I wanted to post this here anyway since there is alot of disuccion about this among the sneaky ones.

::::::::::::::: Official Description :::::::::::::::
Hide in plain sight
Type of feat: class
Prerequisite: shadowdancer 1

Specifics: The character is able to use the hide skill even while being observed. Note that this ability will not always be successful in the frenzy of combat, but disengaging from an enemy before attempting to hide in plain sight will succeed.

::::::::::::::::: End Description :::::::::::::::::

Okay so it states in the description it does not work reliably in combat, so its not a bug so to speak. My guess is, if your rest button is red you may or may not be able to use HiPS reliably.

I did alot of poking around at this on the bioware forums and did not find anything conclusive.

I have also played around with this on other servers and found it to be the same there when you have creatures with a high spot or listen and more than a few with in range.

Hah! I was not pleased when HIPS was introduced. I had a level 20 (top level in those days) Ranger/Rogue with very high skill in hide and move silently. In those good old days if you were a sneaky type, you plotted a route past enemies, using as much cover as possible, and kept an eye on a way of retreat in case you were spotted. Then HIPS came along and all the fun of hiding was lost for me : hit, step back, HIPS, advance, hit, step back ..... no fun at all.

So any stealth merchant complaining he was unable to use HIPS successfully gets very little sympathy from me

I am not complaining I like that kind of figthing and have done it a lot and sometimes one step back isn't enough - not that it makes a big difference. I have learned that if I fight a lot of enemies at one time - a few of them will often spot me if I only take one step - a few more steps and no one sees me. (unless they are red hand - i don't know what it takes not to be spottet by those - but it's more than 98 in hide skill)

Ya its not just HiPs the same thing happens when I cast invisibility in front of enemies. I have to lose aggro first then walk back so they don't notice me.

Ah - with Melilot I usually start running away first, then try casting invisibility .... I suppose tht's just another way of 'losing' the aggro