grapple/drag and arrest

I was pondering a few suggestions. One, if someone is under arrest a...resist or go peaceably option? For the later, less dragging damage or uhh guards not able to move from lack of strength.

The other thought was for those being grappled or...I forgot the other combat-y moves, the rolls I recall seem to be strength + unarmed against theirs? There isn't much a low strength character can do in those cases for the struggles. I was contemplating something of acrobatics or some other non-strength type of rolls, shady arts maybe for noping away

Being able to resist being dragged off with rolls of some kind as well so the guards don't have 100% catch rate on the accused. I think I recall currently one can't draw a weapon when under choke, grapple etc either, and assume the same for drag. (not sure what happens if a character is dragged for escape rolls or whatever.)

You can definitely STRUGGLE to resist the guards' grabs -- but honestly, I wouldn't recommend it, because there's a "resisting arrest" crime set up in the criminal code, and that will get you either a longer sentence, or... if a crime is suitably bad enough, it's kill on sight. I think there is a wriggling/flexibility aspect to the STRUGGLE code, but I'll have to look into it -- if there isn't there should be.

Here's the current dictionary of crimes, for reference. When someone's "criminal record" exceeds 50 points, that's when the guards are just going to try to do street executions. Currently there's no racial profiling set up in the crime system, but there probably should be at some point. Damn, that's a little upsetting. But we probably all should be upset about that already. ANYWAY.

crime_to_level_dict = { "sneaking": 1, "resisting arrest": 3, "faulty banknote": 3, "bedlam": 3, "lockpicking": 5, "pickpocketing": 5, "assault": 5, "illicit trade": 5, "breaking & entering": 5, "larceny": 5, "murder": 10, "murder of a guard": 50, "false accusation": 10, "accusation":0, "suspicion of murder": 5, "suspicion of lockpicking": 3, "suspicion of assault": 3, "suspicion of theft": 3, "suspicion of bedlam": 1, "suspicion of illicit trade": 3, }

The idea of a surrender/go peaceably option is also very needed. Not just for guards' arrests, but for things like in the showcase where Emmaline was attacked by NPC thugs. 

Nodnod, so the code/guards wouldn't be very forgiving to that.  Is the criminal record they same as the crime rep that shows under known as in score?

With resisting arrest being coded in, for future guard shananigans it could be helpful for characters to know once grabbed there are consequences to trying to get out of holds unless well, confident somehow. My previous game the guards had no way to lose their grasp on people, which always felt a little immersion breaking for them to always win out witnessing it. (there was also no way to call the guards which was frustrating in a can't do anything seeing crime sense. Balance is hard.)

I believe with arena testing there wasn't a non-strength aspect to get out of a hold or being carried, but that was also...six months ago? It seemed be be strength vs strength with the higher strength winning out in the variety of ways a character can be carried or attacked, but I didn't test all of them. I'm not sure what shows for drags, as well, but the rest had me wondering about the getting out of those alongside the inability to stab in response. More testing needed!

"When someone's "criminal record" exceeds 50 points, that's when the guards are just going to try to do street executions."

"Is the criminal record they same as the crime rep that shows under known as in score?"

Oh dear. That sweating gif is...a good choice there

Haha no, thankfully it's not the same as reputation. It's something stored in the crime ledger in the guardhouse, and isn't necessarily a thing players can always see for themselves. It resets when you serve a jail sentence, or get pardoned. Past crimes remain in the record but don't factor in to that OOC number that basically determines whether the guards currently think you deserve a street execution.

Phew... We live to break the law another day.

Related curious noob questions, asking for a friend, nothing to see here officer:

1. I'm very surprised to see that 'sneaking' is a criminal offense, because there's a certain chap around here - not naming any names even though he has plenty to choose from - who pretty much exists in stealth 90% of the time, and definitely has sneaked around guards before. A lot. Is it not something that guards will intervene on? Or just not something that they'll count as a crime unless someone reports it?

2. Is it possible to accumulate multiple counts of the same crime type at once? Because if guards get all kill-on-sight at 50 points, and you can wrack up points just by being accused - a la the 'suspicion of' crimes - then wouldn't it be possible for me to say... accuse Ighlaf of murder 10 times over and watch them get PK'd in the street? Just noticing a potential flaw there.

3. This one's a bit out of left field so bear with me, I'm just super curious. But say you're dragging/grabbing/carrying or otherwise holding onto somebody, and you hit stealth... what happens? Do you drop them and hide solo? Do both you and the homie you're holding get hidden? If so, whose stealth skill is utilized? Are the two separate based on their own stealth levels, does the hider cover for both, or is it lowest common denominator with whoever's stealth skill is crappier taking the fore? Or is it just plain old not possible to hide while carrying someone?

Phew.

I've seen some sneaking get noticed and moved from stealth and the guard just...keeps on walking when the person gets unstealthed.

That does make me wonder: What criminal offense accrual to reach for the guards to chase someone down? Or is it the accuse portion? Wondering about that ooc number or the cool down of for people doing the sneaking badly over time etc, will there be a final straw type moment. 

For number 2, it does give 100 seconds of roundtime doing accuse, so I suppose the false assuse being 10 points means...don't false accuse 5 times or the guards lose patience? >.> But a group pointing fingers could be...hmm...

I am intensely curious about the carrying and stealth, and would add on additionally if a character is riding on another, can the first uhhh stealth at all?   Although I suppose eventually three men in a trenchcoat will be fixed so three can't.

Sneaking is only considered a crime in no-sneaking zones, which aren't well set right now, so you're probably mostly safe...but like, I'd be wary of sneaking around a noble's mansion, or a constabulary, or you know. Places you probably shouldn't be sneaking about. 

When people do certain acts they get flagged as crimes, but it's only recorded in the crime ledger if the guards notice. Someone could falsely accuse someone else of a crime maybe once or twice if they're lucky before they'd start getting seriously suspected themselves. The only people who can fail-safe accuse are guards themselves.

As for the question about dragging/hiding -- I am sorry to say that as it is right now, there is no good way to drag somoene else into hiding. What would mechanically happen is that maybe you would hide, but that other person's room pose would show them being being held by you if they didn't also hide. 

It'd be good in the future if there was a way to hide with someone, especially if they weren't struggling or anything, or to drag someone else into hiding.