Mine Carts

[Dark Dreams]

So I had another crazy idea... this one would apply to the mines at Dvergeheim and Ghakis (and any other secure mines that I may not be aware of).

We know that oxen will not follow you into a mine, so when mining, you have to cram 400 to 600 lbs. of ore into your pockets until you get back out.

Here's my idea for that:

Place an NPC at the mouth of each mine that deals in mine cart rentals. It could follow along the exact same lines as the ox rental system (maybe only a 50% refund for returning it) and just make on ox with the appearance of a mining cart that follows the PC around the mine, but will not leave the mine, much as an ox will not enter. Thoughts?

[dark_majico]

They used horses to pull mine carts so I don't see why we can't use a pack ox. Is there something that prevents a pack ox going into a mine? I have to admit though the idea of an autonomous mine cart following a player disturbs me.

[Dark Dreams]

They used horses to pull mine carts so I don't see why we can't use a pack ox. Is there something that prevents a pack ox going into a mine? I have to admit though the idea of an autonomous mine cart following a player disturbs me.

Yes, the oxen have a script that prevents them from entering any underground area like a cave and such; they simply boot themselves from party and you have to go back for them.  The idea behind the minecart was that there are tracks in these mines, with minecarts, and ICly, the character would be loading ore and pushing the cart, but mechanics-wise, it would have to follow the character.

[dark_majico]

They used horses to pull mine carts so I don't see why we can't use a pack ox. Is there something that prevents a pack ox going into a mine? I have to admit though the idea of an autonomous mine cart following a player disturbs me.

Yes, the oxen have a script that prevents them from entering any underground area like a cave and such; they simply boot themselves from party and you have to go back for them.  The idea behind the minecart was that there are tracks in these mines, with minecarts, and ICly, the character would be loading ore and pushing the cart, but mechanics-wise, it would have to follow the character.

OK I sort of see the logic to that, but I also don't, because pit ponies were used in the mid-18th up until the mid-20th century in coal mines in the UK. All we really need is a merchant that sells a pack animal, we can just say that it's a specially bred stock that is used to working the mines that won't exit, so we use a modified version of the script that prevents the animal leaving the mines.


Edit

pit ponies, not pity ponies lol

[Feronius]

Is there something that prevents a pack ox going into a mine?

I think you can't bring a Pack Ox into a dungeon, because players could use them to clear dungeons and load up the Pack Ox with as much loot as possible, which is not their intended use.
Most of the mine areas on this server are considered to be (part of) dungeons, so the reason why a Pack Ox can't enter mines is probably purely a matter of game mechanics, not server lore.

Perhaps some areas could be tweaked to allow oxen to go a bit further into the mines, I can think of a couple of areas that don't really count as dungeons and hardly have any spawns or loot.
If really you want to explain it from a character point of view, I suppose a sense of dread just got the better of the oxen and they refuse to go near any dungeons due to some paralyzing fear?

[Merry Munchkin]

As an alternative, you could set up a storage chest system at the nodes of the cart-tracks:  someone loads their ore into a "chest" at the terminus of one of the tracks, goes back to the start of the tracks, and picks their ore back out of the "chest" at the other end of the track?  Sort of like the storage chest in the Vallaki warehouse, only there would be two (or more) "chests" where you could deposit and pick up, all connected by track.  That would approximate having a mining cart system without the risk of people bringing a pack animal deeper into the dungeon parts.

[dark_majico]

As an alternative, you could set up a storage chest system at the nodes of the cart-tracks:  someone loads their ore into a "chest" at the terminus of one of the tracks, goes back to the start of the tracks, and picks their ore back out of the "chest" at the other end of the track?  Sort of like the storage chest in the Vallaki warehouse, only there would be two (or more) "chests" where you could deposit and pick up, all connected by track.  That would approximate having a mining cart system without the risk of people bringing a pack animal deeper into the dungeon parts.

Oh nice idea, and have a pack ox that you don't invite into your party walk up a set of way points, and then back down again to simulate the things being carried up the tracks to the other side.

[McNastea]

To be honest, this sounds like it's getting needlessly complicated.

Why not just have that dwarf at the bottom of the stairs in the first mining area that oxen can't enter rent you an ox that won't leave the mines?

[Dark Dreams]

I think taking a look at the area tags that are used by the scripts that prevent oxen from entering the mines, and possibly changing those tags, would be the less complicated, server-friendly way to go... it's just two areas, so would likely take a total of ten minutes at most to change that.

[Ercvadasz]

Animal empathy.

No ox will refuse to enter a mine thereafter.

So just hire a ranger to bring your pack ox:)

[Tycat]

Animal empathy.

No ox will refuse to enter a mine thereafter.

So just hire a ranger to bring your pack ox:)

This. Moar rp, please.

[Feronius]

Animal empathy.

No ox will refuse to enter a mine thereafter.

So just hire a ranger to bring your pack ox:)

Never realised you could use animal empathy on tamed animals, that's a neat trick.
That's only a situational workaround at best though and it's not exactly a practical solution to the original poster's problem, unless your character happens to be a ranger himself/ herself of course.

[Bluebomber4evr]

So I had another crazy idea... this one would apply to the mines at Dvergeheim and Ghakis (and any other secure mines that I may not be aware of).

We know that oxen will not follow you into a mine, so when mining, you have to cram 400 to 600 lbs. of ore into your pockets until you get back out.

Here's my idea for that:

Place an NPC at the mouth of each mine that deals in mine cart rentals. It could follow along the exact same lines as the ox rental system (maybe only a 50% refund for returning it) and just make on ox with the appearance of a mining cart that follows the PC around the mine, but will not leave the mine, much as an ox will not enter. Thoughts?

The problem is that there is no creature appearance of a mine cart.