Social Systems

Overview

Social systems in Covert Cats are built around actual world interaction, not abstract menus floating in the sky. That means things like distance, combat state, movement, and interruption rules all matter.

The main social systems are:

• grouping and parties
• party targeting
• chat and private messages
• vendor trade
• player-to-player trade

Grouping and Parties

Players can invite other players into a group by:

• targeting the player and pressing R
• targeting the player and using the invite button
• right clicking the player and choosing the invite option from the context menu

If the inviting player is not already in a group, a new group is created automatically when the invitation is accepted.

A group can contain up to 4 players.

Grouping matters because Covert Cats is built around party interdependence. Harder content works best when a party brings:

• The Fur for aggro control and armor reduction
• The Claw for interrupts and fast pressure
• The Tongue for healing and survival
• The Tail for support, summons, and long-fight sustain

Party Targeting

When grouped, party members appear in the party panel on the left side of the HUD. These portraits can be clicked to target allies quickly.

This is often the easiest way to:

• heal allies
• apply buffs
• monitor who is taking damage
• react during chaotic fights

Clicking a party portrait is often faster and more reliable than trying to click a moving cat model directly.

This means:

• players in combat cannot support players outside combat
• players outside combat cannot support players in combat
• out-of-combat support still depends on proximity and being in the same zone

Chat and Communication

Covert Cats includes multiple chat channels for social and system communication:

• Global
• Zone
• Party
• Whispurrs
• Battle

There is also local proximity chat. If you are in the Global tab and type a message without a command prefix, nearby players within short range can hear it.

Battle chat is the combat log channel. If Auto-Switch Chat Channels is enabled, entering combat switches you to Battle and leaving combat switches you back to Global.

Trading with Vendors

Players can trade with vendors by:

• right clicking a valid NPC and choosing Trade
• targeting the NPC and pressing T
• targeting the NPC and pressing the Trade button

Vendor trade opens a catalog showing each item’s:

• name
• price
• type

To see an item’s detailed preview, the player must left click that item first.

Buying

To buy an item:

1. select the item in the vendor catalog
2. review its details
3. click Buy

A purchase only succeeds if the player has enough currency and enough inventory space.

Selling

Selling requires both the trade window and the Inventory window.

1. open vendor trade
2. open Inventory
3. right click an item in your bag
4. choose Sell

While vendor trade is active, the inventory context menu changes. Normal actions like Use, Equip, or Delete are replaced by the sale option.

After choosing Sell:

• the item is staged in the trade window
• the item becomes greyed out in inventory
• the sale still must be confirmed in the vendor window

Vendor Trade Restrictions

Vendor trade depends on valid state and proximity. Trade can fail or be canceled if:

• the vendor is out of range
• the vendor moves away
• the player enters combat
• the vendor is attacked
• a hostile event interrupts the player

Some vendor NPCs do move, so this is not just theoretical.

Trading with Players

Players can also trade directly with each other, but trade begins with an invitation rather than opening instantly.

To start player trade:

• target the other player and press T
• target the other player use the Trade button
• or use the right-click trade option

The target player receives a modal trade invitation and must accept or decline it. Like party invites, trade invitations expire after 30 seconds.

Trade Window

The player trade screen is split into two sides:

• You
• The Other Player

Each player can offer:

• up to 4 items
• gold
• silver
• copper

The other player’s side is read-only from your perspective.

Adding Items

To add an item to player trade:

1. open the trade window
2. open Inventory
3. right click an item in your bag
4. choose Trade Item

While player trade is active, the inventory context menu changes so that trade-related actions replace normal inventory actions.

Equipped gear and equipped bags cannot be traded.

Accepting the Trade

Both players must click Accept before the trade completes.

If either player changes anything after one side has accepted, including:

• adding an item
• removing an item
• changing currency

then both sides must accept again.

Player Trade Restrictions

Trade can fail or be canceled if:

• the target is out of range
• either player moves too far away
• either player enters combat
• a nearby enemy or random encounter interrupts the trade
• either player disconnects or goes link dead
• bag space or escrow conditions fail

Common Mistakes

Most social-system problems come from treating them like static menus instead of live world interactions.

• forgetting that invitations expire after 30 seconds
• assuming party targeting bypasses normal support restrictions
• typing in the wrong chat tab and wondering where the message went
• forgetting that Battle chat can hide normal social messages
• trying to trade while moving or standing too far away
• forgetting to confirm a staged vendor sale
• accepting a player trade before checking the final offered items or currency
• assuming trade continues safely even if one player disconnects or combat starts