psionic contact addition idea

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I, on the other hand, wish that you couldn't use anything but their short description and their true name to contact them. There is too much of this using the Way as a telephone. Why in Krath should you be able to Way a person who isn't actually Amos, just because he said he was?

True names have power. They always should. I do not support that changing. In no way do I think your alias should be capable of being used through telepathy to track you down.

[jhunter]

Venomz, a name is just a label that one person has for you. Real name or not it shouldn't make any difference. If you can contact someone just by knowing their sdesc, you should be able to contact them via an alias they've given you.

That said, I honestly wouldn't mind if you couldn't contact people by their sdescs or other keywords and could -only- do it by name. Real names or otherwise.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I don't agree that a name is just a label that a person has for you. An alias is that. A name is something that you are, something that you agree with and identify yourself as. For instance, you think of yourself as jhunter, and so do I, but if you were to tell me your name was hsmith, then that is what I would think of you as. Yet, in this mental world where psionics take place, you do not exist as hsmith, but rather jhunter. How am I supposed to find you then?

As for using the short desc to find you, if you are a bald dark man, that is what you are, even in your mind. I can find you because that's who I remember. But, if you appear to me as a short pale man, then how am I supposed to find your mind by using how you look, when in your own mind, your own mental presence in the Way, if you will, you are the bald dark man?

You see?

[mansa]

I don't agree that a name is just a label that a person has for you. An alias is that. A name is something that you are, something that you agree with and identify yourself as. For instance, you think of yourself as jhunter, and so do I, but if you were to tell me your name was hsmith, then that is what I would think of you as. Yet, in this mental world where psionics take place, you do not exist as hsmith, but rather jhunter. How am I supposed to find you then?

But, if you use the nickname hsmith enough as a reference for yourself, wouldn't that merge with your brain identity and become your psionic contact?  I tend to think so.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Sure, that is a possibility. However, enough is a relative term that varies from individual to individual. I hardly think that giving your name as Roy to a few templars and a merchant or four when it is really Bill is enough to qualify as enough.

Living as Roy for a couple of years is an entirely different matter, one that I doubt was the situation that prompted this thread.

[Larrath]

I think that making psionic contact work only with truenames and sdesc keywords would only cause trouble to people that want to use fake names on a long term basis.

I won't even go into the nature and power of names because it's much simpler than that.

Code Select Expand


(Employer's POV)
Employer: Okay, what's your name?
Employee: They call me Gringo.

> contact Gringo
Nope.
> contact Gringo
Still nope.

Employer: Right.  Guards!


Not to mention people that want to use multiple names or people that want to use more obvious aliases.  Guilders could face a bit of a problem as a result of this.

And, to put this thread back on its rails, it's also possible for PCs and NPCs to share their truenames.  I still can't see a good solution for the problem where NPCs are contacted if PCs aren't around.  I don't really like the random chance between getting the PC and the NPCs.


Maybe the Barrier skill can be altered slightly so that if people attempt to contact a character with a barrier, and the barrier blocks them, there will be a 15-20% chance they'll get 'redirected' to the next mind that answers the qualifications for what they contacted, be it name, truename or sdesc.

[jhunter]

Yet, in this mental world where psionics take place, you do not exist as hsmith, but rather jhunter. How am I supposed to find you then?

That is a matter of opinion. Not factually the way it is. I've never read any documentation about the way or psionics stating that is the way it works. It is left completely open to many different opinions and interpretations.  You of all people Venomz, who likes to see things documented and coded should understand the difference. This is one area where I believe there is too much left open to the interpretation of the player.

I think that the basic psionic abilities should be more clearly defined as to how they work in this world and the code should back it up. If it says in the documentation specifically that you cannot contact someone without their "true name" or knowing exactly what they look like then fine. Currently, it does not.

[bloodfromstone]

Maybe the Barrier skill can be altered slightly so that if people attempt to contact a character with a barrier, and the barrier blocks them, there will be a 15-20% chance they'll get 'redirected' to the next mind that answers the qualifications for what they contacted, be it name, truename or sdesc.

This is a great idea.

As for the alias/true name business, I don't really think it should affect contact either way. I've never seen anyone use an extended alias without having it as a keyword and staying cloaked up all of the time so that it is impossible to contact them, but it seems a bit iffy to me. This is a way different situation than just giving a fake name once when some militia man stops you. I can see how it would be frustrating, though I like to think it is a rare enough occurance that it isn't really a major issue.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I know it is a matter of opinion, but what is left open to interpretation is what is the topic for now. I do know that a true name is supposed to be something cared for. That much is in the documentation we currently have.

My post was more of an attempt to define the deference between a mental name and an alias, the two being obviously not the same thing. I've never said anything about it being facts, but rather something that made sense to me.

If it is accepted that you should be able to contact someone via the way through the use of their alias, then I suggest that we have access to a new command called nickname. This nickname command would allow the PC to add nicknames to his keywords at will, and delete them equally, although perhaps with a timer of RL days to eliminate using an alias without consequence. This freedom would represent his assuming a new identity, and casting it off again, both mentally and physically.

I am sure this has been suggested before, but I think it's a great idea. I am sure there is some way it can be abused, but I don't think it's particularly likely, and I think the benefits out-weigh the bad.

[jhunter]

I agree.

It should be clearly defined one way or the other whether or not you can use the way to contact someone (with an alias or only with a true name). Currently, it's left as an OOC choice with no IC explaination as to why one can have this much control over the way.
One can choose OOCly, whether or not an alias will work (as far as The Way is concerned). It should not be an OOC choice, it should be something determined by the way psionics works ICly.

I also like Larrath's idea for fixing the issue of abusing the way to find out the online status of another as well.