"Sneak", its criticism, and some suggestions

[Yuuta]

As it stands, "Sneak" is currently classified as a Genjutsu. As I have already made my feelings behind Genjutsu and what constitutes a Genjutsu in my other topic here quite clear, I will not trudge upon that area again.

I believe that sneak, being a multi-purpose skill that is inherently known to human beings (and especially ninja), should be available to all and should most definitely not require any knowledge in Genjutsu in order to perform.

Now, does this mean that I do not support a "Sneak"-type skill in Genjutsu? On the contrary -- I would suggest that the Sneak skill made available to everyone but to have specific variation of "sneak" for each ability class that is unique in their own way.

Current Sneak:

Syntax: sneak
Syntax: visible

If you successfully sneak, you can move from place to place without being
noticed by other player characters. If you flee, you will stop sneaking
and will have to 'sneak' again.

Visible (vis) cancels your sneaking, effectively making you visible again
to all.

Suggested Sneak :

Syntax: Sneak
Syntax: Visible

By sneaking, you may move from one place to another without being
noticed by other player characters. If you should flee, you will stop
sneaking and will have to "sneak" again. While sneaking, you will
experience greater delay moving from room to room, and there is a chance
of another player noticing you based on their combat level in relation to yours.

Visible (vis) cancels your sneaking, effectively making you visible again
to all.

~~~

Example of Ability-specific Sneak :

Taijutsu

QUICK MOVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Syntax: Quick Move <0-5>

A skilled user of Taijutsu can push their body to extreme speed, allowing
them to quickly move into an area and out of it faster than those nearby
can react.

When the user has this technique activated, the notice that they have
entered the room will be delayed depending on how quickly they are
moving (which is based on the number following the syntax). If the user
exits the room quick enough, then the people within the room will not be
notified of their entrance at all.

Lower levels (1-3) will not prevent others from noticing when you leave,
but the higher levels (4-5) will.

There is a large stamina drain associated with keeping Quick Move active
while moving through rooms, with higher levels requiring greater amounts
of stamina.

In order to reset it back to normal, use Quick Move 0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this example, it is a technique which cannot be seen through (as sneak can), but requires the user to continue moving to remain unspotted (at a large stamina drain). This is especially useful for surprise attacks, as quick moving into a room will not immediately alert others to your presence, allowing you to land a solid strike. Higher levels are more useful for running away, though the stamina costs associated with this move will limit its use.

It is very important to note that this is a uniquely Taijutsu-esque sneak and one that *logically requires training* to use. It is my suggestion for there to be one variation of "sneak" within each ability class (Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu) that are stronger overall than just "sneak", which would make for a good general ability (as "sneaking" does not overtly require training to do).

[Gatz]

I think I can dig this, I'd like to see some others weigh in on this. However, just to clarify, sneak wouldn't be made into a battle ability, it would just be a specific skill in each ability type (ie. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu)?

[Yuuta]

I think I can dig this, I'd like to see some others weigh in on this. However, just to clarify, sneak wouldn't be made into a battle ability, it would just be a specific skill in each ability type (ie. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu)?

"Sneak" will be made weaker than it current is and will be a Basic ability, that everyone has access to (gained through combat level). The key point is that it will be a weaker version than it is and have drawbacks associated with it.

Each ability class (Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu) will have their own more powerful variation of "sneak" which serves the same ends but is in itself unique. The example I gave, Quick Move, allows you to quickly move in and out of rooms without being noticed (while the new sneak would potentially allow people to spot you and slows your movement) and can serve either as a potential escaping technique *or* as a strong engagement technique. As a bonus, I would also suggest Quick Move have a Kawarimi-esque effect for NPCs -- using Quick Move 4-5 will prevent monsters from knowing which direction you are escaping. This provides a good alternative to the Ninjutsu Kawarimi for Taijutsu users and gives it its own use aside from just sneaking around the backs of players and, though it is in effect a "Sneak" skill, it has an identity all its own.

Food for thought : Henge is already a rather powerful "sneak" skill, as it disguises the user to prevent those around them from recognizing them.

[Gatz]

It's taken me awhile to think on this guy and I think I'd prefer to keep sneak as a Genjutsu, but possibly add in hide to pair with it. However, I like the 'quick move' idea. I think making it like a speed walk type of movement would work well.

An example would be:

Speedwalk n nw e s s e n ne sw

Obviously the name would need to change to make it something flashier, but the idea would be you could zip around. Making in combat, it could be useful for heavily reducing the chance for an attack to be dodging or partially dodged, at a stamina cost of 1.5x?

The only downside is...I'm not sure what that leaves Ninjutsu.

[Yuuta]

It's taken me awhile to think on this guy and I think I'd prefer to keep sneak as a Genjutsu, but possibly add in hide to pair with it. However, I like the 'quick move' idea. I think making it like a speed walk type of movement would work well.

An example would be:

Speedwalk n nw e s s e n ne sw

Obviously the name would need to change to make it something flashier, but the idea would be you could zip around. Making in combat, it could be useful for heavily reducing the chance for an attack to be dodging or partially dodged, at a stamina cost of 1.5x?

The only downside is...I'm not sure what that leaves Ninjutsu.

Speedwalks are almost never a good idea, in my experience. It encourages moving blindly from point A to point C without regard to point B, which would most likely have an undesirable impact, both on the content of the created areas as well as the immersion of the players themselves.

And I am still against "sneak" being a Genjutsu technique. At the very least, I would request a name change, even if its functionality remains completely untouched. Even "Meld" (the user manipulates those in the room to not see them) or "Forced Disinterest" (the user manipulates those in the room to unintentionally avoid looking at where the user is).

"Sneak" (which implies walking around in a stealthy manner) hardly strikes me as a Genjutsu skill. =/