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View Full Version : Game Mechanics: It appears NPC's in hate should pickup Book of Souls


Vsai
01-29-2023, 08:50 AM
https://web.archive.org/web/20001023075822/http://pub13.ezboard.com:80/fthesafehousethebackroomsecretsspoilers.showMessag e?topicID=4615.topic&index=6

Source: Safehouse EZboard
Date of post: Oct 9th, 2000

"Re: Book of Souls
Clerics now pick up items, and I think others do as well.

Drop some stuff on the ground when you have a cleric pull incoming. You'll get a funny message. Drop 10 things on the ground and your group will get spammed to death.

At first I thought it was hilarious.

Then I realized it was part of the Ragebringer nerf. :p

So you basically can't just go up there now and get one unless the zone is clear. Any mobs that patrol near the book, even if below or above on the Z axis, will pick it up immediately."

Vsai
01-29-2023, 09:22 AM
https://i.imgur.com/KClQitm.png

It doesnt like the direct link. Posting screencap.

To navigate to the post, you can do a search on the following, and filter on text/html. Look for the link ending in "topicID=4615.topic&index=6"


https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://pub13.ezboard.com/fthesafehousethebackroomsecretsspoilers.showMessag e*

nilbog
01-29-2023, 12:51 PM
There are many npcs in general which should pick up ground items. This is on a backlog for source development.

It's interesting that mechanic also expands to nodrop items.


Here's one from hate:

https://i.imgur.com/xGy944J.jpeg


Some npcs have specific pickup dialogue as well.


Jracol Brestiage says 'Look what I found! I hear there's a good market for these back in Highpass.. lucky me!

Nillipuss says 'Look what I found! What a great find! It used to be yours, but now it is mine!

Vsai
01-29-2023, 01:35 PM
Neat!

Solist
01-29-2023, 05:53 PM
I don't believe this to be 'classic', but the timeline was around early velious for sure when drop trading became higher risk.

mycoolrausch
01-29-2023, 07:08 PM
Book of Souls not being up sounds like a patched mechanic that would've led to this unintended behavior and probably fixed in a later patch.

Ennewi
01-29-2023, 07:22 PM
Definitely remember witnessing this for the first time in North Freeport, specifically because the passing guard announced their discovery of the valuable and the small "bag" item on the ground disappeared, much to the chagrin of a rl friend; at the latest, this was months before Velious as I quit before its release. The NPC behavior is also mentioned in the trilogy manual, page 4/5, Arriving in Norrath.

https://web.archive.org/web/20040730192355/http://eqlive.station.sony.com/library/images/EQTrilogyManual.pdf

Be aware that some merchants and NPCs are greedy and might pick up items they see lying on the ground.

Elroz
01-30-2023, 12:43 PM
i ran around dropping bat wings a while back trying to find all the npcs that pick up things, totally forgot to check plane of hate but found quite a few.

Item pickups:

North Qeynos
A sewer rat squeaks as it wanders.
Tubal Weaver says, 'Hey! Someone dropped a perfectly good thing-a-ma-jig! Oh well, finders keepers!'

South Qeynos
Byjan Timbokker picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!
Wrin Liltin picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Iala Lenard picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Lomarc says, 'I'm sure I have a few contacts who would be very pleased with this find.'
A sewer rat squeaks as it wanders.
Barthal picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Solani Dayadil picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Gahna Salbeen picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Moran Smith picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Bassanio Weekin picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'
Hansl Bigroon picks up a discarded item from the ground and says, 'Don't people have enough respect for our grand city to not throw things onto the streets?!'

Qcatacombs
A gelatinous cube absorbs a discarded item into its corrosive body
A sewer rat squeaks as it wanders.

Freeport
Boomba the Big says, 'Me finds sumting. Goody!'
Ping Fuzzlecutter says, 'Lucky me! Someone has littered Freeport with good merchandise.'

Neriak
Tani N`Mar picks up something from the ground.

Paineel
Library assistant says, 'What is this? Just another piece of rubbish littering my library. The deceased are so much more tidy than the living!'

Rivervale
Nillipuss says, 'Look what I've found! What a great find! It used to be yours, but now it is mine!'
Mac Deeppockets picks up something from the ground.
Flyndia Deeppockets picks up something from the ground.

Akanon
Clockwork scrubber clicks as a plate slides to the side revealing a hose that extends and sucks up an item from the ground.
Duster V clicks as a plate slides to the side revealing a hose that extends and sucks up an item from the ground.
Clockwork sweeper clicks as a plate slides to the side revealing a hose that extends and sucks up an item from the ground.
^^ that message also for the clockwork rat that spawns in steamfont

misty-
[Wed May 25 14:32:02 2022] Sonsa Fromp picks up something from the ground.

NK-
[Wed May 25 16:53:31 2022] Bilbis Briar picks up something from the ground.

HHP- (Qeynos Hills also, tested both) - Same message for Gornolin
[Wed May 25 19:36:49 2022] Wyle Bimlin picks an item up from the ground and says, 'Hey! Look what I found! Another piece of rubbish for my trailer... Must be my lucky day.'

PoFear-
[Thu May 26 00:53:17 2022] Phoboplasm absorbs a discarded item into its corrosive body

Rygar
01-30-2023, 01:59 PM
That is amazing ClassicQuest. My kind of stuff, hats off to you on all those messages.

nilbog
01-30-2023, 02:05 PM
I don't believe this to be 'classic', but the timeline was around early velious for sure when drop trading became higher risk.

