Nikita Diira's page

Overall, I am feeling very positive after this most recent blog entry! I love the flags and how they have been fleshed out a bit. A few things, though:

To combat the concern about bandits abusing S.A.D. by asking for too much loot, have it be a bandit Sense Motive/Search/Spot (best) vs. trader Bluff/Diplo/Intimidate and based on who wins, the computer generates a percentage of the loot. That way, if the trader has a fantastic bluff and beats the hell out of the bandit's roll, he keep more of his loot. In converse, if the bandit has a great spot, he may get a larger cut. I don't like the thought of the computer advertising how much loot a trader is carrying; it seems dangerous.

Also regarding S.A.D., to combat the "conga line", perhaps, like the "killed" flag, there could be a "protected" or "fleeced" flag for traders that pay their toll.

Speaking of the "killed" flag, I don't think I get it. I agree with Imbicatus that it should increase penalty, not decrease bonus, as I understand it. Can someone explain why it is the way it has been laid out so that I understand the reasoning?

Regarding reputation (and this is a small thing, just personal preference, really), I think that the "poor" rep should be high and the "good" rep should be low, with penalties and bonuses switched appropriately. The reason is that doing nothing should not increase your rep, it should decrease it (a positive action) because you are not doing anything to be recognized for. Reputation is basically a way of us, players, judging whether our fellows are trustworthy and this scale just makes more sense to my brain.

Lastly, I think that the natural alignment your character moves towards by doing nothing should be equal to the alignment of the territory you are in, with wilderness being true neutral. I agree with what many people are saying about not being able to become LG by doing nothing--unless you are living in a LG area, surrounded by LG people doing LG things, it's bound to rub off.

It would seem to me that mounts in PfO would be easily gimped by treating them like a real mount. Like a real mount, when you dismount, your horse doesn't just disappear. If you ride your steed off into the woods, you have to dismount to do anything out there and either walk your horse with you or, using the Handle Animal skill, you could teach your mount to stay, then go back to retrieve it when you're ready to leave. Like a real mount, if it is injured or killed, you are stuck walking. This way, mounts are still, obviously, a great tactical advantage, but they are both a skill sink and an inconvenience when you're not actively using them. Towns could have grooms and stables to care for mounts when not needed (for that matter, it could be profession), blacksmiths could focus in farriery to enhance mounted speed, etc, etc.

If you balance the benefits with the risks, I think mounts can be done effectively. However, I would also caution to mind the fine line between immersive and obnoxious. No one wants to play a video game where you are required to balance a checkbook. :)