Author Topic: New Loot Alarm System (Read 279 times)

Chongo · « **on:** September 15, 2006, 11:46:19 am »

Just wanted to say great job. The color differences really make the item grab noticable and I think the new system serves to keep the peace amongst players as well as share the excitement of a drop amongst the entire party when it happens.

philhappy · « **Reply #1 on:** September 15, 2006, 05:37:28 pm »

I just want to chime in on this and say it's so cool. I'm one of those players who just never seems to find anything when I loot, so it's really cool that I no longer have to feel guilty for no reason! Nice job.

Eight-Bit · « **Reply #2 on:** September 15, 2006, 05:51:50 pm »

Agreed. I was both expecting and hoping for this for a while. This causes a LOT of problems in game; not knowing who is cheating everyone and keeping loot for themselves. It's an attitude against every principal that has kept me on this server for this long.

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2006, 09:18:30 pm »

The what now? I've not seen this. Is this not on West?

Guardian 452 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2006, 09:19:54 pm »

No, it being tested on just East for now... to see if it causes more lag, then if it passes... it should be on all servers.

Dorganath · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2006, 08:01:16 am »

Just a heads up on this.
The next time the servers restart, all of them will have the loot reporting system active. We're pretty sure this won't cause any technical problems or significantly impact lag. While this will be released and active, we're still really testing it out in a live environment. Please keep that fact in mind when offering feedback regarding the system and how it seems to be working. Constructive comments are always appreciated.

D Blaze · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2006, 08:33:21 am »

I think it is rather nice, but perhaps a slight variation of color between gold and everything else?

Gold can be green text(or even make it gold, just to match what is being picked up), and another color for items, as some people would be less caring about one, or the other depending on what is being fought and who the people are.

And also perhaps a change as to how the message is sent (not sure if the idea below is possible), cuz i know during some large combats with alot of people, I will shut off the combat text for a while as it is just a pain to see all that text whipping by and just play by eyeing the partylist and the field of combat, and then you also miss the looter in the combat text if it is off, and only see what they are looting by the text that appears over their head for mere moments, which can also be distracting if you are watching the looter and you should have your eyes elsewhere. I don't know if it is possible, but perhaps making it a server message to all the character's party members that "Random Person looted such and such", so that they will still see it, and it won't be lost in combat logmess, or if the combat text is off.

LordCove · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2006, 08:47:34 am »

Like Stephen said....What? Where? When? What is it? Does loot now appear in a text box so you know what the looter is picking up? Excellent.....you just try hiding that BroadSword +5.....i know you got it. *chuckles*

Guardian 452 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2006, 01:59:10 pm »

Like G already said *points up a few posts*

If you are within a certain distance of the person picking over the corpses it will show what they picked up in your action window.

It's only running on East Server right now... to see if it causes extra lag etc. If all goes well it will make to all the servers eventually!

Dorganath · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2006, 04:09:08 pm »

Quote

D Blaze - 9/19/2006 10:33 AM And also perhaps a change as to how the message is sent (not sure if the idea below is possible), cuz i know during some large combats with alot of people, I will shut off the combat text for a while as it is just a pain to see all that text whipping by and just play by eyeing the partylist and the field of combat, and then you also miss the looter in the combat text if it is off, and only see what they are looting by the text that appears over their head for mere moments, which can also be distracting if you are watching the looter and you should have your eyes elsewhere. I don't know if it is possible, but perhaps making it a server message to all the character's party members that "Random Person looted such and such", so that they will still see it, and it won't be lost in combat logmess, or if the combat text is off.

There's only two choices for windows in which the message will appear. We can't code it to suit everyone's style of window management. If you close up that window, then you won't see it. Really can't help that.
The message is already broadcast to the looter's faction using the FloatingTextOnCreature() function. This method is more efficient (read: less laggy) than cycling through all members in the party and sending each a discrete message.
Perhaps to combat messages getting lost in combat chatter you could reach an agreement with party members to not loot during active combat.
Also, regardless of what you have turned on or off, open or closed, if you have full logging turned on, all messages will make it into your NWN client logs.
Oh...on the color thing...we could do yellow/gold for gold, but then in the combat window, yellow messages get lost among the fray a lot easier than green ones do.

Jilseponie Wyndon · « **Reply #10 on:** September 19, 2006, 09:06:34 pm »

Actually to wait and loot after the battle is done, doesn't work so well. Many creatures corpses fade after 15 seconds or so (not exactly sure of the time), Long before a battle is finished. If I torch a small band of kobolds (6 or more and killed all at once) by the time I get to body number 4, any remaining fade away. Same as if I kill one giant after another, by the time #2 is down, the first has faded away. Is the time on the corpses set short as to reduce lag?

~ Jil

Gulnyr · « **Reply #11 on:** September 19, 2006, 09:19:59 pm »

The ones that disappear after twenty seconds or so are empty.

Talan Va'lash · « **Reply #12 on:** September 19, 2006, 09:20:33 pm »

Quote

Jilseponie Wyndon - 9/19/2006 10:06 PM

Actually to wait and loot after the battle is done, doesn't work so well. Many creatures corpses fade after 15 seconds or so (not exactly sure of the time), Long before a battle is finished. If I torch a small band of kobolds (6 or more and killed all at once) by the time I get to body number 4, any remaining fade away. Same as if I kill one giant after another, by the time #2 is down, the first has faded away. Is the time on the corpses set short as to reduce lag?

~ Jil

Only ones that are empty fade away quickly.

Ones that acctually dropped stuff don't fade that quickly, though they do fade over the course of several minutes.

Eight-Bit · « **Reply #13 on:** September 19, 2006, 09:31:39 pm »

But, I've noticed with luck, sometimes they'll leave the lot behind.

Guardian 452 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 19, 2006, 10:14:34 pm »

If a creature was going to drop a weapon... 9 times out of 10 they equip it and fight you with it... well it seems that way for me... then when those kind die... after you loot them a "remians" shows up with that weapon.

The others are right about the corpses that fade away in about 15 seconds... they didnt have any loot. But even the ones WITH stuff will fade... but its a longer timer.

Lilswanwillow · « **Reply #15 on:** September 21, 2006, 06:21:12 pm »

by the way, its AWESOME!!!

thanks, and GREAT JOB

Leanthar · « **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2006, 07:12:12 pm »

Glad it is liked. Blonde did good work on it and worked well with the team to give us what we have. He deserves the thanks, and then of course Dorganath for getting it merged in to the modules AND toggleable via the DB.

jrizz · « **Reply #17 on:** September 21, 2006, 08:30:16 pm »

the system is great! thanks team

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #18 on:** September 21, 2006, 09:53:53 pm »

Nice... It makes loot-gathering more interesting.

Polak76 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2006, 12:03:26 am »

I havent seen this system but it sounds pretty cool.
I like getting into arguments over loot...then again I usually play greedy self-centred chars.
Perhaps this system can be explored a bit further though. I rekon a person with a good pick-pocket skill should be able to collect loot unnoticed, that is if they pass a certain criteria. At least it will make the skill usefull...then again you could always use your dicebag for pick-pocket versus spot and RP it out.