Shattered Kingdoms

Sometimes we don't even get clarification when we ask about the rules. For example, I asked if it was bug abuse to use someone's name when I think they are polymorphed.

If I see a person and I think it is Greg the Sorcerer, I could type "look Greg" and if it was him trying to polymorph, the game let's me look at him regardless of how Greg has disguised himself. If it isn't Greg then my command is invalid. This is similar to how the take command was "abused".

I've asked about this example more than once and have never received an answer.

You can also use the who list to identify if someone is polymorphed. If you have greeted someone, their race will change on the who list when they polymorph. Is this considered IC knowledge or a bug?

Yep.

Kinda weird that they would approve my post (they have to approve all my posts before they go public) but wouldn't bother to answer the question at the same time.

Kind of an annoying mechanic. This is the reason why I felt it necessary to never greet anyone on Antiira, my sorc who often polymorphed for PvP or spying.

But that tactic doesn't matter since I can just order my pet or guard NPC to "look [character name].

It's cheesy moves like this that make me question whether or not this is a legit move.

I'm not 100% sure who approved the post, but we felt it was a valid question and were discussing it. I personally wanted to be sure we were on the same page before I responded.

The consensus is to mostly treat it as a feature at this point unless Dulrik wants to tweak the code so "look" doesn't work with polymorphed characters that previously greeted your character.

My viewpoint:

Working with the code as it exists, I feel like it's justifiable to say you walk into the inn looking for your friend John the dwarf, so you throw out the command, "look John." If John isn't polymorphed obviously you find him instantly. If John is polymorphed, it can be possibly explained that you just know John well enough you get the feeling that's him sitting there polymorphed as a gnome. Or as another staff member said, maybe when you polymorph some small feature from your true self lingers such that people who know you stand a chance to recognize it. It would still possibly be confusing and worth RPing your confusion rather than just running on the assumption it's John, but I don't think it's worth making a rule about it.

Similar on the who list, maybe you've "heard" that John has been going around as a gnome. Just like you "hear" that characters are in the Talon or "hear" that they're the high priest of a religion when you see people on the who list you haven't technically met yet.

If Dulrik wants to change the code so that "look [name]" doesn't apply when [name] is polymorphed, then that's fine. Otherwise, I don't think this is something you need to worry about as players, nor do I think we as administrators need to worry ourselves over catching.

This is both true and also something that probably warrants a separate discussion.

However, I never greeted people on Antiira so that if I did decide to polymorph into an elf for espionage reasons, it wouldn't be immediately and instantly broadcast over the who list to someone that I was an elf.