I think this was always a mechanic? Part of Nillipuss's lore is that he picks up ground items (the jumjum stalks). And some fond memories from Highkeep guards if I'm not mistaken(?); it wasn't all npcs for sure though.

i ran around dropping bat wings a while back trying to find all the npcs that pick up things, totally forgot to check plane of hate but found quite a few.

Item pickups:
...

Nice, thanks. I have a lot of these, but it would be great for eq in general to compile a comprehensive list from each zone.

Anyone can help with that on live. npcs pick up summoned items as well.

mycoolrausch
01-30-2023, 02:15 PM
I think this was always a mechanic? Part of Nillipuss's lore is that he picks up ground items (the jumjum stalks). And some fond memories from Highkeep guards if I'm not mistaken(?); it wasn't all npcs for sure though.



Nice, thanks. I have a lot of these, but it would be great for eq in general to compile a comprehensive list from each zone.

Anyone can help with that on live. npcs pick up summoned items as well.

Someone should go see if the hate book is sitting up, if the zone hasn't changed on live (no idea, im sure it has).

It would be incredibly shocking if the mechanic that required re-clearing the zone for the book every 10 hours was left in since there is already a mechanic for that which is much less obtuse - a named mob on a 10 hour respawn. The book existing would tend to preclude the mechanic.

The fact that we've heard about it from 1 guy from 1 post over the course of 23 years makes me think if it ever did happen, it was a bug and quickly fixed.

Vsai
01-30-2023, 07:00 PM
5) Travel to the Plane of Hate to pick up the "Book of Souls." Located at location -60, +320, the spawn time is 10 hours (rumored to despawn 1 minute after spawning, but still unconfirmed). The book spawns on the bedside night stand in the bedroom located in the top floor of Maestro of Rancor's building.
– Wandering NPC's and MOBs will pick up the book if left lying, so be quick in picking it up!

Transcription of the official safehouse guide from their old site is on zam.

https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=765&p=6#m98331523459010

February 2001 post date.

Rygar
01-30-2023, 07:05 PM
From mcoy's Qien log:
[Fri Jun 28 22:43:19 2002] a pixie trickster picks up something from the ground.

Maybe I'll look into making a live character and data mining the old zones

mycoolrausch
01-30-2023, 09:04 PM
5) Travel to the Plane of Hate to pick up the "Book of Souls." Located at location -60, +320, the spawn time is 10 hours (rumored to despawn 1 minute after spawning, but still unconfirmed). The book spawns on the bedside night stand in the bedroom located in the top floor of Maestro of Rancor's building.
– Wandering NPC's and MOBs will pick up the book if left lying, so be quick in picking it up!

Transcription of the official safehouse guide from their old site is on zam.

https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=765&p=6#m98331523459010

February 2001 post date.

that isnt in the original safehouse thread

https://thesafehouse.org/forums/forum/everquest-wing/library-read-only/2983-book-of-knowledge-rogue-epic-quest-ragebringer

it was edited in on alla

this guide which was updated through 2001 mentions nothing about npcs picking up the book

http://web.archive.org/web/20020124014406/http://matt.waggoner.com/ragebringer.html

If the devs wanted rogues to clear hate at a specific interval to progress on the quest they have a mechanic for that - making the book drop from a named mob - they didn't do that.

Rygar
01-30-2023, 10:28 PM
[Tue Apr 15 19:28:53 2003] Sirran the Lunatic picks up something from the ground.
[Tue Apr 15 19:29:03 2003] Sirran the Lunatic says 'These are the keys! Use them well! Hold them in your hand and touch them to the runed platforms! Guide you thy will! Hah! The last to go, must tell me so, or be in for a [hassle]! If there's a hassle, I will go!'
[Tue Apr 15 19:29:06 2003] Cryloc tells criesofficer:1, 'please tell us :)'
[Tue Apr 15 19:29:14 2003] Lauraanne says, 'what did siran just pick up ?'

Vsai
01-30-2023, 11:24 PM
that isnt in the original safehouse thread

https://thesafehouse.org/forums/forum/everquest-wing/library-read-only/2983-book-of-knowledge-rogue-epic-quest-ragebringer

it was edited in on alla

this guide which was updated through 2001 mentions nothing about npcs picking up the book

http://web.archive.org/web/20020124014406/http://matt.waggoner.com/ragebringer.html

If the devs wanted rogues to clear hate at a specific interval to progress on the quest they have a mechanic for that - making the book drop from a named mob - they didn't do that.

The edits were from the site not someone tinkering with them on alla.
Zato the head of safehouse posted it. Jan 03, 2001 8:57am with no corrections.
by 1:57pm that day the additional information was included.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010417005203/http://pub13.ezboard.com/fthesafehouselibraryreadonly.showMessage?topicID=1 04.topic

mycoolrausch
01-30-2023, 11:53 PM
The edits were from the site not someone tinkering with them on alla.
Zato the head of safehouse posted it. Jan 03, 2001 8:57am with no corrections.
by 1:57pm that day the additional information was included.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010417005203/http://pub13.ezboard.com/fthesafehouselibraryreadonly.showMessage?topicID=1 04.topic

You think every single person who got a rogue epic through all of velious either got lucky enough to pick up the book in the 10 second window it was up, or sat and waited up to 10 hours for a respawn in an empty zone? and nobody 23 years later ever remembers this happening?

or it was a unintended bug of cleric pickups that was patched after a week or two a couple of people spotted...

