Graveyards and banks

[Tero Haatanen <>]

Here are some comments about resurrection, graveyards, banks and deposit
boxes. These are based on ideas of myself and others. Many new ideas
about graveyards are from <>.

[ Maybe resurrection code should be removed from next release and taking ]
[ back permanent death code from the version 0.90.1. After resurrection  ]
[ stuff works it could be included main version. We prefer here          ]
[ permanent death mode, so it would be nice getting working version.     ]

I haven't looked a resurrection code, so I don't know how it supposed 
work. Wouldn't it make sense that you need the body of dead player before 
you could resurrect him/her? There could be the (high level) spell of
resurrection, so that another player could resurrect player or in some
maps could be a temple where the priest sells resurrection. This would
require someone carrying corpse away, but it makes sense somehow.

The problem could be that the dragon breath easily destroys corpses,
so nothing is left to be resurrected. I myself might even prefer this,
since there should be some change that resurrection is impossible (if 
you have high level character it also means that money isn't any problem).
Probably the best would made corpses so that they can't be destroyed, but 
can take so much damage that resurrection is impossible, they can still
be buried.

You could carry player's corpse to the graveyard, and get player buried
with gravestone. This of course would require that when player normally 
die there wouldn't be any gravestone automatically. The idea of under-
taker's shop could be much simpler. It's just normal shop in next to 
graveyard. There you could buy different gravestones and monuments 
(depent how much you want spend your money). Carrying this gravestone 
and corpse in the graveyard and dropping them the same free square 
(marked as grave in map) and applying gravestone would update the grave-
stone and buries (or destroys) the corpse. These graveyards could be 
come 'The hall of fame' style maps.

I'm also against of .dead files since they cause only problems. I would 
save all information in corpse, that is most 'natural' place where it 
belongs. If you loose corpse you loose also information, simple and 
efficient. Saving only corpses in different place could be nice solution 
and really gives the new feel the game. Probably not too hard implement, 
when be careful about the map changes. Maybe there should be lock files 
for players, so the new player can't start same name than any corpse?

The banks/deposit boxes can be implemented (at least) two main way.
The first is saved maps and the second is saved containers (or special
squares). I myself prefer to save whole maps, but saved squares might
not be that bad idea (mark every square in map as saveable so you save
whole map!). The best solution is probably implement both, since it isn't 
too much extra code.

And more about permanently saved maps. The biggest problem with banks 
isn't that when player dies, nobody won't get the stuff from there, 
but that a new 1st level character comes and empties it (i.e. takes 
all best armors and weapons from there). All deposit boxes should be 
very much available from only one character. Also I prefer normal game 
mechanism of getting stuff from deposit boxes (i.e. special keys, 
passwords, using normal maps, etc.). 

Passwords are available everyone and not very save solution, so the key is 
the best solutions which comes to mind. It's easy implement, just buy key 
from the bank/inn and carry it with you. The problems raises when someone 
destroys keys, since those rooms can not be used any longer. Solution is
of course made keys impossible to destroy and save them like corpses. When
someone comes corpse, (s)he can empty your goods and resurrect your
body if possible. Another possibility would be doors locked by player's
name so no one else can't get through it. Very safe, but it's any better? 
The key feels more realistic, IMHO.

If player dies some strange map, her/his corpse and keys stays there until 
someone finds them. I don't think that's too big problem. And if the number 
of saveable items/maps isn't very big, then it's not any problem server 
going through all saved maps and looking old items (when server starts/
every X hour or so). Note that 'the old items' is very server specific 
thing, 24 hours server it's totally different than someone randomly 
starting game and playing a few hours.

I have had the idea of inns so long that I might even coding those next
weekend. so if you read above, I would like get your comments. Also if 
resurrect can be done like above I could fix it also, if PeterM isn't 
fixed it already. 

 -Tero