zbr308
Posts: 77
8/29/2014
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Dig around the wiki for a while. Realized that there are only two watchful boot, one from advent calendar, the other from the "Protégé of a Mysterious Benefactor" story.
Which actually means that story is very imbalanced. You get a +2 shadowy hat, +2 dangerous weapon, +2 persuasive weapon, or +2 watchful boot from it. And You can get warm amber (+2 per weapon) almost instantly, shadowy and dangerous items are straightforward, but you have to wait for a year before getting another watchful boot?
Edit: I'm not complaining or anything, just curious.
edited by zbr308 on 9/2/2014
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Diptych
Administrator
Posts: 3493
9/2/2014
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Confession time: I'd adore to go through Fallen London's equipment pool and change everything for flavour and variety. For instance, of the existing hats that are actually hats - rather than glasses, masks, etc. - all but a handful are toppers or bonnets. Similarly, the vast bulk of the footwear category are high boots or slippers. Surely there's room for more examples of the delightful oddities of the history of fashion?
Take, for instance, Dangerous clothing. At present, we have the generic Bloodstained Suit/Rough Gown, some corsetry with minor stat boosts, and a fantastical suit of armour. But surely we can imagine more examples of practical, even protective, Victorian garb! Think of riding coats and gowns, of tweed hunting-suits, and of the very handsome military uniforms of the period.
Or, look at hats. We have toppers, a bowler and a rather daring fedora. All very well, but that's barely sampling the options of a very hatty era. In fact, a bowler could make a fine Dangerous hat, considering the style's origins as a solid, protective shell for riders' heads. Various broad-brimmed styles are popular in the city and the country alike. And not everyone, for that matter, wears a hat - caps are the traditional adornment of the hard-working type, and will blend into any crowd.
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Juniper Brown, the Ill-Fated Orphan. Esther Ellis-Hall, the Fashionable Fabian.
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The Dark Gentleman
Posts: 188
9/1/2014
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I am reminded of a certain Commander Sir Samuel Vimes of Discworld fame who, in the novel Night Watch, could in fact READ the street through his very thin-soled boots. Perhaps a stretch, but it does suggest a certain perceptiveness FL has associated with the Watchful statistic.
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The Dark Gentleman~ Social actions welcome. Menace reductions upon request. Newspaper interviews by appointment. Falconry by invitation only.
"THE HOURS FEAR THE NAMES.
THE NAMES FEAR THE LONG.
THE LONG FEAR THE KNOW.
ALL FEAR THE HOURS."
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Hammond
Posts: 41
9/3/2014
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I had another thought...
In London, from time to time, one does come across clothing that is considerably more vivacious than your average article. Gloves, hats, sometimes a suit that has forgotten more than the wearer will ever know. One only has to look to Polythreme to see what all clothing could potentially be; Where logs scream as they are placed in the fire. Where spoons bemoan foul breath and hot food. Where pebbles, when thrown, squeal in delight at the wonder of flight (or horror). Where your cloths gain awareness and seek to strike out on their own, start their own lives find their own fortunes (do they remember anything before awakening? I am not sure, I like to think they do).
Now, most shoes in London are either brutes or dandies, perfectly content to walk, run, hide, occasionally administer a kicking, all as long as they either look good doing it or achieve an admirable victory (sometimes both, maybe).
Now imagine your Watchful shoes... they simply wish to see the world, to know, to experience. What do they get? Tread upon... for what will likely be the entirety of their lives. Every day denied the opportunity to really help or learn. You're writing a scientific paper that will change the views of physics as we know it? Where are you Watchful shoes? Under the table. In the dark. Ignored. Dejected. On an archeological expedition? Where are your Watchful shoes? Buried in the dust, in the mud or worse. The most they could possibly hope to do to aid you, because that is all they wish to do perhaps, is maybe help you avoid an unfortunate pit or toe shattering rock, and even then! I am certain that is more for their own self preservation, unlike other shoes of other qualities the Watchful shoes are not as vacuous. They, likely, simply wish not to forever be attached to some fool's corpse in some dark, possibly snake filled pit. Some gloves might be able to make their escape, even some hats, suits seem to have more patience. Your Watchful shoes however... want more for themselves. They want to know more than what one's feet smell like after a long day or how the underside of some monster looks like close up, at high velocity.
