[FA] detect invisible and shapeshifter

[petebull]

I was attacked by a shapeshifter in a Lost soul body. I read a scroll of detect invisible when the shapeshifter changed forms and blinked away. The result was that the new position of the shapeshifter was visible on the mainscreen. (Dump available as html, savegame put aside.)

[Nick]

Originally Posted by petebull

I was attacked by a shapeshifter in a Lost soul body. I read a scroll of detect invisible when the shapeshifter changed forms and blinked away. The result was that the new position of the shapeshifter was visible on the mainscreen. (Dump available as html, savegame put aside.)

This is an interesting one. Shapeshifters are clear, so you should have detected it in either form. The interesting part is how long the detection lasts - and it seems from what you're describing that it lasts until your next turn. I think this is standard behaviour; whether it is correct behaviour is another question.

[petebull]

Originally Posted by Nick

Shapeshifters are clear, so you should have detected it in either form.

Are they? My monster memory don't list them as invisible and I think I saw them approaching me in the past.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by petebull

Are they? My monster memory don't list them as invisible and I think I saw them approaching me in the past.

OK, I'm not sure now. I would probably trust your monster memory more than my actual memory .

[Psi]

So if I'm reading this right, you are suggesting that some sort of invisibility flag was retained by the shapeshifter after it had returned to its normal form?

Nick, as you say, shapeshifters are clear - however they are not invisible, so I wouldn't expect detect invisible to show them.

[Psi]

Originally Posted by Psi

So if I'm reading this right, you are suggesting that some sort of invisibility flag was retained by the shapeshifter after it had returned to its normal form?

Detect invisible just checks a flag attached to the monster race and a shapeshift just changes the race pointer of a monster to a different one, so that shouldn't happen.

[Nick]

Yes, you're quite right, this has nothing to do with being clear. The reason it happens is in fact that it gets flagged to be shown, and the flag isn't cleared until the next player turn. I guess I could put in a check for shapeshifting on that turn, but I'm inclined to just say tough luck on the shapeshifter.