Ennewi
01-31-2023, 12:29 AM
https://web.archive.org/web/20010527083929/http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~hawkwood/eqpoison/Rage02.htm

08:39:29 May 27, 2001

●Obtain Book of Souls in Plane of Hate.
● The Book of Souls is in Maestro's bedroom (second floor of Maestro Hall, southwest corner, on the desk by the bed). Book of Souls is an item, but for some reason it seems to be caught in Tracking.
● The spawn interval of Book of Souls is unknown (there is a theory that it is 15 hours).
● Book of Souls seems to be picked up when mobs are nearby. In fact, most rogues who obtain Book of Souls do so when there are no mobs nearby.
● Book of Souls is a No Drop, Lore Item.


https://web.archive.org/web/20010420223054/http://maximumeq.com/weapons/individual/ragebringer.shtml?ID=1811&page=4

Posted By: Aspro Karana Server 2000-11-21 16:32:54

...

Probably the easiest way to get the Book of Souls is to get a GM to repopulate the Plane of Hate after server downtime. The alternative is a long (~8 hours) wait with the possibility that a roaming monster may pick the book up instead!

Vsai
01-31-2023, 01:15 AM
You think every single person who got a rogue epic through all of velious either got lucky enough to pick up the book in the 10 second window it was up, or sat and waited up to 10 hours for a respawn in an empty zone? and nobody 23 years later ever remembers this happening?

or it was a unintended bug of cleric pickups that was patched after a week or two a couple of people spotted...

Multiple sources cite the mechanic existing. The safehouse guide was unedited after the first 6 hours for years.

Timeline:
September 19, 2000 Epics Introduced.

September 24, 2000 Kaylum of Safehouse posts the first completed Ragebringer.

There was an uproar about it. Quest was overhauled and made more difficult.
"Then I realized it was part of the Ragebringer nerf."

October 9th, 2000 Reports of the book being picked up by mobs almost instantly.

January 3rd, 2001 Safehouse publishes the collective research of the community, and it includes the warning that book of souls is being picked up by mobs almost instantly.
The guide is never updated after the first 6 hours of the day of its posting.

This isn't a few weeks or an issue affecting only clerics in hate. Clerics had a pickup message for items, so it was what was noticed. Even the poster suggested it wasn't just clerics. But the mobs were now picking up items including the book.

Context: The first rogue epic took about 4 days to get. Dubbed easy and nerfed multiple ways to increase difficulty. This was one of those ways.

mycoolrausch
01-31-2023, 01:15 AM
Someone should ask Rogean if he remembers waiting 8 hours in an empty zone for his book

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1097857&highlight=book*of*souls#post1097857

Vsai
01-31-2023, 02:00 AM
http://www.tski.co.jp/baldio/patch/20001003.html

Right where I expected it to be based on the evidence so far. October 3, 2000
Ragebringer nerf, alongside NPC and Quest updates. Based on the timeline I think this makes sense as the starting point for the behavior observed in Plane of Hate. It was the last patch before it was reported, and the only other patch between epic implementation and the report was Sept 28 and was a lvl 1 name purge, fix to fleeing NPCs, and some command and UI tweaks. http://www.tski.co.jp/baldio/patch/20000928.html

Rygar
01-31-2023, 08:39 AM
Keep in mind not all monsters picked up items, could only be clerics for example and perhaps only a certain level range. Maybe they also only searched for ground items every 2 ticks in a specific radius.

So possible the roamer may never pick up the item, but maybe if there was the unlucky combo and they searched in the sweet spot then yeah they could.

All needs testing to determine mechanic

Elroz
01-31-2023, 01:28 PM
The item pickup scans were fairly quick, there was a quest involving Hansl Bigroon in qeynos called "The Bridge (https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=118)" that you had to watch an item spawn and grab it before he could pick it up. It only showed up for about a second, sometimes less.

nilbog
01-31-2023, 01:57 PM
I did preliminary testing of npcs picking up ground items a while ago. If people can fill in edge cases to finish requirements that'd be great.

Here were my findings:
For these tests, I used Jracol Brestiage in qeynos2, and Nillipuss in rivervale.

-npcs that pick up items will pick up dropped items regardless of their type. They can be norent (summoned:black bread), they can be magicial (blackened iron armplates)
-the timer seems to be somewhere between 4.5 and 6 seconds. I used a stopwatch to test.
-the radius of pickup seems the same for the npcs who pick up items. somewhere around 48-50 distance (using #dist).
-when an npc picks up items, it picks up ALL available items within range, providing a text response for each when picked up.
-npcs also pick up items if they are in combat.

Chortles Snortles
01-31-2023, 02:05 PM
i love this

Elroz
02-01-2023, 04:11 PM
I forgot to go back and find this npc to add to my list of item pickups, he's in OOT.

[Tue May 31 16:29:33 2022] Endan Halson picks up something from the ground.

mycoolrausch
02-02-2023, 02:28 PM
https://web.archive.org/web/20010527083929/http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~hawkwood/eqpoison/Rage02.htm

08:39:29 May 27, 2001




https://web.archive.org/web/20010420223054/http://maximumeq.com/weapons/individual/ragebringer.shtml?ID=1811&page=4

The first post makes no sense, since mobs are always nearby, so you can't pick it up just by clearing mobs, you have to wait. So likely a rumor of a rumor.

