TO: Those responsible for mine, and possibly other deaths.

[Vyris]

This is the THIRD time I have run into a spawn of Bloods guards near bloody gate. One right outside the gates of Karthy, and 4! of them right at the AT of the next area, it's getting old people. If you are luring these monsters, don't. It's against the server rules for one thing, and it's inconsiderate to say the least, I personaly consider it griefing. If you're going to fight those guys you should know better than to lead them to a town, and if you are out exploring, perhaps use a bit more caution, and, still... don't lure monsters to AT's, town entrances, town AT's or NPC's.

Vyris

[Rhizome]

This is a very valid criticism.  And it is true that drawing monsters to a town is against server rules.  If you make a mistake and get in over your head, try to find a way to get out of it, of course, but if your only option is to draw the monsters into a town, just accept your fate first.  No hero would allow the innocent's behind the town walls to be assailed instead of her or him.  Not to mention, if it were a "real" city, you'd never get inside the gate with enemies in tow.  So, please, take heed of what Vyris is saying here and try to be mindful of this in the future.  If for no other reason than to avoid the angst this causes your fellow community members.
  Respect,
  Rhizome

[PsychicToaster]

What about adding GetCombatRound() to the AT triggers in dangerous areas to keep people from drawing monsters out of them in the first place?  Logic being areas aren't seamless transitions and running from one to the next with an enemy in tow would be equivalent to running several miles.

[Dorganath]

While that may be a viable solution, we shouldn't have to code around people doing things they shouldn't. 
  Besides, there's still a problem of creatures being pulled to the AT but not going through the AT.  When someone comes through that AT from the other side, the creatures are already there and waiting, and often attacking, before the character finishes loading into the area.

[Vyris]

Dorganath - 10/31/2005  9:26 PM    While that may be a viable solution, we shouldn't have to code around people doing things they shouldn't.  
  Besides, there's still a problem of creatures being pulled to the AT but not going through the AT.  When someone comes through that AT from the other side, the creatures are already there and waiting, and often attacking, before the character finishes loading into the area.
 

 Thats what happened to me, I came through the AT, and had 4 very tough monsters doing 30+ points of damage to me each hit, I was dead when I loaded.  Vyris

[Talan Va'lash]

Dorganath - 10/31/2005  9:26 PM

While that may be a viable solution, we shouldn't have to code around people doing things they shouldn't.

We have to do this all the time.  For instance, all the stackable item exploits that are coded around.


Is the suggestion to make areas untransitionable during combat?  This would also prevent someone who happened to be walking through a map from transistioning if someone is fighting somewhere else in the area as well as the person thats acctually fighting no?

Oh, and if you run in a circle long enough and dont allow the creature to get close enough to attack you, then combat will end.

-TV

[PsychicToaster]

What I was suggesting was putting the GetCombatRound() check in the AreaTransitionClick hook of the ATs.  That would prevent the person in combat from using it.  Eventually people would learn that you either deal with the situation in that area or die.  There'd be no reason to run to an AT if people knew that wouldn't save them.  

Of course, it would also introduce the "taking one for the team" or "Covering the retreat" roleplay while one person in combat attempts to hold off the enemies while the party runs.

Why shouldn't gaps in the code be closed?  

Of course, the other solution would be to have a faster despawn, or a return to original location script.  But the overhead on that might be hefty.

[Talan Va'lash]

problem is, if one persons in combat the whole party is in combat.

And the situation I stated above where combat ends while being chased.

-TV

[Leanthar]

(Dogranath) "....While that may be a viable solution, we shouldn't have to code around people doing things they shouldn't...."  (Talan)  "....We have to do this all the time. For instance, all the stackable item exploits that are coded around.... "
  Talan, while we do work around issues and exploits a whole lot it still doesn't mean we should be working around this silly issue.  This is an issue of respect for other people and you can't code for that sort of thing.  If we "fix" this issue of harming other players while trying to save ones own life players will come up with another way of doing it, and as you already know from the project team we already have a lot on our plates--not to mention GM'ing on top of that.
  As to the combatendround suggestion.  That will not work because the problem is not pulling them through the transition, its pulling them to the transition.  As Talan stated above people would then just turn off combat, run in circles and then run through the transition and the creatures will stop at the transition.
  As to despawning quicker, the problem with that is that these are from a camp--camps never despawn they only spawn after they die and they spawn in the exact orientation and location.
  As to returning them to their location quicker. This would take quite a lot of code and we would need to set up way points for each of the creatures and that gets to be a total nightmare.  Then on top of that the overhead from the AI running when players are not in a area will kill the server.
  So.. As Dorganath stated above--we should not really be trying to figure out how to fix this for a myriad of reasons, as well, there really is nothing we can do about this except to ask people to knock it off and think about their fellow players--ie. have a little respect for others because your actions do indeed reflect on yourself.

[Dorganath]

Edit:  Message deleted. Leanthar said it better.

[cptoad]

personally i think those buggers should be pulled from that hill. They are a epic/ near epic encounter. For exploring new folks, well for that matter just about anyone a deadly encounter.  maybe some of Bloods, less deadly minions could be used.

G

[Leanthar]

*nods to cptoad* Yeah, they will be eventually. I put them there to make a point in the plot and what was going on (and they can be gone around easily enough).  Right now they are there for a plot reason.  And they have actually created a couple of plot-fork series over the past 3-4 months.

[miltonyorkcastle]

Honestly, I have never had any problems going around them once I discovered they were there.  I don't see why anyone would be pulling them, even exploring, since you can see them before they see you......  unless you are just sprinting across the lands willy-nilly.....

The point I was trying to make was that eventually people would stop bringing them to the AT once they learned that wasn't a means of escape from the situation.

[PsychicToaster]

I'm reeeeeeeeeeally getting tired of these public PCs.  I want my laptop back. . .

Anyway, again, the above post was mine.

[Dorganath]

Your point is understood, and I guess our point is that they shouldn't be doing it anyway, because it's against server rules to lure and abuse the AI like that....not to mention fully disrespectful to one's fellow players.

[Talan Va'lash]

cptoad - 11/1/2005  7:04 AM

personally i think those buggers should be pulled from that hill. They are a epic/ near epic encounter. For exploring new folks, well for that matter just about anyone a deadly encounter.  maybe some of Bloods, less deadly minions could be used.

G

Remembering back... the spawn that was there before these guys wasnt a walk in the park either heh.  

Oh, and those are bloods less deadly minions

-TV