Xiel2007-12-25 12:21:40
Well....having just recently switched to becoming a Herbalist, I came to wondering how folk can determine the true nature of an area without truegrounding so that they could maybe replant? I mean, take for example areas such as this:
Apparently, this is a valley, but what with the foresting it over, how would folk know without spending an even larger amount of lessons just to get Trueground in Environment? I mean, sure, you can try and plant herbs here and hope that they last, but if you don't want to waste time (or the fresh herbs you need to run around for to replant), how is one to know the true nature of the room?
And so, I propose a wee little skill addition in Herbs to ammend this dilemma! I shall call it, Ascertain!
In no way would the skill act like Trueground whereby it would remove the forest/taint/flood from the room, nor would it act like Realitycheck in that it would dispell illusory terrain. I'm just suggesting that this skill be able to look past the aforementioned things and see the true nature of a location so that those who do not have Trueground could safely replant a location without wasting effort or resources.
Of course, the same effect being implemented to something like Perceive could work as well, even if some lessons are still spent on Environment, but at least it would be lower and less power-draining than Trueground would be.
CODE
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24056en, 24060w exkb<>-se
Twisting through the grass.
Superimposed over this location, an ethereal forest reaches up to the sky. The
bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth.
You see exits leading east and northwest.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24054en, 24060w exkb<>-survey
You discern:
You are standing in the Serenwilde Forest.
Your environment conforms to that of forest.
You are in the Prime Material Plane.
You are within the continent of the Basin of Life.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24060en, 24060w exkb <>-
Twisting through the grass.
Superimposed over this location, an ethereal forest reaches up to the sky. The
bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth.
You see exits leading east and northwest.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24054en, 24060w exkb<>-survey
You discern:
You are standing in the Serenwilde Forest.
Your environment conforms to that of forest.
You are in the Prime Material Plane.
You are within the continent of the Basin of Life.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24060en, 24060w exkb <>-
Apparently, this is a valley, but what with the foresting it over, how would folk know without spending an even larger amount of lessons just to get Trueground in Environment? I mean, sure, you can try and plant herbs here and hope that they last, but if you don't want to waste time (or the fresh herbs you need to run around for to replant), how is one to know the true nature of the room?
And so, I propose a wee little skill addition in Herbs to ammend this dilemma! I shall call it, Ascertain!
CODE
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24060en, 24060w exkb<>-ab herbs ascertain
Syntax: ASCERTAIN
Your affinity to the natural environment allows you to see through the mere surface of your immediate area and ascertain the true nature of your surroundings.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24060en, 24060w exkb<>-ascertain
Closing your eyes briefly, you concentrate upon the sounds and smells of your immediate surroundings, noting each and every distinction before opening your eyes once more and seeing through the false environment here, ascertaining that the area truly is a valley.
Syntax: ASCERTAIN
Your affinity to the natural environment allows you to see through the mere surface of your immediate area and ascertain the true nature of your surroundings.
5214h, 5214m, 5214e, 10p, 24060en, 24060w exkb<>-ascertain
Closing your eyes briefly, you concentrate upon the sounds and smells of your immediate surroundings, noting each and every distinction before opening your eyes once more and seeing through the false environment here, ascertaining that the area truly is a valley.
In no way would the skill act like Trueground whereby it would remove the forest/taint/flood from the room, nor would it act like Realitycheck in that it would dispell illusory terrain. I'm just suggesting that this skill be able to look past the aforementioned things and see the true nature of a location so that those who do not have Trueground could safely replant a location without wasting effort or resources.
Of course, the same effect being implemented to something like Perceive could work as well, even if some lessons are still spent on Environment, but at least it would be lower and less power-draining than Trueground would be.
Acrune2007-12-25 13:19:25
I don't see any harm in it.
Gwylifar2007-12-25 13:40:24
I don't think it would be bad for this to be a high-level skill in Environment or Discernment, actually. As long as it took balance, no one would routinely go around Ascertaining every location, so it wouldn't destroy or sizably diminish the true-terrain-concealing abilities. No reason it couldn't be in both -- there's plenty of cases where a skill is in a very high place in a common skillset and a lower place in a more specialized skillset, after all.
Xenthos2007-12-25 15:41:51
I've wanted something like this-- though I was hoping for it to show up in Survey (it *is* this, but is naturally *this* instead.)
Faymar2007-12-25 15:56:59
I like Xiel's idea, it happened to me more than once to replant a room and to find the herbs gone the next day.
Xiel2007-12-25 20:22:25
I wouldn't mind if it were implemented into Survey as Xenthos mentioned, as long as it can be seen from somewhere. Truegrounding more than 5 rooms to replant them is a power drain, and could be problematic if said rooms were inside org territory (villages, cities, communes, etc.). I wouldn't mind if the balance/equilibrium was ridiculously long either.
Xavius2007-12-26 03:44:22
I do think it would be entirely harmless, but maybe not as helpful as you'd hope.
For one, you'll need to trueground Aqua and Geo demesnes anyways.
Then you figure that most people know terrain type just by playing the game. Oleanvir is valley. The mountains are mountains. Hills are south of Glomdoring and north of Serenwilde. It's usually pretty intuitive.
For one, you'll need to trueground Aqua and Geo demesnes anyways.
Then you figure that most people know terrain type just by playing the game. Oleanvir is valley. The mountains are mountains. Hills are south of Glomdoring and north of Serenwilde. It's usually pretty intuitive.
Xiel2007-12-26 06:37:43
Yeah, but even though intuition and common sense is nice and all, it gets confusing sometimes and having this could help make sure that a guess is indeed fact. Take for example that uninhabited island in Bondero - some of it is swamp, others are forests, and ohers are ruins. It gets really confusing if the descriptions are worded to be vague, and add onto that that it's either Tainted/flooded/forested over too, it gets troublesome. :/
