monitor command: every time the target takes a blow, you check their general health status. this only works if you are standing, allaryin, 2003-03-10 15:25:13

This idea reported by Allaryin

monitor command: every time the target takes a blow, you check their general health status. this only works if you are standing fairly close, and you can only monitor so many targets at a time

restrictions, allaryin, 2003-04-09 14:29:48

I think a good value for the range on something like this is the monitoring character's Int score - 1 for each additional target added, and that the upper limit on targets that may be monitored is Emp / 3, so a normal player could monitor up to 3 targets (enemy and 2 party members, for example).

If a target moves out of range for any reason, the player will stop getting messages about their condition, but they will not be removed from the monitor list. If a target dies, logs out, or leaves the player's party, they will be removed automatically; otherwise, the list will need to be manually pruned.

Perhaps we might add an 'automonitor' option to the configuration list that makes the player begin monitoring anyone when they join the same party and begin monitoring enemies when they attack them?

self monitor?, laozi, 2003-05-17 09:10:33

I like the idea how about if it worked on a player trying to gain a report on himself? That way if a player is dazed they recieve less information on the hits they take other conditions would apply, like if the player is monumentally unintelligent. "ME slay" player grunts. But he is already dead as the saying goes.

control, malap, 2003-05-17 21:19:18

It's a fun idea and I've seen a few variations on it, but it's often a misfeature. Players hate feeling like they're out of control, feeling out of control of themselves is nearly intolerable. If you think about first-person shooters they all just flash red when the player is hit -- the player doesn't fall down, continuously scream in pain, beg for mercy, have a broken leg, etc. A few games have done it, and it's really annoying. Similarly, it's better for the game to give the player all the information and let them react appropriately. If they're a roleplayer, they can mentally label it OOC knowledge and act appropriately.

hmmm?, allaryin, 2003-06-25 22:26:30

I'm not sure what you're getting at. As far as I can tell, I didn't say anything about removing a player's ability to see their own health or anything to that effect. I'm talking about a way to watch other people's hit points, and a way to make it general enough to watch the health status of either friends or foes.

Ie, I type 'monitor wolf' and then attack it. As the mob eventually dies, I get messages to the effect that it is approaching death. Many muds do this sort of thing and many build that sort of behavior into hpbar/prompt. I am suggesting that we implement it, but make it external to the normal hpbar and allow you to watch multiple people at a time.

The reason for my suggested restrictions was fairly obvious, I thought. We only allow you to monitor x-many people at a time. This sort of thing is most beneficial when used by a healer type who sits behind his two or three party members and heals them as he notices their health drop.

not you, malap, 2003-06-26 06:26:40

You didn't suggest it, Laozi did. I think limiting the amount of other people that can be monitored makes sense, but the player should never be unable to monitor themselves at full effectiveness.

Ok, allaryin, 2005-05-15 12:13:38

The hpbar has since been upgraded to magically watch the health status of your primary target, but I would still like to see somebody write the monitor command. In fact, let's limit to exactly one other person's health that you are monitoring for now - ie, probably your party's tank.

This would be a precursor to my working up the desire to fix player objects. It shouldn't be horribly difficult as there is an event fired to the room whenever anything takes damage in combat... easy points here.

Store monitoring status in an env var and restrict it to watching the person so long as they are in the same room as you.

mostly curiosity, zaecus, 2005-06-11 23:53:45

would the status of those monitored be the sort of thing you could add to a prompt when prompts (if prompts?) become definable with information (however you say it =P)?

hmm, allaryin, 2005-06-16 09:50:21

I am generally against hp on the prompt. It's a cultural thing dating back to the bulk of my mudding experience over the last decade. Hence, we have an hp command and the bar only displays when your health changes - if you toggle the feature on.

If we ever get around to allowing the diku-style prompts, monitor will probably be included as an allowed variable, yes.

My actual plan for this feature would have been identical in function to autohp. When your target's health changes, you are given a one-line notice of the change.