Unusual Question: PP and online play...

[quietman1920]

Look...I know people hate being PP'd. Especially on closed servers where getting enough $ to afford arrows is hard enough. Many servers just ban it, and that's fine: its defined from the outset.

Some servers specifically don't ban it. And here's where it comes in. You play a rogue so you can open chests, etc. but you're not out to nail anyone. So generally you end up not PP-ing (pick pocketing). If its allowed, are you not being true to your character? It Is an attribute & one they've studied. On the other hand, you have to Live in that community on that closed server, forming alliances, organizing parties, etc.

Lets assume that you already have 7-8 levels invested into this character. The treasure is intentionally sparse. Other people (DM'd friends?) seem to have all the money in the world and almost Godly weapons. So...do you do it? Do you randomly screw over some person in a full PVP area and damn the consequences? Or do you go full evil & lure a party down 3-4 levels into Full PVP and PP all of them? Or do you rename your character Casper the Friendly Thief...?

I'm interested in opinions...there is no wrong answer. What would you do? (alignment is True Nuetral).

[Legolas]

I think that if pickpocketing is allowed on a server, people shouldn't be surprised to get their pockets picked. It's part of the game there.
And as long as your attempts are either succesful or failures, but you remain undetected, noone should complain. That is to say, as long as it only happens now and then. If you go out and completely empty every backpack and take each purse you come across, then of course you are overdoing it and deserve a good smack on the head [img]smile.gif[/img]
The main idea is for everyone to have fun. You'll have to make a few compromises, but on the whole playing should be an enjoyable experience. Two or three pickpocket attempts on a person should be fine and noone should feel upset by it. Although I do feel you shouldn't PP from players rated effortless or easy, as they can't do anything themselves even if they catch you, or those rater impossible, as you don't want to be caught by them but also because it is s overy annoying to them to be robbed blind by a little pipsqueek such as yourself [img]tongue.gif[/img]

In character, if everyone else seems to have tons of money and you have very little, I can see how it would be 'fair' to redistribute a little here and there. You should keep in mind that pickpocketing is considered an offence in almost every society you find in NWN games, and that if you are caught you are in for some trouble. Running away succesfully might still mean you have to avoid certain people, and they might spread the word. It could turn out very badly for your character. Because of that, there are really only two ways to pickpocket.
One is to lure people to an area where they can't really run away, ask OOC permission to rob the victim, roleplay some threats and empty the victim's pockets good (or just ask them to hand over some coin). Yes, there are serious consequences involved here, but there's also a lot of coin to be had.
The other is taking the oppertunist's approach. In game, that's making one or two pickpocket attempts at a random victim where it is crowded. If you are succesful, after all, who will know it was you? And if you are caught, you can easily get away without drawing too much attention from the other bystanders.

In the case of a TN alignment, intentionally robbing people to get some coin is not a very usual course of action. Taking small amounts from random victims would almost certainly be better. However, you only pick pockets if there's no better alternative at earning money.
If you are not 'out to nail anyone', then you shouldn't really be picking pockets. In fact, your character should hardly be interested in spending points on the pickpocket skill. Why would you spend time learning something you never wish to use? And the best thing is; you'll have more points to spend on other skills so it won't be one big waste of points after all

[TheCrimsomBlade]

I played on a NWN site and this Bard halfling ran up to me and picked my pocket.He took of running and I wasn't sure what happened or why this little dude kept running up to me and then running away.He did this three times and I happened to click on inventory and as I was looking at the 4th page where I had a number of good swords, when he ran up to me again and my Sword of power +4 just went poof in front of my eyes. At that instant I new what this little turd was doing because, I also noticed that I only had $19,000.00 of $31,000.00 I had at the begining of the Mod so I turned off my inventory. I walked across the room of this small Tavern and the halfling was running from person to person. He ran up to me again and I hit him with everthing I had and killed him with the first hit. Then I clicked on him before he could respawn and cleaned out his inventory and I got everything. then saved my character and exited the game just as he was standing up. I'll bet that was one pissed off player when he found that there was nothing left in his pockets including $2,800,000.00 in gold, 10 swords, 30 odd jewels, belts,gauntlets,Shields and 5 bags of holding full of stuff. I got it all, or at least everything he had that was takeable. So if you want to play the thief don't get greedy and careless or you could end up with nothing but your underware!
That wasn't you was it, because you can't have your stuff back.

[ 07-17-2003, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: TheCrimsomBlade ]

[SpiritWarrior]

On a related note, I love my prison [img]smile.gif[/img] .

[Legolas]

Originally posted by TheCrimsomBlade: He did this three times and I happened to click on inventory and as I was looking at the 4th page where I had a number of good swords, when he ran up to me again and my Sword of power +4 just went poof in front of my eyes. At that instant I new what this little turd was doing because, I also noticed that I only had $19,000.00 of $31,000.00 I had at the begining of the Mod so I turned off my inventory. I walked across the room of this small Tavern and the halfling was running from person to person. He ran up to me again and I hit him with everthing I had and killed him with the first hit.

If he pickpocketed that much, then yes I'd say he was being greedy. But I wouln't think that using your inventory to find out you are being pickpocketed counts as proper RP either [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Your character would only know what happened if you actually detected the attempt and got a message saying so. Other than that, your character might suspect something about a day or so later, when he is indeed going through his inventory looking for that sword or similar. The best he could have done was question the bard on his strange behaviour, but nothing more. Had he done this to you even more often, you could send an ooc message telling the player you thought he was overdoing it.
Of course, when swords of power +4 start disappearing you're not going to be very happy about that. On the other hand, I think that if you can afford weapons like that you shouldn't be complaining [img]tongue.gif[/img]
I prefer the server vault games for balance, and it's a major challenge to earn just a few +2 items [img]smile.gif[/img]

[quietman1920]

For the record, i still haven't done it. I created an evil thief in one world and tried a quick PP at the edge of the full PVP zone, but I got killed before I could get 3 steps. Truthfully, the killer was a PKer who killed everyone who walked by, so I felt less guilty about trying. I had little invested in the character, so I didn't mind losing xp or gold by dying.

I still haven't with the level 9 yet. But I'm awfully poor...and things like +4 swords get sold to the shop I visit all the time (not that I can do more than window shop). Someone must be up to dragon killing strength or something...

All things considered, I should have been a Ranger...

[Legolas]

Random PKing, powerful items, and the need to hide in a no PvP area after a pickpocket attempt...
Doesn't sound like the world for me [img]smile.gif[/img]