Limiting marbles

[Gwain]

Seeing how annoying marbles can be, and abusive in some senses (there's ways to get rid of them, but its not easy) I'd like to suggest that the bag of marbles only yield one drop of marbles then junks, as you dump the bag and it fills the room. It seems that otherwise you get multiple drops that make you sit in multiple rooms.

[Tarven]

Seeing how annoying marbles can be, and abusive in some senses (there's ways to get rid of them, but its not easy) I'd like to suggest that the bag of marbles only yield one drop of marbles then junks, as you dump the bag and it fills the room. It seems that otherwise you get multiple drops that make you sit in multiple rooms.

If I recall, the marbles are pretty inexpensive. Couldn't/wouldn't someone just use more? Not that expensive is even really an issue, seeing as how easily acquired money becomes in this game.

[Kielar]

My mount seems to wade through the marbles just fine.

[Tarven]

That's probably actually a code issue. I don't think mounts can be made to sit while mounted?

[Gwain]

I have no problem with people filling their inventory with bags of marbles. They should have to do that in order to accomplish huge practical jokes.

[Tarven]

Heh, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other, mate. It's not going to stop or change anything, or make it anymore difficult to accomplish. It'll just make more work for IMMs. <.< Granted, probably not -much- work.

If you wanted to limit it, in practicality, putting a purchase limit would be much more sensible, like with spell components, so that only so many can be in the game at a time.

[Casamir]

They seem to be lasting longer than they used to. Marbles were fun because of their nature, but they should also expire rather quickly, no more than ten minutes for balance.

[Tarven]

They seem to be lasting longer than they used to. Marbles were fun because of their nature, but they should also expire rather quickly, no more than ten minutes for balance.

Yeah, I really could see that. I think what makes them go away is actually tripping over them, several times >.<

[Gwain]

I could see them being as they are currently if they don't last so long. However, I don't see a problem with suggesting changes to marbles. If the imms feel that the changes are not needed, they just won't implement them.

[Casamir]

True. Though, I would put in for the example of golden dust. It keeps a certain potency, remaining a memorable/interesting item, but then after a short while it just goes away. Lasting just long enough to spring the prank (and thus children home alone everywhere might continue to defend their abodes against robbers,) before expiring.

[Gwain]

I'd be fine with a shorter duration like golden dust.

[Tarven]

Ditto

[Raona]

As currently coded, a bag of marbles can hit four rooms before it is empty. It costs 1 copper and weighs 2 pounds. The marbles, once spread, last 20 ticks (resets). Falling on them does not impact duration. They can be cleaned up with the right tool.

They are coded to not affect mounted PCs or those with levitate or fly effects. There is a 100% chance they make you fall.

Here are my proposed changes:
1) Up the cost to 1 platinum or so and make them weigh 8 lbs, or make 1 bag cost 1 gp and only work on one room
2) Add a DEX check or reflex save to the fall effect
3) Reduce duration to 10 ticks (resets)

We had a rash of marble use in WD a long while back, and Raona was able to handle it ICly, though only because it was a single player and a reasonable one at that. They got the message that they were overdoing it. If they hadn't chosen to get that message, I could not have kept up with them, but I was prepared to book them for public endangerment. However, marbles seem a recurring issue and the fixes above seem appropos to me.

Thoughts? Any marble users have an argument for keeping them as-is?

[Tarven]

As currently coded, a bag of marbles can hit four rooms before it is empty. It costs 1 copper and weighs 2 pounds. The marbles, once spread, last 20 ticks (resets). Falling on them does not impact duration. They can be cleaned up with the right tool.

They are coded to not affect mounted PCs or those with levitate or fly effects. There is a 100% chance they make you fall.

Here are my proposed changes:
1) Up the cost to 1 platinum or so and make them weigh 8 lbs, or make 1 bag cost 1 gp and only work on one room
2) Add a DEX check or reflex save to the fall effect
3) Reduce duration to 10 ticks (resets)

We had a rash of marble use in WD a long while back, and Raona was able to handle it ICly, though only because it was a single player and a reasonable one at that. They got the message that they were overdoing it. If they hadn't chosen to get that message, I could not have kept up with them, but I was prepared to book them for public endangerment. However, marbles seem a recurring issue and the fixes above seem appropos to me.

Thoughts? Any marble users have an argument for keeping them as-is?

I'd say a 1gp gold cost is fair. 8lbs seems awful excessive, though, where 2lbs seems reasonable. Is it 100% that they make you fall? I've noticed that in rooms with multiple marble applications that I'll get echoes on 1-4 'falls'. At any rate, if there isn't currently a Dex check, that seems reasonable. As does 10 tick duration (or, since most areas it's around 5 mins per tick, just round off for an even hour at 12 ticks?)

Also, I just happened to have a bag of marbles around, RL, and they weighed 9oz, for about 1 cup worth of marbles <.<

[Selveem]

I don't want to ruin people's fun, but I admit this is one of those annoying items (like dung was in the past) that are really annoying to deal with. Even still, I really dislike misweighted objects and have worked hard to try to combat them on the game. Similarly, items that have a bloated cost for no real IC reason seems to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I like the dex and/or reflex check (whichever is higher, maybe?). It would also be nice if the marbles scattered when used (disappearing) regardless of whether someone successfully saves or not.

I could also get behind a reduced duration. After all, these are supposed to be a gag item, not a griefing item. Maybe a combination of both solutions is a fair compromise?

[Tarven]

Similarly, items that have a bloated cost for no real IC reason seems to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

While I agree with that sentiment, to be fair, glass is expensive even today. And if you look at marble prices, they're not as cheap as you might think. Easily as much as a loaf of bread, if not more. In fact, marble collection is a hobby that some take part in that has even farther reaching economical factors as stamps or baseball cards. /geek

[Harroghty]

Marbles now consider your current DEX (not your index value) and modify your chance of slipping accordingly. (Change, of course, pending a copyover to the game port.)

[Tarven]

Marbles now consider your current DEX (not your index value) and modify your chance of slipping accordingly. (Change, of course, pending a copyover to the game port.)

Does it factor dex penalty from armor? <.<

[Harroghty]

It checks your current dexterity value.

[Tarven]

It checks your current dexterity value.

Seems like the index would make more sense, given that if you try to keep your balance in plate armor, it's probably not going to work as well as if unarmored. <.< Although, I guess the converse argument would be that 100 lbs of plate armor is more likely to crush a glass marble than slide on it.