Shattered Kingdoms

Are you tired of all that RP? Getting sick of talking to people before you kill them? Are you just downright frustrated with having to ask people questions or observe their behavoir before deciding whether you like them or not? Is your trigger finger- You know, your "bash, bash, bash, take all corp, put all in backpack, take all corp, butcher corp, smirk" trigger- getting itchy?

Don't worry kids! Now there's a great new product from PKcorp called "Detect aura" (or DA) for just your problem!! No more days and nights hastling over a 'know alignment' spell, wasting your precious mana and concentration for a full alignment reading- if you're a priest or knight, that is!

"I don't know, PKcorp- this sounds a little fishy. Isn't that a bit too good to be true?" -Polly

Not at all, Sally! With our new and improved "Detect aura" (or DA) you can immediately divide each and every person you see into our three prescribed categories, "Ally," "Enemy," and "Lonely guy in the corner". There's no save against it, no way to subvert it- all you have to do, is look? You have eyes, don't you, Sally? *deep, hearty laugh*

"Wow! That sounds great, Bob! Where can I get Detect aura?"

For a limited time, you can try Detect Aura absolutely risk-free! If you don't like it, return it to your local distributor for a full money-back refund, guaranteed! Detect Aura can be found the potion isle of equipment shops near you!

"I tried Detect Aura, and it completely removed all the "roll playing" that I had to do before vicious, arbitrary beat-downs! I couldn't even call people 'filth' and demand 'repentance' without having to actually observe their actions or listen to them! This product has dramatically improved my life, and I know it can do the same for you!" - Sue

Detect Aura- It's like roleplay, but not!

QQ!

...Bitter much? Awwww! My aura shows whether I'm good or evil!!!111!!1``1!

Ilkaisha said it best.

Bitter? BITTER? What ever made you think I was BITTER? That's just a lie, propegated by the liberal media.

What would be nice is if SK allows specialization in classes!

Paladin
- Crusader
- Cavalier

Warlock
- Conjurer
- Alchemist

Rogue
- Assassin (envenom?)
- Ninja

Sorcerer
- Mage
- Illusionist

Just to name a few, where illusionist can disguise alignment.

After some thought, perhaps it would be better to dual class, so the spell isn't confined to sorcerer.

What are the chances of any of this happening? :O

min, wtf does this have to do with the QQ-fest?

GET OUT OF MY QQ-FEST.

But, seriously. Do detect aura and know alignment function as a cheap substitute for RP? Do they have any place in such a hardcore RPG? What are the pros and cons of having these spells? I posted the above, because, frankly- I find it funny. But I don't want that to cheapen the questions that I meant as this thread's main point. And what about removing detect aura, but keeping in know alignment- so only priests and knights can use it, so they get more in-depth information than "light, gray, dark", and so they have to give a little mp and concentration each time they want to know about someone?

I've always disliked the spells. I never used it on my paladin, simply because I feel characters should prove there alignment through there actions, and be treated as such.

If you're a lighty, and so am I, and you run around helping my enemies, I'll kill you too, aura be damned.

The same applies the other way around too. You could "technically" be dark aura'd, but if you spend all your time helping old ladies across the road, and getting cats out of trees, that makes you alright in my book, and a character should be treated as such.

I dislike ways that allow player characters to 'judge a book by its cover', such as the big tag, or warning sign that detect aura spell can do. It takes out the element of discovery, surprise, and potential good roleplay in those grounds.

Leave it to the petty mortals to interact with each other to find out 'who' the other person is. As far as I can tell, the spell is being used more or less to gain an advantage in player versus player tactics such as deciding which and what players to cast in the case of combat. Other times it serves as a potential deterrent to interactions due to concerns of personal safety.

Detect aura is a stock spell that comes with DIKU MUD base, too. While I am not strongly against its existence, it would be nice to see ways to hide or disguise the alignment if it is not to be removed. Admittedly, I did enjoy the spell know alignment immensely when I first attained the spell. It is a powerful spell and lots of fun to cast it on others.

There has been discussions such as the cabal hood that hides identity and aura previously when Dulrik asked the public what we wanted. Maybe those are being implemented...

I personally think that the spells should be removed and then that would force rp before pk much more. They won't go, "Hey it's a darkie let's kill 'em!" That is the most annoying thing about SK right now. Then reputation and spying would work a lot better. In fact, spying would be feasible.