SI:7 How we stealth Rp and a concencus on best practise

Ive posted this before somewhere but given some recent events and upon request from a few people. I have posted again. This is generally the most logical way to integrate stealth into GENERAL RP. By that I mean in a non W-PvP situation.. and only when you are fighting encroaching opposite faction.

General Use of Stealth - The General use of stealth in roleplay when your character does not possess a magical means should be one of physical concealment. There are a number of reasons the use of stealth adds to the roleplay, such as:

In a very low light environment - A deeply dark corner in a building or a dark forest at a distance from which your character would prove difficult to spot.

In cover - If your character is hidden in a bush/crate/tree/barrel ect.. and remaining silent without moving.

Moving across an [innaccessible] rooftop - Most characters of the (rogue) archetype are agile and skilled climbers. It is very much plausible to be moving across a rooftop for escape/survillance. When doing so take a short amount of time at your location to emote the fact you're climbing and then stealth, following a logical path along the floor as to where your character is situated above. If other characters are nearby emote your presence. If you can climb down, do the same in reverse, smote the fact your moving down/jumping/falling and unstealth.

Performing an action that would prove [innaccessible] - For example if positioned above a doorway propping yourself up with the walls (split-stand), hidden behind a tapestry, behind a bookcase or hiding in a well. As always emote your presence and always be ready to think of a plan to escape if compromised!

Offer Discovery - All of your actions when he is in stealth should be emoted and often chances for other people to get a hint of you nearby should be given if they're aware enough to spot (logically). For example birds may be scared from the roof and take flight suddenly, a rooftile may creak, you could sneeze when in cover or snap a twig underfoot, or simply in a bid of escape have no choice but to make alot of noise to alerting your presence (fall from the roof landing and breaking crates). People are generally tolerant when your RP is of a high standard. Lead by good example!

You can remain in cover as long as you are -still- and -unseen-. Of course always do your best to remain covert but if you are discovered it is good form to come out of stealth. Again people will be tolerant as long as you are seen not to take the piss if things do not turn in your characters favour.

Moving from Cover to Cover
When you move from cover to cover it is good form to come out of stealth if crossing a lit area into a new dark vantage point. Use dark corners to evade patrols or suprise attack. If trying to be covert, wait for patrols to pass and then move when the way is clear.

IN W-PVP
Now in World PvP and RP-PvP Rogues need stealth. So.. you use it as you would when farming/grinding in BG's ect.. I do not generally consider the above rules applying when you are in the middle of fighting ranks of the opposite faction in the heat of battle.

Let me know what you think!

Much love!

Absolutely excellent and appreciated. Thumbs up!

One of the main things that I think is difficult for rogues and stealth is that sometimes, if one is spying, the spy-ees tend to take an emote as an invitation to turn around and see you. The other side of the coin is, of course, that no one really likes to be spied on ICly without OOCly knowing about it, so I'll add to the plea of this post for more OOC communication. Makes for better spying and better RP all around!

Awesome guide!

I wrote something similiar myself on The Gang's All Here, only a few lines unfortunatly, just to give people a general idea.

Spoiler:

That's exactly always how I've been deeming stealth to be used.
Five thumbs up!

And I loved your duel with Raelan last night, when you didnt stealth until passed the cart-thing!

The General use of stealth in roleplay when your character does not possess a magical means should be one of physical concealment.

The Rogue class description (the old one, at least, I don't know if the new one mentions it as well) says that Rogues employ "mysticism" of some vaguely defined sort, which I always assumed was the source of their seemingly magical invisibility and easily supernatural physical feats like Sprint and Evasion.

Yea but the average street thug IC I imagine isn't all that connected with Mysticysm

I thought this was about mega-robot assassins and invincible super agents, not street thugs?

The average character represented as an OOC Rogue Class Type then?

Yeah

I think sprinting is just running fast and evasion is just focusing on dodging with all your might for a duration.

However.. fan of knives, stealth, shadowstep, vanish, cloak of shadows (half'n'half).. all those things cannot really be explained I think IC. They are obviously game-mechanics.

Not fan of knives, some people carry shitloads and they grab loads in one hand, spin around and throw them

Jomir/Nastor/Gannas wrote:Not fan of knives, some people carry shitloads and they grab loads in one hand, spin around and throw them

This, Tbh.


And vanish is a very old trick. Never heard of the evil magician who cackles and throws pouder on the ground and disappear?
He's just running away during the mist of dust blocks the view. Then poof, gone!

The other can be explaiined with magic. Or as Jayse developed. Engineering.
But nothing an avarage street thug can manage.

Rocket boot power!

And Jayse walks around invisible. Or was it another rogue that made my character faint?

When on my rogue. If I wanted to be invsible I'd buy a potion from a mage.

Yea that's a different matter entirely Numerius. The guide here was to demonstrate how to RP infiltration scenarios using the stealth mechanic which applies to any able bodied character. More notably the characters created as a rogue class given they have the mechanic steath and are more likley to accomplish such feats of physical and tactical subtlety given thier proposed previous lives, training, physcial makeup ect.

Regarding walking around invisible is another side of Jayse i've also elaborated on in other threads. If you require more information feel free to check the wikia page on the realm wiki. All the IC development for that is explained.

