Wimpy

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Wimpying describes an automatic or involuntary departure from a combat, via the "backwards" exit by default. Wimpying is usually triggered when a player's health has fallen below a proportion of their maximum hitpoints. This level is referred to as a player's wimpy. Players and NPCs alike can wimpy.

Setting the wimpy level

A player can set their wimpy level either by using the 'wimpy' command, or through 'options combat'.

The wimpy level can be set anywhere between 0% and 30%, and is displayed in the score command. If wimpy is set to zero, then this is displayed as being 'in brave mode'.

Operation

Whenever a player is hit and their current hitpoints are below the wimpy proportion, they will immediately and automatically attempt to leave the room. This has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

  • Wimpying temporarily puts the player out of harm's way, potentially allowing them to escape and recover if they take further action.
  • In periods of heavy lag, an automatic wimpy may allow a player to escape from peril whilst they are unable to manually intervene with any surety.

Disadvantages

  • Wimpy can be disorienting, as it causes a sudden and unexpected change of location; thus, it can sometimes be worse than a less timely, but better planned retreat.
  • Almost all NPCs will follow players who leave the room within a couple of seconds, thus the reprieve is temporary at best.
  • Some NPCs or players may pursue, in which case wimpy will not remove the player from danger.
  • Wimpying may be fatal in and of itself if the exits are trapped, enemies are waiting in ambush, or the exit taken is off of a sheer drop.
  • If you wimpy into a room with aggressive npcs, you can end up wimpying back and forth between the two rooms, making it more difficult to run away properly (as opposed to accidentally fleeing to the room you just left).
  • Awarded kill XP is scaled down in proportion to the victor's wimpy level (so a wimpy of 10% results in 90% of the kill XP being awarded, for example). (This doesn't appear to be true now, see discussion)
  • Wimpying interrupts rituals, potentially stopping you from passaging away, etc., at a vital moment.
  • Wimpy ends your combat when you flee, but does not affect those who are fighting you. A PK who is in combat with a mix of PKs and NPCs will die a real death if they wimpy from a PK and are then killed by an NPC. A player of over a year's experience gained in a 7 year period died their last death after running from an aggressive NPC, then taking unintended PK area effect spell damage which caused him to wimpy back to that NPC.

Forcing and preventing wimpy

Targets can be forced to wimpy (irrespective of their actual wimpy level) by:

Targets can be prevented from wimpying by:

A failure to pull something from a black top hat can result in a feeling of paranoia which causes occasional wimpying.

See also

External links