Trap Idea: Poison Lock

[Springheel]

I had an idea for a simple little trap and was wondering what it would involve. I'd like to create a lock that does a small amount of damage to the player any time he tries to lockpick but fails (imagine a small poison-covered needle that jabs his fingers). It sounds like the kind of thing that should be easy with scripting, but that's an area I know absolutely nothing about.

[Komag]

I've never ever been able to learn any way to pick locks without anything other than stupid dumb luck, so such a trap would definitely not be welcome to me.

 

(I can't hear or see anything indicative of when to let go of the pick - am I just being daft?)

[nbohr1more]

This reminds me of the "Poison Mushrooms" in the extra-hard Japanese Super Mario 2... Very evil

[Komag]

Let me add though that the idea sounds cool. Maybe there would be some alternative entry or approach for players who don't want to risk the trap, and some hint that it exists

[Springheel]

(I can't hear or see anything indicative of when to let go of the pick - am I just being daft?)

 

You're not supposed to hear anything specific; you have to let go at the end of the sequence. Do you have it set to the easiest setting? It's pretty easy to hear the gap between sequences that way.

[Komag]

That's it? I sort of was starting to try that, wait till all the noise is finished, but I thought there was some tell-tale click sound that was the "good" click or something. I think I don't like how it is. Basically you have to hold it for a while to hear the pattern to memorize when it ends - is the silent time just shorter on higher difficulty?

[Serpentine]

I'd be interested to see a map using traps and such on harder difficulty levels, dont know how I feel about it til I can play around practically, same for failed picks having a chance to alert AI, just one of those thing you need to feel out

[stumpy]

you could probably put a small bit of green smoke (particle effect) on a poisoned lock, maybe you could null the effects by frobbing holy water on the lock. maybe you could have acid traps with yellow smoke nulled by a water arrow, and fire traps with red smoke, also nulled by a water arrow.

[Fidcal]

Komag: Try the trainer, there is info on lockpicking. Basically listen to the sound pattern repeating or watch the handle progress (in fits and starts but it does progress) repeating until you can anticipate teh brief silence at the end - or set it on auto and just hold for three passes.

 

poison lockpick:

May require a code change. I don't know how to do this from script. A start might be to copy the script object that starts it from the use key. A compromise might be a timer started when the player is close enough and that script is called. Maybe cvars are set when lockpicking fails in which case that would be simple to detect from script.

 

What about players on auto lockpick? Just hold down the key and wait and you can't fail.

 

Certainly needs a warning like as suggested evil smoke coming out of the lock and a clue.

[Springheel]

What about players on auto lockpick? Just hold down the key and wait and you can't fail.

 

Hmm, that's true. My intention was to make lockpicking slightly tense even if there were no AI around, but autopick would defeat that.

[aidakeeley]

Hmm, that's true. My intention was to make lockpicking slightly tense even if there were no AI around, but autopick would defeat that

 

Yeah, but it would only defeat it for those that don't want to (have specifically chosen not to) be involved in lock-picking anyway. It'd still be cool for those of us who do want to pick locks as part of the game. Win. Win.

 

But I do agree and think it'd be a cool convention to have these poisonous locks emit a slight particle effect as stumpy suggests.

Edited June 16, 2010 by aidakeeley

[HappyCheeze]

What if there was (for trapped locks) a certain sound to look out for, a certain clicking noise, if you release on that noise you get gassed?

 

And maybe for autopicking players, if they hold it down too long, it pops?