The second post has timing that is consistent with my theory that this happened as bugged unintentional behavior for several weeks before being patched.

The alternative theory, that this was intentional behavior that existed in Hate through the revamp many years later is inconsistent with the point of the quest (rogues sneak by scary monsters) and inconsistent with virtually everyone's memory of the quest (including this project's co-founder, Rogean, who played a rogue for 10 years on live).

Rygar
02-02-2023, 02:48 PM
I aim to test this on live with other no drop ground spawns and see if hate pathing is in range.

Just a guess, but perhaps only 1 type of mob could pick up, which may not be allowed as a pather, so if a puller pulled the right type of mob under or around there you screwed. But maybe it wont be allowed to pick up, we shall sees.

No doubt EQ had rumors propagate the land, was the original going viral. Either way will get the facts

Ennewi
02-02-2023, 03:27 PM
The first post makes no sense, since mobs are always nearby, so you can't pick it up just by clearing mobs, you have to wait. So likely a rumor of a rumor.

Unless those players had a rough estimate of when the ground spawn would appear and scheduled their raids around that time, clearing the area leading to and surrounding the nightstand beforehand as a precaution. And/or they continued to clear the zone, waiting for additional books...

https://web.archive.org/web/20020816173948/http://www.eqclanx.com/GuildNewsDec.htm

Sunday - December 1, 2001

Screenshots



I will update Screenshots this week =o). Check out pictures from Kael, ToFS and Hate. If you have screenshots email them to me!


Plane of Hate



Great job to everyone that was at Hate! Much better job of listening and assisting! With 6 groups we cleared out the first floor, Maestro and that nasty hand. Thanks to Kroeten for getting everyone up there! Thanks to Gneiss for handling all the loot and Sarkisian for resing us with his fancy click-stick as well! We picked up lots of gear for clerics and several pieces for the other classes. Slinkity, Deniden and Paackets, who picked up the book of souls, all got items for their epics.

Regardless of whether the majority of guilds did this or not, the initial link is still a corroborating account of NPC behavior in the zone at the time. There is even mention of the book showing up on track; if this can be confirmed elsewhere, it adds more credibility to the link.

The second post has timing that is consistent with my theory that this happened as bugged unintentional behavior for several weeks before being patched.

https://project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19

Old 10-01-2011, 10:23 AM
nilbog nilbog is offline
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With the new round of beta testing, this is highly relevant.

Please make sure to include all the information you can about an issue.

I'm wasting a lot of time reading posts with no research or links.

Thanks.

mycoolrausch
02-02-2023, 03:48 PM
I gave links, and im the only person in this thread that linked to a post of an actual live rogue who actually did the quest, and surprise, they snuck past hate mobs to get their book, exactly as one would predict the quest to work, since it makes no sense to make a ground spawn for a rogue to pick up if they have to clear every mob in the zone to get it, they could have just made it a drop off a named mob.

Ennewi
02-02-2023, 05:35 PM
I gave links

One link that had already been provided and another from these forums, which was a pretty good find actually. Beyond that though, a lot of conjecture. More evidence one way or the other brings the debate closer to an end and puts a more classic server before the playerbase.

they snuck past hate mobs to get their book, exactly as one would predict the quest to work, since it makes no sense to make a ground spawn for a rogue to pick up if they have to clear every mob in the zone to get it, they could have just made it a drop off a named mob.

As with many experiences in classic, what's accurate during any given patch/expansion may not be accurate during another. What was described by Rog(u)ean from memory could have been possible, even the norm, at one point and then all but impossible later in the timeline (then reverted back to being possible again, as you suggest). Those details need to be figured out though. And while worth considering, player memory is not as reliable as testing and providing links with screenshots, firsthand descriptions, or logs from twenty plus years ago.

mycoolrausch
02-02-2023, 06:04 PM
As with many experiences in classic, what's accurate during any given patch/expansion may not be accurate during another. What was described by Rog(u)ean from memory could have been possible, even the norm, at one point and then all but impossible later in the timeline (then reverted back to being possible again, as you suggest). Those details need to be figured out though. And while worth considering, player memory is not as reliable as testing and providing links with screenshots, firsthand descriptions, or logs from twenty plus years ago.

I agree. And I think it's very possible the following could have happened through velious:

1. the devs implemented a mechanic that had a (probably) unintentional effect on the book of souls quest
2. the devs either didn't notice, or didn't care, for entire expansions that the nature of the quest had fundamentally changed
3. the players were shrouded in enough fog of war/ignorance at the time that none of them noticed the book was never up every time they ported up to get it or cleared hate, and they had to sit there and wait hours for it every time.


but I think we would need some pretty convincing and consistent evidence to support this.

there is also the discussion of the spirit of classic vs actual classic, as we have seen with lots of mechanics on this server. clearly in the thousands of books collected on this server, not once in the past 10 years has anyone ever said "hey, this book shouldn't be here...on live npcs just grabbed it..." because even if thats how the quest worked through velious on live, clearly very few if any people perceived it that way, and instead experienced the quest as a book sitting up in hate they had to go collect.

contrast that with p99, where mechanics are immediately metagamed and min-maxed on contact, and we are talking about fundamentally changing the nature of the quest. it will now be about taking a raid force up to clear maestro room and installing a rogue to stare at the book waiting on its specific respawn, probably recording it to a discord bot, and then the next rogue or flopped monk can prepare to snag it at the exact moment it respawns before the respawning trash can pick it up. so in emulating a classic mechanic, we've done absolutely nothing to emulate a classic experience, and have probably just given more work for the guides to do with people clickfesting the respawn in a cleared zone, and increased its value to MQ resellers. is that worth it?

