First off, I am aware that there already is a thread about the DR in this very forum (it's even on the first page). However, it deals with OOC only. Also, there are several threads on the DR in the wishlist, but this isn't exactly a wishlist wish, either.

Instead, this is intended for RPers only.

The issue is that it has become increasingly common to see people RP death and the DR in a way that it was never meant to be. While the more or less general conclusion on the board is that the DR is tremendously hard to get out, more and more RP seems to view the DR exactly as it is implementation-wise, i.e., a very minor inconvenience that mostly deserves no mention and surely no concern.

The issue is that this really is OOC, and thus dragging OOC into IC, which shallows the entire RP. Not only for the person doing it, but also for others. With the recent developments (the large number of players "RP"ing the DR this way) it is near impossible to realistically RP not wanting to die, even less never having died. I've seen this particular quote in one RP thread from the Ingame RP Events board!

The only damage done besides the double murder were some stained and torn carpets.

Thromdir and his wife have managed to return to us from the Death Realm in the meanwhile so they are back at work in the Vaalnor Supply Shop.

This is even more surprising as Zan isn't a new member, nor are things surrounding Vaalnor generally low quality RP, and, as I said, things like this are getting increasingly common in RP. That's why I think it's necessary to make sure RP doesn't lose track of the settings.
This quote is quite correct in implicitely putting theft several notions higher than murder (like some RL countries' judical systems do, too :\), since stolen things are much harder to get back (if at all) than it is to come back from death!

It therefore is my request to all RPers to find ways to deal with OOC-deficiency-induced death in ways that do not violate the setting. Most of the time it is a lot more appropriate to simply ignore, from an IC perspective, the char's death and just walk back and continue, or RP the char has been knocked out, but please don't devaluate death!

I think it's clearly not desirable to see scenes like these, which follow from devaluated death:

Char 1: My entire family was killed in a raid when I was 6.
Char 2: Did you enjoy the time noone told you what to do? Or were they back too quickly?

or

Char 1: My husband is missing for three days already! I wish he'd get killed, he knows the way back from the DR better than the way around Hydlaa!

or:

Char 1: I really wish those assassins would just find something else to do. I've been killed no less than 12 times this week, it's really getting hard to not miss meetings that way.

or:

Char 1: (fights a rogue and is about to die)
Char 2: Can you please bring butter on your way back from the dead?

or:

Char 1: There! Just came back from death!
Char 2: Oh, alright, but be faster next time, the soup is cold by now.
Char 1: Yeah, sorry, met someone on the way back... oh, my... please hand me the knife, I think I forgot my hat in the DR! Be back in a minute, I promise! *kills self*

Edit: [color=ff0000]This is no longer necessary since version 0.3.012, the new build of PS, supports the editor natively again! Also, this files no longer work and cause an error when entering the game (Error: some widgets failed to load)! So don\'t use this anymore![/color] If you have this installed, remove the readonly attribute of the files and let the updater replace them.

To whom it may concern,

after looking for it I found out that the char description can still be edited, but it is missing all image resources, and therefore the buttons and background won\'t show up.

I edited the appropriate xml files so that it now is easily usable. The icon will be the eye and the background is a bit weird, but the transparency works and you won\'t need to guess the positions of the save and cancel buttons anymore.

My modified files are here (don\'t use anymore, see above!).
You simply unzip this into the folder \"/data/gui/\". That will replace your versions with the modified ones. You should then write-protect them so that the updater won\'t overwrite them.

Happy editing!

Edit: found a better background for the window and thus updated the zip

While there is an /away command, and the auto-reply indicates this status in it\'s reply, there currently is no way of telling whether a player is /away except by sending a /tell.

This isn\'t very convenient, because in most cases sending a /tell isn\'t appropriate or wanted.

Therefore, I propose to include

1) a different color (yellow) for entries on the buddy list while the player is /away. It may or may not warrant a system message like when a player joins or quits, but this might be personal taste and thus configurable.

2) a visual indication of the model ingame. This is especially important for random encounters which you wish to talk to in normal chat, which sould be the prefered way anyway.
This couls be done by simply having the player go translucent like the inactive windows, but should in the end be designated by the player model doing something special, like sitting down with eyes closed or something like this.

This has been somewhat discussed on a thread asking for AFK shops, but IMO there should be such an indication without setting up a shop, and the two should be different so that shops, should they ever be implemented, don\'t visually conflict with general AFK-ness.

