IT'S A TRAP! Part 1

[Chakravanti]

So I've been thinking and talking about traps in various threads. The devs have stated the desire to have some sort of offline claim retaliation method. Obviously directly dealing HHP damage is not ideal for the many reasons it was removed to begin with as well as being really fucking cheesy and lame. Camflaged trip bows, boiling cauldrons of pitch, and possibly even some explosives among other things.

THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR TRAP IDEAS. This thread is for discussing General Trap mechanics and the merits/flaws of the idea as a whole. See IT'S A TRAP! Part 2 to brainstorm specific trap ideas.

To start with traps should be capable of dealing a significant amount of HHP damage to be a realistic deterrent. At the highest levels, 100-200HHP would have to be realized for players to actively deter intruders. If enough varying types of traps are implemented this could be even be capped as low as 50. The materials involved in their construction and perhaps int or dex or even other stats would determine how well they were constructed. Different stats should affect different types of traps so players of different balances are still able to construct some reasonable traps. Likewise the materials they are constructed of should have ingredients which depend on various skills.

Furthermore, Likewise, detecting and disarming different kinds of traps should require varying skill/stat sets.

I also think that if enough varying types of traps are realized that some could deal SHP or HHP/SHP combos.

Also, perhaps some traps should Aggro a thief/trespasser/vandal and/or deal repeating damage. Forcing them to not just teleport away or log off but to have to plan their escape with the same delicacy, foresight and cunning that their intrusion required. Damage and repeat attacking rates of some could KO a person and force him to stay KOed and aggroed if he didn't escape fast enough forcing him to stay logged in for an hour or two vulnerably which highly increases the chances of him being discovered, and gives the owner a reasonable opportunity to dispense justice or show mercy.

Repeat fire traps should deal less damage obviously, and single or limited fire traps should deal higher damage.

Now, I haven't seen the claim interface UI but I've not heard any complaints about it which must mean it's at least functional and not a major PITFA. This would make a good foundation for determining who you have told about your traps Such individuals would know how to get around your traps and walk through your claim unaffected. I intend to set up a claim and check out this UI sometime today. I'll edit this paragraph when I do.

Comment/critique/Brainstorm away! Stay tuned for an edit linking to 'IT'S A TRAP! Part 2' in which various ideas for traps will be discussed.

[Potjeh]

How do you prevent the thieves from using the Soviet mine-clearing methods?

[Chakravanti]

Significant HHP damage, and repeat fire traps. Maybe even single fire traps automatically reset but can only hit the same toon once.

[Potjeh]

Well, even if they can't clear them, alts can be used to detect traps. You don't need any LP in them, just break the wall for them and have them walk around on the claim.

[Chakravanti]

Traps can be set against wall breakers. And if detecting traps doesn't disarm them, then how about this:

The skills/stats used to detect & disarm a particular trap should remain the same and detection should be redundant.

Furthermore, the landowner/trap setter can trigger the trap to tied to specific objects. Therefore the invader could use a alt bot without losing it in the process of trap detection. Which would be redundant because knowing there is or isn't a trap on a particular item doesn't discount the fact that he'll still have to check & disarm those traps anyway.

AT THE WORST. Alt thieves will smply tell a prospector that a claim is trapped and thus not worth the risk to their main toon. He will then leave the claim alone. Mission accomplished.

[Potjeh]

Yeah, I guess if all traps were infinitely repeatable, alts couldn't be used for disarming them. And I like the idea of tying trap triggers to criminal acts (such as wall breaking), so you could look into a cupboard and think all is well, only to get hit by a trap when you try to take an item out of it.

[Chakravanti]

Yeah, I guess if all traps were infinitely repeatable, alts couldn't be used for disarming them. And I like the idea of tying trap triggers to criminal acts (such as wall breaking), so you could look into a cupboard and think all is well, only to get hit by a trap when you try to take an item out of it.

I'm not so sure about 'infinate' but hidden bow traps could have a certain amount of ammo they could be armed with.

A cauldron of boiling pitch wouldn't necessarily dump all 30L at once.

etc. So yeah, i mean, you COULD make enough alts to expend all the traps a person could set on their claim. But it'd just be a bit easier to test it out with your main by attempting to detect and disarm. If it takes you several tries to detect all the traps in an area you can be sure that it'll probaly do the same to disarm them and you'll probably get hit.

Even the shittiest traps should have some odds of dealing damage to an intruder.

Also, some traps should ignore DR. bow traps, while the easiest to set probably wouldn't ignore DR and supposedly the best arrows can't even hit past the best DR armor available.

[kedrigh]

mh, i severely dislike traps like the ones you suggest.
they do not fit into the germanic and slavic mythology theme that much imo, even if it is loose at best, and if there is no serious inconvenience involved for the owner (no, materials are not seriously inconvenient, even steel) it would result in the whole friggin world being one giant dnd dungeon.
they would also fuck up the thievery balance of risk vs gain... might be my view of it is skewed, as i haven't tried thievery myself, but i figure with scents being easily collected and per way easier to raise than int, theft is already fairly risky business (or should be once alt vaulting of stolen goods gets addressed), traps would make it next to impossible.

traps for hunting and fishing, or the occasional sulphur-stuffed sheep once dragons are implemented would be quite nice though.

[Chakravanti]

#2 is for discussing the merits/flaws of potential traps. This is for discussing Mechanics and balance. Certainly something that should be addressed.

Also, I don't see 'the whole friggin world' becoming littered with traps if traps are tied to claims.

Further, 'the balance' does not exist. The current thievery system is anything but.

[Jackard]

traps seem a little boring in most games

it'd be interesting if traps were more dynamic by splitting them into individual parts, say Trigger and Mechanism/Payload

parts detectable by combination of Perception and Intelligence

how well each part is placed, concealed, and possibly disabled could be handled by several different factors depending on the part involved... Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Stealth, Survival, the time spent placing the part

examples - tripwire for trigger, bells for payload, setting off this trap sounds an alarm