If we just read the actual quest text we are immersed in the rogue class and the clearly intended quest experience:

"You say, 'What book of souls?'

Yendar Starpyre says 'The Book of Souls chronicles all the lives Innoruuk has tainted over the years. It is in the care of the Maestro of Rancor. I can use this tome as a basis for my translation, if you return it and the note to me. An experienced practitioner in the art of non-detection should be able to snatch it from its resting place, don't you think, _____? (grin)' "

I'm sorry if I'm shitting up the thread with opinion and subjectivity but I think if we're talking about changing something as fundamental as a classic epic quest we should be taking a wide view context and a very demanding burden of proof.

mycoolrausch
02-02-2023, 07:25 PM
Here's another post by an oldschool and established community figure who remembers sneaking by hate mobs to grab a book in 2001:

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2434941&postcount=2

darkreap
02-04-2023, 08:47 PM
I can confirm this was possible as I did this on live during Velious era. I removed all my gear and banked it, got a thurg potion and ported up. I did hide/sneak to book, hide/sneak to port in and gated out. Most terrifying experience in my EQ life. I have no evidence to support this claim…

This also makes me assume the NPCs did not pick up the book during this era as it was up with a full spawn.

Jimjam
02-06-2023, 08:03 AM
Are all the classic posters being entirely honest in their reports of “book not up”?

Could it not be someone swiped the item and blamed it on a mob?

Could team up with a necromancer using voicegraft to make the swindle extra convincing?

It seems a good smoke screen for rogue shenanigans, especially if it was a real thing for a short while.

Elroz
02-06-2023, 04:13 PM
Speaking to the rogue book specifically. If PoHate was like PoFear, only 1 type of NPC did item pickups. It sounds like it was the cleric of innoruuk. So that would mean a cleric of innoruuk had to be within a certain distance of the book to pick it up, and if it was a roamer, it would have to have done the scan/pickup within the time it pathed by. I'm not sure how many exact spawns would qualify as to being culprits. Could have been a rare occurrence. I don't believe they added it as a way to make the rogue epic harder, I think they added the item pickups to hate/fear because of mod rods and the book pickup was a side effect. Phoboplasms still pick up items to this day, I didn't test PoHate because the zone has been re-done a few times and just assumed all the old mechanics were removed.

Rygar
02-06-2023, 06:49 PM
Speaking to the rogue book specifically. If PoHate was like PoFear, only 1 type of NPC did item pickups. It sounds like it was the cleric of innoruuk. So that would mean a cleric of innoruuk had to be within a certain distance of the book to pick it up, and if it was a roamer, it would have to have done the scan/pickup within the time it pathed by. I'm not sure how many exact spawns would qualify as to being culprits. Could have been a rare occurrence. I don't believe they added it as a way to make the rogue epic harder, I think they added the item pickups to hate/fear because of mod rods and the book pickup was a side effect. Phoboplasms still pick up items to this day, I didn't test PoHate because the zone has been re-done a few times and just assumed all the old mechanics were removed.

I'm sure in old world there are cases of no-drop ground spawns showing up, isn't there a wizard wheel quest where you pickup items? Are they no-drop? Quite simply if the zone is not really updated and there are no-drop ground spawns there, just drag over a mob that you know picks up items and see if they pick it up.

Would be wise to drop a control item near the no-drop item and validate they pick that up but not the no-drop item.

If someone can list off some items I can test myself, can't recall no-drop ground items off the top of my head. I think there is a scroll in Dalnir for enchanter epic?

Elroz
02-06-2023, 07:46 PM
NPC's still pick up no-drop items, Hansl Bigroon is the good example for that. The list he drops and picks back up is no-drop. I just meant each plane only had 1 npc type that seemed to pick items up, fear was phoboplasms and hate was cleric of innoruuk. I was more curious how often the clerics of innoruuk actually went near the book of souls, where they might have picked it up. If there was only 1 roamer that pathed near enough to pick it up, and that roamer had a chance of being multiple npc types, then it might have been a really rare occurrence.

Jimjam
02-06-2023, 10:34 PM
Did mobs drop items if killed after picking them up?

Rygar
02-07-2023, 12:01 PM
NPC's still pick up no-drop items, Hansl Bigroon is the good example for that. The list he drops and picks back up is no-drop. I just meant each plane only had 1 npc type that seemed to pick items up, fear was phoboplasms and hate was cleric of innoruuk. I was more curious how often the clerics of innoruuk actually went near the book of souls, where they might have picked it up. If there was only 1 roamer that pathed near enough to pick it up, and that roamer had a chance of being multiple npc types, then it might have been a really rare occurrence.

I would still test with a random ground spawn in the off chance npcs could only pick up designated / certain quest items but not others

PabloEdvardo
02-14-2023, 06:41 PM
One of the coolest bug reports I've ever seen. Apologies for adding one more "linkless" comment here, but as someone who played Live, I never, ever knew about the pickup mechanic on mobs, even across multiple different guilds and servers from Kunark through Luclin.

