Zinica, I think you have someone who has lost their wolf.


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Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.

Ten-four. I understand. What I'm trying to get across here is more options. For example, if your wolf finds X, wouldn't it be nice to have the wolf an option to howl, (or something) and you be able to hear it and know you could then track it to that spot. That may not be the best example, but what I'm phishing for more things your wolf could do when they find, or fail to find, X. Something Like Signal wolf to find X then howl and wait. If its a lame idea, just tell me and I'll go away quietly.


Do, or do not, there is no try." -Yoda

I love your idea of having the wolf howl when it finds the target. Only thing is, if the GMs are thinking realistic, they won't like it as it isn't realistic that one would hear a wolf miles away. If they are thinking, hey it's magic...they might. Never can tell when the GMs are thinking which way and it seems to swing back and forth between the two. The timer on tracking the wolf after you send it off is a long one...I think 90 seconds. So when I had my wolf, I would just count seconds if it was urgent.

As for the post that companions will be better. Yes, this is my fondest hope though Sithix is still busy : ( When he gets ready to code companions again, hopefully he will tell us on the boards and let us offer suggestions again (to add to the now towering piles of parchments in the DR equivalent of the Room of Requirement).

Zinaca and her young raccoon, Shadow--can we get raccoons to track folks? I've forgotten. Hey I'm venerable, be gentle with me!

So it appears that there is scant information regarding companions on Elanthipedia, here goes:

1. Is there a comprehensive list of SIGNAL commands for both raccoons and wolves? The in-game help is woefully, well, unhelpful.

2. What can I do with my raccoon to learn AL? I've been fishing mostly to learn AL, but thought that having a companion would be a better option? Is this not the case?

3. If I'm in-game and have my raccoon sleeping all the time, is it going to wander off or die? I've been calling him out, petting and feeding him every few hours or so, but normally just have him asleep. Will he still grow this way?

4. Is there a better source of information online than Elanthipedia? The Ranger articles don't seem to be too comprehensive.

Thanks!
GENT

Currently your best info is Elanthipedia.

But to answer your questions--

1. You SIGNAL your companion (they are the same for raccoon and wolf) to sit, stand, get,jump, unhide, find (and it will follow whoever you told it to find), find and wait (and it will find the person you told it to find and wait for that person to pet it) and sleep. I think I have thought of all the commands.

There is a lean-to on the grounds of the ranger guild in Langen where you can buy slates to send messages via companion. You don't need a writing tool to use and you just clean it to erase a message.

If you have an object (slate or otherwise) that you want your companion to deliver to someone, you SIGNAL your companion to FIND AND WAIT. This assumes the target person knows to PET the companion to get the object (a lot of folks don't know this).

Also be aware if you send your companion to find someone and they are in an area where companions can't go (cleric guild and empath guild of Crossing come to mind), you companion WILL disappear.

You can also TRACK your companion by TRACK WOLF, SIGNAL WOLF TO FIND X AND WAIT, after an 90 second wait, I think, you can then TRACK to find your wolf. This is very much dependant on the age of the companion and your scouting skill. Baby companions cannot be sent to find anyone. This works for wolves and raccoons.

2. Easiest way to learn AL right now is forage a stick, drop it and signal your companion to get it--over and over and over...until it is tired of getting it (you will see a message), then signal the companion to sleep, whistle for it again and repeat the process. If your companion is older than a baby, you have to signal it to DROP the object each time. It is horribly OOC and it spams the area with your actions so do it alone, if possible.

3. If you have your companion asleep there is NO risk of it disappearing or dying. I suppose the assumption is that you made a nest for it with appropriate food to sustain itself until you call it. But if you keep your companion asleep all the time it WON'T grow. Growing must happen while it is with you and it is a terribly long wait too.

Hopefully this helps you out.

By the way, raccoons are by nature shy afraid creatures so don't expect them to stick around watching you fight. They will hide from any critter, even in a safe spot. Raccoons are cute and do cute little dances and, if you are foraging at the edge of your level, the raccoon will randomly forage it for you--just trying to be helpful.

Wolves are not as prone to hide when a critter comes in and so are easier to hunt with as you don't have to constantly signal the companion to UNHIDE so you can keep track of paces and whimpers. Baby wolves do more actions than older wolves. The older the wolf, the more it sits watching you hunt and occasionally, if it sees a person hiding near you, will pull that person out of hiding. Wolves age a lot slower than raccoons.

Now aren't you glad you asked a few questions? You get to read this whole mass of text! : P

Zinaca and her young raccoon, Shadow

Oh I forgot a verb...HUNT. With wolves young and older, you can signal them to hunt when they get hungry. Really companions are great company. I really enjoy mine. And no I don't try to kill them! ::flails::

Zinaca and her young raccoon, Shadow

Purnay, I know you mean me---and I DON'T KILL my wolves...they just die or leave. Never have intentionally killed any companion, contrary to general belief.

And I don't know if I can track raccoons yet either. So far, I haven't been able to as my raccoon is still very young. But I assumed one could since we can send them to carry item/find someone.

Anyone with an older raccoon wanna jump in on this?

Zinaca and her young raccoon, Shadow

>hopefully he will tell us on the boards and let us offer suggestions again

Just because you can't perceive it does not mean it is not there, watching you like some kind of nasty predator.

Suggest away.


- GM Sithix