Geas

I think we should make more of an effort to treat NPC's like PC's... as in... if we capture them, try to let them go again to go about their duties.

Now for some context.

I am sure some players have noticed that if you remove NPC's from their "origin" and string them up somewhere else (instead of just killing them) they'll not appear back at their original location without wizard intervention. This borders on abuse of OOC knowledge IMO.... knowing that an NPC won't try to get back home like a PC would.

I was told about a year or so ago by wizards that this "arresting and moving" of NPC's is frowned upon. At the time, I was knocking out all the Lilithian mercenaries and tying them up outside the Crusader castle, naked, so they could not be used in an attack against the castle. I was told specifically by a wizard to stop because it limits the usage/point of those NPC's. Something similar is happening again.

Before you do something think about it... would you like the same done to you? If the answer is yes, then continue. If not, then perhaps reconsider your actions.

If you don't think you would like it if the NPC guards of a city just "went missing" and then didn't come back (like when they do when killed)... and then they don't respawn until reboot... when they are "taken" again... perhaps don't do it to others.

Could I get some thoughts on the matter? Let's keep it general of course.

I've always found such actions as horrendous and an abuse of game mechanics. The NPC, were they an PC, would clearly escape as soon as possible. If you capture an NPC for any reason, make sure that, at the end, you either kill them or release them at their original location, as such they might respawn / pick up their original tasks.

Just my opinion though.

I also think it is abuse of game mechanics, but just like when you were doing it you did not think it was (and it took a wizard to point it out to you), whoever is doing it now probably feels the same way. Which I guess is the point of this post.

Ya exactly Ganon that was what I was trying to do, also trying to let everything else who may have been as clueless as me in on it as well. I was just wondering if the current wizards felt the same way.

Personally I feel that, if done rarely enough, depositing someone at the gallows, for example, is a nice touch and gives colour. Making it routine however, is rather droll. Removing guards and such should be even rarer if at all. I mean if you can take the ity guard hostage what is the point for the city to exist? It would make the current world order seem rather illogical as the game does not change with every action the players take.

Quote, several characters:
"I have never seen a halfling wearing a loincloth before."
"Oh, you have never met Gerrit?"
*other character laughs*

I think most everyone treats NPCs and PCs very differently.

Yea, they tend to become even more invisible than the invisible npcs.

Yes, NPC's should be considered as any other PC.

It is not unreasonable to assume that over anywhere up to a 6 week IC period (between MUD reboots) of time that a NPC in such a situation would not be found and rescued by someone, and return to their duties once able.

Limitations of code generally prevent this from happening, why add so much code to a npc just to counteract what shouldn't be happening in the first place.

When such 'use' of code limitations is spotted, it's generally dealt with if and when time permits.

On the flip side, I don't know anyone who would agree to barter for the life of an npc but would gladly do so for a pc.

If Sathos begin to pick up npc goodies, I would hope the same ooc standards would apply.

Shaos have atleast had a long standing policy of making deals involving captured npcs. The problem is there is no end for those deals

Delmon wrote:On the flip side, I don't know anyone who would agree to barter for the life of an npc but would gladly do so for a pc.

If Sathos begin to pick up npc goodies, I would hope the same ooc standards would apply.

Hard to barter for someone who is just "gone". I don't know if they are out for lunch or tied up in Asador if no offer is made.

Also like Delia mentions, this is certainly a freedom of the "evil" side that can be readily abused. As the goodies have really no way to retaliate in a way that "hurts" the evils in the same way... ya know?

*goes and rounds up all the lilith clerics and kills Delmon so he can never resurrect* *wink*

Rudolpho has had to barter for the life of an NPC. It does happen.

I have also bartered for the life an NPC. But then there was also some nice roleplay story running since long behind that capture, which made it possible to do something out of it.

Hello,

I do believe that an NPC's life endangered should be on the same magnitude as that of a PC. As with all, capturing NPCs and demanding recognition is something that has to be done in measures, but it is definitely bad to ignore such things (unless your character can live for the consequences). I do recall, for example, bartering for a fauns life to be released.

I recall discussions at some other time of methods that would allow a player to actually get rescued npcs to safety, which would, in my eyes, dramatically increase the willingness of people to barter for their lives. As it is currently, the rescued npc will still stand where they were released and just get killed by the next person of opposite views comming by and seeing it as easy pray.

Delmon wrote:On the flip side, I don't know anyone who would agree to barter for the life of an npc but would gladly do so for a pc.

If Sathos begin to pick up npc goodies, I would hope the same ooc standards would apply.

I have seen it happen numerous times.

The exact scenario you just mentioned.

Of course it can (and sometimes did) get to the point where some rather weak NPC was captured repeatedly and the baddie would demand the PC to trade and be sacrificed. That can be a rather cheap way of killing another PC with almost no effort at all.

NPC's, most notably the Elvandar patrol, are still being moved around so that they do not follow their normal patrol route.

What happened to good ol killing them?

Yesterday, I was fighting the elves of the patrol near Elvandar. I used holyword a couple of times, and one of the times it made the elves run away. I tried to go after them, but they were just gone. I checked all nearby rooms and couldn't find them. They were not shackled and placed somewhere else to avoid that they keep patrolling, sometimes they just run away.

Ah I see. Can't be helped then.

Presumably a bit of code can be appended to their behaviour which checks to see if they've moved recently. If not, then destroy and respawn.

I've my doubts a Holy Word can drive one guard to the gremlin hill and the other two to the cliffs leading to Naarved.