Town Criers

[Barsook]

True.

[Suhuy]

I don't have much input on the subject, but I wanted to show my support by saying I quite like this idea as well

[Creslin]

I don't see any reason to limit it. It'd be no more open to abuse than the rumor boards and people seem to be able to handle those just fine. Just like anything else though, if there was something set up on the crier that shouldn't be, staff can probably remove it and deal with the person who did it.

Agree 100%. If something like this would be added you can't limit it to high ranking clan members and whatnot. This is something that would be incredibly useful for independents too but if we limit it they are screwed.

It is like anything else - the rumor board, say/tell/talk/shout/psi, if people abuse it or make OOC messages they will be caught and they will be punished.

What about IC messages that border on illegal or could cause serious problems or feuds because they are lies? Simple. Let the Town Crier keep track of identities of people who pay for messages and let templars and militia members speak with the Town Crier and see the SDESC and Name of a person who paid for a message.

Let the staff handle OOC abuse. Let the law handle questionable IC usage.

[Barsook]

What about IC messages that border on illegal or could cause serious problems or feuds because they are lies? Simple. Let the Town Crier keep track of identities of people who pay for messages and let templars and militia members speak with the Town Crier and see the SDESC and Name of a person who paid for a message.

I dig that idea on keeping track, but wouldn't you need extra code in order to get that info?

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I really love this idea. Really, really love it.

[Synthesis]

Eh...so...it's a rumor board that I can't ignore?  No, thanks.

[Delirium]

Eh...so...it's a rumor board that I can't ignore?  No, thanks.

More like a roaming Twitter.

[The Lonely Hunter]

I think this actually came up a long time ago, on the old boards. I don't remember why it was shot down.

I would love to see this added. Nifty idea.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

It was shot down because of the belief that it would be abused.

[Synthesis]

How could this possibly be abused more than the rumor boards we already have?  That's a stupid argument.

I personally just think it would be annoying to have a goddamn NPC running around shouting stupid shit that I don't care about.

[Is Friday]

I can imagine a high number of dumbass things that a crier can be used for....

[RogueGunslinger]

I can imagine a high number of dumbass things any number of other things can be used for, but aren't.

Because, you know. Being banned from the game you play sucks. And if someone wants to grief they can always find a way.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Rumor boards are already probably abused more than a town crier would be. With a town crier, at least, if you never made it to the Sanctuary and spent all of your time in the tribal market, you wouldn't hear two noble aides whispering about lady Fee Fee being hit by a filthy poopball.

[Gilgamesh]

This would be great. Like the towncrier in HBO's Rome.
Wealthy merchants could shout out sales. Nobles use it to gain influence with locals. Events and festivities could be known by most people. Although they shouldn't roam all around the city. Only in select areas like the Bazaar or a major road, to keep out the spammy shouts. Or make it so they'd be seen normal there, but every few loops, head outside that area to places like the Gaj/Sanctuary.


As for abuse, it's would be rare, I'd think. The staff has already set up a system to keep those kind of people out of the MUD before they even enter the game. I think people here are serious about the game.

[Maso]

Just got round to reading this idea.

Love it! Would be ace. The messages would have to be short and snappy, "Kadius hiring! Speak to Amos!".

Would be so cool. For some reason I can only imagine it in Luirs, Tuluk and Allanak though. I can't see it fitting in Red Storm.

[BadSkeelz]

I can't imagine the Red Storm climate being conducive to a job that requires you to stand on the street with your mouth open all day.

[Synthesis]

I'd be amenable to the idea of a wandering OOC board that was coded to look like a "town crier" or whatever, that you'd have to actively look at and read in order to get the information you presumably are interested in.

However, as far as a wandering, shouting, nuisance NPC is concerned:  hell to the fuck no.  I guarantee you I will be sapping that NPC and tossing its lame ass down the well every dark night from here until the MUD shuts down.

[Maso]

They wouldn't be out at night. 

[Delirium]

I like the idea as long as the town crier doesn't hang out near taverns.

As a side note, pretty much every time Synthesis posts, I get a mental image of a crotchety old man waving around a cane, except the cane has a sword hidden inside.

[Reiteration]

They already have this, it has something to do with X's fist.

[Synthesis]

They already have this, it has something to do with X's fist.

That guy doesn't wander by the Gaj and start shouting about it.  Back before the flood in Tuluk, there was a Kadian hawker NPC that would wander around and shout about things, but he apparently got what was coming to him.

[Harmless]

I find it amusing how much Synthesis hates this idea. This whole thread is amusing. I think this crier should be added for laughs. Maybe once the mob is murdered a certain number of times that NPC should disappear completely as a consequence.

House Oash has hired a slew of town criers, some of whom might be seen wandering the streets. Rumors abound whether these criers will survive longer than a month. Grebbers and, in particular, a very seedy, crotchety-looking assassin are making bets on how long the unfortunate victi-- that is, criers, will last.

[hyzhenhok]

You'd probably have to have tiered pricing: it would need to be moderately expensive for most commoners to prevent it from being overused and important messages from being flooded out by useless crap. But you'd want to encourage PC leaders to use it, so clan leaders would get a discount, nobles and great merchant family members a greater discount, and templars would be able to set messages for free. Elves, obvious breeds and people speaking in a non-local accent would be barred completely (and thus would have to bribe someone eligible to set the message for them if they really wanted to do it).

[musashi]

They already have this, it has something to do with X's fist.

That guy doesn't wander by the Gaj and start shouting about it.  Back before the flood in Tuluk, there was a Kadian hawker NPC that would wander around and shout about things, but he apparently got what was coming to him.

Hahah I remember that guy.

[Synthesis]

You'd probably have to have tiered pricing: it would need to be moderately expensive for most commoners to prevent it from being overused and important messages from being flooded out by useless crap. But you'd want to encourage PC leaders to use it, so clan leaders would get a discount, nobles and great merchant family members a greater discount, and templars would be able to set messages for free. Elves, obvious breeds and people speaking in a non-local accent would be barred completely (and thus would have to bribe someone eligible to set the message for them if they really wanted to do it).

lol straw purchasers for town crier messages

The Allanaki Templarate begin Operation Loud and Obnoxious.