Contact foo, !, !, !, !, !

Started by SailorMars, June 10, 2003, 03:05:06 PM

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June 10, 2003, 03:05:06 PM
Don't know if this could be abused but, would it hurt to add the sDesc to a contact attempt?

> contact snarf
> You try to contact the greyish-yellow mantis but fail.

The reason I ask is that many of the PC names are shared by NPCs. Many of the NPCs cannot be contacted. This can lead to trying over and over and over again to contact the wrong person. Getting the sDesc returned would let you know right away.

From a RP perspective, the Way wouldn't be completely name-based, I don't think.

Thoughts?

Edit: Couple evil typos pruned and thrown into the disintigration chamber.
color=darkred][size=9]Complaints of unfairness on the part of
other players will not be given an audience.
If you think another character was mean
to you, you're most likely right.[/color][/size]
June 10, 2003, 05:52:03 PM #1
Hmmm I think the real problem with this is it just leads us back to the massive thread on a persons OOC ability to tell if you are online and then abuse that. If you only found NPC descs then you sould know they were not online.
A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.  Zalanthas is Armageddon.
June 10, 2003, 06:29:49 PM #2
Or finding out that the name of the purple-warted, three-toed hag is Maria. When she has always told you it is Teresa....

That could be worse than knowing if the person you seek is on-line or not.
f time conversions are giving you a head-ache, visit: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/
June 11, 2003, 02:23:49 AM #3
Quoteit just leads us back to the massive thread on a persons OOC ability to tell if you are online and then abuse that.

I haven't read that, but... If there's no NPC that shares your name, doesn't the Way, in effect, show you if the person is online or not? I.e. you've never heard of them vs. unable to reach their mind? So how would this add to that problem? I'd rather know if the mind I am unable to reach is the right mind, otherwise my PC is basically trying to reach some completely random, wrong person's mind some of the time... We can RP that as indicitive of the complexity of the Way, I guess...

QuoteOr finding out that the name of the purple-warted, three-toed hag is Maria. When she has always told you it is Teresa...

Without this addition, trying to Way someone who gave you a false name would come up with "you've never heard of that person before" unless the false name was shared by another PC or NPC. If the person was contactable, you would then see their sDesc anyway, e.g. You contact the nubile, double-jointed prostitute with the Way.

So would adding the sDesc to the contact attempt really change anything for the worse in that situation?
color=darkred][size=9]Complaints of unfairness on the part of
other players will not be given an audience.
If you think another character was mean
to you, you're most likely right.[/color][/size]
June 11, 2003, 05:01:31 AM #4
There no longer is the 'You've never heard of that person' -message. That was just changed last Saturday. You can read what people thought about it the reactions  here.

You can Way a person with any of their keywords. I wasn't referring to someone who suddenly flung out a name, but someone who is methodically trying to hide their identity. Of course, you still can manage to contact the person accidentally, but not having failure contacting them announced decreases the chance. I don't know about others, but I'd rather believe the lie OOC too, if my character believes it.
f time conversions are giving you a head-ache, visit: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/
June 11, 2003, 03:50:31 PM #5
QuoteThere no longer is the 'You've never heard of that person' -message. That was just changed last Saturday. You can read what people thought about it the reactions here.

I've been noticing that lately, but couldn't put my finger on what was going on. Hehe, well, that change makes this suggestion mute. Or does it make it even better? :P
color=darkred][size=9]Complaints of unfairness on the part of
other players will not be given an audience.
If you think another character was mean
to you, you're most likely right.[/color][/size]
June 14, 2003, 02:53:39 AM #6
The potential abuse of being able to see the target's sdesc is if the target is being hunted, or you've only heard the name, then suddenly you have a way of getting the character's sdesc.  How can you know gather physical information from a mental medium?

Speaking of which, what about contacting while drunk - that will send the target a wavy image of you.  What's the explanation behind that?  How about something like "You sense a muddled message." Something to indicate that a lack of coherent thought is present in the contactor.

Just a thought.
June 14, 2003, 11:11:15 PM #7
QuoteHow can you know gather physical information from a mental medium?

Ah, quasi-science in a fantasy setting is dangerous ground. If you do 'contact mottled' where mottled is a sDesc keyword, aren't you using a physical aspect of the person to find them? Therefor there must be some connection between the physical and the Way, right? Be that as it may, those sort of things can be debated either way.

In short, I see your point, but it's not selling me. ;)
color=darkred][size=9]Complaints of unfairness on the part of
other players will not be given an audience.
If you think another character was mean
to you, you're most likely right.[/color][/size]
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