Pending change to starting contact

[Morgenes]

Does anyone object to increasing starting contact values for all classes?

[Eloran]

I don't think it's a big problem, but I wouldn't mind it.

Thanks for asking. 

[Salt Merchant]

I'm in favor.

Could this be posted as a poll, please?

[Simple]

No objection, your Honour.

[Cutthroat]

Yea, verily.

[number13]

Don't care either way. 

[Cerelum]

No objection here, make is so we aren't bumbling retarded with the way.

[spawnloser]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

[Gimfalisette]

Quite in favor. This change can only be good for the game.

[FantasyWriter]

I would like to see this change.

here's the poll, Salt Merchant.
http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,35480.0.html

[Winterless]

I do not object! Yay!

[NoteworthyFellow]

I am quite thoroughly in favor. It's one of those changes that I can't possibly see hurting anything ever.

[WarriorPoet]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

[aruna]

Quite in favor. This change can only be good for the game.

[Zoltan]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

[The Lonely Hunter]

That would be nice. It wouldn't be retroactive by chance, would it? I know I wouldn't mind a little boost. 

[brytta.leofa]

Does anyone object to increasing starting contact values for all classes?

Definitely not.  I know it's been done before, but I still think it's worthwhile.

I see bog-standard mundane contact as a very different sort of ability from, for instance, combat skills: I would liken the current situation to folks starting with mediocre skill in their native language.

[a strange shadow]

*slips Brytta some money under the table*

Thanks for writing my post, dude.

[SMuz]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

[hyzhenhok]

Lazy veterans aside, it would make things more newbie friendly, so I'm all for it.

[X-D]

Not opposed. One of the things that has always seemed odd that a person who has been around and using the way for 20, 30 or more years can't say boo over the way unless they are someplace safe for when they pass out.

[Thunkkin]

Quite in favor. This change can only be good for the game.

[LauraMars]

I am quite thoroughly in favor. It's one of those changes that I can't possibly see hurting anything ever.

[path]

Hip-hip...HURRAY!

[Rhyden]

Though I've only seen contact get easier and easier to use, I see no issue with making it even easier. It's more of an OOC interaction thing than it is an IC tool, really.

Especially for newer players starting out who are told to find the head of 'Leader X' of 'Clan X' during their early attempts at Armageddon.

[Riev]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

[Cerelum]

I think it unnecessary, but I don't oppose it.

If don't oppose it, then shhhh zipit..shhh

[Agent_137]

but then what will we bitch about after our long lived characters die? newbie ride? newbie barrier? it just isn't the same!!!

[Malken]

I don't really care either way, but I want to be quoted.

[SMuz]

but then what will we bitch about after our long lived characters die? newbie ride? newbie barrier? it just isn't the same!!!

I suppose we could get a vote whether to have starting sirihish nerfed. Newbie sneak still sucks and it's tough to RP the grind.

[spawnloser]

If don't oppose it, then shhhh zipit..shhh

In that case, if you support it, you should zip it, too.  You're not telling them to.

[AmandaGreathouse]

I love this. I'm very in favor.

[jcljules]

Yay.

[Akoto]

Hi,

I am 100% in favor of such a change. One of the most frustrating things about a new character is raising contact. Makes it hard to reach clan officials, to respond to messages sent to you, etc. I find this to be especially true of my characters who start with low Stun. Raising the values would remove a lot of unnecessary hassle, and perhaps also help with the removal of the 'who c' function.

[Krath]

I dont know...I just dont see how a change like this
could benefit the mud. Why cant you all just train it
like normal? I just kind of think this is one of those things
where once you do this, what skill is next. I completely
disagree with the IMMs decision to do this and I believe
there should have been a thread where we could have
talked about it first....


Just kidding. Hell yes I agree with this change!

[Cerelum]

I dont know...I just dont see how a change like this
could benefit the mud. Why cant you all just train it
like normal? I just kind of think this is one of those things
where once you do this, what skill is next. I completely
disagree with the IMMs decision to do this and I believe
there should have been a thread where we could have
talked about it first....

I was loading my flamethrower as I read this part.

Just kidding. Hell yes I agree with this change!

Then I lol'd

[flurry]

I don't see how this could possibly be controversial, but I've been surprised before.

[Morgenes]

Thanks for your feedback folks, I really didn't think it would be controversial, but wanted to give you guys a chance to give input.

I will be working to make sure that existing characters get updated if they are below the new levels.

[Thunkkin]

Yay!

[Lizzie]

Well hmmph! If new characters get a boost to their contact, then what about all us shlubs who have already worked our asses off to get to that same point? I demand satisfaction! All long-lived warriors who lack outdoor storm-tracking, or rangers who have the defense nerf, or city elves who can't run, or half-elves who are misunderstood, or underpowered magickers, or underpowered mundanes, and all merchants, since they're stuck tavern-sitting and spam-crafting and mudsexing their lives away all day, should all get the mind-flayer psionic skill after they branch expel. Cause, new characters are getting this, and that's not balancing!

In summary, I like this proposed change!

[Fathi]

I don't see how this could possibly be controversial, but I've been surprised before.

