attacking while stunned/confused

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Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

I don't like the way move/attack behaviour works when you're stunned or
confused.

I have no problem with a mix up in direction, (as in "I meant to move
north but instead moved south"), but it doesn't make sense to me that
you could end up attacking when you just meant to move, and vice versa
("I meant to move North but instead swung my sword to the South").

I propose that any intended movement while confused/stunned should be
treated as if the player had used the "m"ove command ("Pardon me, Rex"),
and that any intended attack should be treated as if the player had used
the "F"ight command ("You attack thin air").

From my point of view this would be a more realistic simulation of
the kind of loss of motor control that accompanies dizziness or drunkenness.

Does anyone agree or disagree?

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

xyblor wrote:
> I don't like the way move/attack behaviour works when you're stunned or
> confused.
>

I, on the other hand, find it part of the challenge of playing to do
safer things when entering a stunned or confused state. I don't enjoy
seeing my attempt to move away from the fray end up in slice-and-dice of
my pet, or seeing my confused and powerful pet hitting me for no
apparent reason, but I see it as a valid part of the game when
confusion/stun occurs.

> I have no problem with a mix up in direction, (as in "I meant to move
> north but instead moved south"), but it doesn't make sense to me that
> you could end up attacking when you just meant to move, and vice versa
> ("I meant to move North but instead swung my sword to the South").
>

Well, you're not thinking clearly when you're confused or stunned.
You've been wandering around dungeons filled mostly with foes that are
trying to kill you. You're trying to get from point A to point B, and
there's something in the way when you try to move... attack!!!

> I propose that any intended movement while confused/stunned should be
> treated as if the player had used the "m"ove command ("Pardon me, Rex"),
> and that any intended attack should be treated as if the player had used
> the "F"ight command ("You attack thin air").
>

Perhaps instead you, controlling the confused and/or stunned character,
should explicitly use "m" when trying to move and "F" when trying to
fight? (Caveat: I haven't tested this in wizmode, so I might be wrong
about whether that works).

> From my point of view this would be a more realistic simulation of
> the kind of loss of motor control that accompanies dizziness or
> drunkenness.
>

Who says confusion is due to simple vertigo or drunkenness? You might
get my vote that when you're stunned you shouldn't even be able to move,
but the state of confusion does not necessarily imply impaired motor
ability - it does directly imply impaired judgement, though.

> Does anyone agree or disagree?

I guess I mostly disagree. Handling confusion/stunning is absurdly
simple when you have a unihorn, and it doesn't last terribly long if it
occurs before you have that solution at hand. YMMV!

-Ken

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

xyblor wrote:
> I don't like the way move/attack behaviour works when you're stunned or
> confused.
>
> I have no problem with a mix up in direction, (as in "I meant to move
> north but instead moved south"), but it doesn't make sense to me that
> you could end up attacking when you just meant to move, and vice versa
> ("I meant to move North but instead swung my sword to the South").
>
> I propose that any intended movement while confused/stunned should be
> treated as if the player had used the "m"ove command ("Pardon me, Rex"),
> and that any intended attack should be treated as if the player had used
> the "F"ight command ("You attack thin air").
>
> Does anyone agree or disagree?

I agree, but it's a VERY minor point. Changing this would be one less
thing about NetHack to nitpick, but that's about it.