[b42-1.0.5] No Adventurers Parties/Opt-In Adventurers Partie

[Zizzo]

Aaand after getting curbstomped twice in as many world-map turns by two undodgeable orc patrols, I think it's time to float the question: should Opt-In Adventurers Parties apply to orc patrols the same way it applies to adventurers parties and ziguranth patrols?

[Seian Verian]

I would say that yes. Yes it should.

[Zizzo]

I would say that yes. Yes it should.

Okay, followup question, then: do we want separate game options to control handling of orc patrols vs. adventurers parties and ziguranth patrols, on the premise that the player may want to handle them differently? Or do we think that that everyone will want to treat them the same?

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

The game feels like orc patrols are supposed to be handled differently, and a greater challenge to the player. Adventurer parties just wander and can (usually) be avoided. Orc patrols actively harass and chase you across the entire freaking continent until you get cornered and have to fight them. They always felt like a required challenge.

So if you handle them via this, I vote for a separate function.

[rod]

I'd say give options for all three differently.

Also, if possible, when someone has the "prompt" option going, if they ignore a given encounter, can you auto-ignore encounters from that party for the next 15-20 turns?

[Zizzo]

The game feels like orc patrols are supposed to be handled differently, and a greater challenge to the player. Adventurer parties just wander and can (usually) be avoided. Orc patrols actively harass and chase you across the entire freaking continent until you get cornered and have to fight them. They always felt like a required challenge.

So if you handle them via this, I vote for a separate function.

My thoughts exactly, hence the question. The new game option is "Orc patrol reponse strategy", and works the same way as the current option.

I'd say give options for all three differently.

? Do you frequently treat adventurers parties and ziguranth patrols differently?

Also, if possible, when someone has the "prompt" option going, if they ignore a given encounter, can you auto-ignore encounters from that party for the next 15-20 turns?

For that, I went with a new game option "Extended evade duration", to specify the number of turns of auto-evade you want (defaults to zero). The extended evade will show up as a new "Extended Evade" temporary effect, which you can cancel early in the usual manner.

All of this is now out in v2 (still not yet on Steam, annoyingly... )

[Zizzo]

And the new Embers of Rage DLC gives us new baddies to dodge on the worldmap, namely Sun Paladins patrols and Anorithil patrols. v3 (just pushed out) protects against them in the usual manner, as controlled by new game option "Sunwall patrol response strategy".

[Sinzar]

This addon seems to have broke with the 1.5.7 update. Anyone have an idea how to fix it?

[Zizzo]

This addon seems to have broke with the 1.5.7 update. Anyone have an idea how to fix it?

?! Details? Do you have a stack trace?

[Sinzar]

?! Details? Do you have a stack trace?

It doesn't give an error or anything, it just doesn't work. When I run into patrols in 1.5.7 it doesn't give the popup anymore asking if I want to fight or evade, it just automatically throws me into combat. Was working fine before the patch.

[Zizzo]

It doesn't give an error or anything, it just doesn't work. When I run into patrols in 1.5.7 it doesn't give the popup anymore asking if I want to fight or evade, it just automatically throws me into combat. Was working fine before the patch.

[sound F/X: source diving] Well, the relevant code hasn't changed in any obvious way… [sound F/X: testing] …urk. Are you using the addon separately or as part of ZOmnibus? I can't reproduce the problem with the stand-alone addon, and I can't test with ZOmnibus ATM because of an unrelated error with image loading. I'll try to figure something out…

[Sinzar]

I use opt-in patrols standalone.

On my character that was started in 1.5.5 it worked, then when I patched to 1.5.7 the addon suddenly stopped working for unknown reasons. That character has since died though.

Now that I'm playing a new character (which was created in 1.5.7) the addon works again. I have no idea why. Maybe something in the patch broke it for characters created before the patch? In any case, it's working fine on my new character, so I guess it was just a fluke?

Wish I could provide better info!

[Qetuth]

Playing a ghoul, with full zomnibus, in 1.6.4.

Losing the Shertul enhanced Cloak of Deception buff (by dying) caused all adventuring parties to immediately enter combat regardless of what this addon's options were set to (always evade, ask, or never evade, made no difference). Restoring the buff by putting the cloak on and off again restored normal addon behaviour.

[Zizzo]

Playing a ghoul, with full zomnibus, in 1.6.4.

Losing the Shertul enhanced Cloak of Deception buff (by dying) caused all adventuring parties to immediately enter combat regardless of what this addon's options were set to (always evade, ask, or never evade, made no difference). Restoring the buff by putting the cloak on and off again restored normal addon behaviour.

[sound F/X: source diving] Hmm, was it an Allied Kingdoms patrol? I didn't include those in the list of worldmap NPCs that we needed to handle, since they're not hostile to the player — unless, of course, you're an undead without the Cloak of Deception effect… Seems like an oversight in retrospect. Should be fixed in v3a, just pushed out. We Apologize for the Omission.™

[Qetuth]

There is always an obscure loophole left to find

I never paid attention to what type of parties I was testing with. It is quite possible I randomly walked up to an allied patrol several times in a row.