I was reading a thread about this same topic from a few years back and the resounding opinion of the playerbase on raising newbie contact was "HELL NO!"

I was rather surprised. But I think the game's culture is a little different these days.

[Armaddict]

I don't see how this could possibly be controversial, but I've been surprised before.

I was reading a thread about this same topic from a few years back and the resounding opinion of the playerbase on raising newbie contact was "HELL NO!"

I was rather surprised. But I think the game's culture is a little different these days.

The answer to why is in your very own signature.

"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid."
- John Wayne

Raising contact wasn't even a hard part, and people want it easier.

Alas, I end my derailing.

Edit:  This can get read in a wrong way that's really bad.  I wasn't calling -anyone- stupid, I was saying that some people were interested in preserving the 'hardness' of the game, and that upping contact seemed to them like a way to lower that hardness.  The signature quote was an explanation of the life in Zalanthas, not of any person.

[Fathi]

I don't see how this could possibly be controversial, but I've been surprised before.

I was reading a thread about this same topic from a few years back and the resounding opinion of the playerbase on raising newbie contact was "HELL NO!"

I was rather surprised. But I think the game's culture is a little different these days.

The answer to why is in your very own signature.

"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid."
- John Wayne

Raising contact wasn't even a hard part, and people want it easier.

Alas, I end my derailing.

This post was a lie. Armaddict + Fathi 4 lyfe.

[SMuz]

To be honest, I sort of liked starting contact. Contact was really quick to raise. It gives some instant satisfaction.. a skill that went up incredibly quickly. I will miss it, just like I'd miss it if I wasn't able to use Yahoo to search for porn. But not enough that I would be opposed to it.

[Comrade Canadia]

Yeah, I can't honestly think of any way in which the game benefits from new characters having a poor contact skill. Thumbs up!

[Mechafish]

Go ahead, change it.

[Jingo]

Starting contact is really just an annoyance. There is a difference between game harshness and ooc irritation.

Go for the change, it really just saves me the trouble of spam-training it anyways.

contact 43.man
You contact the lick-spittled young man.

contact 44.man
You contact the peshek-bearded, wrinkled man.

Actually, now that I think about it... I've died indirectly once because newbie contact.

I was trying to contact my buddy, I was down to 20 stun due to way failure. Then some twink newb came out and decided to try out the sap command. He failed but managed to land a couple of hits while I was still sitting.

[Morgenes]

Thanks for your input on this folks.  Next reboot we will have the new starting values, any existing characters below the new values will be raised to the new starting levels.

In addition, we are adding a few bonuses to contact.  Using a character's true-name to contact them will increase your chance of contacting them.  Also, using multiple keywords will provide a smaller, limited benefit, showing that you are forming a more complete picture of who you are contacting.  Neither of these bonuses affect PVP psionic contests (such as with barrier).

[mansa]

Is there a difference between:

contact tall.muscular.man

and

contact tall muscular man

?

Could -BOTH- work, for the sake of consistency with the emote command?

[Thunkkin]

so, if someone's true-name is Amos, "contact Amos" provides a bonus.

If they are a tall, muscular man, "contact tall.muscular.man" provides a bonus.

Would "contact amos.tall.muscular.man" provide even MORE of a bonus?

[Twilight]

As a trade off, lets bring back HP loss when you use the way!

Although, in a serious vein, it would be nice if assess -v started showing stun levels after they were below 50%.  IE no message before then, then increasing stages of wooziness or whatever.

[Morgenes]

so, if someone's true-name is Amos, "contact Amos" provides a bonus.

If they are a tall, muscular man, "contact tall.muscular.man" provides a bonus.

Would "contact amos.tall.muscular.man" provide even MORE of a bonus?

Actually, contact doesn't need the spaces, you should do:  contact amos tall muscular man, and yes that would provide more of a bonus than just amos.

[Morgenes]

This went live with this morning's reboot.

[mansa]

What happens if we do:
contact tall.muscular.man.amos?

Does it still work, or will the code give you an error?

If it gives an error, I'd like to request a code change addition so that it also allows you to do that.
Why?
Because it keeps the contact code more consistant with other existing code (the emote code)
I'd also like it to keep the old functionality of contact, so that old players don't need to learn new code.

If it doesn't give an error, and still allows for it to work, then we're in the clear!

[Agent_137]

What happens if we do:
contact tall.muscular.man.amos?

If it doesn't give an error, and still allows for it to work, then we're in the clear!

yes, please. it's critical for intuitiveness. think of the newbies!

[Morgenes]

What happens if we do:
contact tall.muscular.man.amos?

Does it still work, or will the code give you an error?

If it gives an error, I'd like to request a code change addition so that it also allows you to do that.
Why?
Because it keeps the contact code more consistant with other existing code (the emote code)
I'd also like it to keep the old functionality of contact, so that old players don't need to learn new code.

If it doesn't give an error, and still allows for it to work, then we're in the clear!

It won't give you an error, but you currently won't get a bonus for each keyword.  Next reboot, it will.

[mansa]

Ma prayers are answered!!!