Custom speech tags

[HaiWolfe]

Currently, we have six possible speech tags: 'says', 'shouts', 'whispers', 'asks', 'exclaims', and 'sings'. I got to thinking it would be nice if we expanded that to include more options.

When I first started writing this post, I thought I would simply ask for an expanded list of common speech tags (reply, remark, retort, etc.) and have them work the same way sing currently does. But as the list I started putting together got longer and longer, it occured to me, why not add an option that lets players write their own speech tags?

For example, currently the code allows () for a description or emote to go along with the speech, and - if it's a one-word descriptor.

Syntax:
  say <message>
  say -<option> <message>
  say (<option>) <message>

Examples:
  > say Hello, stranger.

  > say -quietly Hello, stranger.

Suppose we added another marker, +, that works like this:

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> say +remark Oof, that's gotta hurt.

You remark, in sirihish:
  "Oof, that's gotta hurt."

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> tell elf +snarl I saw that; gimme back my 'sid!

You snarl to the shady-looking elf, in sirihish:
  "I saw that; gimme back my 'sid!"

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> say +(state matter of factly) Yes, Suk-Krath does rise from the east.

You state matter of factly, in sirihish:
  "Yes, Suk-Krath does rise from the east."

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> whisper man +murmur All right, on the count of three...

You murmur to the brown-haired man, in sirihish:
  "All right, on the count of three..."

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> shout +shriek (fleeing in terror) Mek on the loose!

Fleeing in terror, you shriek, in sirihish:
  "Mek on the loose!"

Of course, you can do a lot with () now, but the idea is to give players more options in expressing themselves. I think this could add a lot of flavor to scenes.

[Cale_Knight]

Very cool. Would take a lot of getting used to, but could certainly add a lot.

[Larrath]

Or it could simply replace the "-" tag.  I mean, we don't need it anymore now that we have paranthesis.

say -stutter (waving his arms in panic) I d-didn't do anythinnng L-l-l-l-l-l-lord templar!
Waving his arms in panic, the puny, frail-looking man stutters, in sirihish:
  "I d-didn't do anythinnng L-l-l-l-l-l-lord templar!"

I think that a single word descriptor for the verb combined with the emote in paranthesis would be sufficient to convey anything.  The problem is that some verbs would need to be doing AT someone and others TO someone.  You exclaim to the templar and then you scream at them.  This might give the Tell command some jarring grammar issues.

[Rindan]

Actually, there is already a syntax that would work.  Check out the new command emote help file.  The syntext that you could use would be the () to do the pre emote, then use the [] to do the 'style' you speak in.

So, you could do:
say (glancing over the dirty dishes) [mutter] I don't want to clean those.

Glancing over the dirty dishes, you mutter, in Sirihish,
"I don't want to clean those."

I am not sure how much I would use a command as it is getting a little unwieldy, but I do think it would be a neat addition.  I might not use it on the fly much, but I could easily see myself aliasing a "mutter" for cursing things under my breath.  I really like the idea.  More flexibility on the emoting system never hurts.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Much simpler in context would be simply the addition of new say commands that would mirror already implemented parameters. Examples:

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mutter = whisper

You mutter to the grey guy, in sirihish, "Drat."

snarl = say

You snarl to the grey guy, in sirihish, "Back up."

Simple copy and pasting of existing code for say would allow implementation of this plan, though I am sure there is a more sophisticated method to add it all.

[spawnloser]

But, doesn't...

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whisper dude (muttering) Stupid feck....and...

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say (remaking casually) Well, don't see one of those every day....work?

[Maybe42or54]

Yes, but it would be smoother this way, and a bit weirder as people will ask how they remark, since Remark the command wont work. Or, how do they cry talk? Cry doesn't let them talk.

[Lazloth]

But, doesn't...

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whisper dude (muttering) Stupid feck....and...

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say (remaking casually) Well, don't see one of those every day....work?

Of course, but isn't the beauty of our emote evolution .. the presentation?  Were pre- and post-emotes necessary?  And aren't they suave?

It's like doing aerobics at home .. so much more appealing to the voyeur when you wear that electric-lavender jumpsuit.

I think this is the niftiest suggestion I've read all year!