A bug?

From: Patrick Dughi (dughi@imaxx.net)
Date: 02/22/99


        Something I noticed was on alot of muds, the 'wait_state' is in
overactive use.. if you kick/bash/backstab.. most combat skills, some
really powerful spells even have wait_states!

        This is important, so that way no one can say, pull off a zillion
powerful attacks, etc.  But, I thought about that for a second.. wait
state is associated with the descriptor.. If I can refresh the descriptor,
I can immediately have at it!

        So, just on a hunch, I created a command with an incredibly long
wait-state, and started fighting something, using the skill.  Just
previous to attacking, I connected to the mud on another window, typed in
my name and password, and... when I started my skill, I immediately logged
in on the other window, logging my 'wait'ed character off, and jumping in
with a nice fresh copy.

        I suppose if I was very bored, I could pretty easily fix up a
client so it would open up say, 10 windows at a time, and each time I used
a command I knew would pause me, it would switch to a new one (and of
course, reconnect the old one, just waiting for the return on the
password...) ... and basically be able to use bash/cast/backstab/etc as
fast as I could...

 Is this just something in my mud (bpl11) or, does that exist in all
current versions? I'm pretty sure i'm one of the few people that thought
of it :)

    Also thought up a fix, which will be implemented moderately soon...
something more realistic then wait states.. have it so certain groups of
skills have different blocking ablities.

        So, if you do skill # 153, you can't do it again, until that wait
state for _that_ skill is up.  And, lets say skill #153 is something like
'roundhouse spinning kick'.  Well, you can't trip someone till you've
recovered your balance, so, say you have the trip skill, well, roundhouse
blocks it as well.. but, you can still bash.. just crash into them or
something.  I guess you could get really complicated, but I've been
butting heads with an imp who doesn't like the idea that 'circle around'
(or, an in combat backstab) should have a wait state, because it makes the
person using it too easy to kill then.. they can't flee..  whereas now,
this circle skill is ultra powerful... and so on.

        Anyway,  This a bug, or what?

                                                        PjD




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