Shattered Kingdoms

Only when I'm brewing. I'm mostly running around trying to make money or looking around for good EQ loads.

I'll summon you, and your dog Toto too...

Another thought would be a percentage chance when you summon someone, the spell's 'focus' takes a bit extra out of the summoner's 'consentration' (slight lag before they can respond). Not an automatic thing, but a risk that the summoner would have to take, which could at times give the person summoned the edge. 5 seconds? *shrug* Just another thought to put into the bowl of ideas.

Why don't we just leave it at if you have auto summon on you can't be summoned?

No need to think up complicated and convuluted plans.

Or leave summon as it is... make it so you can see the summoner if you have them greeted and they are not poly/invis/whatever.

And then make gate slightly if not greatly easier to land.

There ya go!

How about no! Wimp Summon and Boost Gate. That is all

Funny to see this thread, by Dulrik, no less! Feedback is always a good thing, even if some annoying Greek stirs the whole issue with his own personal "whining" posts.

Why funny? Contrary to lies you may have heard, I do listen to player feedback on many issues, both solicited and otherwise.

Based on the poll, it's safe to conclude that people want something done about summon. I believe I'm going to try the dalamar option to start.

I can see change #1 justified so summon will be carefully used. #2 would make a very interesting change. #3 would just encourage, in fact completely turn over to more group ganks because the lone summoners can no longer do it themselves. None of the three proposed changes discourage and stop gank squads, which was the spirit of the thread (?).

Given how the summon spell works, any summoner is already vulnerable, running at risk to counters in the same zone/area, as much as the victim is, to both summon and gate spells. There are some summon back/forth logs at MrP's.

I believe #1 will already make the spell more tactical and less used, coupled with no_gate + no_summon in all cities' main inn rooms where they provide comfort. It had been the place where players congregate, but due to large summoning attempts some players are less willing to go there. None of the three changes stop gank squads and players still won't stay at inns.

It's difficult to find new characters to interact these days. Arranged meetings by tells kinda take the fun away.

Well, as I see it, there are three problems we're trying to solve,

1. For a Veteran-level, very low risk spell, it's an awfully good way to kill newbies and the ill-equipped. It's not clear that a spell that's so powerful against the inexperienced is good for a MUD that wants new players around and active.

2. Because the summon spell is so low-risk, and because it takes up so little mana, it can be repeated again and again and again.... Besides being annoying, this tactic broke up regular game activities as people fled to no-summon areas.

3. Summoning enemy group members was so much more effective than a pitched battle that it was the preferred tactic. That's not compatible with the ideal of army vs. army PK that Dulrik's apparently encouraging.

Dalamar's proposal looks like it has a good shot for all of the above, PROVIDED it's possible to identify the caster well enough to have him summoned in turn. If invis, form-changes, and just plain not greeting people are going to block this, being able to counter with summon seems a toothless threat. But if identification is possible, even an lowbie can ask a friend to summon a temporarily vulnerable mage - if he can just live long enough to get the message out.

It's not my favorite solution, either. I'm concerned that the summon lag might make it needlessly difficult for mages to summon aggro NPCs. And as mentioned, I'd like to see summon remain a usable PK tactic against a larger group. But it's hard to argue the proposal isn't workable.

You start to concentrate.
You utter the words 'summon'.
Bob appears suddenly.
You pull your arms toward yourself as you pull Bob to your location.

Jim starts to concentrate.
Jim utters the word 'summon'.
Bob appears suddenly.
Jim pulls his arms toward himself as he pulls Bob to his location.

You feel [Jim|a pudgy male human](greet|nongreet) trying to pull you to a natural pathway. (fail)
[edit]Bob turns transparent briefly. (fail from Bob's observers' point of view)[/edit]

Jim has summoned you!
Jim pulls his arms toward himself as he pulls you to his location.

Could the secondary lag check for "accepting summons"? This way someone who wishes to go won't cause the caster lag?