I suspect that most players didn't run into this situation very often, which might explain why not only do many players not remember the pickup mechanic affecting the rogue book, but why many players (like myself) didn't know there was a pickup mechanic in the game at all.

Vanifac
05-11-2023, 08:31 PM
Stumbled on an earlier post mentioning item pickup:

https://web.archive.org/web/20020701193934/http://eqbeastiary.allakhazam.com/search.shtml?id=4207

the skinny Reply... By: Redi,
4 posts
Posted @ Wed, Sep 20th 3:46 AM 2000 Score: Decent[3.00]
These guys seem indifferent no matter what your faction (Wood Elf Ranger and Darky SK tested). Obviously, they don't aggro.
They're fairly tough for their level and like to harm touch. They will try to gangbang you if they're close enough, which can be most of the length of a room away.

They don't respond to any questions (mostly tried those regarding Sythrax) at all. They will sometimes mumble to themselves while walking along, especially when picking up something you've dropped on the ground.

Skeletal jester seemed to drop some sort of plans (a scroll, unreadable) relating to Sythrax.

-Redi Wolfbrother, E'ci

Ennewi
06-16-2023, 03:50 AM
https://web.archive.org/web/20010803200941/http://pub4.ezboard.com/femarrgeneral.showMessage?topicID=6035.topic

Triff
Veteran
Posts: 263
(7/18/01 10:19:34 am)

To those doing the Ragebringer quest
/
> You are in the Dreadlands.
> -------------------------
> [45 Warrior] Pansyelf (Wood Elf) <Legions of Mister T>
> etc.
> There are 72 people in the Dreadlands.
Triff thinks he would like very much to finally get the Book of Souls from Hate for his Ragebringer.
Triff clicks open his 3rd 10-slot backpack and eyes the Soulstone of Innoruuk that has been kept there for 3 months.
/shout Paying 100 plat and providing the stone for a port to Hate. Anyone?
> WizzerDude tells you, 'i'll do it'
/r really? cool. isn't it dangerous for you though?
> WizzerDude tells you, 'nah the chances of dying are slim if i just gate out asap'
/r okie :D where are you?
> WizzerDude tells you, 'nw corner of karnors'
Triff goes and meets WizzerDude.
Triff gets ported up to hate.
Triff sneaks and hides.
Triff notes that the entire first floor of hate is a full spawn and that the raiders from Lummox are on the top floor.
Triff turns around and puts on some Mission Impossible music.
Triff runs out to Maestro's house, maneuvering around the Liches and Banshees that have all been given SoW's from the Spite Golems, because they both see through hide.
Triff dashes up the stairs and runs through the second floor, conning every rat he sees in case one of them is the random see-invis sort.
Triff sneaks up to Maestro's bed and nightstand and snatches the book away.
Triff proceeds to run from there to the second floor and search for the Lummox party with little help on directions.
Triff finds that the wizard who was here left very recently, and arranges a port out from a druid after dueling and killing him for the res back up to hate.
Triff proceeds to tell all his friends about it. ;)

Just a word to any rogues who still have to go get their Hate book. Don't go up on a raid and sit and camp the book - that's boring as hell. This is the way to do it. :P
Click for my EQCastersrealm profilerofl.. I was level 40 at the time
Level 55 Soloing Rogue (), Erollisi Marr
Always lookin for a duel :)
Currently on vacation from EQ
When people ask me why one would want to be a rake, I tell them I get to lie in a shed with a hoe all day.


vuzlyn
Visitor
Posts: 12
(7/19/01 7:45:55 am)
Re: To those doing the Ragebringer quest
Good work bro, I love to see fellow rogue doing the quest the old and real way :)

Reminds me of last summer when I had a good chat with some banshee up there since I had no one in zone to keep me awake ;) For 12 hours, we argued about why she picked up the book I needed and I finally was faster than her when the book finally respawned.

Drop me a tell in game bro, it's been ages since we talked.
Vuzlyn
Assassin of Affliction

Ennewi
07-14-2023, 09:05 AM
https://web.archive.org/web/20020318221053/http://pub35.ezboard.com/fthesafehouseloungegeneraldiscussion.showMessage?t opicID=22058.topic&index=12

Kendrick
Grandfather Rogue
(2/3/02 4:37:52 am)
Reply Re: Drop transfers. Why?
Um, sorry. I gave that vendor a very high greed setting, which makes him charge higher prices. It also means he'll snatch up anything dropped near him as well. And of course, I couldn't resist giving him painfully corny "pick up" text.

The majority of NPC's in the game have little or no greed, nor do all those NPC's that have high greed have "pick up" text. But some do, especially merchants. The moral is, if you're going to do a drop transfer, do it away from NPC's, to be safe.

Brambler
Registered User
(2/4/02 12:41:04 am)
Reply
Community Supporter

Re: Drop transfers. Why?
Killing the DEs in Kith the other day, a mage had made the usual pile of mod rods on the ground, unfortunately it was a bit too close to the pull spot. :p

Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!
Brigadier Soandso has picked up an item from the ground!

Heh, surprised we still won while fighting through the tears of laughter, mage was quite pissed. ;)

FreonSmurf
Registered User
(2/6/02 5:33:58 am)
Reply Re: re:
Its funny to do it in the middle of a General raid, he wil stop raping the tank and pick up whatever trinket you drop.
Rodcet Nife Ring Warden
Rogues do it better from behind!

