Crime: Sentences

[Viss]

Ok, so i have noticed something that is a bit unfair in my opinion.

First off I would like to say that the given punishments/sentences for crimes are fine and don't need to be adjusted.

So that being said, twice now I have been doing quests that require some unsavory act to be done. I understand that there is a risk of getting caught doing such things. However, the issue i have noticed is that when multiple mobs/guard/etc attack you , you are charged with an assault charge on each of them. Even if you have killmode nofight on.

For example, in the city of daggerford I was attacked by multiple guards, and other npcs in the room. This resulted in me recieving like 15 or 16 charges of assault on me. 1-3 or 4 of those i would agree with and understand, but i feel 15+ is a bit excessive especially since i wasnt running around attack guards or anything.

Is there anything that can be done to prevent this?

Some pertinant information:
I had config -surrender set, so when i was attacked i fled and hid and tried to make it out of the city again. Was seen and was attacked again. I eventually got out of the city, and came back a while later to serve my sentences to get it over with so that i could enter the city freely again. After serving the first sentence i checked the crime list at the constable to find that i had like 16 charges outstanding.

I guess i just dont understand how you get charged with assault when you didn't actually assault anyone. Especially to be charged 16 times.

Is there a way to limit it to 1 charge per room per event or something, so that if say i attack or they attack me, i flee, and then get attacked/i attack again i would be charged for a total of 2 times. 1 charge in the first room, and 1 charge in the room i fled to when i was approached again?

Just my thoughts, what do others think?

[Rhangalas]

I think the yelling should not equal instant charges and each NPC should have to survive the 'assault' and physically report it. Not exactly sure how they are yelling out every detail about your PC as they are being mercilessly beaten to death in any case.

For example: I was fighting this NPC, it was incapacitated, but right before it was completely dead, it yells something, guards rush in, so I slaughter them as well. All witnesses were dead from the initial NPC to all guards that assisted... yet they still know who it was?

[Birk]

For example: I was fighting this NPC, it was incapacitated, but right before it was completely dead, it yells something, guards rush in, so I slaughter them as well. All witnesses were dead from the initial NPC to all guards that assisted... yet they still know who it was?

Presumably it's picked up by vNPCs. I don't know, this might not be entirely fair, but if you're able to kill with impunity as long as you kill -everyone-, you open the door to some seriously dumb situations.

Agree that they shouldn't be able to call for help while stunned or incapacitated, but I would suggest just assuming that bystanders do the calling out when the mob in question can't do it on his own.

[Rhangalas]

It was only around 9 murders... yet that is almost twenty sentences? I don't see how NPCs that do not exist reporting 2-3 sentences each stacked on top of each other is reasonable.

[Birk]

Yeah, sorry if I wasn't clear, I was responding to the 'unable to call for help' and 'killing all witnesses' bit. I agree that they shouldn't be stacking multiple charges for each incident.

e: edited my original post.

[Rhangalas]

I am all for NPCs being able to call for help. I just disagree with the magical nature of them being able to know and see all. To me it is similar to the old ES games where you could kill someone in the middle of nowhere, then all of a sudden you have outstanding bounties placed on your head and every guard in the game knows who you are.

[Benorf]

I feel the same way about not being allowed in some places. If an evil character has a ring of mind shielding on, for example, how in the world would guards know they are not allowed? Or some temples that attack on sight. If you don't have an open holy symbol, how can they know?

[Hrosskell]

As for Benorf's part, I know this is actively being worked on (at least by our most productive builder, the good knight)--several revisions were made to his areas to accommodate the relatively new enchantment. Getting around to old areas to work out the kinks and include programs that recognise the enchantment is a bit of a chore I imagine, especially considering one of the potential consequences is hard-to-manage abuse of the enchant/areas opened by it.

[Briony]

Spending a little time in the dungeon gives you time to think!

From above...
[*]I agree that the various sentences are fair, and do not need to be changed!
[*]I also wish that mobs would be changed to not yell out names of attackers. Adjectives to me would always be IC, but how would they always know your name??

I saw someone else suggest it somewhere, but is there any way that you could have a command to know the time remaining on the current sentence you are serving? Something similar to affects would be nice. Or even at the very least, a posting somewhere about how long the sentences for various crimes actually are? In Waterdeep there could be sign with Lady Honoria that describes the punishments for various crimes and lists the OOC dungeon times. I think I've figured out now that assault is roughly 30 minutes....but I have got about 8-10 more sentences to go..so I can figure it out! It would be nice to be able to look somewhere and be able to see how much time your character will be put out of commission. Ex: A sign says 30 minutes for assault, 45 minutes for low murder. I have 20 assault charges and 3 low murder charges so I can expect to spend just over 12 hours in the dungeon... Would just be nice to know!

[Yemin]

As I understand it. As long as you're in combat with an NPC and not surrendering it charges you with assault upon the first round launching. Whether you fight back or not.

Basically at the point at which you type look in the room and see that the pose of an NPC goes from
"standing here"
to
"Fighting you"

There's no resisting arrest charge so I tend to look at the law system as covering a wide array of actual charges with a few manageable ones.

I believe, even if you don't have the config set the surrender command itself will end all combat against you and initiate being dragged to the dungeon if there is a soldier / guard present that was fighting you. I've used it to avoid multiple sentences before. Though always be aware it drops everything wielded, so there's that..

As for the yelling. Personally I have a thing against yelling in general but that's another thread. I'd ask where you're killing them really. I've never had issue killing NPCs outside cities but like the rules stated in help steal. It suggests VNPCs are absolutely everywhere in a city when it gives stealing from a mount in a stable scenario.

It's good to hear the mind shielding situation is being worked on. I'll be glad for that myself. I would myself also be in favor of changing temple and organization nuke rooms to overwhelming force rooms. I can understand why some rooms / areas are restricted from a certain character type..

But I'd invite the chance for these IC areas to be broken into, with enough effort. If just to spur a bit more substance for pvp. Or provide an incentive to take more risks for a rare resource.