Abandoned Codex

[Vicks]

Ok, so I was bored the other day, so I decided to explore the Manilla Mountains a little bit. I'm an idiot, so I managed to find the deathtrap in there pretty quickly. Then I got all pissy and logged off.

But it got me to thinking: that's the reaction I've had pretty much every time I've DT'd, and it's the reaction I see most people seem to share. So the question is: Why do we have DT's in the game when all they seem to do is piss people off and cause them to log off? Putting aside the fact that (from the descriptions, anyway) most of them would leave a corpse (or at least as much as DoS or Txa would leave after mauling someone...), I don't really see the point of DTs not leaving corpses.

I realize that if you're not an idiot you can be careful and avoid them ... this is not a fact I'm disputing . But my main point is that whenever people die from a mob, they usually get right back on the horse, so to speak. But when they DT, they're usually done for the night (at the least), which only cuts down the number of player hours logged on the MUD. Just something to think about

[Gareth]

Yeah, I don't like them either. I have cut the existing ones down a bit over the years, and made the BIG SIGNS next to the surviving ones bigger.
For some reason certain builders seem to like DTs, even though I actively encourage them not to use them. Maybe it's because they gain secret pleasure from screwing people over safe in the knowledge that they themselves know where their deathtraps are... perhaps I should start moving DTs secretly before putting them in on the main port.

The other thing I tried encouraging a while back was for people to make and maintain a list of known deathtraps to share with each other, but it never really got off the ground.

That all said, I also feel that deathtraps possibly feel worse than they used to since the advent of things like claim corpse and deathloyal. In old Merc-type muds deathtraps weren't significantly worse than other forms of death, but these days 'regular' death has been sanitised and covered in giant foam padding so that you're almost guaranteed your equipment back every time (and don't even lose as much xp as you used to).
In fact, the reason they didn't bother keeping your corpse was cause before smaug deities came along, how the heck would you get it back anyway?

[Vicks]

With the MUD being so dead lately, scry can be hard to come by. And scan, well, kind of sucks as far as DT detection goes And they don't seem to add anything to the game, as far as I can see (from a players point of view, anyway; I'm not sure what kind of twisted pleasure you might draw from them...). So couldn't the code be tweaked slightly so they leave a corpse? That way we wouldn't have frustrated players logging off for no good reason.

Anyways, I won't turn this into (anymore of) a bitch session (than it already is) Not a big deal, anyway ... I've already hit my DT for the year!

To summarize my two cents: DTs are stupid and contribute nothing.
(and y'all can STFU if you're thinking "Same can be said for Vicks" *giggles*)

~V

[Seph]

If it's really a popular idea, I can go through areas and take out most of the DT's around, replacing them with more friendly programs that dish out heavy damage.

Bear in mind, some dt's are required to be there, such as in Raging Energies and the Metallic Blackness in Jahovazith. As such, these shall not be removed.
_________________
"Sleep well, sweet child... the lord holds thee now."

[Vicks]

[Gareth]

[Vicks]

Doesn't mean they can't leave a corpse

[Gareth]

I thought about changing that, but then I thought, stop being such a pussy. :p
claim corpse is way too easy to get.

I don't like deathtraps, but at the same time I really don't like the constant gradual pussification of the merc->smaug base. First it was the removal of rent (actually, I agree with that one). Then there was the change from death taking you to start of level to it being only halfway back to the start of level. Then it was letting people gain skill % by casting it instead of having to choose pracs carefully. Then it was claim corpse. Now someone wants DTs taken out? What's next, remove death altogether?

[Gareth]

I should probably add for the benefit of those who haven't heard it before, that if you come across a deathtrap that you don't believe was adequately "signposted" in the descriptions of the preceeding room(s), then send me a tell or a private mudmail and I'll investigate whether or not it needs changing.
All deathtraps should be avoidable by those who read room descriptions.

[Gareth]

[Vicks]

I'm not sure how great "I don't like them, but stop being a pussy" works as a justification for leaving them as is (if that were the case we wouldn't have claim corpse in the first place) . For the record, I'm not arguing to have them removed ... just having them leave a corpse.


Oh, and as for the "pussification" of the MUD aspect, leveling was a *shiiiiiiiiiiiiitload* easier back then ... time changes many things, it seems

[Gareth]

I still don't see any contributions by you to the death trap listing thread...

[Vicks]

Because I'm still under the impression they're stupid and pointless....

[Nightblade]

[Vicks]

Mobs were easier and there was no kill buffer.

(Yes, this was kind of lame, and so it was changed)

Deathtraps are (kind of?) lame...

I think you see where I'm going with this

Seriously though, I think one of the strongest aspects of this MUD over the years has been it's ability to evolve and change. To leave something as it is just because "That's the way it's always been" doesn't seem to fit with the overall evolution of the MUD.

Also keep in mind that Avs don't get QPs per hit