"Nicotine is not addictive" Tobacco Industry
"Rogues are a balanced class"-Gordon
My Sigs

patofnaud
Registered User
(2/6/02 7:55:42 am)
Reply Re: re:
One other thing to watch out for, the is no Z axis check when a NPC decides to pick up something either. :(

I dropped a bag of banded for a Hobbit Rogue I use in Rivervale to spy on the DE cabin in the second floor of the Fools Gold and the bastard on the first floor did a "Mmm this Handmade Backpack looks nice!"

Grrrrrrrr.
Patofnaud
54th Season Redeemed Epic Shadow Dweller
Warden of something or other.
(We work in shadows, we dress in black.)

Patofwaan Griffonbate
43rd Season Friend Of Wolves
Guild Leader of Karma
Patofwarr Barbarian Warrior
20th Season Soldier of Rallos Zek
All proud members of Karma Guild, In the Land of Morell-Thule

Kevagron
Registered User
(2/6/02 10:12:55 am)
Reply Re: re:
Hehe our guild was doing General for rogue epic and I can't remember the dark elf chicks name (was listening to it in guildchat because I was late), but she not only picked up the mod rods, she also used them whilke fighting LOL

Kevak

Inkiewiz
Registered User
(2/6/02 10:47:29 am)
Reply Re: re:
The tin merchants in OT - those little borg gnomes - pick up stuff too. It says something about a long hose extending from the merchant and sucking up trash on the ground. Cracked me up. :)


https://web.archive.org/web/20021103003213/http://pub11.ezboard.com/fbenevolentordergeneral.showMessage?topicID=361.to pic

Arichiena
Officer
Posts: 111
(7/17/01 1:40:19 pm)
Reply FOR THOSE DOING TRANSFER DROPS BETWEEN CHARACTERS
BIG WARNING

Apparently those Gnome Cleaner rats really do clean.

I was in the back end of Kaladim early in the morning. Only one other player in the zone and he was AFK.

Decided to do a transfer to an alt character I had there. Went into an unused, empty room which led to another empty unused room. Thought this would be a good place to do transfer as I could hear the outside door open if anyone came in. Started dropping some items behind a crate so they would not be seen if anyone happened to walk in while switching characters.

No sooner had I dropped the ninth and final item when my message screen filled up with a message that was repeated for a total of 8 times. The message said

“CLEANER VII CLICKS AS A PLATE SLIDES TO THE SIDE REVEALING A HOSE THAT EXTENDS AND SUCKS UP AN ITEM FROM THE GROUND.”

All 8 messages appeared in less than a second. I picked up the one remaining object and looked around for Cleaner VII but it was not in the room. Quickly ran outside and again could not find it anywhere in zone. There was a guard nearby but not receive the message that is usually given when they kill it. Never saw it before or after and never heard or saw either door open.

Not sure if they are limited to 8 items that can be picked up, That specific one drops two items that are used in quests so others may be able to pick up 10. Also not sure if they are able to pick up containers.

Other NPCs have also been known to pick up items.
Just didn't know they could do it through walls.

Arichiena
Level 46 Enchantress
and newly ordained rat exterminator

Dadijob
Officer
Posts: 48
(7/28/01 7:21:26 pm)
Reply Re: Ouch
In Freeport
Dropped some items near an NPC merchant
Within secounds
..NPC states someone has dropped some nice saleable items..I think I will take them.

And while I did not see it, they were gone in a few Seconds

Dadijob The wiser

The Phoenix L0L
Registered User
Posts: 17
(8/1/01 2:16:54 pm)
Reply
well well in fp the twist is jakonis
that the twit of an spc is ping fizzle cuttr no npcs withing the city do it .


the guards attack them if they do in fp .



iv been angerd amny a time when trades have gone bad cuse the other did not have room and item was lost of curse i refunded but was out both item and cash.

i am much wizer now you all oughtta be carfull jakonis cennturi
and centurian maine is cennturi. was also knowen as feerwlaker.

~Walk in the Light~
All that is gold does not glitter; Not all those who wander are lost.
Glamdering Foe'Hammer
46th level Wizard of Prexus
Proud leader of The Legion of Light

Elroz
10-21-2023, 08:19 AM
saw this in a log file as well (helps verify the dark elves in kith picking up items) :
[Sat Feb 23 18:32:30 2002] General V`ghera picks up something from the ground. '

Ennewi
11-09-2023, 09:35 PM
https://web.archive.org/web/20020621225246/http://pub13.ezboard.com/fprexus95980frm12.showMessage?topicID=55.topic

EqMydnight
Registered User
(1/24/01 10:00:01 am)
Reply Spawn time for rogue book in hate?
I recently got my kedge robe while I was helping my mage friend kill phinny so i decided it was time to launch my epic quest. I was wondering about the book that spawns on the floor in hate, I have heard various different things about it such as it only spawns every few days and that mobs walk by and pick it up after only a few minutes. That hardly seems possible considering all the rogues I see weilding the ragebringer. This sounds like a frustrating part to the quest seeing that I dont get to go on Hate raids every week and the chances of me getting the book while i am there sounds like it will be tough if the book isnt on the ground for more then a few minutes. Also is the book no drop? I assume it is but if anyone could answer these questions I would appreciate it.

