Thanks, Immstaff. This has been really cool lately.

For example, Morin has this confusing short description, with jaguar as first noun. This led to me into thinking that the character was a jaguar, since I didn't read all of the long line (CF is a hectic game and you need to act fast). Also, I dislike how the description emphasizes the jaguar, with Morin in the back as less important. This shouldn't be, since it is Morin's short desc and thus the emphasis should be on him. I'd appreciate it if Imms fixed this mistake.

A log snippet from my orc:

west
Along the Eastern Road
Constructed of great slabs of closely fitted stone, a wide road passes
through overgrown fields of tall grass as it runs towards a broad river
valley to the east. The road begins a rise up a gentle slope towards the
towering walls and battlements of Galadon, visible in the distance to the
west. Cultivated fields, dotted here and there with small ponds and
stands of trees, stretch out to the limit of the horizon in all
directions save west.


(White Aura) The brilliant eyes of a sleek black jaguar peek over Morin the paladin's shoulder.

civilized <100%hp 100%m 43%mv 3019tnl (52.83%)>
Morin leaves west.

civilized <100%hp 100%m 43%mv 3019tnl (52.83%)>
l jag

Viintheel has arrived.

civilized <100%hp 100%m 43%mv 3019tnl (52.83%)> You do not see that here.

It's a cool bit of writing, but a little too far removed from the usual format.

Splntrd

nt

1. If he is your enemy, this should only fool you all of one time. And that is only if you don't read the forums, or type 'who pk'.

2. Is there a way that the Imms could highlight the name in a short desc like Morin's in order to make it stand out?

All the other custom shorts are fine.

Morins is an OOC mechanical advantage no matter how you slice it, you may argue how much of an advantage it is but custom shorts should not be a source of mechincal advantage (above and beyond not being able to see their sit/rest/sleep/stand status).

Over a decade of gameplay has hardwired key words and formats that we look for in times of chaos and this breaks that mold in a sigfnificant way. Is it easier for all players to change ingrained habbits or change his short to something like... Morin is here with the looming eyes of a jaguar over his shoulder.

He still gets a snazzy custom description, we all don't get headaches for mistaking him for a MOB, everyone wins. If the change isn't made, people get bitter about him having that mechaical advantage and well bitterness is not good especially given the cost to remedy the issue (having an imm with the ability to do so online to change it).

Emphasis on jaguar, Morin spotted with delay, giving the character a mechanical advantage:

The brilliant eyes of a sleek black jaguar peek over Morin the paladin's shoulder

Emphasis on Morin, no great mechanical advantage:

Morin the paladin is here, with brilliant eyes of a sleek black jaguar peeking over his shoulder.

Not sure if it should be the brilliant eyes.. in the latter sentence, but it sounded better without to me. I think that short descs in general should be designed to emphasize whatever object/mob/PC they are describing.

It is a mechanical advantage, but so is a quest form or third legacy and that doesn't stop us from giving those out.

I think it's hard to argue that it's a bigger advantage than either.

I mean, at most, maybe you miss him once because you don't know about it. But at the point you've missed him once because of it, or seen the hoopla on the boards, it doesn't seem to be that much of an advantage anymore.

I think the coolness factor outweighs whatever slight advantage he may get from it. In fairness, though, I've only fought him in basically empty rooms, not rooms with lots of other mob descriptions.

a

Splntrd

Instead of "XXX is here."

(Translucent) (White Aura) Nirilas is here, a ratty raven cawing 'Doom!' from his shoulder.

(White Aura) Gleebrok the grizzled and ever-calm storm giant is here.

The coward Mirrou is here, his very presence assailed by the contempt of better men.

Bhowaer the dwarf is here, scarred knuckles crackling with holy light.

they were doing something similar for newbies for some reason.

(Purple Aura) Jamocha the royal noobsauce is here, looking a little manic.

Splntrd

NT

n/t