The Castle Doctrine Forums

bey bey

Member

Registered: 2013-04-20

Posts: 386

Dogs and pits

Just a quick one that's been bugging me for a while when considering interesting labyrinth setups: I don't find it sensible that dogs run into pits. To them, they should function like walls - they'll run along them but not mindlessly plunge into them. (They'd be extinct if they did something like that in the real world.) Thus they could, for example, follow you across a path of trapdoors leading through pits instead of jumping into the void at the first chance they get. Or they'd be stopped by pits as by walls but not just die pointlessly.

A frying floor is a different story, a dog won't know what that is until it's too late (so there would still be a neat way to dispose of dogs if needed). 

Anybody feel the same way? I somehow feel it would be nice to change that.

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In fact you can be batman.
(if he robbed houses and murdered families.) - Dalleck

ukuko

Member

Registered: 2013-04-06

Posts: 334

Re: Dogs and pits

The dogs are crazy with bloodlust and fall into the pit trying to get you!

To be honest I can see this both ways and I don't feel too strongly about it. At least you can only put one dog in a pit!

bey bey

Member

Registered: 2013-04-20

Posts: 386

Re: Dogs and pits

Yeah, I just like the idea that dogs aren't stupid enough to scramble straight into a pit, something that I managed to do a few times.

I just like the psychological effect of pits in a labyrinth but it's impossible to properly use them if you also like your dogs since they'll always all end up dead in no time. It just limits possibilities in an unusual way if you want to make the real labyrinth of terror.

Imagine a labyrinth consisting only of pits instead of walls where every click too many might be your last and also filled with dogs around "bends" ready to chase you.

Last edited by bey bey (2013-06-23 16:01:38)

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In fact you can be batman.
(if he robbed houses and murdered families.) - Dalleck

largestherb

Member

From: england

Registered: 2013-05-27

Posts: 381

Re: Dogs and pits

i was pondering how game changing it might be to have pets that don't fling themselves to broken limbs. . . . .

however, at the same time in real life i have seen many animals misjudge a jump and fall down. maybe dogs that fall in pits can climb out and limp along after a few turns?

jasonrohrer

Administrator

Registered: 2013-04-01

Posts: 1,235

Re: Dogs and pits

That's supposed to be the trade-off for pits.  They are much harder for the robber to cross (needs a ladder, the most expensive bypass tool in the game), but they are no good in conjunction with animals.  Right now, dogs are too easy to get past with just a pack of crowbars, so people just chose pits and forget the dogs.  But if dogs represent more of a tactical threat in v10, that may change, where most people will WANT some dogs in their houses, in which case it will push down the use of pits.

The idea is that all the objects in the game have some kind of trade-off.  Windows are see-through but the cheapest to cut through (brick), and can be cut through with lots of different tools.  Wood walls are cheap to cut through, but don't conduct electricity (insulator), but can be cut through with three different tools.  Metal walls conduct electricity but are immune to saws and explosives (need a torch).  Concrete walls behave like wood walls, but can never conduct electricity (no wired version), but are very expensive to cut through (explosives).

Trapdoors are the opposite of doors (can only pass when current is ON, not OFF), but are dangerous to animals.  Electric floors are the opposite of trapdoors, but become very cheap to bypass when they are in the ON state, and stop conducting once broken.

If pits blocked dogs, they'd just be a window that's very expensive to cut through.

colorfusion

Member

Registered: 2013-04-02

Posts: 537

Re: Dogs and pits

That's supposed to be the trade-off for pits.  They are much harder for the robber to cross (needs a ladder, the most expensive bypass tool in the game), but they are no good in conjunction with animals.  Right now, dogs are too easy to get past with just a pack of crowbars, so people just chose pits and forget the dogs.  But if dogs represent more of a tactical threat in v10, that may change, where most people will WANT some dogs in their houses, in which case it will push down the use of pits.

The idea is that all the objects in the game have some kind of trade-off.  Windows are see-through but the cheapest to cut through (brick), and can be cut through with lots of different tools.  Wood walls are cheap to cut through, but don't conduct electricity (insulator), but can be cut through with three different tools.  Metal walls conduct electricity but are immune to saws and explosives (need a torch).  Concrete walls behave like wood walls, but can never conduct electricity (no wired version), but are very expensive to cut through (explosives).

Trapdoors are the opposite of doors (can only pass when current is ON, not OFF), but are dangerous to animals.  Electric floors are the opposite of trapdoors, but become very cheap to bypass when they are in the ON state, and stop conducting once broken.

If pits blocked dogs, they'd just be a window that's very expensive to cut through.

Also pits are deadly to people who aren't paying much attention, I've had so many people run into the exact same pit at my house.

jasonrohrer

Administrator

Registered: 2013-04-01

Posts: 1,235

Re: Dogs and pits

Well, that part isn't intentional!  I'm designing the game assuming that people will play optimally.  Of course, they are human and do make mistakes.

bey bey

Member

Registered: 2013-04-20

Posts: 386

Re: Dogs and pits

Well, that part isn't intentional!  I'm designing the game assuming that people will play optimally.  Of course, they are human and do make mistakes.

Well, this was what I meant by the terror house. If every wall is a pit, you need to be on your toes all the time (I have had keyboard misfires cost me everything...). Add dogs and it becomes really terrifying even thought the real chance of dying is probably a lot less than from walking across trapdoors. (I still assume that pits will be the optimal defence in v10, since dogs will mostly mean that ONE gun is enough as long as one can cut through walls without the dog doing anything). I am honestly more afraid of a maze of pits than of a maze with a few dogs.

But we'll see.

---

In fact you can be batman.
(if he robbed houses and murdered families.) - Dalleck

jasonrohrer

Administrator

Registered: 2013-04-01

Posts: 1,235

Re: Dogs and pits

Hmm.... well, a dog is a moving pit that costs roughly 2x to cross (in v10 with a gun).  Keyboard mess-ups still really hurt around dogs!