Mydnight Assassination 52 Rogue

Ennewi
11-09-2023, 10:03 PM
https://web.archive.org/web/20011226200219/http://pub35.ezboard.com/fthesafehousecontractsbountiesjobsquestsetc.showMe ssage?topicID=2022.topic

Gyorg
Registered User
(1/19/01 1:36:02 pm)

Book is fixed
In zone patches and server crashes hate was patched last night. Post patch, the book is spawning every 10 seconds and mobs are not picking up as far as I can tell.

Caowyth
Registered User
(1/19/01 1:53:17 pm)
Re: Book is fixed
I don't think the book spawning every 10 seconds can be considered a fix...

Cao

Bronus Blackblade
Registered User
(1/19/01 3:23:24 pm)

Re: Book is fixed
Think about it...it's a book on Maestro's nightstand. This is a book the guy likes to read apparently. It's something that should always be on his nightstand.

Although in all honesty I am confused. While I appreciate the lack of a timesink for this portion of the quest, didn't Kendrick mention he would be doing something to 'limit' the flow of RB's into the world? Is this a temporary issue to make up for the book spawn being broken for so long? If so, please don't change it back until after my raid this weekend ;)
Bronus Blackblade
Requiem's Acquisitor
51st Rake of the Tribunal

Edited by: Bronus Blackblade at: 1/19/01 3:23:56 pm

Gozar
Registered User
(1/20/01 1:46:40 am)

Re: Book is fixed
Book is changed. The NPC still picks it up but another one spawns in about 10 secs.
GOZAR GOZARIAN
Terris Rakehell

Kendrick
Grandfather Rogue
(1/20/01 2:21:33 am)
Re: Book is fixed
Another bad export, and my apologies. The zone is being re-updated immediately if not sooner.

Until further notice, the book shall remain as it was from the beginning.

But I AM going to revisit the quest in the near future.

Not to make it easier or harder, but an attempt to reduce the tedium factor.

I've learned an awful lot since I implemented that quest, which was essentially my first content for EverQuest. Lets see if I can't put that knowledge to good use.

Echus
Registered User
(1/20/01 4:32:24 am)
Re: Book is fixed
I just have to laugh at the timing. I got invited into a raid, and just as things are getting organized up in Hate, and I'm considering slipping away to look for the book, Hate comes down on all servers.

Then, we reassemble and wait for the repop. And wait. And wait.

We finally gave up after too many hours. And the book didn't spawn. I would have stayed up there after everyone left, except I had no idea what the change to the book was going to be.

Echus
51 Rake
7th Hammer

Aleistair
Registered User
(1/20/01 7:57:03 am)
Re: Book is fixed
Ooof, we were just about to pull Maestro and head into his area when they brought the servers down.

The wait on the book continues................

/sigh

Aleistair, 52nd Rogue
Gyn Cadley Reejeryn
Lanys T'Vyl

Munester
Registered User
(1/20/01 1:12:42 pm)

Re: Book is fixed
I was in hate last night when they brought it down.. so when it's back up, the zone is totally empty of mobs and I think so myself "Hey, perfect time to go get the book!"
Wasn't there though.

Aleistair
Registered User
(1/20/01 11:52:37 pm)
Re: Book is fixed
Went back today Viren, we killed Inny and Maestro, and I got the book on the last check upstairs before port out.

Woohoo.............

Morek the rogue
Registered User
(1/22/01 11:16:25 am)
Re: Book is fixed
So how often does the book spawn now? (im asking for a friend) I heard that the book respawns every 10 - 30 seconds now, but is this a bug? Is the book going to go back to spawning every 8 hours? Any info would be appreciated.
Morek Swifthands
Rogue of the 35th season


Ssendak Monk of the 6th season



Once a Legend, Always a Legend... I feel I have came home.

Wakanda
08-17-2024, 05:29 AM
I know this isn’t true

I was in plane of hate in a pug raid with four other rogues ��. We knew the book was up, and the puller confirmed it

The leader of the raid said once we cleared to the book that the rogues could random on it

My friend told me I should just sneak / hide and go get it

And I did….

There was no maps, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew ho to get there

There was a lot of mobs who could see through invis as I learned from pulling corpses….

But I found the book and got it lmao

And I made it back and somehow the raid leader saw me coming back even with hide/sneak on and I told him I was just scouting and was worried he may have known what I did… but instead he was just like stay with the raid, don’t wander

Like an hour later they announced that the book had despawned and my friend sent me a tell like LOL

Like those other rogues had only stayed that long for the book I had already stole

I wonder if that is why people really think that was a thing that mobs just randomly pick it up

Nah… players do, lol

Duik
08-17-2024, 06:08 AM
What a shit story.
Sorry but you suck and ya mum is a sucker.

Salaryman
08-17-2024, 02:04 PM
I know this isn’t true

I was in plane of hate in a pug raid with four other rogues ��. We knew the book was up, and the puller confirmed it

The leader of the raid said once we cleared to the book that the rogues could random on it

My friend told me I should just sneak / hide and go get it

And I did….

There was no maps, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew ho to get there

There was a lot of mobs who could see through invis as I learned from pulling corpses….

But I found the book and got it lmao

And I made it back and somehow the raid leader saw me coming back even with hide/sneak on and I told him I was just scouting and was worried he may have known what I did… but instead he was just like stay with the raid, don’t wander

Like an hour later they announced that the book had despawned and my friend sent me a tell like LOL

Like those other rogues had only stayed that long for the book I had already stole

I wonder if that is why people really think that was a thing that mobs just randomly pick it up

Nah… players do, lol

pras