I am very much over-thinking this.
There is likely, absolutely, no tragedy in shoes that have a Watchful bent. I should probably stop applying personality to "inanimate objects". Maybe I was more affected by Polythreme than I thought...
Just an funny concept.
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All invitations are welcome.
{Warning: Messages sent within the forum might not be answered in a timely manner. Please forgive me, it is a bad habit I am trying to break.}
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The Dark Gentleman
Posts: 188
9/3/2014
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Again, I would like to draw attention to the idea of Watchful shoes less as literally Watchful and more as perceptive.
Watchful shoes could, on an Expedition, help you FEEL the right route by noticing where old cart wheels rolled or what lies broken beneath your feet. While investigating a case, your shoes could focus on your suspects' feet (the most truthful part of the body). Perhaps your boots can't help you write that groundbreaking scientific paper, but I can't imagine they're incapable of assisting in the research component. There's not another part of the body so often in contact with the world in which you move.
Give shoes the power to perceive in a meaningful way and I've no doubt you'd end up with a treasure-trove of valuable information (which, of course, is what Watchfulness is all about. Information-gathering.) Just a thought...
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The Dark Gentleman~ Social actions welcome. Menace reductions upon request. Newspaper interviews by appointment. Falconry by invitation only.
"THE HOURS FEAR THE NAMES.
THE NAMES FEAR THE LONG.
THE LONG FEAR THE KNOW.
ALL FEAR THE HOURS."
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Snowskeeper
Posts: 575
8/30/2014
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I'd be hesitant to get too worried about balance in Fallen London. There aren't many ways for a pair of shoes to make you more intelligent or observant; I imagine that is the reason that there aren't many Watchful boots.
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S.F., a midnight midnighter and invisible eminence. Impossible to locate them, personally, but there are dead drops and agents.
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Asfodella
Posts: 48
8/30/2014
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I would love to get another pair of Watchful boots. Wearing a Christmas stocking feels a bit ridiculous.
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Gillsing
Posts: 1203
8/30/2014
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Asfodella wrote:
Wearing a Christmas stocking feels a bit ridiculous. I suspect that the stocking is intended to feel a bit ridiculous. Sort of like a price one has to pay in order to get those 1 or 3 extra levels of Watchful. Sort of like: "Here is a ridiculous fulfilment of your ridiculous requests for Watchful boots. Wear if you dare!" 
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Diptych
Administrator
Posts: 3493
9/1/2014
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The item bonuses are a trifle inconsistent, because are thematic in nature - a morning-suit gives a Watchful bonus because it's the sort of clothing that educated professionals wear - while others are entirely literal - shiny shoes give a Watchful bonus because you can use them as tiny mirrors.
(Also, given how often servant's uniforms are used as disguises in the story - and its own flavour text - I would have expected the Maidservant's Uniform to be Shadowy rather than Watchful.)
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Sir Frederick, the Libertarian Esotericist. Lord Hubris, the Bloody Baron.
Juniper Brown, the Ill-Fated Orphan. Esther Ellis-Hall, the Fashionable Fabian.
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Lavessa
Posts: 40
9/2/2014
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Asfodella wrote:
Watchful clothing is a ridiculous concept in general. I can understand how some of the more "unnatural" articles of clothing, such as the clothes-colony, or Fourth City rags, add to your observation skills, but the idea of a maidservant's uniform making you more intelligent is absurd.
You are in a game with a city inside the Earth, talking animals, and devils readily available to love. And you are concerned that the clothing might be a little fantastic? Whatever you say.
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...Lately I am in gradual pursuit of thumping and loitering opportunities. I also dispense medical aid now and then
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Asfodella
Posts: 48
9/2/2014
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Lavessa wrote:
Asfodella wrote:
Watchful clothing is a ridiculous concept in general. I can understand how some of the more "unnatural" articles of clothing, such as the clothes-colony, or Fourth City rags, add to your observation skills, but the idea of a maidservant's uniform making you more intelligent is absurd.
You are in a game with a city inside the Earth, talking animals, and devils readily available to love. And you are concerned that the clothing might be a little fantastic? Whatever you say.
