Ok, my posts were never meant to be my char can do such and such...blah blah blah. But rather about helping sneaks have a little bit better chance in PvP battles. As it stands, sneaks do very well vs mobs. The server is balanced for that. they just don't fare to well against other players unless that player has absolutely ignored spot.
Let's think about it this way: a 30th level human non caster with only cross-class skills in spot and a base 8 WIS. This character can still achieve a +38 to their spot roll (+16 from cross class spot skill ranks, +2 from WIS amulet boosting their WIS to 14, and using the +20 True Seeing Helms which anyone can purchase in the shops...the helm would be put on and used as soon as the char detected they were being attacked by a sneaker) possibly detecting a Hider with a +58 hide score.
Sure hiders can choose to actively hide forcing a check less than 1/round. But, spotters can force the same thing doing active search checks more than 1/round. If you activate search on and off very fast, you'll eventually roll a 20 and see the hider...give it a try.
Most good builds will try and minimize the weaknesses of their class with respect to other player classes...ie if I'm a mage and nearing 30th lev, I'm going to try and figure out how I fare vs dragon shapes/sneaks/melees/clerics, and other mages then shore my defenses up a little either by taking and preparing certain spells/readying certain equipment/or by taking another class. Thus, most folks wanting to put skills in spot will take at least 1 class (which has spot as a class skill) in: rogue/ranger/arcane archer/assassin/shadow dancer/champion of torm/weapon master/dwarven defender/shifter/ or dragon disciple. Thus a 30th lev char with 1 of these classes at 30th and a base 8 WIS can have:
33 (skill ranks) + 2(WIS=14 with amulet) +20 (Helm ready to be used with 10 charges) = 55 Spot.
This 55 Spot will detect a char with 65 in Hide most of the time...do some tests and see what I mean. If that char still has problems with sneaks, and is very perplexed about trying to combat them, they may actively decide to take Epic Skill Focus Spot for one of their epic feats, thus uping their spot to 65 (and thus detecting a hider with 75 in Hide frequently).
Furthermore, most hiders on the server are not Rangers. I have friends with Monk/Rogue/SD or Monk/Rogue/Assassin builds. They are lucky to have 60 Hide by 30th level and they need to decide whether to take precious feats to increase their Hide/increase their damage/increase their AB/or increase their AC, dexterity, or HP.
All I'm saying is that Hide seems to be not very functional for a character that should be centered around it: for example the monk/rogue/assassin or fighter/rogue/assassin type. Why must Hide be only powerful for a ranger build when spot can be effectively pumped up for any class/race even the non-WIS based ones? Why not help out the rogues and assassins on the server?
Remember, a non-ranger, non-small stature (not a gnome or halfling) char will receive -21 to the previously calculated max in Hide of +112 since they can't cast Camoflage/One with the Land and use trackless step or have + to hide for small stature.
My recommendations have already been stated (although maybe not too clearly):
1) include a message stating the hider has been spotted by a hostile Player;
2) increase the possible Hide on items by +5 total (maybe even +10)...for example as it stands there's only the +6 to Hide boots and the +7 to Hide padded armor...why not add a +5 to Hide cloak as well?
That's it!
Finally, let me say my apologies for my long winded posts...let's just say I didn't get any work done today...
