Challenge Rating:

[Lux]

As of recently, when you examine a player you see their challenge rating (ranging from Effortless to Impossible) depending on your own level and the gap between you. Up until the other day it disabled on BG. How come it was re-enabled?

While I'm sure it is useful for PvE, it circumvents the scry feature to hide your level when you examine players. Furthermore challenge ratings on descriptions will make them part of RP impression. Five (I think it's five?) levels is too small a gap to really perceive someone as impossibly strong. A level 30 scholar might not look much, and a level 15 fighter can look pretty tough.

The lack of this feature was something I really liked on BG. I would like to see it disabled again, at least for players.


Edit:

Challenge ratings on player examines has been disabled again.

[Face]

It is meta gaming at best so yes remove that and perhaps remove the level range from the scry aswel.

[Thorsson]

I would argue that IRL (yeah I know) you would have a good idea whether the guy you see in a bar is a pussy or likely to wipe the floor with your ass. It ought to be obvious in game as well, because the experienced warrior should be kitted out in 'leet' gear while the n00b should be dressed in homespun. However TPTB have determined that not only can people change their gear to whetver look they fancy, but even the rawest recruit can be wielding the Vorpal Greatsword of Doom.

Therefore I suggest that some visible indication of level is actually a prevention of metagaming by level 30s, whose players know that they are likely to be stronger than a character they've never seen before.

[Calodan]

If we are concerned about this shouldn't the scry be removed as well? Most people do not hide their levels on the scry and I can promise that people check those before engaging in any PvP. Especially level 30s as engaging in PvP with anyone non epic can be considered griefing..........

[Valefort]

Removing the scry alongside this challenge rating sounds like a good idea.

[NegInfinity]

I also want this disabled. Not knowing someone's level is a lot of fun and one of the attractive features of BG.

If we are concerned about this shouldn't the scry be removed as well? Most people do not hide their levels on the scry and I can promise that people check those before engaging in any PvP. Especially level 30s as engaging in PvP with anyone non epic can be considered griefing..........

Scry is, unfortunatley, necessary due to the server having small number of players coupled with large number of areas.

Removing LEVELs from scry could be a good idea.

[Step_Mac]

Agreed on removing the description indicator -- and, at risk of being pedantic, it's not metagaming to believe one is likely stronger than another at lvl 30; it's sound statistical inference. If you are in the top 5% of anything, you are likely to be stronger/richer/bigger/hairier than a randomly drawn figure. What's fun is being wrong when the random draw feeds you another lvl 30 that you haven't seen before, either because of RCR or play-times, or whatever.

As for the scry, you can disable that yourself. The value of having it available, for those who want it revealed, is to facilitate people forming adventuring parties for the odd hack and slash. You feel like a run, you message the similarly-rated soul. . . anyway, check the scry tool, it's easily disabled.

[Calodan]

Scry is, unfortunatley, necessary due to the server having small number of players coupled with large number of areas.

Removing LEVELs from scry could be a good idea.

Removing the levels would be a great idea! I vehemently concur!

So with the challenge rating I can see why it was reactivated so players know what they are facing but I thought that area CRs were going to be put on the transitions? Some already have it. I am thinking those are all the ones that are new.

Maybe having CRs on every transition into hostile area would be better? And for the love of God can some one explain character levels in conjunction with CR? Is it level for CR? Like CR 20 is level 20? Because when I test builds on Jegs they do not match up per say...........

[Lux]

I'd be interested in expanding examine to give a general idea of a person's stats rather than their level, since you can probably tell that someone with 26 strength is muscly, but that opens a whole new can of complicated.

[chad878262]

JEGS is a poor way to judge the CR you can handle on BG... ~CR24 or so in JEGS is probably about the power level of ~CR28-30 on BG. Would be great if JEGS were updated with CR monsters that were found in BGtSCC so you could accurately test your concept from level 1-30 and gain an understanding of what type of monsters you can handle and which ones you will need help with. Newer players especially would benefit and there'd be a lot less frustration as you continually die as you learn the server.

Heck, Steve might even get some support for permanent character death (but probably not, sorry Steve) if players could learn and understand their concepts limits instead of going in to danger blind on the server.

[TarnishedSoul]

Whenever I'm IG, I immediately turn off the level indicator on the Scry.

Challenge Ratings have been considered metagamey since NWN2 debuted a decade ago.

I concur with removing them and Scry levels.

[taylorstar]

As someone who has been grinding and trying to keep an eye out for lower levels and introduce them into new areas and new people and bring them into plots contacts and guilds having that level guide to know who is what level has been really handy.

People have the option to turn it off I would rather it not disappear from the scry for that reason.

As for the in game examines on description I don't mind to be honest

[Lux]

Perhaps a custom button that saves your scry settings? Like we have with chat settings. That way people who don't want to show theirs won't have to hurry to re-click upon login, and showing would still be the default.

[Steve]

It's been suggested before: have the SCRY auto/default Off all the options, and let Players click them on as they please.

Essentially opposite as it exists now.

[Lux]

I thought of that too, but that would make it harder to catch newbies. I think the ability to save custom settings would be the best compromise, if possible.