Skiing

Tortus · Post by **Tortus** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:19 pm

Skiing (Con,Dex)

This would basically function like 'mount', but with skis.

Skis would of course be required for this, and staves would increase chances of success, much like a saddle, but they would also determine how many movement points were used when moving.
The skis would be outer layer, equippable on feet and the staves would be stave-type weapons (duh), and also outer layer.
The skill would, when GMed, decrease movement points used when travelling by 5/10 and at inept, increase them by 9/10. The movement points used would be the same as without when at journeyman, but one would still be falling like a journeyman at 'mount'. This would be with staves, without them, one would be falling more often, as with a saddle, and the movement points used when travelling at inept would be increased by 9/10 and only decreased by 5/10 when at GM.

So, to simplify,
GM with staves: 90% decrease in movement points used.
GM w/o staves: 50% decrease in movement points used.
Inept with staves: 50% increase in movement points used.
Inept w/o staves: 90% increase in movement points used.

Falling would be exactly the same as with 'mount', with staves reducing the penalty like saddles.

In a fight, skis would greatly reduce performance, with penalties to dodging, attacking, parrying... Suggestions, please.
The staves wouldn't be very good for fighting either.

I think this could improve RP during the winter season, and it would be useful for anyone who travels a lot.
The skill would only work during the winter season.

I look forward to hearing other ideas and/or thoughts about this.

Hviti · Post by **Hviti** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:45 pm

This seems like a cool idea, but the season changes when the MUD restarts. Depending on what season it reboots in, I could see skiing as being either a skill which could be used almost always or pretty much never.

Also, if it uses that much extra stamina when inept, I do not know how many people will opt for it, as GMing anything takes much time, and if few use it, then it may not be worth the time needed to code it.

Nice idea.

Tortus · Post by **Tortus** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:55 pm

Well, you normally wouldn't start using a skill as inept, but I thought the lowest and the highest skill level would be good to include to show what I was talking about. It would probably be trainable to journeyman or apprentice at any trainer.

About the first, it seems to be working pretty well at the moment. Two weeks ago it was winter and now it's summer.

Gwain · Post by **Gwain** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:18 am

And like real skiing it should only work in a cross country and downhill enviroment, no point in skiing through townships

Tortus · Post by **Tortus** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:35 am

Good point by Gwain there, it should of course only useable in wilderness areas or areas where snow is likely to remain on the ground (not like in cities where it turns to snirt), but not only in downhill environment, though. Certain skis are useful for travelling in flat terrain as well.

Tortus · Post by **Tortus** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:26 am

The rate of success would also depend on the armour of the person skiing. For example, if Andreas was to put on a pair of skis and head out with his plate armour, things would look something like this:

GM with staves: 50% decrease in movement points used.
GM w/o staves: 25% decrease in movement points used.

He would also be more prone to falling than a person in cloth or leather.

Paskry · Post by **Paskry** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 11:04 pm

We might as well bring snowshoes into this discussion as well.

Tortus · Post by **Tortus** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:10 am

I was thinking about snowshoes too, but they would have to bring a penalty to everyone else instead of giving a bonus to the wearer. They would make people move as fast in snow as they did on regular terrain, and that would mean everyone else had to move slower in snow.
This is why I didn't bring them up.

Paskry · Post by **Paskry** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:56 pm

Good point.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:38 pm

I was thinking about this and when i was reading i was like... what the heck? Skiing?! You've got to be joking!

People use mounts for cross country... they would sooner hop on their mount then hop on some skis... Dwarfs would never go for this... think of a dwarf in skis? Or an Orc?

Glim · Post by **Glim** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:45 am

Many horses cannot go very fast through the snow. Skiing and sleeding OVER the snow instead of trudging THROUGH it is much faster and much more efficient, as the eskimos learned.

Gwain · Post by **Gwain** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 4:46 am

Skis and skates are medievil devices originally, you would sled your feet on the bones of animals and propel yourself with two poles. Other traditional elements include showshoes for deep snow. As ridiculous as it sounds they could feasibily be found in fk. If you feel that it would be strange for a pc to use them, then rp that you cannot, you should try to avoid dismissing ideas as completely ludacris just because you feel they would be impossible in your point of view.

Here's an interesting history of skiing and skating:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_skiing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_skating

It was the Inuit that popularized Snow Shoeing I believe, but i could be wrong.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:02 pm

I am sorry Gwain and the orginal starter of this thread. What I said WAS quite rude and one sided...

I still do not like the idea due to how many places have snow
I guess i am comparing it to pathfinding and how long it is taking to level it up... but yeah....

I want to say sorry once again for the rudeness i displaced earlier

Telk · Post by **Telk** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:58 pm

Actually Zach, in areas where there are snow, Skis would be much quicker, efficient and safer than a mount. Therefore, they would be preferred over a land mount.

Jedan · Post by **Jedan** » Sun May 07, 2006 1:05 am

Other than "There is a snow drift piled here", is there actually a room flag for "snow"?

What I mean is, how does the skill determine whether you're in a proper environment for skiing.?

Kregor · Post by **Kregor** » Sun May 07, 2006 3:08 am

Code-wise, there is no penalty for the snowdrifts that I know of, other than the percent chance to slip and sit in it, similar to the horse dung on the road.

My thoughts about it... is that as long as there's still D20 skills that are yet to be coded, the priority lies with them, rather than a brand new skill that would benefit statistically fewer PCs.