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Pickpocket

Discussion in 'Release 28 Feedback Forum' started by Gix, Apr 5, 2016.

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  1. Gix

    Gix Avatar

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    Considering that no one seems to ever bring up the subject, I feel like I'm the only one that seems concerned about the Pickpocket skill... or the Subterfuge tree entirely! So I have to speak up. For now, lets focus on the Pickpocket skill:

    Is it really a PvP only skill? I mean, it's so ungodly unusable in PvE with the insane cooldown, long casting time, Distract is unreliable and the fact that NPCs all carry personal radars and night-vision goggles... and when you DO manage to cast it, you get nothing. No loot (I love gold), no skill up. Nothing.

    Should I be surprised? It's says "Only usable in PvP" in the tooltip! Well, yeah, I'm totally surprised! For multiple reasons:
    • Who's flagged for PvP and going to stand still for approximately 10 seconds without noticing ANYONE around them?
    • Why is there a skill that exists SOLELY for the purpose of causing grief to the other players?
    • Here, we have a game that promotes being able to fulfill your character's career as a crafter, but not as a street rat.
    • I don't want to be an assassin. I just want the satisfaction that I stole stuff from people. @Lum are your NPCs not people?
    • If your idea of pickpocket is to just drag-n-drop items from other people's tables and crates, then chances are you don't understand the play-style at all... or understand that MAYBE the game should have consistency (stealing from players is done one way, but stealing from NPCs is done a completely different way).
    I keep trying and trying, but SotA's making me hate stealth play... one of the few non-combat styles that I enjoy playing. If you can't do it right, why bother?

    Have the devs said anything on the issue? Is this Dev+ classified info? Are they aware of the issues and looking for solutions? I'd be more than happy to troubleshoot and spitball ideas.

    I watch every hangout and I'm distraught because everybody seems concerned about decorations, property, music instruments or something along those lines.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
  2. Ravenclaw [BEAR]

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    Definitely an area that needs some love. It may be that everyone is quiet because the skills just are not being used and if that is the case then I think they need to be looked at in a serious way.
     
  3. Quenton

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    I just want to be doing my business at the bank, having some guy in a robe come and stand next to me, then I'll see he's there suspiciously looking like he's minding his own business and then flagged crim so I can call the guards and take back my things while he has to run to the nearest healer/res ankh.
     
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  4. Favonius Cornelius

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    Either make it usable more widely than just PvP, or else its a complete waste of coding time because no one will bother with it.
     
  5. Cinder Sear

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    Is this why they still have that 'non-flagged can attack flagged pvp" rule? I guess so! :rolleyes: So there is a problem here that pickpocket is only limited to PVP-Flagged avatars (good luck!) OR changing the available targets to any avatar. I think we should allow a pickpocket from ANY avatar.. duh...
     
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  6. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    I agree, why can this not be used on NPCs? I don't understand the concept.

    Uh, no. I'm fine with risking stuff if I'm PvP flagged. I've opted in to that experience. If I'm not, then I should be safe from randos taking everything I own.
     
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  7. Smalls

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    Well while on this tree.. since you have to be PVP, you would want to approach in a stealthy mode I would think. Why bother, just a simple tab key press and weather they can see you or not, you are now targeted. Thus alerted you are around. Stealth needs a rework, sap needs a rework.. Distract and PP both need some love.. I say relook at the entire tree at some point here shortly.
     
  8. Time Lord

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    ~NPCs Not Ready Yet~:oops:
    I don't think our NPCs have the ability to be pick pocketed yet. It's sort of a secondary priority. I suspect that we may see this feature in later releases, because most of our current features are for the most popular forms of play. Currently, it's similar to fishing, and fishing is nowhere done either.
    It's still a coconut riding game...
    ~Time Lord~:rolleyes:
     
  9. Daxxe Diggler

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    I always enjoyed sneaking around and picking the pockets of monsters in other MMO's. I would either be successful and get a small portion of their loot without confrontation, or get caught and have to fight them or flee. It brought a great level of excitement and fear to my game play!

    But it doesn't look like we will get that here when it's just PVP and I'm honestly more interested in the pick lock skill, which hasn't really had any use yet at all.

