agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
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This is a strange bug that I've noticed in my copy of 2.0.12.

Basically, whenever a character strikes an orb using the "Strike Orb at..." function, an additional lightning bolt flies from the orb to Beethro as well as to the door that it operates. Also, if I get a character to "strike" a nonexistent orb, a struck orb graphic nevertheless appears on the square in question, and Beethro is again targeted by the lightning bolt. I can reproduce this bug even in JtRH L1 4N 5W, but the fact that no-one else seems to have noticed it makes me suspicious that there may be a corruption in my version rather than in DROD.

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eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 02-05-2003
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Well, technically these aren't bugs, because both were implemented deliberately.

The lightning bolt between Beethro and the orb was put there to represent the use of the "portable orb" in the JtRH room you mention. The lightning from the non-existant orb was kept because it's a cool effect.

That said, I think the *correct* implementation should be that if the character is visible, then the lightning doesn't hit Beethro, but an invisible character will trigger it. That will allow both "portable orb" effects and regular "NPC hits orb" uses.

I won't have access to DROD until Monday, so I'm not sure if this is how it's implemented, but I'm guessing not from your post.

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Banjooie
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 12-12-2004
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Wait, you can strike an orb that doesn't exist and have it hit Beethro?

I am totally using that effect later.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
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Registered: 10-06-2005
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Yeah, for "magic spell"-ish things.

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coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1308
Registered: 11-24-2005
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The official function is simple. If there is an NPC adjacent to the orb, that NPC hits it. Otherwise, the orb is hit by Beethro with his portable orb. This is entirely intentional.

agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
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coppro wrote:
The official function is simple. If there is an NPC adjacent to the orb, that NPC hits it. Otherwise, the orb is hit by Beethro with his portable orb. This is entirely intentional.

Not quite. Any non-visible NPC striking an orb using the "Strike orb at..." function will send a bolt to Beethro, whether it is next to the orb, on the orb, or some distance from it. Only if the NPC is visible and next to the orb does the orb strike not fly to Beethro. In a room with lots of orb-striking characters (especially if constantly striking things), the lightning storm produced around Beethro can get pretty distracting.

Could I ask that Eytan's suggestion be implemented, since that would make the current behaviour more convenient? At the very least, maybe the portable orb effect for visible characters should go to them rather than Beethro, since it is technically the characters who are supposed to be striking the orbs, and not Beethro.

Edit: (Not quite) again!

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[Last edited by agaricus5 at 01-07-2006 10:11 AM]