afk script checking

[Amber]

The other day, I set out to do some foraging. In the first room I was foraging in, I ran across a friend I hadn't seen in a while and chatted with him for a couple of minutes before resuming foraging. Three rooms or so after that, I was foraging in a room with someone in it, but I didn't speak with him before beginning my foraging. I'd assumed he was just standing in a sorta outta the way spot afk. Anyways, he sized my character up, but left before I finished typing her response. I'm assuming he reported me for afk scripting, but considering no more than seven seconds (had just started foraging the third item in the room when he sized me up, had my response entered before the 7 second RT had elapsed) had elapsed since he sized me up and left the room, I'm not sure. Two or three rooms after that, I interacted with the tiny kitten, next room, I interacted with the mutt. I randomly sorted my herbs, bundled stuff from my basket and cloak, rummaged containers, etc. in various rooms as well.

I did notice that there were several instances where I heard footsteps, but I didn't respond to the footsteps, as I'd assumed it was just random invisible people traipsing around. Couple of rooms after the mutt, I heard a cough and almost didn't respond. I did wind up saying something along the lines of, "Sorry, were you foraging here?", to which I got a whisper along the lines of, "Just making sure you're here."

Guess my main complaint here is that this just seems far and away too subtle of an afk script check. Am I supposed to respond to every footstep I hear in a public place, just in case it's a GM checking in? How about the cough? I know folks who're hiding out hunting cough to let someone know they're there, but in town, an invisible cougher would more likely be a friend hiding, in which case my first thought would have been to think to the person I thought it was. Guess it was fortunate for me that the one person who does hide and follow me around wasn't on, or I'd have wound up in the hot seat.

Secondary complaint is that it should have been obvious from my interactions with the dog and cat, response to the guy who sized me up (even though he'd left the room an instant before my response came through, the response still would have shown up in a log), bundling my herbs at odd intervals, rummaging my containers, odd times between foraging attempts, etc. that I was present.

Anyways, this has been bothering me just a little. It takes away the fun of foraging worrying that I'm being tested every time something at all unusual happens. I wind up responding to every little thing. For example, upon seeing an orc attack a troll, which does happen naturally, I felt the need to respond. When the messaging comes up about the sun setting, I now gaze up, just in case. Just how much attention do I have to pay here?

[Sylvan Dreams]

Secondary complaint is that it should have been obvious from my interactions with the dog and cat, response to the guy who sized me up (even though he'd left the room an instant before my response came through, the response still would have shown up in a log), bundling my herbs at odd intervals, rummaging my containers, odd times between foraging attempts, etc. that I was present.

Anyone can sit down and create or modify a log. It's only text, afterall. I've yet to hear of staff accepting a log as proof of anything (except bugs).

What do you consider to be odd times/intervals? How can a person decipher the difference between "Oh I think I'm going to rummage in my stuff now" versus a 13 second pause? Intervals that seem random to you are not verifiable as truly random by a third party that's just watching. They can't see your motivation behind your action - only the action itself.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Anyone can sit down and create or modify a log. It's only text, afterall. I've yet to hear of staff accepting a log as proof of anything (except bugs).>>

The cool thing is that everything gets logged by Simutronics; they don't need a player to submit a log to confirm that they sent a command.

[Amber]

Anyone can sit down and create or modify a log. It's only text, afterall. I've yet to hear of staff accepting a log as proof of anything (except bugs).

What do you consider to be odd times/intervals? How can a person decipher the difference between "Oh I think I'm going to rummage in my stuff now" versus a 13 second pause? Intervals that seem random to you are not verifiable as truly random by a third party that's just watching. They can't see your motivation behind your action - only the action itself.

I guess I'd assumed if someone were scripting, they'd have the same time set between each forage attempt. Because anyone watching can see someone rummage through a container, it's should be easy to determine that rummaging isn't the same as a pause, especially if they then see someone pull out a couple herbs, bundle them together, or scratch their head if two bundles of acantha leaf don't bundle (which incidentally happened in the room before the cough), take a bite, try to rebundle, then stow them. Anyways, I do see your point, actually. A clever scripter could toss all kinds of variables in there. Doesn't a test warrant more than a cough though? Something truly unusual and attention getting?

