Crouching or sneaking

[Skates]

I’m not entirely sure on the current movement state the character adopts but obviously it’s either running or walking depending on if you hold the movement keys or not. I feel that an option to crouch and slowly ‘sneak’ around would make looting towns in the day a little more fair and easy. If the person is quick and patient theoretically they should be able to sneak into the center of town.

Obviously it’d have it’s downsides. Perhaps instead of taking one turn to move it takes two or three? and when you wish to crouch or stand up it also takes one turn? Discuss.

[DeadWeight]

I’m able to sneak around town just fine as is TBH, just keep your eyes and ‘ears’ open. and if you do get sen just run away till whatever is following you is gone.

If all else fails… shotgun.

[Skates]

[quote=“DeadWeight, post:2, topic:1633”]I’m able to sneak around town just fine as is TBH, just keep your eyes and ‘ears’ open. and if you do get sen just run away till whatever is following you is gone.

If all else fails… shotgun.[/quote]

That doesn’t sound awfully effective and the shotgun excuse won’t work if you’re a fresh spawn. Fresh spawns don’t have shotguns…

[DeadWeight]

Honestly most creatures hunt my smell/hearing more so than any hunt by sight. So even crouched I do believe Z’s can still find you. If you want to be stealthy your best bet is to go with Light step and inconspicuous traits. They can bearly hear you at this point so then on it’s just on scent.

Now I don’t know much about how critters track you but I’m not sure how well crouching itself would be.

[Wayfarer]

Yeah, I’m not sure how a “crouch” fits in with the current movement system or anything, there’s no “jumping” by vanilla/default either. But a “sneak” idea works I think: the player character actually making an effort to be extra quiet. Should take longer in terms of turns and like you’ve said, effectiveness is variable considering the scent tracking.

[TaintedHolyWater]

Well to help you sneak around in the time being you can use “X” to peek. I lets you move one square and look around without anything seeing you in that square. Using it to look through windows and around corners I can get through town only fighting 1-2 zombies at a time.

As for sneaking/crouching I’d like to see you crouch your way across the street… people will look at you rather funny proving that it doesn’t make you invisible… damn you video games and your wishful lies! Yes crouching gives you a smaller profile but it doesn’t help if you gave nothing to hide behind.
What does make you stealthier is being a similar color as the backdrop (like greys in the dark, not black) variation to that color to break up your outline (like camouflage print) and to not move when anyone is looking (like… anything stealthy) for starters. [/rant]

What would make you very stealthy in game would be a full diving suit and respirator. No smell, light foot for next to no sound and go at night where everything is next to blind. I wish we could get diving suits…

[system]

Movement is the real sticker.

I hunt, and if anything sees the slightest movement you are fucked.

But if you have some proper camo and stay deathly still nothing will see you ever.

[Pthalocy]

I seriously would like to try hunting. My only experience with being spotted is from an inverse scenario, in which I WANT to be seen specifically so vehicles don’t hit me at night. Everything about high contrast colours (black is not stealthy), movement, and silhouette/profile are absolutely true.

[TaintedHolyWater]

Huntings all good but gutting your kill sucks if you screw up/let your inexperienced friend try.

The one big problem is the BITCH* moment. Avoid the bitch and don’t be one and you’ll do fine… oh and know how to shoot, that’s probably important too.

*Bear-Is-Too-Close-HELP!

[Pthalocy]

Yeah I need to do the Canadian process of acquiring a license to use rifles before I can get hunting permits.

What I know of gutting an animal is only from a decent medical understanding of anatomy, which basically means I know what I want to avoid, but not how to accomplish that. I’m accustomed to dissections from bio classes, not gutting for food.

This makes me wonder about something else sneak-related: noise produced when crafting things. You’re not moving, but these actions likewise can produce noise depending on what you’re making. The logical answer would be to just construct things in safe locations where mobs can’t hear you, but I figure it was a subject worth tossing on the table if only to eliminate it.

