Newbie Tabard and Helper Whistle changes

[erwin]

Hi all,

There's been some changes to the Newbie Tabard and the Helper's Whistle.

*All tasks should now be able to be done - if previously you found you couldn't complete the tasks, try doing it again (to get the flag).
*The hint on / hint off commands should work now. Also, you can configure the frequency of the hints. You can look at the tabard for more info.
*Helpers can now qcheck someone, and see what tasks they have done, have yet to do, as well as the final step needed to get the quest flag. So if a player says he cannot complete the task, the helper can easily give hints to what the player should do. Furthermore, if the player does happen to have done these steps, but the quest isn't registering on the tabard, then it's an indicator there's a problem in the script and it'll probably be fixed quickly.


However, I think these changes shouldn't just stop there. If anyone - not just helpers and imms, think that more can be done for the tabard / whistle / more helpful items and features, just post here!

If there are any problems with the scripts / something unexpectedly breaks, just send me a note on the game port

[Kvetch]

Can there be something added to the whistle or something what the reward is supposed to be if someone completes all the tasks?  I keep being asked and, as far as I know it has to do with advancing the character up to their first remort, but, there is the possibility of the player completeing all tasks before level 45, which seems to be what the script checks for to advance the player.  I've posted this on the helper board, but I still get asked so obviously it needs to be in a more obvious/immediately accessable location.

Good job, Erwin!

[erwin]

Yup ok. Whistle now has one extra description (look whistle) to tell you what the reward should be.

Also, the level 45 restriction has been removed from the whistle, but replaced with an additional check. If the player has completed all tasks, even at level 1, he/she will be advanced to level 50. But if the player hasn't completed all tasks, then nothing will happen.

[erwin]

Could we clarify what happens when a newbie collects the 5 helper vouchers?

Previously, they get some tokens and a branch. However, I've been told lately that the vouchers are part of the tabard tasks - completing all of them will result in the level boosting reward.

However, I think the descs on the voucher / mud school still encourage newbies to turn in all 5 to a helper. In that case, what should helpers do? Some of us have been giving "random" rewards out to compensate.

[Kvetch]

yeah, clarification on this is needed.  I tried back in February when it was the "mini leaflet" when everyone was asking me and I didn't know hardly anything about the new changes.  AGain, new changes and I don't know hardly anything about them.

Because the reward for completing the mini leaflet (thus the tabard now) was the advance in level then something else should be for the vouchers (even though that is part of the tabard).

Here's the stats on the olive branch:

Name: 'an olive branch', Aliases: olive branch beam
Material: [base-material] VNum: [21431], RNum: [ 8627], Type: weapon, IDNum: 1552105, SpecProc: None
Timer: -1 mud hours. Expires in: Timer hasn't been started yet!
L-Des: A large olive beam lies here, one end blackened and sharpened to a point.
Extra descs: [olive branch beam] [tag] [back]
Can be worn on: TAKE WIELD
Set char bits : NOBITS
Extra flags   : undonateable unsellable
Weight: 4, Value: 0, Cost/day: 0, Timer: -1, Min level: 0
In room: Nowhere, In object: None, Carried by: Kvetch, Worn by: Nobody
, In Locker: Nobody
VAR: 0 Todam: 10d10, Message type: 14, Length: 40cm
Balance: (16) ====0====================
This balance gives the weapon 0 speed, -1 accuracy and 0 evasion.

Affections: +2 to Strength, +25 to Maxhit
Script information:
Global Variables: None
Global context: 0

  Trigger: Seekers !use, VNum: [21412], RNum: [ 5201]
  Trigger Intended Assignment: Objects
  Trigger Type: Wear, Numeric Arg: 199, Arg list: None

Basically, the script won't let them use the branch after they remort - so it's really only going to be good from the time they find all 5 vouchers until they finish the tabard quests.

There used to be a second item that no one knew about so it was never handed out.  It was a pendant.  All the pendant did was cast minor identify and the use (or lack thereof) of that spell is probably why it would never have been chosen compared to the olive branch.  Can someone come up with an idea to change the pendant to to make it useful?  Something comparable with the olive branch that used to be handed out?

And I know it's been said that various classes should get the choice of different items - because a spellcaster really isn't going to want the same thing a fighter would want.  So, if anyone is keen on the idea, we can open up a topic for that as well.  You have the basic idea of what the item we hand out can do - so what would you want to see in the game that's comparable for each class?

So, after we get this done, the reward for the vouchers would be (according to the helper board from long ago):
The helper rewards are as follows:
1 voucher     1 brass     400,000 coins
2 vouchers    2 brass     800,000 coins
3 vouchers    3 brass   1,200,000 coins
4 vouchers    4 brass   1,600,000 coins
5 vouchers    5 brass   2,000,000 coins + olive branch (or whatever item out of the list they want)

[erwin]

I'm not even sure if the room (to load the olive branch / tokens) is there... Or maybe it is, and I forgot where it's located.

Off the top of my mind, it would be really cool if we had a pool of say, 3 points, and helpers can load "customized eq" for a newbie. Example of what I mean - some pseudo DG triggers.

Load a sample object, with the following script.

set keywords pendant
set short A pendant
set long A pendant lies on the ground
set desc blahblahblah
set wearloc neck

and for stats (3 points means for stats it will be +1, for movement / mana / hitpoints would be +25):

set stats dex dex dex would give +3 points to dex
set stats maxhit maxhit maxhit would give +75 points to maxhit
set stats dex maxhit dex would give +2 to dex and +25 to maxhit

Of course, this object will poof after 1 remort, to prevent any possible abuse.

Edit: Might as well make it 5 points - 1 point for each voucher. Would it be too dangerous to have a +5 CHA or +5 DR item? Probably, but if there's a script that makes it go poof when worn after 1 remort, it should be fine...

[Kvetch]

The room to load the olive branch/tokens happens to be the same room where you post the name of the newbie and how many vouchers they turned in.  Yes, that is The Office Of The Newbie Helpers.  The commands are simply voucher1, voucher2, voucher3, voucher4, voucher5, depending on the number of vouchers.  Long time ago in a galaxy far far away (back before Cati was a helper - so like 7 years?) it seems there was a mob that you had to go to to get the olive branch, but that was changed by Durgan so everything is done in the one room.