VNPC and Speech

[Manhattan]

What do you guys think about VNPC's that speak.

> emote the fat-assed man says to @ "Hey man, what the Krath?"

Does it bypass the language code, allowing even the worst sirihish-speaking elves to understand what the VNPC is saying?

Well, any comments, suggestions, or ideas?

[Spud]

Bad idea. Suggest not doing it. It does bypass the language code.

[Cuusardo]

The language code affects say, tell, whisper, shout, talk - all the coded ways of actually speaking.  It does not affect emotes or pemotes, and therefore, including speech in those is not good.

[Swordsman]

Like many other things, using emotes to make VNPCs say something could be abused, but there are situations where it can be used appropriately to enhance role-play. Obviously, people need to use common sense and keep OOC fairness in mind. Speaking for myself, I don't agree to a blanket 'this is bad' judgement call. I do think, though, that using this in a public environment (i.e., potentially multi-lingual environment) would be generally unwise.

Swordsman

[Manhattan]

> emote the fat-assed man says to @ "You think elves eat shit?"
Elves in the tavern proceed to jump you. You just screwed yourself ICly and OOCly.

> emote the fat-assed man says to @ "Can I sit here?"
VNPC proceeds to sit next to you. Everything is fine and dandy.

What do you guys think? Is there a difference between what the VNPC says?

[Cuusardo]

No, because emotes cannot determine what language he is speaking.

[Anonymous]

Since you're asking for opinions, my opinion is that people should leave the VNPCs to the staff.

Nothing annoys the shit out of me more than spending 20 minutes in the wild solo roleplaying that I am dressing a wound, gingerly making my way back to town and receiving something like this when I walk into a tavern:

Those around the tall, know-it-all man recoil in horror at the jets of black blood rushing from your deep, undressed wounds.

It's even worse when people use VNPCs for moral support.

The denizens of the tavern urge on the tall, know-it-all man, sneering at you as he faces you down.

Sure, what you are trying to do isn't abusive or lame, but it still might come off that way.  Taking control of a second character that my character has to account for in their roleplay is just a sketchy situation.

[sarahjc]

This has been a topic often. I personally love VNPC and use them all the time. I make them do things, I do thing to them, sparing, crafting, mud s-.. Well, lets just say I think they are swell.


As for talking ones, I do use them in Solo Rp and in places where I know that the only language being spoken is the one I am speaking.

I think that it can be entertaining to you, and sometimes to others, if done in the security that you aren't breaking the language barrier.

And what I mean by that is everyone around knows or speaks what language you are speaking.

Also there is all sorts of common sense things with this. Don't bring a VNPC to your table to tell the dwarf across from you that you are looking to kill someone and would like him to help, via emoting translation to the VNPC to bypass the language barrier. Don't start up a conversation with a VNPC in the local tavern where people speak 20 different languages.

There are also people that –hate- the use of VNPC's. So if you are going to use them, you should most likely do it with some discretion. My personal opinion is that if I am introducing a VNPC into the rooms RP, they are fair game to others as well.  That and if there are others around, you should RP with other Characters before solo RP with VNPC's.  They are there for Flavor, but are not the meat of RP.


What they are great for is sparring alone, you can think up a partner to practice with. VNPC kids, you can make them much more colorful and fun. People to gossip with or show you how to do things as your PC learns a skill.

A quick example of my own personal speaking VNPC Rp, that no staff has wagged a finger at me for.

pemote swinging down to me left side, looking slightly winded as he lowers his sword, the blue eyed, black haired man says in sirihish, "I think I need a rest, lets sit a bit. I wanted to hear what happened with you and that Atrium girl last week anyhow."

It will look like:

Swinging down to your left side, looking slightly winded as he lowers his sword, the blue eyed, black haired man says in sirihish, "I think I need a rest, lets sit a bit. I wanted to hear what happened with you and that Atrium girl last week anyhow."

[sacac]

I hate that so much when I fall downa nd emote breaking a wrist because I landed on it and all and then I walk into a tavern arm in a sling and then I see an emote like this.

A few gatherers gather around you gawking and sneering at the pool of blood beneath you, while the tall, noble-looking commoner looks on with a frown.

So normally, I...

Emote punches one man in the nuts with her broken wrist and shanks another with an obsidian dagger before finishing her tireless trek to the bar.

[Ghost]

Emote punches one man in the nuts with her broken wrist and shanks another with an obsidian dagger before finishing her tireless trek to the bar.

Oh, I love you.

EDIT:  After looking at my artwork here, I thought maybe I should add something less emotional to the topic.

Yeah, I kind of agree with CRW.  If there are other PCs around, I think it would be better to leave the vNPCs alone.  If there is just you as the PC and a bunch of vNPC clanmates, you can probably put something vague, I don't know, maybe changing ldesc like:
"The cool, charismatic guy is here, conversing with a few rough mercenaries."

Something like it.

[Larrath]

My use of VNPCs, personally, tends to be rather minimal.  I refer to them when there's need to, but I rarely involve them unless it's the most extreme example - like someone going "Die, you filthy gemmer!" in the middle of the Allanaki Elementalist Quarter (not a good idea, by the way) or someone drawing a knife on a noble in the middle of their House barracks.
Using VNPCs to come to your assistance can get very cheap very fast, and anyone who does it should think twice beforehand to make sure they're not giving themselves an unfair advantage.
It's very easy to roleplay your half-elf as having a half-giant friend that loves him with all his big stupid heart.

Also, I never write speech for VNPCs - I'd be more likely to do something like this:

Code Select Expand

emote The virtually muscled man says something to @, shrugging and pointing to the northeast.
Say (looking down at the virtually muscled man's finger) Yeah yeah, that's a nice finger, but where the hell do I buy water?
In general, you never know when someone could be unable to speak the language or, hell, even deaf!  Speak for VNPCs indirectly using your own character, or describe their tones and gestures to give a rough idea of what they said.[/code]

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Code Select Expand

emote The virtually muscled man says something to @, shrugging and pointing to the northeast.
Say (looking down at the virtually muscled man's finger) Yeah yeah, that's a nice finger, but where the hell do I buy water?

This is perfect.

In the past, I had a mul that needed to be sold, and Borsail was not a functioning entity at the time, or rather, one could not find a PC in the House.

I took my mul into the Trader's Inn and had a VNPC sell him. Why there? Because everyone in there can speak Sirihish. If there was any shadower or someone who couldn't, my apologies, but I'm sure they had the ability to decide they could not understand.

I was complimented on my use of the VNPC, and the VNPC left as soon as the sell was complete.