Arr... here be a YANI.

Derek Ray <derek.DeleteThis@moot.its.only.a.spamtrap.org> writes:

> (Skulls have been in the "to do" list for some time now; they're fairly
> low priority because the only thing I was going to do with them was to
> have player bones always include a named skull of the deceased.

C - a skull named Yorick

--
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Jason F. McBrayer jmcbray.DeleteThis@carcosa.net |
| If someone conquers a thousand times a thousand others in |
| battle, and someone else conquers himself, the latter one |
| is the greatest of all conquerors. --- The Dhammapada |
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On Jan 31, 2:53 am, "3cnf...@gmail.com" <3cnf....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd like to propose a Sporkhack pirate class. Yes, this class has been
> proposed on numerous occasions. I simply think a pirate class would
> blend nicely with some of the new Spork ideas proposed, such as rusty
> weaponry inducing disease, and the 'stealthy' aspect of knives. In
> particular, a pirate could take special advantage of *water*.

Great class suggestion! I'll skip much of the other discussion, but I
wanted to hit a few highpoints.


On Jan 31, 9:34 am, pend....TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:
> applied: acts as gold detection (what pirate doesn't have a nose
> for
> treasure?) .

I love the gold detection. However, in favor of the "is this really
useful?" questions, perhaps we could have it be Detect Treasure
instead?

Or is that too powerful?


As a sidenote for the quest, what do you think about burying treasure?

There is something engraved on the ground here. You read, "X"
Apply what?
a - a pickaxe
In what direction?
You begin digging downwards
You are in a pit.
You see here a chest.

It would be trapped, of course -- but o' the riches inside.


--clint
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On 2008-02-01, Derek Ray <derek RemoveThis @moot.its.only.a.spamtrap.org> wrote:
> On 2008-02-01, Marc Hartstein <marcmagus RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2008-02-01, Derek Ray <derek RemoveThis @moot.its.only.a.spamtrap.org> wrote:
>>> I expect that the OP's intent here is to directly remove the need to
>>> have gold detection scrolls for the Planes.
>>>
>>> I'm not real thrilled with that part, since it's so specifically targeted
>>> at a "hole" the player needs to fill.
>> And it does such a bad job of filling it.
>>
>> What's the invoke timeout?
>
> rnz(100). It varies, but i believe the most common output from this is
> about 50; so we'll say 50 to 100 turns. (There's a graph on
> nethack.wikia.com that I can't get to at the moment.)

Huh, you're right. I remembered it being about an order of magnitude
greater. Again, teaches me to post without checking the source first.

>> If they want to curse their Quest Artifact to get one trap detection
>
> They would confuse themselves, of course, not curse the artifact.
> Cursed shows traps as $; confused shows the actual trap.

I was assuming that, like the PYEC, its effect wouldn't change due to
confusion. (Yes, I checked this time.) You can't mispronounce the
magic words in this situation.

> I agree that it doesn't break the game, but that doesn't change that
> it's an obvious "targeted solution" to a well-known universal need; the
> power serves no significant purpose _other_ than this.

Hmmm...is this better or worse than an artifact whose invoked power
serves no significant purpose throughout the game?

It could help you find Ludios to go raid it (if it's in your game).

Ok, I'm stretching. It's a mediocre-at-best power which is kind of
neat, and has some utility in the endgame which might almost make it
worth bothering. This might or might not be acceptable as mostly
flavor on an artifact with carried/worn/wielded powers which combine
to make it interesting.

On the other hand, there might be more interesting ideas out there.
I'm just not convinced that it's a bad idea just because it was
probably inspired by a questionable motive.
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On 2008-02-01, Marc Hartstein <marcmagus.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2008-02-01, Derek Ray <derek.RemoveThis@moot.its.only.a.spamtrap.org> wrote:
>> rnz(100). It varies, but i believe the most common output from this is
>> about 50; so we'll say 50 to 100 turns. (There's a graph on
>> nethack.wikia.com that I can't get to at the moment.)
> Huh, you're right. I remembered it being about an order of magnitude
> greater. Again, teaches me to post without checking the source first.

I actually had to check the source myself to confirm, if that helps.