[Amber]

<<Anyone can sit down and create or modify a log. It's only text, afterall. I've yet to hear of staff accepting a log as proof of anything (except bugs).>>

The cool thing is that everything gets logged by Simutronics; they don't need a player to submit a log to confirm that they sent a command.

Thank you for this comment.

[Zarli]

Why would you respond to footsteps? Anyone with a decent amount of perception hears them constantly from rangers walking around with their sneaking spell. I wouldn't even think twice about hearing "footsteps", I'd think it was a ranger and not say a word.

I'm quite sure you would get something much more out of the ordinary if it was from a GM doing a script check and as long as you respond to that, you dont need to worry about responding to stupid people looking to bust everyone else.

[Amber]

I mean who pays attention to those anyways, and even if I did pay attention to it, if I am by myself, what the hell am I supposed to do, start talking to the wilderness about how that branch falling off the tree was cool?
LOL We'll all look as if we've gone insane if we start talking to the wilderness every time we hear a brach fall or something else even a hair out of the ordinary happens. I hate talking when I can't see someone else in the room. That's why I think to my friend who hides, rather than speak to him directly if he's hiding in the room.


Why would you respond to footsteps? Anyone with a decent amount of perception hears them constantly from rangers walking around with their sneaking spell. I wouldn't even think twice about hearing "footsteps", I'd think it was a ranger and not say a word.

I'm quite sure you would get something much more out of the ordinary if it was from a GM doing a script check and as long as you respond to that, you dont need to worry about responding to stupid people looking to bust everyone else.

I can't say with certainty that the footsteps I heard were part of the afk check, but the cough most certainly was. I mentioned the footsteps as I saw a great many more than usual. The cough I know was an afk check, because the whisper I received from my response was from a GM.

I just think if they really want a response, they need to do something truly response worthy. Something along the lines of "Suddenly, a rolton runs into the room, narrowly avoiding hitting you." or "You suddenly trip for no apparent reason." or even just a whisper to begin with.

[Latrinsorm]

The cool thing is that everything gets logged by SimutronicsAccording to various GMs on the officials, they don't. Seriously.

You can always just use REPORT, Amber.

[Drunken Durfin]

According to various GMs on the officials, they don't. Seriously.

I have heard that too. My only question here is, why not? Drive space is cheap these days, how much space could a few hundred thousand text files take up anyway?

[Stanley Burrell]

I did wind up saying something along the lines of, "Sorry, were you foraging here?", to which I got a whisper along the lines of, "Just making sure you're here."

How do you know it wasn't someone with active shadow mastery -- Was it the soft footstep messaging?

I despise the fact that you earn three and a half experience points for foraging because it means I have to sit at my computer when trying to find a gazillion microscopic flora with a low-to-0 perception + survival character :-/

Edited to add: Although I suppose there are "gains" to made secondarily through the AG in relation to foraging. Chhhwhateyver.

[Amber]

[QUOTE=Stanley Burrell;631106]How do you know it wasn't someone with active shadow mastery -- Was it the soft footstep messaging?

QUOTE]

I actually don't know what shadow mastery is. I just know I got a whisper from someone I know is a GM.

[Stanley Burrell]

[QUOTE=Stanley Burrell;631106]How do you know it wasn't someone with active shadow mastery -- Was it the soft footstep messaging?

QUOTE]

I actually don't know what shadow mastery is. I just know I got a whisper from someone I know is a GM.

It's a combat maneuver that lets your movement to and from rooms look all sexy without revealing your super secret identity. Or maybe that's 617. Or both, I dunno.

[AestheticDeath]

Thats the sneaking spell. Shadow mastery only improves your skill, or reduces your RT, it doesn't have any messaging that I know of.

[Celephais]

I have heard that too. My only question here is, why not? Drive space is cheap these days, how much space could a few hundred thousand text files take up anyway?

It probably takes up more space than you're guessing... and it likely has more to do with performance (essentially all data becomes disk access bound).

Sure it's just text, but considering the amount of data that passes between client/server and multiply it by 500 individuals...

Besides it lags enough when there are too many people on, any performance gain they can get would be worth it. ... It should be on their todo list, but they need to make other performance improvements first.

[Lady Lightning]

Simu knows every letter/word that you hit the enter button after. Once I was at a merchant with a freshly rolled character and I couldn't pay them because I wasn't old enough/had debt at the town hall, I can't remember now. Anyway, I didn't say a word, I just typed repeated tries at passing off the money.. after only a few seconds the GM whispers something like I'll just take it off the note you're holding since you're having troubles.

