Tracking in Waterdeep

[Aysa]

If a PC with the tracking skill is standing out front of the bank on Market Street and is attempting to track someone that is near one of the "visible" rooms in the Grand Mezzanine of Cynosure Hall (for example, the north gate)... the PC will be guided via the tracking code to the room in the Grand Mezzanine, rather than to the north gate.

So for example, a "trackee" PC is just south of the North Gate of Waterdeep. The "tracker" PC is outside the bank on Market Street and attempts to track "trackee". The tracking code will lead the "tracker" to the room in the Grand Mezzanine that's closest to the "trackee".

[Lirith]

This isn't a bug, track goes via the shortest route to the target which is the case in this example.

[Johara]

I beg to differ. When you get to the Grand Mezzanine, it's more of a "look out" station rather than 'closest' room. From that room, you can't go to the North Gate... you have to go down, and then over to High Road, and then up to the north gate. However, from that room, you can see the North Gate.

It's even worse if the person that you're tracking is one room 'south' of the North Gate. You won't see them, but the code believes your PC can make the hop from the Grand Mezzanine to the North Gate.

[Lirith]

It still isn't a bug with track. The game doesn't take account whether your PC being able to move from room to room when tracking, it just returns the shortest route to the target.

Althasizor has posted a suggestion of how this might be addressed since it's the mezzanine room itself that causes the annoyance.

[Harroghty]

The mezzanine works by having exits to those other rooms which you are prevented from using. So it looks like a window, but it is still an exit. Track is not differentiating along the route; it may not be advanced enough to do so.

In any case, I've made a temporary fix by removing the mezzanine. Let me know please what impact this has.

[Johara]

It fixes the problem... but at the expense of having a "look out" tower. I thought the Mezzanine was a cool idea. It's only when track is used does it become a problem.

[Harroghty]

There are some other solutions. For now, this is the easiest to implement in the short term.