I understand that chromatic fire was implemented to enforce item limits, which fluctuate based on what I think is the amount of players.

Is item limitation based solely on player numbers?

I recently had something be engulfed in chromatic flames only to turn around and look at the mob that carries it and to see them with it. Is there any way we can implement a policy that if the items are at the limit, we make the mob's item illusionary instead of eating the player's item?

I know that there is very much a risk/reward system in CF, it just seems odd that I should be scared of exploring because I might die and have the fire eat my items that someone else could be picking up right this second.

Beyond that, is there really that much fluctuation that we can't just remove the chromatic fire and let items disappear naturally? Perhaps make it if they are dropped or put in a pit they disappear, but as long as a player holds the item they are fine? I would even suggest make it where items over limit disappear faster from gear lockers, to encourage frequent playing.

Not trying to troll or beat a dead horse, just asking questions.

But I thought this code was added in the game years
ago to stop item cloning. If the player was allowed to keep
the item over the limit perhaps it would negate this affect.

And it may be a not worth the time to implement change.

Personally with past chars, I have died a bunch exploring with
some nice gear and it has only fired once or twice.

It wasnt added, you always lost gear this way. All the flames does is add a cosmetic touch to tell you its happened. Previously everyone assumed heavy looting. Also its based on average player files, and some items are around the cusp of the current player limits. So you may have lost something and gone to the mob around the same time as a few chars leveled up. generally after the auto deletes you get some gear in, and some below limit.

I'm not complaining about chromatic fire as a display of what happened, I am suggesting an alternative.

As to the circumstance, I died VERY near the item that went up in flames. I got back to my corpse, got everything, rested a few hours, and then walked to the mob with the item. This is probably 5-10 minutes tops. I doubt the limit changed within that 5-10 minutes, instead I expect since the last reboot the limit changed and since I died before the mob the mob kept it. Makes very little sense, as if this would have happened with something that it took a party to get it would have been annoying.

Joebob the Storm Giant Warrior is a sword spec, and is wielding a Curly Sword. He's looking to get a second one so he can dual wield them and obliterate the Funworm.

The game is currently capping Curly Sword at 3 instances of the weapon, but there are 4 in existance.

Joebob has one curly sword.
Another is in Illanthos' secret gear locker.
A lowbie pit looted the third and will probably delete when he loses it.
The fourth is on the NPC that usually holds it.

Joebob dies on the way to the Tower of Innuendo to retrieve another sword, causing chromatic fire to consume his weapon, bringing the instances of the sword back down to 3.

Lamenting his loss, he checks the tower for food after a Vulture form shapeshifter looted ALL of his pies before he could get back to his corpse, and coincidentally notices the Curly Sword is in!

This occurs because the MUD removes the first instance of over-limit items that are in a 'comprimised' state. The PC holder of said item dying is one such state, while a crash/reboot is one such a state for an NPC holder.

While Joebob marvels at his good luck, Illanthos gates in, hands him a second curly sword, cracks a pun, and gates out.

And here I was thinking that Illanthos was the secret gear locker.

I say this in good humor. I do not promote or condone the use of storage characters.

Hell... I dont even play alt characters anymore.

>I understand that chromatic fire was implemented to enforce
>item limits, which fluctuate based on what I think is the
>amount of players.
>
>Is item limitation based solely on player numbers?

No. Some items have hard limits. I would guess that most have a minimum limit (though I don't know that for sure), but for the most part they rely on player numbers, yes.

>I recently had something be engulfed in chromatic flames only
>to turn around and look at the mob that carries it and to see
>them with it. Is there any way we can implement a policy that
>if the items are at the limit, we make the mob's item
>illusionary instead of eating the player's item?

Doesn't seem worth the effort to me.

>I know that there is very much a risk/reward system in CF, it
>just seems odd that I should be scared of exploring because I
>might die and have the fire eat my items that someone else
>could be picking up right this second.
>
>Beyond that, is there really that much fluctuation that we
>can't just remove the chromatic fire and let items disappear
>naturally? Perhaps make it if they are dropped or put in a
>pit they disappear, but as long as a player holds the item
>they are fine? I would even suggest make it where items over
>limit disappear faster from gear lockers, to encourage
>frequent playing.

It is just gear... if losing a couple of piece is enough to discourage you from exploring, I've got bad news for you re: pk.

>Not trying to troll or beat a dead horse, just asking
>questions.

It isn't affecting enough people for anyone to care at this point, so no one responded.

n/t