>>> If they want to curse their Quest Artifact to get one trap detection
>> They would confuse themselves, of course, not curse the artifact.
>> Cursed shows traps as $; confused shows the actual trap.
> I was assuming that, like the PYEC, its effect wouldn't change due to
> confusion. (Yes, I checked this time.) You can't mispronounce the
> magic words in this situation.

Sure. But that even removes the putative purpose behind the suggestion,
without actually adding anything significant.

>> I agree that it doesn't break the game, but that doesn't change that
>> it's an obvious "targeted solution" to a well-known universal need; the
>> power serves no significant purpose _other_ than this.
> Hmmm...is this better or worse than an artifact whose invoked power
> serves no significant purpose throughout the game?

I consider it roughly the same utility as the Heart of Ahriman's or Orb
of Detection's #invoke power... neither of which are awe-inspiring, to
say the least.

Overall, I'd prefer to avoid adding things that players hope will be
good, but turn out to be pointless. (The spellbook of detect foot is
the exception-that-proves-the-rule, here.)

> On the other hand, there might be more interesting ideas out there.

I'm personally inclined to ponder those better ones, and pick one of
those. What if, instead, it was 'Basic'-level "detect treasure"?

> I'm just not convinced that it's a bad idea just because it was
> probably inspired by a questionable motive.

No, it's a bad idea because it's a bad idea. But any idea that starts
out looking like a targeted "fill in the hole" sort of thing is going to
have to work uphill to gain acceptance in my eyes, just because I start
to wonder what _else_ is hidden in there that I haven't seen yet.

--
Derek

Game info and change log: http://sporkhack.com
Beta Server: telnet://sporkhack.com
IRC: irc.freenode.net, #sporkhack
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On 2008-02-01, HanClinto <HanClinto RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 9:34 am, pend... RemoveThis @hotmail.com wrote:
>> applied: acts as gold detection (what pirate doesn't have a nose
>> for treasure?) .
> I love the gold detection. However, in favor of the "is this really
> useful?" questions, perhaps we could have it be Detect Treasure
> instead?

Heh. I see I should read _all_ the messages before responding.

> Or is that too powerful?

Not as long as it's only "basic" level. A lot of roles get divination
already, and the difference between "basic" and "skilled" detect
treasure is pretty significant.

Since skilled detect treasure isn't broken, something a player can use
as basic level and only about half as often as the spell itself certainly
won't be.

> As a sidenote for the quest, what do you think about burying treasure?
> There is something engraved on the ground here. You read, "X"

Of course. This would actually be the best spot for your quest
artifact; on a water level filled with tiny "islands", and one of them
has the "X" on it. After you kill Zoginator or whoever, ... go lookin'!

--
Derek

Game info and change log: http://sporkhack.com
Beta Server: telnet://sporkhack.com
IRC: irc.freenode.net, #sporkhack
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

"3cnfsat@gmail.com" <3cnfsat.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Jan 31, 7:06 pm, Chris Odorjan <codor....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 01/31/08 4:16 PM, Daniel Kraft wrote:
> >
> > > Ah, sounds cool! And what can a player do with skulls, or rather
> > > nothing, like with iron chains or tin openers?
> >
> > Recite Hamlet, of course
>
> Hey, shouldn't *something* notable happen with skulls and undead
> turning?

Yeah, they should turn into a disembodied head :-/

Richard
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

Chris Odorjan wrote:
> On 01/31/08 4:16 PM, Daniel Kraft wrote:
>
>> Ah, sounds cool! And what can a player do with skulls, or rather
>> nothing, like with iron chains or tin openers?
>
> Recite Hamlet, of course

Skulls could have charges and detect traps, cf. Monkey Island. And of
course, pirates should insult other monsters while fighting with a
scimitar/sword. Come to think of it: Quest opponent could be an über-c,
and always leave a corpse (a rubber chicken, that is).

cu Thomas
--
"Prisons are needed only to provide the illusion that courts and police
are effective. They're a kind of job insurance."
(Leto II. in: Frank Herbert, God Emperor of Dune)
http://thomas.dergrossebruder.org/
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

3cnfsat.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote:

> I'd like to propose a Sporkhack pirate class.

