Mist thoughts?

[Maina]

Thanks for the reminder. My strong suspicion is that ‘weather’ is more accurate. I think the map on the website only updates every fixed amount of time, not on-demand like GPS does. I imagine ‘weather’ is just printing an existing variable. Hard to say for sure, though.

I don’t have the CXP to go testing that theory.

[Lykaia]

Think map updates on restart.

[Mirabel]

I mean, it’s just silly at this point. Is 7.0 intentionally designed such that non-combat characters aren’t really an option? And from what I can tell, combat characters aren’t spared the insufferable fate of “oh, the mist migrated to where you are? Here’s a defeat and a day or two in the hospital. Enjoy.”

This is so disruptive and – unless you take great pains to never ever go anywhere that this can occur – so inescapable that it’s just daft. This happens on a regular basis despite doing as much as can reasonably be expected to avoid it. I’m made to feel like I’m playing the game wrong because I didn’t make a warrior character who goes around armed and armored at all times.

This cannot possibly be what was intended with this version, and if it was, I think it was a great big blunder. Whether it’s the pathfinding driving you into the mist, or the mist migrating to your area while you’re in a store, or an encounter taking you to some arbitrary place where the mist currently is, there are so many ways in which you can be forced into an inescapable and unwinnable fight.

This is not nearly avoidable enough, and I’m tired of being repeatedly forced into the hospital for long periods of time because of it. This is just obnoxious.

[Miles]

Combat characters generally aren’t much, if at all, better at combat than non-combat characters. If you mean is it intentionally designed so that it’s impossible to completely avoid combat, though, and I think that’s what you mean, maybe?

I think two changes should shore this up, though, and maybe they’re already planned or in progress, who knows:

1) An underground tunnel travel system for bypassing the mist and getting from building to building. Bootlegging or old subway tunnels etc.
2) The driving autopilot should probably go out of its way to avoid mist when possible and to prompt for confirmation when unavoidable.

[Evalina]

To be honest I did get a safe car (a horse does the trick too, I hear) but otherwise I have quite literally never ended with trouble with the mists. No combat needed.

Yes, you do have to track where you’re going and if it’s misty if going to an outer borough. You can’t drive then go get a drink and come back expecting to be fine anymore either.

But so long as you keep reasonable precautions (don’t go out unaware of where you can be safe, don’t go to outer boroughs without checking the weather, look around when driving your car and be there on arrival) it is pretty easy to avoid the mists entirely.

I do think better telegraphing, big red warnings when you’re about to be in danger and such would be very good. I also think some sort of warning if you’re going to an outer borough or on a dangerous path would be good.

But that’s mostly a concern for newbies and such for me. And even if you do get caught – it’s not very punishing right now, people will save you and bam, you’ve a hook to RP with your savior. I know of at least one newbie who got an RP partner that way, I think.

I definitely think the mist could be made less sudden and more scary. I’d love something like silent hill where there’s like a mist horn and it’s a sudden rush of people trying to get inside within 5 or so minutes and everyone is terrified.

But I think the presence of an actual risk roaming the grid, the fact the city is inherently unsafe, really adds to the theme and atmosphere in a wonderful way.

[Mirabel]

So far, I’ve had it happen from:

1) Wonky pathfinding taking me into a misty area for no good reason

2) Going to a store and then the mist had migrated to the area while I was in there

3) Running an encounter, and then you emerge in whatever place the target was at the time, which then turned out to be in the mist

4) The fact that typoing an address drives you to whatever intersection corresponds to the number you put in, i.e. ‘drive 31 maroner avenue’ takes you to intersection 31 instead of telling you there’s no such address

Some of these have happened more than once, too. One does not need to play carelessly or fail to take necessary precautions in order for this to happen. While it’s possible to be lucky enough not to run into the problem, it very much is a problem, and one that needs addressing.

[Author]

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