Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

As I hop from alt to alt, sometimes I find my char with an affect that I honestly simply just forget which item grants which affect. For most of my casters, that's not an issue, but for some, as well as my non-caster types, it's a bit of trial and error of removing this checking score/affect/resist lists to see what does what. My suggestion, therefore, is this. Is it feasible, or even possible, to include on the affects list the item that grants a given status change?

I.E.
Stoneskin indefinitely- Solid rock amulet

Something like that.

I see so much abuse with this and it removes the need for mages to identify things.

I would suggest a copy/paste of what you wear into notepad with a +2 STR next to whatever piece it is, or something, just for your own records.

Lylena wrote:I see so much abuse with this -SNIP

I can understand it removing the need to identify things (save for worries of cursed items, which may not be in the game yet, though I've heard evidence to the contrary.) But how exactly would it be "abused"? You'd put on an item and see what it did- and most people can identify if that happens anyway. It's only the rare item that doesn't either show a bonus in stats somewhere or shows up in the affected list.

Lylena wrote: I see so much abuse with this and it removes the need for mages to identify things.

I would suggest a copy/paste of what you wear into notepad with a +2 STR next to whatever piece it is, or something, just for your own records.

Ditto.

On my non-wizard chars, I have my things identified even if I could just glance at sc/aff and see what they might do. It's ICly more realistic, and sometimes you find out things you wouldn't otherwise know.

No need to change things up when notepad can easily fix.

Maetha wrote:You'd put on an item and see what it did- and most people can identify if that happens anyway.

That's the thing, it's poor form and frowned upon to wear an item to determine what it does without getting someone to identify it. Yes, people still do it, but I can't see it being something encouraged.

Lylena wrote:

Maetha wrote:You'd put on an item and see what it did- and most people can identify if that happens anyway.

That's the thing, it's poor form and frowned upon to wear an item to determine what it does without getting someone to identify it. Yes, people still do it, but I can't see it being something encouraged.

This is the largest issue I can see with it.

Lylena wrote:

Maetha wrote:You'd put on an item and see what it did- and most people can identify if that happens anyway.

That's the thing, it's poor form and frowned upon to wear an item to determine what it does without getting someone to identify it. Yes, people still do it, but I can't see it being something encouraged.

Then don't display the buffs they do. That'd be the simplest benefit- have Magic Items not show what they do at all, and then people would be forced to Identify them to see what they did.

Maetha wrote:Then don't display the buffs they do.

I thought that was what you were suggesting? My reading comprehension has been pretty terrible lately, I admit.

I'm kinda against this idea. As a guy that likes non-magic classes, I actually don't want to know what all my magical stuff does. It's much better for RP to find a wizard buddy, hand over the usual five platinum identification fee, and dump the collection of scroll, wands, rings and amulets on the ground for him to identify.

A more reasonable alternative might be to have "tags" or "labels" that you could attach to an item with some free text that would then show up on the item's long description when examined.

You could write "magic missile" and attach it to your "ebony wand studded with purple crystals" so that when you looked at it later you'd remember what it was.

Grenwyn wrote:A more reasonable alternative might be to have "tags" or "labels" that you could attach to an item with some free text that would then show up on the item's long description when examined.

You could write "magic missile" and attach it to your "ebony wand studded with purple crystals" so that when you looked at it later you'd remember what it was.

This... Yes. I love this idea. *fist bump*

Grenwyn wrote: A more reasonable alternative might be to have "tags" or "labels" that you could attach to an item with some free text that would then show up on the item's long description when examined.

You could write "magic missile" and attach it to your "ebony wand studded with purple crystals" so that when you looked at it later you'd remember what it was.

Same sort of thing as mentioned above. Notepad is your friend.

Just keep a plane text file with any magical items you'd like to keep track of along with the things they do. While the sort of thing you suggest would definitely be super convenient, I don't think it'd be worth the effort when you can just record the info by different means already. The only exception I would make there is regarding scribed scrolls and the fact that you can't target them by the names of the spells they contain like you can with, say, brewed potions, which can be frustrating at times... But that's not entirely the same thing, I suppose.

dolifer wrote: SNIP
Just keep a plane text file with any magical items you'd like to keep track of along with the things they do. While the sort of thing you suggest would definitely be super convenient, I don't think it'd be worth the effort when you can just record the info by different means already. The only exception I would make there is regarding scribed scrolls and the fact that you can't target them by the names of the spells they contain like you can with, say, brewed potions, which can be frustrating at times... But that's not entirely the same thing, I suppose.

Honestly, I could see that entirely being a reason for adding the ability to at least label scrolls. But that is a different discussion entirely.

So effectively this suggestion is to automate a process that most players are already carrying out manually?

The questions are really 1) how much work would this take? 2) is it really worth it?

The issue of being able to find out what the majority of items do by wearing them it's pretty irrelevant here I think because firstly that was probably considered when the score sheet was originally changed and secondly "put it on and give it a try" is probably an acceptable method of finding out which you can also RP just as much as going to get an expert opinion.

In summary:

Making our lives a bit easier probably isn't the best use of builder/IMM time when they can be doing things that add value.

dolifer, that's what I usually do (though my notes get pretty extensive so I use OneNote).

But the ability to label objects is one of those game mechanics that could introduce emergent gameplay beyond the obvious examples of remembering what something does. For example, you could pass a secret message to someone "inside a bouquet of flowers" by attaching a tag to that object with your short message. PC merchants could tag items in their carts with prices and/or short descriptions for the buyer's benefit. NPC merchants could be coded to do the same, attaching a tag to magic items to identify their enchantment (addressing another recurring issue).

The creative could come up with other ways to use these tags as well.

Would also be a way for NPC armor/weapon merchants to autolabel their various armors with their corresponding numbers on the list so trolling through hundreds of items would be as easy as looking.

At the moment its a bit of a hassle

Briek wrote:SNIP

Making our lives a bit easier probably isn't the best use of builder/IMM time when they can be doing things that add value.

It is the scale, not the intent of this change which is problematic. Mask is very talented, but this would involve another category of information added to objects, which is considerably more involved than changing an existing category (Diku/Smaug includes only certain features). It is a nice idea, but best that people simply remember the effects of objects rather than we ask Mask to overhaul the game's infrastructure entirely, I think.

Many very valid points here. I wasn't aware of how difficult it would be to add that info to each object. The suggestions of the notepad file as a memory jogger is a good one, I think, and one i'll be working on, as I have different items identified. I love the idea of tags being put in, especially if they could be done only after an item has had the identify spell on it, but the difficulty of it may be that it's unfeasible to do at all. Thanks everybody for all the input on this.