The World of Layonara

The NWN Persistent World => Bugs => Fixed Bugs => Topic started by: PsychicToaster on August 03, 2005, 08:47:00 am

Title: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: PsychicToaster on August 03, 2005, 08:47:00 am
In the High Moors near Jasmin of the Swamp there is a Mosquito Swarm with no geometry to target, but it is hostile.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Filatus on August 03, 2005, 08:57:00 am

That mosquito swarm is very irritating. You can only attack if it attacks you.

Summoned creatures and familiars attack it automatically.

Another problem is the distance to the swampwitch. When a PC has to speak with the swampwitch they often find her in combat with the mosquito's.

The problem is you have to wait untill she's killed the mosquito's. That can take quite some time.

I therefore suggest to move the mosquito spawn point a little bit further from the witch.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: ZeroVega on August 03, 2005, 09:38:00 am
  *coughs* Guys.... they're mosquitoes.... it's a swamp.... not only is whacking them with a staff or sword going to be hard, but those suckers should be a dime a dozen and be swarming over you every several yards....
    Also it's my opinion that the spawn point is fine.... means you have to fight something kinda difficult in order to do that quest.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Rayenoir on August 03, 2005, 09:43:00 am
mosquitos may be a dime a dozen in a swamp, but I have never had a mosquito seriously injure me to the point of death in real life just by poking me with their little probosci...
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: IDii on August 03, 2005, 09:44:00 am
These are nasty Layonaramosquitos though...
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Leanthar on August 03, 2005, 09:53:00 am
We can look in to decrease the mosquito hp/power but at the same time it will not be decreased very much.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: EdTheKet on August 03, 2005, 09:53:00 am
"Deep in the High Moors, it is rumored a special species of mosquitoes exists. Warped by obscure magics wielded by lizardman shamans, they are claimed to be able to kill a grown man within minutes."
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: miltonyorkcastle on August 03, 2005, 10:17:00 am
hahahaha.  damnable vermin!!!
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: miltonyorkcastle on August 03, 2005, 10:21:00 am
actually, what gets me about the mosquito swarm, is the fact that it CAN be hurt by swords and arrows.  Those things are tiny!  You could never hit one with an arrow.  Only 'area of effect' attacks should be good against them, such as burning hands.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: jjkolb on August 03, 2005, 10:57:00 am
Or regular hands.   ;)
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: FlameStrike on August 03, 2005, 11:12:00 am
Or a powerful bug-killer spray. :)
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: IDii on August 03, 2005, 11:48:00 am
Yeah, actually doesn't make sense that you can hurt them pretty easily as long as you get to attack them back...

Just can't target them but you can like find another enemy, kill it and it'll automatically switch you to attack the bugs.

So might as well really make them 100% immune to all slashing, piercing and bludgeoning. Then it would be more like it, hehe. Just make them have like real real low HP against stuff like burning hands so they're very easy to wipe out with those.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Gilrod on August 03, 2005, 11:53:00 am
There is a pretty good online article on the D&D website at Wizards of the Coast about how to fight swarms right now.

It appears that they are immune to just about everything exept area effect spells or a person using a torch (which is really poor against them but works, unlike most normal weapons).
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: steverimmer on August 03, 2005, 12:22:00 pm
I think as well that perhaps their damage should be reduced to a very low amount but they should have a high chance of causing disease just as in real life :)
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: General_Ski on August 03, 2005, 12:30:00 pm
Well first of all, they give a wounding effect. Second. I have had character killed by mosquitoes a couple of times last month. They are just nasty and a characted does not always defend against them. Sometimes it just stands there till it dies.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: PsychicToaster on August 03, 2005, 04:04:00 pm
Quote
General_Ski - 8/3/2005  2:30 PM

Well first of all, they give a wounding effect. Second. I have had character killed by mosquitoes a couple of times last month. They are just nasty and a characted does not always defend against them. Sometimes it just stands there till it dies.


