Subdual Mode: Various Issues

[magna ferrum in eius coxae]

Not sure if these are bugs or intended design features, but I'll file them here here under the assumption that the system is working as intended.

1) Cannot Finish Downed Characters Until 60s Down Period is Over

It currently appears as though you may not finish a character that has been dropped with subdual damage by the expected method of subsequently doing lethal damage to them. You must instead wait for them to stand back up again and then hit them with -subdual mode off.

I can see the argument for preventing -subdualed character from being killed to stop an inadvertent AoE or cleave attack kill from rendering the subdual attempt futile, but it seems as though there ought to be room to intentionally finish off a character without needing to stand around for a minute waiting to bonk him one more time for lethal damage.

Suggestion: Either implement a -command to finish a subdualed target off (think of it as a parallel to the -giveup command), or allow for any directed melee attack on a subdualed target from any party not in -subdual mode to count as a finishing blow.

Rationale: Sometimes, you don't need a minute to decide that taking prisoners is not on the agenda after you've subdualed someone. Sometimes, you forget to turn subdual mode off and never intended to try taking someone alive. Sometimes, a running battle makes it impractical to take prisoners, but someone's still in subdual and is putting out a lot of subdued targets. Sometimes you subdue a guy and he just types farting noises into the chat window for 60 seconds. In situations like this, it doesn't make any sense to force either party to stand around to wait for the killing blow.

2) Restraining a Target Consumes Lasso

Currently, it appears as though a lasso used to restrain a target is consumed completely, and is not returned if the subject dies. I'm not sure what happens if you release the subject, since everyone I've ever tied up has -giveup'd pretty fast. This attaches a minor irritation to the use of subdual, since anyone that wants to subdue more than one target needs more than one lasso, and will probably lose all the lassos employed in this fashion and will need to obtain another.

Tonight, I was attempting to subdue an opponent and then tie him up to permit me to rejoin a running battle, however I discovered much to my dismay that the last target I'd subdued and tied down had consumed my lasso. Forced to choose between killing off the subdued target and dipping on the rest of the fight, I had to pick the finish-off option.

Suggestion: I would suggest that either tying up a target not consume the lasso or returning the lasso on either the death or release of the bound character.

Rationale: I think we should encourage the use of subdual as well as follow-up RP whenever it's practical. It's a good system, and the ability to put an RP cap on a fight is a good thing, and participation is completely voluntary. To this end, barriers that frustrate the use of the system by burning up lassos as a consumable are likely undesirable.

[Red_Wharf]

I have something to add. Toggling Subdual on and off makes a message pop up on the screen just above your character, like it happens when you toggle Improved Expertise/Expertise on and off, but here the difference is that other players also see the Subdual message above your character's head. Is this intended?

[Shrouded Wanderer]

I had the idea that lassoing, coup de grace, and revivals shouls require a dialogue option.

Reasoning is that it'll require combat to be over and hopefully cooled down before anything happens.