Everything however, is not infallible and there are set rules I adhere to given the nature of the 8 OOC month's RP that occured prior to him being like this. I also employ situational rules for the sake of common decency, fair play and good form. He doesn't do it often.

I agree that rogues should give others a chance to detect them through emotes. My own rogue, Eodain, screws up sometimes by accidentally stepping on twigs, or one of his joints let out a small crack when sneaking that might reveal him. Sometimes it can actually be rather funny, and can help enrich the RP when the professionals sometimes make a mistake.

But I might be going off the point. Good topic, Jayse, and I'm glad you've elaborated on it. I agree on using stealth when doing split-jumps/walking along roofs, even if sometimes walking along a roof in a bustling city can be painfully obvious, or you might be spotted anyway if doing a jump. (especially if someone tall, as not everyone in WoW is the same height obviously, walks under you and gets a nice faceful of crotch.)

And with what Aniane said regarding whispering someone if you're spying on them, I think it's reasonable, but it doesn't give the person-being-spied-on (for want of a better word) an excuse to suddenly spot them either. Though communication is crucial to fair play, even if the whole point in being a rogue is to cheat to gain the upper hand if needs be. ; )))))))

And yeah, regarding W-PvP, I usually count stealth as weaving through the battlefield. *shrug*

Jayse, but when it comes to invisibility such as yours... Is it possible to sense it? I mean, imagine in roleplay, someone approaches you from behind and can simply one-shot you. Hm, for example, my squid has good ears, and he's just very sensitive. Is it possible to feel a vague presence of an invisible person? Perhaps if close, and not very exact.

Of course it is. But you need to be able to sense the correct thing. Having good ears simply doesn't cut the mustard. It isn't invisibility in the arcane sense of the term. It's stepping through another plane of existence at great personal expense.

If someone was 'invisible', say a mage or infact someone just taken an invisiblity potion IC. Then all the general physical rules of sound and weight would still apply. Footsteps, being able to grab them physically and picking up a cup to make it appear it's floating in mid air. The meat of the matter is anything is essentially possible, as long as it is given good founding with background and has time dedicated to roleplaying both the trials and tribulations to overcome such ordeals to put a character in that state, has been logically thought out, has both advantages and disadvantages and most importantly is -not- abused.

Helping an ailing man into the cathedral after he collapsed in some spur of the moment RP was rather fun. Even though the fact traversing the hallowed halls of the cathedral in that state took a great deal of personal effort and commitment on his part.

And in roleplay, if someone sneaks up behind to 'one-shot-you'. Then they're not roleplaying very well. Unless the event has been preordained between both parties.

Jayse wrote:Yea but the average street thug IC I imagine isn't all that connected with Mysticysm

Maybe the average street thug shouldn't use Stealth ICly at all then?

Missing the point Merandil

It's using it as a tool for Rp. Anyone can hide in a dark corner or climb into a crate. A few more agile folk can climb tree's and make thier way to climbing walls to end up on the rooftops. Possibilites for it's use in this regard are as limited as your own imagination and characters resourcefulness.

The point being is one of using logic, in both situational awareness and what you think your character would be capable of. If your character is a bad climber they could still get into a tree if a cho-hort gave them a legup (providing they're not too heavily built to acheive as such in relation to the assistant).

But the main point I always stress is that if your a good sport with it then people are generally reciprotive (Not sure that's even a word) of your roleplay and will play along and you might even get praise in the process for your inginuity.

Well I'd prefer that people just hid ICly without using stealth, since that's usually a lot more creative and avoids giving people the impression you're trying to spy on their cyber or something. Maybe it's just me, but I think that works better with the idea you presented of letting people know that you're there OOCly, but having them decide to not know IC.

Merandil wrote:Well I'd prefer that people just hid ICly without using stealth, since that's usually a lot more creative and avoids giving people the impression you're trying to spy on their cyber or something. Maybe it's just me, but I think that works better with the idea you presented of letting people know that you're there OOCly, but having them decide to not know IC.

Surely, whilst at it mages shant use magic and priests won't heal. I think removing a classes main function even IC is a bit cruel.

Sure, Anaei, why not. But I wonder though, is there any lore about invisibility thing? Is it possible to run into someone, or you'd go through him? Because when you drink the potion, everything blurs, as if you're in a shadow realm. (Oooo, reminds me of the One Ring. Similiar effect.)

I prefer to use stealth as little as possible, when I sneak around on my rogue i tend to wait for a good opportunity and rush to a nearby bush to hide. Not even there i press the stealth-button.

I agree that stealth can be used when "climbing a rooftop" when emoted out every movement. I do however, very much dislike this "lol-stealth" which I've seen quite some people using. Do be able to simply "disappear" on open ground makes me feel sick.

When moving on open ground, at the side of the road, ect. DONT USE STEALTH! Activate it instead (if you really feel that you have to) once you have found your dark corner or emoted your way in behind a bookshelf.

I for one, and my targets as well (I think), considers its more fun to roleplay stealth without using the ability. But if you really have to, keep OOC contact and /w and always, always, emote your every movement.