    There are ways they could make this one PVE usable like opening special chests in dungeons, opening doors to secret/hidden passages or entering hideout dwellings for creatures, or anything that would typically require a key to enter. That would give us something to work down that tree for at least.

    Also, I think they should add another skill to detect traps, hidden doors, secret switches, etc. Activating the skill would give you a % chance to locate one of these and skilling it up could increase your chances and/or increase the range of detection. A successful detection could range from a chat text notification that one is present nearby, or could be as detailed as telling you which direction it is in, or even spinning your character to face it! I would really enjoy playing with a skill like that when exploring new dungeons. :D
     
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  10. Fredrick FlameGrinder

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    I think @DarkStarr said it would be in the future for NPCs but not scheduled for release 1.
    Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
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  11. Gix

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    That's the closest thing to an official word I've ever gotten on the issue. Thanks! I wonder what's holding them back...
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
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  12. Gregoire Visaard

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    Coconut riding game, thanks gave me a good chuckle there. I keep telling myself to remember that I am playing a game that is not finished/balanced/polished, patience, patience...
     
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  13. Time Lord

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    ~Our Coconut Speed Technology~:D
    I've been using my coconuts quite often now and they always remind me of how much that's true :rolleyes: What I didn't realize before I was using them so much, was how fast they can actually go! :confused: I've been experimenting with different character builds and noticed that the faster my character's speed increased, the faster the coconuts get me going. They're almost too fast for city travel now that I've got some character speed up. I want to try to get my character up to top speed in the next few weeks before the next wipe to see how fast they can really get up and go. I'm now using one of my deck builds equipped with the coconuts for fast getaways by switching card decks.
    "Hi-Ho ~Time Lord~:eek: Away!'
     
  14. Vallo Frostbane

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    I care about it and posted my concern several times. Nothing changed so I gave up on it :) Skills is useless without a PVE use in this trammelized theme park.
     
  15. Time Lord

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    ~A User Friendly Pickpocket Skill Needed~
    What our @vallo has said here, is quite clearly true. We need a PVE usage for this skill, or it is only a PvP player's hat trick and denies other PVE players of it's usage. Yet of equal importance, undermines the concept of RP'ing one as a profession, which each other skill set provides.
    I do know that the practice of pickpocketing is very near and dear to @RichardGarriott 's heart... as well as each player's safety, yet developing more freedom and usefulness for each skill tree.

    To study and practice a skill to find only disappointment doesn't do our game well for it's objective of fun. User friendly pickpocketing is not... yet not even to it's practitioners... o_O This will never do for a final outcome :(
    ~Time Lord~:rolleyes:
     
  16. cariac

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    I have never seen in a game as a useless pickpocket system like that.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2016
  17. Time Lord

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    ~SOTA's Not Quite a Game Yet~
    I could become possible in the future, where targets made ready for pickpockets may be provided. Currently our game is in development, meaning that different parts are missing, yet planned to be there within it's developing future. Current NPCs could be only there for quest usage which is now under programing development. Quests being a large part of SOTA, we may have to wait... we don't have horses yet, such is the state of our missing pieces yet to come.
    ~Time Lord~:rolleyes:
     
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  18. Stahlknecht

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    too lazy to write, so i quote this :)
     
  19. Drocis the Devious

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    Pickpocketing has been rightfully defined as an act of PVP. Because there is only consensual PVP in SOTA, players are not lining up to be potential pickpocket victims regardless of how much they may have paid for the game.

    The problem is similar to being flagged for PVP. Players (of all pledge levels) want to avoid the risk of being a potential target, but don't mind making attacks of opportunity against fellow players. To solve this problem, the developers simply need to balance out the risks and the rewards.

    The system of pickpocketing isn't bad, imo. It's the application of PVP as a whole that's bad. For example, if you can't pick the pocket of someone that is not flagged for PVP (which I agree with) then you shouldn't be able to get caught by someone that is not flagged for PVP.

    The blending of the two worlds (pvp and pve) is not a good thing. It allows people that are pointing out pickpockets to not be part of the inherent risk of doing that.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2016
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  20. Favonius Cornelius

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    I wonder, would people hate pick pocketing as much if it came in the form of an entertaining NPC? I remember getting pick pocketed in Baldurs Gate by some halflings. Was funny every time. Why is a person doing it so much worse?
     
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