[The_Darkling_Wolf]

[quote=“TaintedHolyWater, post:6, topic:1633”]Well to help you sneak around in the time being you can use “X” to peek. I lets you move one square and look around without anything seeing you in that square. Using it to look through windows and around corners I can get through town only fighting 1-2 zombies at a time.

As for sneaking/crouching I’d like to see you crouch your way across the street… people will look at you rather funny proving that it doesn’t make you invisible… damn you video games and your wishful lies! Yes crouching gives you a smaller profile but it doesn’t help if you gave nothing to hide behind.
What does make you stealthier is being a similar color as the backdrop (like greys in the dark, not black) variation to that color to break up your outline (like camouflage print) and to not move when anyone is looking (like… anything stealthy) for starters. [/rant]

What would make you very stealthy in game would be a full diving suit and respirator. No smell, light foot for next to no sound and go at night where everything is next to blind. I wish we could get diving suits…[/quote]
There are several situations in which crouching would make you more stealthy, specifically, crouching to get past windows and hide behind things like counters and tables.

[i2amroy]

As for sneaking/crouching I’d like to see you crouch your way across the street… people will look at you rather funny proving that it doesn’t make you invisible… damn you video games and your wishful lies! Yes crouching gives you a smaller profile but it doesn’t help if you gave nothing to hide behind.

I’ve actually done this before when one of my friends dared me to, and you’re right, people do look at you funny.

I could see adding sneaking into the game though, as has been discussed here. Basically just a movement penalty in return for making less noise when you walk.

Crouching, on the other hand, I don’t really see any use for. Sure it might reduce your profile slightly, but as mentioned, it doesn’t do too much to stop you from being spotted.

[The_Darkling_Wolf]

I’d like to point out my previous remark

[i2amroy]

I’d like to point out my previous remark

Oops, missed that while reading somehow. You do have a definite point that crouching would be effective for windows/tables/counters.

[The_Darkling_Wolf]

Also if we implement trenches and ditches in any nice way, crouching could be used to sneak around in those.

[Skates]

Also if we implement trenches and ditches in any nice way, crouching could be used to sneak around in those.

Exactly. I was going for the more, crouching near a window or obstacle in order to move around more methodically and quietly. Not as an additional method of movement just for the sake of moving.

[Nighthawk]

Only time being sneaky has ever worked for me was when I hid in a changing room from zombies that had spotted me while I was in the clothing store, and even then I got lucky, because I had done that before once and been greeted by a Brute who picked up my scent.

Now, if you could add directional sight… that would be fantastic.

[kevin.granade]

Thinking out loud here, to make crouching/crawling work for stealth we need:

1. A height value for LOS-blocking terrain
   a. full (walls, refigerators)
   b. sneak (hedges, some bushes, some cars, trenches) (shoulder-high)
   c. crouch (counters, some other bushes, some car parts, ditches maybe) (waist-high)
   d. crawl (underbrush, windows) (knee-high)
2. Movement system that sets effective height to one of the above, with appropriate movement penalties.
   I’m thinking switching between modes would be free, moving would apply the current penalty, possibly with an additional cost for the act of changing from one to another. Pausing with a new mode set would move you to that mode.
3. Update LOS calculation to take 1 and 2 into account.
   You’d be able to see over terrain that is your height + 1, so if you’re crouched behind a counter, you can see over it, but not be seen, if you’re crawling toward a window to shut it, you can see out the window, mut monsters can’t see you.
   Monsters would see you if your height > intervening terrain height.
4. UI to give the player feedback about what is and isn’t blocked.
   Probably draw tiles that you can see but not vice versa shaded or similar, need to differentiate between this and dimly light areas somehow.
   For very conservative play you can 'X’peek to see what the view arcs for your next move are.

1 and 2 can happen independently, 3 needs both 1 and 2 done first, and 4 needs 3, but will probably just happen at the same time.

[100Rads]

This actually seems like a really good idea. Especially now with the enhanced zombie distribution. Maybe if you crouched behind the wooden fences you couldnt be seen too?

[iceball3]

To add on: Going prone could help you fire whil’st prone? I can see taking out a hulk with an Anti Material rifle, ya.