That's why I'm posting this as a bug.  In addition, if you cast a spell to heal yourself/use a potion or anything else you have to wait for it to attack again.  The other issue is that its proximity to a quest NPC means area effect spells are questionably effective since you're likely to hit the witch too.  Make no mistake, I like them, and they add character to the swamp.  But right now it simply disrupts a quest for no apparent purpose, since the majority of the time they target the witch meaning you just sit there for 15 minutes while she kills it since you can't target it yourself.  

This is also a spot where "its a game" should trump realism.  No character should have no recourse against them just because realistically a sword does not make an effective flyswatter.  I can see immunity to crit/sneak and maybe 70% blunt/slash/pierce, but not 100% on those.  Vulnerability to fire/acid might be appropriate too.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Zhofe on August 03, 2005, 04:19:00 pm
Ummm, Quin isn't hurt by the mosquitos at all .... and I think that mostly due to a certain quest-granted item that he had on.

So I don't think these bugs are a problem at all ... especially considering that that quest is not particularly hard.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Aragon on August 03, 2005, 04:43:00 pm
I think the main point of this post isn't really to do away with the swarm but simply relocate it a bit further from the witch.  Leave it as is or change it per the arrow and sword idea, but overall it would be better if it moved a bit further from the witch so as not to interfere with the quest npc.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Rehevkor on August 04, 2005, 11:46:00 am
Quote
Aragon - 8/3/2005  7:43 PM

I think the main point of this post isn't really to do away with the swarm but simply relocate it a bit further from the witch.  Leave it as is or change it per the arrow and sword idea, but overall it would be better if it moved a bit further from the witch so as not to interfere with the quest npc.


I agree. While we're on the subject of realism, seeing a swamp hag swatting a cloud of mosquitos with a double axe and producing a solid thump with each hit doesn't do much for my sense of immersion in the game.

Someone also brought up the fact that, if she's currently fighting the mosquitos, any area effect spells are likely to hit her too and either make her hostile or kill her and provoke an alignment change. Standing there waiting for her to beat them down with a huge axe is just silly for any character to have to RP.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Leafgreen on August 17, 2005, 07:35:00 am
Stumbled into there, saw the mosquitoes, they started attacking the hag.

Kewl.  I watched. Couldn't target the bugs anyhow.
Then they decided to come after me instead...  I couldn't target to attack, pc didn't want to auto-attack them, so I ran away.  They didn't chase me.

Next map I died due to 5hp/round blood loss that just wouldn't stop.  :o
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: ZeroVega on August 17, 2005, 09:34:00 am
  If you're wounded a heal kit or a potion should fix it. As for not autoattacking. You really shouldn't be able to do that in the first place as has been said. Why should you be able to kill a swarm of itty bitty mosquitoes with a sword anyhow?
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: General_Ski on August 17, 2005, 11:06:00 am
Yeah, but itty bitty mosquitos can't bite through armor. And the number of unprotected spots, is not large enough for the whole swarm to use. Anyhow, they can hurt lower level characters below a certain ac, after that, they are pretty much useless. I don't mind mosquitos in the swamps. All swamps should have them. I do mind the placement however...
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Rehevkor on August 17, 2005, 11:10:00 am
Maybe it is realistic (I don't agree, given how strong they are, but there's always the "it's magic" excuse for that). Things like this must be carefully balanced though, since making something realistic is not always the most fair or fun way to handle it. For example, it would be realistic to allow whips to trip or entangle targets (see this thread (http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=15438&posts=17)) but doing so might make whips too powerful.

Honestly, though, all that's needed to correct this issue is to move the swarm a bit so it doesn't auto-attack Jasmin. This would allow players to actually use AoE attacks to take the swarm out, or use some means to slip past the swarm to speak to Jasmin without fighting it.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: General_Ski on August 17, 2005, 11:17:00 am
To add to that mosquitos should also have a chance of infecting those they attack with a disease.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Leanthar on August 17, 2005, 11:55:00 am
I will fix the problem... Just give me some time please.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Rehevkor on August 17, 2005, 01:52:00 pm
Thanks Leanthar :)
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Leanthar on August 19, 2005, 01:41:00 pm
Fixed in next update.
Title: RE: Mosquito Swarm
Post by: Rehevkor on August 19, 2005, 02:39:00 pm
Yay! Many thanks :D