Karipto
Level: Delver
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Sometimes when I'm really bored, and my thoughts happen to turn to DROD, this question inevitably pops up. Of course, I know why it happens from a gameplay perspective (because the serpents can't turn around, plus it makes for some interesting puzzles), but I was wondering if there's any kind of official explanation, as it doesn't make a whole lot of sense (yeah, I know, this is a game, and therefore some suspension of disbelief is required), especially considering that rattlesnakes and adders are merely stuck in the dead end.

My best guess is that the serpents are chasing Beethro (or another player role) so fast that when they're tricked into the dead end, they smash into the wall so hard that the rest of their body crumples up in such a way that it eventually ends up squishing them to death (or at least shortening their body, if they can find a way out).

Obviously, I don't think that explanation works too well when the monsters form a makeshift dead end (perhaps they try to make an abrupt stop, but the "brakes" only work for the front part of the body, and they're still squished by the remainder of it), but these are my thoughts on it. What are yours?

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[Last edited by Karipto at 11-16-2011 08:40 PM]

Banjooie
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Like sharks, snakes cannot breathe unless they are constantly moving. Their bodies shorten to conserve oxygen in the precious moments they have left.

Pekka
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Very good. Now, why don't serpents die due to immobility if you are invisible and not in their smelling range?

Jatopian
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They're hibernating then instead of being in blood frenzy.

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Karipto
Level: Delver
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Banjooie wrote:
Like sharks, snakes cannot breathe unless they are constantly moving. Their bodies shorten to conserve oxygen in the precious moments they have left.

Hmm, that's very interesting, but I can't seem to find anything that verifies this. What are your sources for this statement? And why doesn't this apply to rattlesnakes and adders?

(Not that I don't believe you, but then again, I can't help but be suspicious of the info, given your reputation here.)

Jatopian
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Real snakes don't shorten in dead ends, either.

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Karipto
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Jatopian wrote:
Real snakes don't shorten in dead ends, either.

Yeah, that much I get, because real snakes are smaller, and have more maneuvering ability to not get stuck in such a situation. But since I have little knowledge on this subject, that still doesn't tell me whether Banjooie's post is grounded in reality, if it's just a hypothesis, or him being sarcastic. The way it's worded makes it seem like a factual statement, but then again, I can't be sure.

Jatopian
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...

Okay. It is none of those things. The way I, and probably he as well, saw this thread is that you are asking for a justification of a game mechanic which is, on the face of it, absurd. So we played along and came up with a reasonably science-y one since the Eighth contains nothing supernatural and we can't claim that A Wizard Did It.

If one takes hold of a snake's head it does not scrunch up in ways its structure does not permit, nor does it shorten into itself in violation of conservation of matter.

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Banjooie
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It's pretty simple, Karipto: There's a large amount of profit in treating people who have snake phobias. The psychiatry industry works with biologists to suppress information on snake biology and weaknesses to ensure people think they're more frightening than they really are.

It also cuts down on hospital bills from people wrangling snakes. Adders and rattlesnakes have less connection to their sea-dwelling brethren (notice rattlesnakes are primarily in desert areas), so that particular flaw evolved away.

You're welcome.

Karipto
Level: Delver
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Jatopian wrote:
The way I, and probably he as well, saw this thread is that you are asking for a justification of a game mechanic which is, on the face of it, absurd.

That was what I was looking for, but at the same time, I realized that there would probably never be a satisfactorily logical explanation for the behavior. So when Banjooie replied with what seemed to be a serious and logical explanation (you can tell I need to brush up on certain science topics), that threw me for a bit of a loop (in more ways than one ). But I guess his recent post confirms the tone of his original response.

In any case, I think I'm done sampling my feet for the time being (hopefully ), so if anyone else has any theories about the original post, I'd be interested to hear them.

Someone Else
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Karipto wrote:
(yeah, I know, this is a game, and therefore some suspension of disbelief is required)

What.

flawlessly consistent

Maurog
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The serpents shorten because the tail keeps moving and the head has nowhere to go.

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Karipto
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Kind of related, but I just thought of another silly question. Why can't adders eat the "weak" part of tarstuff (again, I understand the gameplay reasons)? If they're able to eat the "strong" parts, then why not the weaker ones?

Jatopian
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Too squishy. It'd be like trying to chew through vines as a carnivore.

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Karipto
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Here's another not serious question: if drinking one invisibility potion makes you invisible (shocking, I know ), then why does drinking a second one make you visible again? You'd think the invisibility effect would remain the same, or something...

ErikH2000
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Karipto wrote:
why does drinking a second one make you visible again?

The explanation is pretty complicated at the chemistry level. But in the Eighth, they had societal problems with leafjuice abuse, e.g. over-serving at bars. And this guy invented a drink-yourself-sober ingredient. Later, people thought to combine this with other potions.

-Erik

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Rabscuttle
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This explains why mimics don't drink potions - they don't want to risk drinking a mimic potion and cancelling themselves.

Clones don't care because they technically aren't clones when they drink.

averagemoe
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It makes sense that they'd make that a deliberate feature of the potions. You don't always have time to just wait until the effects wear off.

I can also theorize that potions are so supernaturally addictive that people just can't restrain themselves when they get within drinking range. Even decoy potions, which according to Suit Pursuit, taste awful. (At least in Ombus's opinion.)

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