Edit: I know that such an indication might be seen as an invitation to indirect PK, i.e., if you see an AFK player, you can try to get a nonster close to them and hope it will turn on them, but OTOH, this can be prevented by the engine (i.e., a player who is AFK and doesn\'t perform any actions (to prevent abuse of AFK) won\'t be attacked by new monsters (attacks that have been going on before would continue just normally, also to prevent AFK abuse)), and abusive players are able to find out anyway.

Everyone who has made custom models, skins, screens or whatever, might be interested in the new feature of the updater: ignore readonly files.
Before that, it was necessary to copy the custom files to their folders after each update. Now it is possible to have the updater simply ignore (thus not update) them by setting the \"read-obnly\" attribute on these files.

This is done, for example, by richt-clicking on the file in the Explorer, selecting \"Properties\", then checking the \"readonly\" box and then hitting \"OK\" or \"Apply\". You can undo this anytime the exact same way, but simply un-check the box.

Enjoy!

Since there seems to be some confusion about the migration, it seems to be appropriate to post a guide for the second step of the migration that I can point to.

You have to create an account even if you migrated. It needs to use the exact same email address that you used in the migration, which will become your login name. Afterwards, the char you create needs to be named exactly like the migrated char, with the exception of the last name that can be made up freely and is separated from the firstname by a whitespace ( ), i.e. \"firsname lastname\".

Please do a search for \"inappropriate names\" in case you\'re unsure if your name is good RP style. In case of migrating chars with non-RP names, ask a GM to change the name once you have created the migrated char.

The link to the account creation site is in the news on the main website.

Hi everyone!

I have thought about Kran reproduction, as I don\'t know of any official or inofficial \"theories of operation\" on this subject.

Here\'s my idea:

Kran don\'t have sexes, but they do have variety. Therefore, they can\'t be utilising some sort of macro-mitosis (like some forms of worms and jellyfish perform AFAIK), at least not solely. However, I wish to add a great deal of novelty to it, therefore any conventional form of reproduction is out, including the merging of bodies in combination with mitosis, as can be found in one-cell beings.

However, the fact that they are stone-based gave me an idea. If we look at any stone, we can clearly see that every sample of it is different. Therefore, I propose that the Kran actually grow from stones.
A Kran \"seed\" is placed onto a stone, into which it then will bury itself by a combination of acids and bases that dissolve the rock but also recreate it after moving inwards, effectively protecting the growing hatchling.
Once inside, the seed starts to dissolve the stone from inside (morally acceptable since rock doesn\'t have feelings) and incorporates it into itself. When they reach full size, they break or dissolve the remaining rock to do their first shaky steps on the ground.
this means that Kran are \"born\" fully grown. The entire process would take long time, like 5 to 10 years, depending on the hardness of the rock, which however might determine the young Krans physical attributes, at least initially (i.e., hard rock (like granite) will yield more endurance but less dexterity than limestone).

The Kran body would produce those seeds in a shielded location, probably in the chest, from which they grow, shielded by a somewhat flexible fold (which is too thin to be seen unless closely examined. This growing will take about 7 months, but only happen once every 20 years. The seed can, however, just remain there, it doesn\'t have to be deployed at all if the Kran doesn\'t wish to do so.
The pleasure of reproduction would be more like planting a tree for a passionate gardener, though, but this very conscious decision will make the Kran care very well for their children (i.e., viciously guard the rock).
Kran can sense a rock that contains a deployed seed, so that they can avoid eating / destroying it by accident.
Therefore, Kran will have less frequent reproduction but their reproduction will be successful almost 100% of the time.

This was originally posted by me on this thread:
http://www.planeshift3d.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=11344&boardid=22&styleid=3
(maybe a mod can move the relevant posts from there to this thread, given the other posters are OK with that?)

The discussion on that thread yielded the addition that silicon is one of the building blocks of any rock, thus a Kran could indeed grow from a rock.

I\'d like to be able to create new spells, maybe even on the fly. Spell modding / combining could be used for this so the spells can\'t become too powerful. Like have a _huge_ list of elements / options / effects that can be chosen from for the new spell. Mana cost and spell complexity will be calculated from this.

Also, I\'d like to see all spells (and skills) work on everything. I hate mugs or trees that are totally immune to acid or fire spells or something. I\'d like to be able to drill holes into walls / mugs / whatever at random places. Or freeze the torch on said wall with an \"ice\" spell. Things like this. Use the \"push\" spell to break the bar that supports the roof of the building, making it at least unstable. Or use a \"float\" spell on one or more plank(s) to get accross a canyon.