Where can you run to?

[Brutoss]

Hi,

I know some characters will stand and fight anything.  Others run away.  The trouble if you run is that the mobs tend to follow you, map after map after map.  This means that you can end up with all sorts of things in places you would not expect them, even within 'safe' places like Hlint and Ranger's Vale.  

Is there any 'rules' on where you can run when being chased by something you know you can't defeat?  What about if the mob then attacks a town shop keeper or some such?  Are you supposed to help the shop keeper, or let them deal with the problem on their own?  I got the impression from something Stormspirit said to me recently that you are supposed to leave them and not claim a kill you couldn't make if the shop keeper wasn't there.  This sounds kind of strange to me, as we are all armed and armored and would usually expect to fight if an innocent bystander was being attacked.

Can anyone clarify this for me please?

Thanks,

Erred.

[Gilrod]

When my character was younger and I did a lot of running (without the aid of invisibility), I would help the shopkeeper/cleric.  I found that I usually did not land the killing blow anyway (if I could, I probably would not have had to run).  I think it would be fairly easy to notice if someone was exploiting this since it would have to happen repeatedly to be of any real value.

Its not really nice to lead monsters into town, but on the flip-side, I guess even the most benevolent characters would run rather than face certain death at the hands of an inconsequential monster.

Don't put too much stock in what I'm saying though, I'm not a DM.  

[Guardian 452]

1st off lets consider your characters allignment... that hinges greatly on what actions they should take in the matter... if they are CN or something and they see no gain in assisting the shopkeeper then don't help them... even though it was you who drew the baddies to them.


But if your a LG cleric of Toran or any good character.... by golly you better help... and if need be.... lay your life down before the shopkeep dies.



A side note... your characters alignment also hinges on what you should do if an NPC is killed... if your CN or some other shady allignment you just might go rifle thru the dead guys pockets....  and a LG or good person in general would never do such a thing!



Monsters chase you thru AT's (Area Transfers ) now because in the previous version of Layonara they didn't and people exploited this knowing they could get a "free out" of a sticky situation by reaching the nearest AT.

This way is more realistic... I mean if that bugbear starts chasing you to kill you he isn't going to stop because it's the end of a certain game map.


It is hard to say really I mean if whatever is chasing you is as you say you can't defeat... then perhaps you shouldnt have been there.  Some places people aren't meant to go to at certain levels or to go alone... and dieing is one way of learning that I suppose. Chalk it up to a learning experience... now you know not to go to "X" place again untill your more seasoned.



I would think runing into town to get away from something is fine... but if it becomes a habbit expect a GM to have a talk with you about it.


G-452

[stormspirit]

It was more an issue of using the keepers as meat sheilds than a rp issue.  It isnt a problem when you monsters accidently get towed to town and run into a shopkeeper or temple.  It is a problem if you are dragging monsters back to a town to intentionally use these people as invulnerable shields while you pop the from behind with a bow.  Accidentally dragging them back to town, or being chased is somewhat different to intentionally dragging them back to a town so you can use the (game mechanic) invulnerable populace.  This is what the query was geared to, not on the right or wrongs of helping the healers, or the freedom to flee to a town when you are in danger.  It was a query simply to see why the ogres were beating on the healer of Aeridin.  

    On the accidental front, stay and help or run is your choice, though always remembering there can be repercussions if a dm happens to be there.  I was in the middle of a quest at the time otherwise it would have been handled more in a rp fashion, with the healer asking what was the idea behind leading marauding ogres to them.  In any case my concern was not that you fled from danger, but the use of those two healers as a device to safe kills when we all know that in a true rp sense they wouldnt tolerate such use.

I actually was thinking about this recently.  My character has had to retreat several times when close to dying.  I didn't know really where to retreat.  I wanted to go into town but felt that was wrong for some reason.
On that note, I am quite surprised that the town doesn't have guards hanging around.  After all, with all the goblins, orcs, bandits, etc. nearby, I would think that a few guards would be necesary to keep the peace.

[lonnarin]

Aye, if Garent and a few of his men and the soldiers in the forts saw foes as hostile and were set *not* to leave the area, it'd make running to a heavily guarded city a good RP escape plan.  Plus he'd steal the xp from the kill, being an NPC.

[Guardian 452]

If only Garent and his men would then loot their kills so players arent getting free loot.


The problem with adding more NPC's to any given area is that I think it will add lag.  Thus it would be counter productive for Leanthar and the content team to add them negating all they do every day to try and reduce lag for us players.


Leanthar has said it a hundred times... we are doing things that are not meant to be done with this game engine.

If their is a way to get city guards with out increasing lag of course I'm all for it. But I see these New NPC guards becoming a mess... after each time something is dragged into town they will rush and fight it then stand their afterwards.  Right in the middle of the road, or a door way and whatever.... Solution? give them way points like Garent... ah ha! more lag.   so back to square one.


That happens now with Talon and Amen (Hlints Healer) they are always off somewhere from whre  they last fought monsters.

Even waypoint creatures get silly. Erag goes into the Inn and even back into the kitchen area... and Vale the mailman he seems to like to spend time in the craft house these days.

So city guards working on waypoints that are all getting sloshed at the Inn instead of guarding the city from monsters drug in by would be adventurers isnt much help.


G-452

Well, with the guards, they could just stay put at the gates.  Therefore, the only time they could lag anything is when an unfriendly comes into their "vicinity."  Then they would, obviously, attack whatever comes near.  They could then loot the corpse as well.  I would think that a fairly simple script could do that (although I am not extremely knowledgeable on scripting).
I know that other servers I have been on have the guards... although I do not believe they did any looting.
So, no movement needed unless an unfriendly character arrives.  I doubt that the guards just existing could really put that much of a damper on the server.  But, then again, I don't know much of the programming behind NWN either.

[lonnarin]

Nothing is more humiliating than being saved by a flock of chickens.  I mean, people call those who RUN from battle "chickens"!

[Leanthar]

Ashitaka-san,
  You are correct we could put guards there.  However (and it is just a small thing but it adds up when you have 300 areas in a module--nwn was designed to have 50 or less areas) every single creature adds overhead (lag).  They ALL have heartbeat checks as well as perception checks.  While small they all add up. 
  And yes... I could make the modules to something like 50 areas or less but there are a few problems with that.  One of them being my main concern--breaking the immersion level--imagine traveling about 6-7 screens and then doing a server jump that takes 15-30 seconds... that is about what it would be like.
  Very valid points, and things I have thought about dozens of times.  It is just so hard to do what we are trying to do with NWN and yet keep the immersion and RP level up.

[dfiremann]

I remember playing Age of Mythology and crushing a guy down to where he only had his oxen available.  "Avenge me, my bullocks!" he cried, and I laughed out loud.  Did the same thing thinking of a ranger on the lam hiding behind a roost of chickens.  "To arms, my hens!"

[teefal]

I ran from the sewers with rats after me the other day, and the black kitty came to my rescue.  Seeing the cat attack the rats has been a high point for me in Layonary, particuarly since I had a real-life black kitty watching on the couch with me on the time.  My real life kitty thought the RP was quite good in this instance.

[Frendh]

I remember with the Old Silent Watch, if you fled into Hope with giants on your tail,
they wouldn't enter the fort. Wouldn't that be better for all towns and such?
There would be no free loot then.

Or if you are worried about people fleeing to town and resting then going back outside
to finish them off, then you can have the mobs cleaned up by the script if they try to
enter town.

Of course, all unnecessary if everyone does what is right.