will let him expand on it.

[Talan Va'lash]

jrizz - 12/19/2005  12:05 PM

The foraging skill should be useable with stealth

This is where I got that impression, hehe.

-TV

[jrizz]

In retrospect I will say that using the foraging skill and stealth at the same time would not be in the spirit of the set up challenge. The issue we have to deal with is that you can start a fire in stealth and forage without being seen (must be a bug). So I would propose that you could use stealth to move into position and drop tinder but when you light the fire you become seen (to have to use a click to become seen could be the difference between life and death). You can then forage (takes 2 clicks and some time. Is this risky enough?) and run like heck  

[Guardian 452]

Run like heck and leave monsters on top of Area Transistions or lure them into town.... not sure that sounds lie a good idear.

[jrizz]

yeah that is not a good choice.