Issue with the "stolen items return to owner after guard whack" system

SidX

Grandmaster
So apparently it looks like if a thief is guard whacked after successfully stealing an item from another player, that stolen item is auto-returned to the original owner instead of remaining on the thief's corpse.

However I think there is a flaw here. I stole a ship rune today just messing around.. I recall to the ship off of the rune to take it for a spin and the ship starts burning down. When I die the rune ended up going back to the original player I stole it from.

So it looks like you don't have to be guard whacked, just killed somehow (another player, etc.), and the item gets sent back to the original owner. About 3 minutes had passed since I stole the item..

I want to think this isn't intentional, because I was never guard whacked or flagged crim for the steal. But when I died the item still went back to its owner...?
 
I haven't seen it mentioned as yet, but came looking - as of today, my GM stealther can't take a single step without being revealed... anywhere, underweight, every time. Maybe an unintended bork on that skill, too .. or my toon has bugged out ?
 

SidX

Grandmaster
I haven't seen it mentioned as yet, but came looking - as of today, my GM stealther can't take a single step without being revealed... anywhere, underweight, every time. Maybe an unintended bork on that skill, too .. or my toon has bugged out ?
You're not wearing any armor? I have a GM stealther and he's been fine. I only put clothing on him (no armor) and have no issues. WBB and most faction bases I'll get revealed, but I'm pretty sure there is some sort of hidden revealer at those spots anyway.
 
You're not wearing any armor? I have a GM stealther and he's been fine. I only put clothing on him (no armor) and have no issues. WBB and most faction bases I'll get revealed, but I'm pretty sure there is some sort of hidden revealer at those spots anyway.

Thanks for the feedback, Sid. Nope, no armor, and eventually nothing on at all. Tried in my house, middle of the wilderness, etc. Breaks on the first step every time.

Have decided just to try waiting it out over a server restart, and see if it corrects itself before I cry to a GM. Appreciate the help, cheers.
 

Jager

Grandmaster
Yea I tried both my stealthers and no change for me, try dieing? Dunno if that does anything but it's worth a shot
 
Yea I tried both my stealthers and no change for me, try dieing? Dunno if that does anything but it's worth a shot

Great suggestion Jager, but all to no avail unfortunately. ( I guess it shows how allergic I am to the thought of my own demise...that that idea didn't even enter my head, lol )

After a death, and some further testing.. I have now come up with : Toon wearing nothing at all, (GM Hiding, GM Stealth) after a hide, the stealth will always break on the first step taken.

However ! : If after hiding, I wait for the skill timer to reset and *manually* click the stealth skill button on my skills scroll -- I can always take precisely 4 steps before the stealth breaks. El Wacko.

Guess I'll page about it sometime tomorrow, or just try to adapt to being 'The 4-Step Bandit, Scourge of small houses everywhere" !!
 

hoodfigure

Master
I like the glitch where a thief steals my weapon in town and gets guard whacked. Item says its returned to my inventory but it is not. No one else around. No one went visable, GM tracking shows no one else in the 10 or w/e screens away. Item is in limbo. Can confirm.
 

SidX

Grandmaster
Wow. The time to get your item back is extended too? Jesus christ nice(terrible) find.
Seriously.. IMO this changes everything for thieves. I mean, it basically eliminates 50% of in-town stealing. It should be a risk for both parties. The thief can get whacked and lose his snag.. but those foolish enough to hold valuable unblessed items are at risk of losing them. It was a perfect balance-- key word, "was". Unfortunately I didn't see this change announced anywhere before it was implemented so it's been tricky figuring it out.

If I steal something and am successful, and am not guard whacked or flagged as a criminal, I shouldn't then lose the item 5 minutes later from dying to something completely irrelevant to the steal.. just my $0.02.
 

tader

Expert
Great suggestion Jager, but all to no avail unfortunately. ( I guess it shows how allergic I am to the thought of my own demise...that that idea didn't even enter my head, lol )

After a death, and some further testing.. I have now come up with : Toon wearing nothing at all, (GM Hiding, GM Stealth) after a hide, the stealth will always break on the first step taken.

However ! : If after hiding, I wait for the skill timer to reset and *manually* click the stealth skill button on my skills scroll -- I can always take precisely 4 steps before the stealth breaks. El Wacko.

Guess I'll page about it sometime tomorrow, or just try to adapt to being 'The 4-Step Bandit, Scourge of small houses everywhere" !!
Check your options. I think under mouse there is an always run option. Make sure it isn't checked. Other than that got nothing for you besides the your not mounted are you?

Sorry for the stupid ideas. Hope you get back to the shadows soon
 
I don't want to speak for Shane but I can say based on conversations I've witnessed that he hates the thieving system and believes it "isn't as intended" because of conversations with Richard Garriot. Because of his personal view on thieves, I've never made one except for faction sigils which unknowingly at the time, you don't even need to capture sigils. I'd recommend looking into another character template and in my own personal opinion thieves will get nerfed into the ground.
 

Infectious

Master
Doesnt matter how you die... if you die in a certain amount of time after the theft no matter what kills you... the item will go back to the owner.. This is not a bug this is just the regular system in place
 

Bunnky

Grandmaster
Found this: http://uothief.com/faq/1pt8.html
For those of you who do not know, since Publish 16 sometimes items recently stolen will be "blessed" (that is, rather, that they cannot be lost by dying but can be lost by being stolen) for two minutes.

Here is the official word from OSI in early November 2002:

Lord-Xanthor - *Mocker* Why are items stolen by thieves now temporarily blessed? This allows thieves to keep stolen items after ressurecting, ensuring 100% success for a play style which involves 0 risk. They can even call guards on themselves. Was this intentional, or is it a bug?
Helios_OSI - It was an unintentional feature that we decided to keep in the game. It gives the Thief an extra plus.
Helios_OSI - Which isnt all bad.

Lord-Xanthor - *C_Mike_GL* Since Theifs are soo limited to where and what they can steal, will there be changes of the theiving skill?
Helios_OSI - I wouldn't retire my thief just yet - that's all I'll say about that for now.

So I assume this was a personal choice of the devs. They didn't have to change it. This would go right along with what Keith said.
 
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Karl Sagan

Grandmaster
this is pretty fucked up man.
@Karl Sagan


@Shane @Adam explain maybe?

I think this was enabled to combat dual client thieving where the thief dies, switches accounts, and loots his own body. Obviously the timer was not adjusted.

I've reported both the long time limit and why it should be changed. Hopefully it gets changed to a reasonable 5 seconds or so.
 
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