Re: recent small hack

[Peter Mardahl <peterm@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>]

In message <9411281819.AA03440@nomad.astro.psu.edu>, "Brian Thomas" writes:
>
>	Hi, 
>		I just wanted to say two things about the recent hack
>	by srin9340@nova.gmi.edu (Akshay Srinivasan):
>
>	1) I think it is *very* needed. Last night I an a compatriot 
>	when down into the Dragon caves and must have pounded on the
>	Ancient Red Dragons for over an hour with out killing one (I 
>	mean we must have unloaded the kitchen sink on one of them 
>	ala tag team for about 1/2 an hour with no apparent result!!!).

  It is not damage which is always the issue, but damage/time.
I designed those Red Dragons, and they *heal*.  Just like YOU do.
You have to pour enough damage into them quickly or they won't
die, any more than YOU would die if you were damaged 2hp at a
time.  I think this is the case for ALL dragons, they all heal.
If you don't kill it in 5 minutes, you're wasting your time,
that's a good general rule.

>	2) I would suggest a slightly different wording of the code. I 
>	mean this is supposed to be for all creatures.. not everything
>	you can fight has "a naval" for instance. The following stuff
>	shows the modifications I made to make the code more "monster
>	generic". 
>
  <patch deleted>

This patch is well and good, but I don't like the effect it would
have on network bandwidth.  Instead, why not a "look" command?

And I don't think that general condition information should be
withheld for any visible monster.  If you can see it, you
can see gaping wounds in it, even if it *is* a titan.

PeterM