To me, that proved that she knew exactly what I was struggling with and not by guessing. As to whether it's all logged, I don't know, but I know it's all seen by them including whispers, of course.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Simu knows every letter/word that you hit the enter button after.>>

Addendum: ...if it gets sent to their server(s).

[Makkah]

Fuck Psinet, and fuck you, Alex.

[Deathravin]

I'm 50/50, but they probably do at least see repetitive actions. I got this (quite obvious bug) right after Lock Mastery came out...


[A Dark Corner]
You notice Master Footpad Faldes.
Obvious exits: out
>get my cali
You remove a set of professional calipers from in your green suede satchel.
>
Faldes says, "Yanno that blindfold you wear in combat? Course you don't, who would do such a fool thing? So why do it when yer lockpickin'? Most of the time, you can gets by with knowin' more or less where a box came from. If yer still huntin' rats, yer not gonna be pickin' much fer people what travel extra-dimensional style, if ya know what's good for everyone involved."

"Sometimes, though," Faldes continues, "Ya jus' can't trust to experience, or maybe ya don't have any that applies...or maybe ya just don't trust yer customers, all th' same to me. In cases like this, it's handy to know what yer gettin' yerself into, jus' like you'd maybe ask around before tacklin' new beasties. So we're gonna let you in on a little secret: you don't gotta kiss a rattlesnake to know whether it's alive...you poke it from a safe distance. Yeah, yeah, I'm a locksmith, notta poet. Shaddup."

Faldes says, "Okay, what we got here is a small wooden table, an intricate oak box, and a set of professional calipers. What I want from you is the relative difficulty of this lock. Take the calipers, measure the lock, and tell me what ya find. The better ya get, the harder we make it."

(Take the calipers from the table, LMASTER MEASURE box, then speak the box's difficulty aloud)
>lmast meas box
Using your professional calipers, you carefully begin to measure the lock...
Roundtime: 12 sec.
R>l
[A Dark Corner]
You notice a small wooden table with some stuff on it and Master Footpad Faldes.
Obvious exits: out

[A Dark Corner]
You notice a small wooden table with some stuff on it and Master Footpad Faldes.
Obvious exits: out
R>l on tab
On the wooden table you see a set of professional calipers and an intricate oak box.
R>
Measuring carefully, it looks to be an extremely easy lock.
R>'extremely easy lock
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
a heavy-bladed spiked vultite waraxe , "You swing a heavy-bladed spiked vultite waraxe at $C1D!"
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
studies the ground intently., "Familiar go sw."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "East."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "1104."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "."
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Darkravin just went ., "."
>'intresting
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, "West."
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, "."
>'intresting
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, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "Out."
>'intresting
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, "."
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, "702."
>'intresting
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an orange vultite axe , "You swing an orange vultite axe at $C1D!"
>'intresting
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, "."
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>
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Darkravin removes from in his ., "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "225."
>'intresting
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, "South."
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, "."
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You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "Northeast."
>'intresting
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, "116."
>'intresting
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, "Northeast."
>'intresting
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ready, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "1101."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "East."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "East."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "Out."
>'intresting
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, "."
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You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
a plain thanot chest containing: {, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "East."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
Darkravin rummages say and removes from in it., "Self Control."
>
You feel less drained.
>'intresting
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, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "North."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "."
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You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "West."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "."
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You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
ready, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "East."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "Northeast."
>'intresting
You need to keep the calipers in your hand while answering.
, "Northwest."
>


SEND[Aiza] Could you please stop a moment?



Strangest damn thing, Kept seeing people's commands. I was ON darkravin at the time, so every time it would say somebody's name it would put my name instead, it was cool. Just kept doing it over and over... Was going to bug it after I saw what else I could see LOL.

Obviously the bug was that I used my own calipers instead of the ones provided. But still cool LOL.

[Kyrandos]

<<Anyone can sit down and create or modify a log. It's only text, afterall. I've yet to hear of staff accepting a log as proof of anything (except bugs).>>

The cool thing is that everything gets logged by Simutronics; they don't need a player to submit a log to confirm that they sent a command.

bingo

[TheEschaton]

What's interesting is your inability to spell interesting.