Oh no, not at all. I probably didn't phrase that very well. I was merely expanding AgentBlueSky's (quite brilliant) analysis of why watchful boots make no sense by pointing out that watchful clothing makes no sense either. I have absolutely no problem with Fallen London's fashion and I am more than willing to suspend my disbelief when it comes to ability-enhancing clothing. Especially if we get more of it. If Sir Fred's suggestions make it to the game, I will be over the moon.
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Lavessa
Posts: 40
9/6/2014
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dharthoorn wrote:
Ye Gods, is it not evident why there is no footwear with eyes? It would mean the end of skirts in the Neath! Either that, or being forced to walk a yard apart at all times. No, good Sir, we will not anything of the sort blemish the impeccable decency of the Neath.
So those are the caliber of secrets you have been seeking from the cats? Now we understand completely...
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...Lately I am in gradual pursuit of thumping and loitering opportunities. I also dispense medical aid now and then
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dharthoorn
Posts: 105
9/7/2014
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So those are the caliber of secrets you have been seeking from the cats? Now we understand completely...
Blast, they are on to me and my depraved appliance of the Mirror-Polished Shoes!
Ever since Mr. Pages proclaimed those particular secrets Proscribed Material there is nowhere else to turn to except the puss...err..cats.
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Charles Chobblestone
This struggling writer exudes a potent and ominous waft of ferrety musk.
Marinus Rumbotty
A man of few words and a raging temper. Nonetheless, a kinder-souled Zailer is hard to find.
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RandomWalker
Posts: 948
9/1/2014
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Taking the maidservant example, it does't help make you more intelligent, but it might help you snoop around in a place where you might not otherwise be welcome.
Games have simplified mechanisms to make them fun and to make them producible. You can point at the seems if you want, but ignoring the cracks and enjoying the setting is fine too.
Or, after posting, what Sir Fred said.
edited by RandomWalker on 9/1/2014
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Sara Hysaro
Moderator
Posts: 4514
8/30/2014
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Especially during this time of year.
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WormApotheote
Posts: 725
8/29/2014
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The drum is the highest level persuasive weapon that isn't from a profession as far as I know.
But yeah, the mysterious benefactor storyline's rewards seem oddly unbalanced, because at the moment the boots never obsolete but everything else does very quickly.
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No, I don't pull the Eater of Names.
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Gillsing
Posts: 1203
9/1/2014
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I'd say that maids may well have to be rather Watchful even when they're not secretly infiltrators. They have to pay close attention to the whims of their employers, and spot tiny specks of dust so they'll know where to clean.
Using the same rules for footwear is kind of tricky though, because there aren't very many Watchful occupations or activities that are connected to particular footwear. And anything that makes a person walk quietly in order to overhear conversations would first and foremost be Shadowy, wouldn't it?
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Hammond
Posts: 41
9/1/2014
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Watchful foot ware, if you think about it, is a laughably ridiculous concept and must remain a "rarity" for the sake of common decency if not sanity.
For starters, the Mirror-Polished Shoes; In reality these would only sever limited practical purpose, only seeing use from extremely conspicuous "spies" and/or perverts. Yes they allow you to "see" more, but how useful can what you see with them really be? Although, in London's case, I suppose some might find it useful to know if a particularly handsome lady is in fact a particularly handsome man with interesting clothing choices, or some rubbery oddity, or a shockingly coordinated trope of rats... although through the most distasteful way possible.
I suppose they could be useful for looking around corners, yet even then, shoes polished to a mirror finish are almost to strange for their own good.
Then there are the stockings. In their description it says how truly "alien" they are, in concept and execution.
I digress. Foot ware that "increases" one's Watchful capabilities make as much sense as drooling gloves increasing one's Shadowy characteristics...
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Hammond
All invitations are welcome.
{Warning: Messages sent within the forum might not be answered in a timely manner. Please forgive me, it is a bad habit I am trying to break.}
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Lavessa
Posts: 40
9/1/2014
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I hardly think the equipment has to make functional sense, if you mean can it reach out and manage things on its own? But it's entirely possible for designers to include stuff more stereotypically associated with people of Watchful tastes or occupations. Not that eyes in one's boot would be beyond the scope of a setting like Fallen London, either...