[modest snip]

> Hey, tell me what you think! YANIs are so much
> more fun when everyone gathers round to roast
> them. =)

Not just "yeah" but "Arrrr, yeah!"

> "Roasting YANIs on an open fire..."

Nope, we usually go for their authors. You doing
anything later tonight?

xanthian.
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

Daniel Kraft wrote:

> I admit, I don't really know anything about Teach
> and myths about him;

You might have heard of him as "Blackbeard". He hung
out, among other places, around Ocracoke, one of the
sand island outer banks islands of North Carolina in
the US, which for some reason has a splendid natural
harbor at its south tip. Offshore near there, was
"Diamond Shoals", some of the most treacherous,
wreck-ridden waters anywhere, but necessary to pass
in traveling north and south along the US coast. I'm
guessing he used local sailing knowledge of the
waters to force opponents into trouble, or perhaps
to escape pursuit himself.

His real life was so off scale, any mythos would just
be gilding the lily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard

xanthian.

As a retired sailor and former Ocracoke lot owner, I
feel especially close to Edward Teach. His story is
re-enacted on Ocracoke regularly. That island is one
of the few places Elizabethan English still exists
as the common speech, because it was for a very long
time and until "quite modern times" (World War II,
when the US Navy used its harbor for sheltering
destroyers) extremely isolated from the mainland.
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

3cnfsat.RemoveThis@gmail.com wrote:

> Hey, shouldn't *something* notable happen with
> skulls and undead turning?

Skulls could turn in the direction of undead, as a
new form of fairly specialized warning. Maybe with a
loud "Arrrr" sound.

xanthian.

Or, if you drop a skull, an onrushing undead might
delay a few turns to trade pleasantries with it,
giving the PC a small extra escape interval.

Tribes of approaching orcs might stop to play a game
of "kick the skull" and forget the PC exists at all,
orcs not being considered overly bright at best.

A skull could be a place to _carry_ a pet rat, for
whatever good being able to carry a pet might do.
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

dogscoff wrote:

> - Put a lit candle inside one and leave it on the
> floor as a jack-o- lantern/ monster-scarer, with
> every square lit by the candle given an E-effect
> on certain monsters. The limited burn-time of
> candles should keep this from being too powerful.
> For bonus points, have the game ask the player
> which way the lantern is facing when he drops it,
> and instead of a boring circle of light,
> illuminate a skull-face pattern on the floor=-)

You've all seen this:

Apply that candle to the _top_ of the skull to make
a nifty reading light, and from the sheer atmosphere
improvement, any class should be just a bit more
likely of success at reading spellbooks ("like a
warlock").

Make a hexagram of them with the PC reading
spellbooks inside the hexagram, and success should
be nearly assured.

xanthian.

"pentagram" doesn't do well on a square grid.
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On Feb 1, 2:10 pm, Marc Hartstein <marcma... DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2008-02-01, Boudewijn Waijers <kroi... DeleteThis @home.nl> wrote:
>
> > Ted Tofield wrote:
>
> >> There should some special consideration given to messages generated
> >> around Rust Monsters, Disenchanters, and rats don't you think?
>
> >> Something along the the lines of "Arr! The Giant rat hits!"
>
> > Could you explain?
>
> I assume it's a pun on the fact that those monsters are represented by
> 'R' or 'r', as pronounced by a pirate.

Correct indeed! silly i know but a worthy addition

I like the idea of X marks the spot as well......

Talking of spots..."a scroll of the Black Spot"..... now how to work
that in....??
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI. 

On 2008-02-02, Kent Paul Dolan wrote:
> 3cnfsat.DeleteThis@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > Hey, shouldn't *something* notable happen with
> > skulls and undead turning?
>
> Skulls could turn in the direction of undead, as a
> new form of fairly specialized warning. Maybe with a
> loud "Arrrr" sound.

Making "turn undead" the first(?) triple pun thingy in NetHack. Splendid.

--
Ohle Claussen | GPG-Key-ID E7149169
----------===========----------
BOFH Excuse #102:
Power company testing new voltage spike (creation) equipment
 >> Stay informed about: Arr... here be a YANI.