Suggestion talk:20070610 Mark scent

Thank you

For all the comments. I have updated the suggestion, and I hope it is better now. ~m ^T! 01:43, 13 June 2007 (BST)

Clarifications

Okay, some people thought what I wrote was ambiguous. Fist of all, "alive" was a lousy choice of word, and should have been standing. So it really is a zombie skill.

The main difference from scent trail that I propose is that, with this skill, you don't lose the marked survivor's trail when you die. In return, you can only track a single survivor at a time. ~m ^T! 18:48, 10 June 2007 (BST)

Makes sense, the images help a lot, thanks for that. Other than that Mathew Farenheit makes sense, if that stuff is/was done I'd definitely vote keep.--karek 04:15, 11 June 2007 (BST)

Changes

You seem to think it will be best if the trail is lost for good when the survivor leaves range or dies. I can agree with that, as long as the range increases. I believe scent trail has a longer range than a 9x9 block around the zombie, so this should be at least as large.

Note that when the survivor dies, you lose his trail, not when you die. That's the main point of this skill. ~m ^T! 18:48, 10 June 2007 (BST)

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Take your time to comment the suggestion here. Most of the kill votes were kill/change, so I hope I can fit this skill to your tastes. ~m ^T! 18:48, 10 June 2007 (BST)

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Hey, you contacted me trough my talk page. The change I wanted is the one I mentioned: to have this tracking status dissappear when the survivor escapes traking range. I didn't think about the "when the survivor dies" part, but it makes sense too. You mentioned that, if such a change would be implemented, then you want the range enlarged. IMHO, the range is good as it is, maybe a little bit larger but not too much (the max I would accept is 6 blocks around the zombie, so it makes a 13x13 block). Let's say that we want a useful, but not undefeatable tool to find food. Well, now excuse me, I'm going out and reappear on Thursday (for real). Then I'll see how this discussion is going on =). --Matthew Fahrenheit ^YRC☺T☺+1 20:24, 10 June 2007 (BST)

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Well if the trail is lost when the guy moves outta range, thats acceptable. It'd give the tracked a chance to escape the tracker (or in some cases like I said, the harasser). I can agree on a range increase too, Matt's limits make sense though, so 12x12 (because odd numbers suck) seems reasonable enough to me. You'd get a keep this time. A dǝǝɥs oʇ ɯɐds: sʎɐʍ1ɐ! 21:01, 10 June 2007 (BST)

There are plenty of odd numbers in this game: 3x3 city view. 9x9 NecroTech scan view, just to mention two. Matthewfarenheit's suggestion of 13x13 seems fair enough. armareum 21:16, 10 June 2007 (BST)

And every one of those angers me like a cow being branded =P. A dǝǝɥs oʇ ɯɐds: sʎɐʍ1ɐ! 21:23, 10 June 2007 (BST)

Then for the love of yahweh we should change everything to an even number immediately! armareum 21:35, 10 June 2007 (BST)

And on the recent changes page, you spelled my name wrong. It's not Suicideangel. It's Suicidalangel. As in someone who is prone to suicide attempts/thoughts. A dǝǝɥs oʇ ɯɐds: sʎɐʍ1ɐ! 21:27, 10 June 2007 (BST)

Sorry about that. I think I just read it Suicideangel in my head, so that's the way I wrote it. I will endeavour to pay more attention in future. :) armareum 21:35, 10 June 2007 (BST)

SA and Armareun, the reason we use odd numbers figures in measuring an area around the player is that, if we use even numbers, there's no center square and then there's no way of implementing the range. That's why there will never, EVER be a even number range. Muahahahahahaha! --Matthew Fahrenheit ^YRC☺T☺+1 14:53, 11 June 2007 (BST)

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I'm concerned that you don't lose the trail if you die. Ever. No matter how many times you die. That makes it very powerful as a potential griefing tool. How about 2 or 3 Headshots and you lose the trail? armareum 21:19, 10 June 2007 (BST)

Well, that's the main difference from Scent Trail. You don't lose the trail when you die, but only if the survivor dies. ~m ^T! 01:30, 13 June 2007 (BST)

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My main concerns:

1. It should only be usable if both you and the survivor are indoors or outdoors. No using it to mark a survivor who's inside when you're outside (or, more unusually, if you're inside and the survivor's out.)
2. A survivor should either be informed that he's been marked, be able to identify the zombie who's marked him, or be able to easily shake it by leaving a certain radius (I like Matthew Fahrenheit's 13x13, but really you'd have my keep all the way up to 21x21.) As far as being informed goes, flavor-wise a zombie can mark a survivor by tearing part of his clothing off (to get his scent) or something similar to inform a survivor he's been marked, if you choose that route. That, or that particular zombie shows up as a contact, so the survivor who keeps seeing the guy eventually figures out what's going on (Zombies have faces and wear clothing, don't they?). The zombie gives up part of his own privacy to take part of a survivor's.

To be honest, the skill seems useful in certain situations but not overpowering. If the guy sleeps in malls, whatever. You know there's going to be people in malls, so that doesn't really help. Likewise, if he's the sort of survivor who wanders around aimlessly, he's going to lose you the next day, so it doesn't help then. What this does do is help zombies track safehouses near malls where survivors who don't want to be caught in a siege but love searching malls camp. And that should be well within a zombie's rights. --Magentaine 23:21, 10 June 2007 (BST)

About what you propose:

1. Obviously.
2. To have a "A zombie marked you (1 hour and 3 pizzas ago)" would be good.

I wouldn't like to have the zed lose the track of a survivor if he's killed. I would like, however, to have the zombie lose the trail if he's revived. Also, I would like the survivor's death to conclude the traking (to avoid griefing) and, as I said above, the survivor leaving the zombie's tracking range to terminate the traking too. --Matthew Fahrenheit ^YRC☺T☺+1 14:53, 11 June 2007 (BST)