Your opinions on making PC stop multiple turn actions when spotting a hostile?

[Stingray1]

Currently the player character will continue to perform certain actions that take multiple turns to complete until he/she is interrupted by a monster attacking him/her. These actions include stuff like cooking, reading books, smithing, making rations, digging, eating, fletching, etc.

I think it acceptable to expect the game to query the player whether the character should continue with his/her current actions whenever the character sees a hostile monster and not only once the monster attacks the PC. Even maybe with a configuration variable similar to the walk_carefully one. Of course when the player answers yes the action should continue until the character is attacked and not query the player on every turn, but this point is also definitely debatable. Maybe there can be 3 possible answers. Stop, continue for one turn and ask me again, just continue until I'm attacked.

[Silfir]

I do not think that is acceptable. These are tasks that require concentration. The reason PCs spot monsters that actually enter the line of sight is that they're currently exploring the dungeon and carefully watching their surroundings. While they're studying a spellbook, handling cooking equipment, smithing, fletching etc, they can't constantly pause to watch their surroundings - and it's reasonable that they will only notice monsters at the very last moment or not at all. (The monsters have seen the player, can tell they're occupied and are going to approach as silently as they can. You're setting yourself up perfectly for an ambush.)

Finding relatively safe spots to perform tasks that require concentration is one of the many challenges players are put through while exploring dungeons. At times, that challenge can be a major source of tension or excitement. You just ran out of Frost Bolt far away from the wilderness; can you make it through the spellbook? Can you risk it?

I think the way the game handles this right now is perfect. You get a confirmation prompt that you're about to engage in risky business, and you have to make a strategic decision based on risk. Eliminate the risk, and you eliminate the decision and make the game just a tiny bit shallower for no reason at all.

[anon123]

I think it would be bad for a few reasons:

1. in the off chance a peaceful monster enters your LOS and just chills around you, you would still get bothered by a prompt.
2. even though this would gain you some extra turns to act when something shows up around the corner, most players will try to keep these long actions for a safe place within possibility (e.g. not D:45 where this feature would be welcome, because you could soak a punch from a greater moloch), or take measures not to be interrupted by wandering monsters to begin with.
3. removing a small risk vs. reward decision aspect of the game like Silfir mentioned above.

[Stingray1]

Well, this has taught me to make myself invisible and lock doors even for simple things like eating and changing body armour and that just feels a bit too much. But anyway, I'll just keep doing that and hope a ghost isn't near.

[SirTheta]

I'm not hot on the other stuff, but a Y/y/n prompt would actually be pretty welcome for this (instead of having to mash 'y') - I'd certainly vote for a suggestion in that regard.

[Stingray1]

Can I then ask that the Alertness skill, Listening skill, Perception attribute or being a female character gives a chance for the character to notice a hostile monster approaching? In that order of determination, Alertness having the biggest influence and being a female the smallest.

[rmcin329]

This would certainly give the listening skill an interesting use.

[GordonOverkill]

Can I then ask that the Alertness skill, Listening skill, Perception attribute or being a female character gives a chance for the character to notice a hostile monster approaching? In that order of determination, Alertness having the biggest influence and being a female the smallest.

Like this :-) This might add a nice, little facete to the atmosphere!

[Stingray1]

I wonder why monsters are displayed on the screen while performing such actions, if I understand previous posters' argument monsters should be 'invisible' then.

[GordonOverkill]

Well, in that case the PC should also not be able to see what's behind him etc. Might be a little too much realism.