Anyway, I still suspect it's more of an idea of different sorts of leaps for different attribute tracks.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lavessa
...Lately I am in gradual pursuit of thumping and loitering opportunities. I also dispense medical aid now and then
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Lavessa
Posts: 40
9/3/2014
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Asfodella wrote:
Oh no, not at all. I probably didn't phrase that very well. I was merely expanding AgentBlueSky's (quite brilliant) analysis of why watchful boots make no sense by pointing out that watchful clothing makes no sense either. I have absolutely no problem with Fallen London's fashion and I am more than willing to suspend my disbelief when it comes to ability-enhancing clothing. Especially if we get more of it. If Sir Fred's suggestions make it to the game, I will be over the moon.
Ahh, I see. Somehow I thought you meant more to the tune of, things looking ridiculous as they are. Sorry I misunderstood.
Actually, I too might like some of the bazaar items to be more attractive or distinctive. We do have quite a few rather conventional looking hats and dresses. I agree with some of the posts above on that.
It would also be nice to have more variety at each level in the bazaar - something more than one or two outfits for each level of a character statistic. I think it would be better to have more than one dress with +5 Persuasive, for example. Of course there does not have to be a huge catalog (and we may outgrow the +1 stats quite soon), but I imagine many of us might like to pick from multiple colors and cuts, and even change it up with our moods from time to time.
edited by Lavessa on 9/3/2014
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lavessa
...Lately I am in gradual pursuit of thumping and loitering opportunities. I also dispense medical aid now and then
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dharthoorn
Posts: 105
9/6/2014
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Ye Gods, is it not evident why there is no footwear with eyes? It would mean the end of skirts in the Neath! Either that, or being forced to walk a yard apart at all times. No, good Sir, we will not anything of the sort blemish the impeccable decency of the Neath.
--
Charles Chobblestone
This struggling writer exudes a potent and ominous waft of ferrety musk.
Marinus Rumbotty
A man of few words and a raging temper. Nonetheless, a kinder-souled Zailer is hard to find.
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WormApotheote
Posts: 725
9/1/2014
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It's worth noting also that the watchful gloves and hats are literally alive; so why couldn't we import Polythremic boots or something?
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No, I don't pull the Eater of Names.
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Erika
Posts: 528
9/2/2014
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For what it's worth I've been looking at the derth of shoes/leggings/boots for a while. Recently my partner stumbled across the same thing and was also rather miffed. Christmas isn't too far around the corner, so maybe we'll get lucky.
Hell. Who knows with seasonal events, it might introduce a set of sandals with watchful +5.
Edit:
That
I want that
edited by Cecil on 9/2/2014
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Rupho Schartenhauer
Posts: 787
9/2/2014
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I'd definitely suggest the devs consult Sir Fred on all future additions to neathy wardrobe...
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Cortez the Killer has killed a Master, definitely.
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Loon
Posts: 379
9/7/2014
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I think that in a city with little light, knowing where you are, and what you are stepping on, in the dark is more useful than mirror-polished shoes. Of course, cardboard has disadvantages in other areas, and I can see it being quite bad for persuasive and dangerous. Then again, we walk around with iron hats, try to argue that these are a good idea.
edited by Loon on 9/7/2014
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My main character Krawald can be found at http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Krawald and welcomes all social actions bar photographers.
My alt Loogan Cuthoat can be found at http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Loogan~Cuthoat and welcomes all social actions bar cats and photographers.
My alt Ally Mooney can be found at http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ally~Mooney and welcomes all social actions including patronage, though they are a bit confused by cats in boxes.
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WormApotheote
Posts: 725
9/7/2014
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Loon wrote:
I think that in a city with little light, knowing where you are, and what you are stepping on, in the dark is more useful than mirror-polished shoes. Of course, cardboard has disadvantages in other areas, and I can see it being quite bad for persuasive and dangerous. Then again, we walk around with iron hats, try to argue that these are a good idea.
edited by Loon on 9/7/2014
It works out your neck muscles so you can recover from being hanged quicker.
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No, I don't pull the Eater of Names.
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