Playtimes command

[MeTekillot]

I think boog once idea'd this? Not sure. Anyway, playtimes command. Look at a dude, type 'playtimes dude' and receive whatever they've decided to define.

playtimes Amos
Usually around 6-10 PM, EST

playtimes Talia
1-3 PM, GMT

playtimes Malik
This player has not defined their playtimes.

[wizturbo]

+1

[RogueGunslinger]

Great idea.

[Malken]

It's a great idea and everyone will agree until some schmucks come here and say that it could be abused to be used in murdering someone or burglarizing their home.

I think that's how it died out last time.

KEEP AWAY SCHMUCKS

[MeTekillot]

A rebuttal.

playtimes Malik
This player has not defined their playtimes.

[RogueGunslinger]

It's a great idea and everyone will agree until some schmucks come here and say that it could be abused to be used in murdering someone or burglarizing their home.

I think that's how it died out last time.

KEEP AWAY SCHMUCKS

Easily solved by opt-in, so those Schmucks can go schmuck themselves.

A rebuttal.

playtimes Malik
This player has not defined their playtimes.

God damn you for being faster, I'm posting anyways.

[wizturbo]

Another potential concern would be using it for recruiting purposes...but personally I think that's okay and healthy for the game.  For instance, no one wants to engage in a role like aide/noble when the only way to meet up in-game is if one of you wakes up at 3AM or something.

[BadSkeelz]

It's a great idea and everyone will agree until some schmucks come here and say that it could be abused to be used in murdering someone or burglarizing their home.

Alternatively, setting your playtime to something fraudulent and then hiding out in your apartment waiting to backstab the burglars.

[MeTekillot]

Quitting out to break psionic contact with someone, then logging back in so they think you logged off.

[RogueGunslinger]

I once told people I was going to log out, and then went and did some shady IC stuff instead. I didn't really meant for it to turn out like that. But I know everyone I was playing with probably thought I did. I guess this is my apology that that happened, and that I promise I wasn't trying to metagame ya'll.

That was about 5 years ago, so I probably don't need to apologize.

[CodeMaster]

Spitballing... someone could probably just build a webpage that did this - you'd put an sdesc in it, and it would consult some backend and say something like:

The tall, muscular man has no known playtimes.

Or:

The tall, muscular man might have these playtimes (no guarantees as to accuracy or if this is even 'the tall, muscular man' you met in-game):

Weekdays: 4--6 PM servertime.
Weekends: 10--12 AM servertime, 2--3:30 PM servertime.

Staff probably don't want third parties hosting this kind of information, otherwise the owner could just data mine it.

[wizturbo]

Spitballing... someone could probably just build a webpage that did this - you'd put an sdesc in it, and it would consult some backend and say something like

Naw...  I'd rather not have a giant listing like that.  I wouldn't want anyone to see my sdesc unless they've seen it in-game.

[deskoft]

While this is a brilliant idea, I think it can get really abused. And having to lie or fake up an OOC value (the playtime) to avoid an IC disaster shouldn't really work.

[RogueGunslinger]

em rubs his eyes in exasperation.

[wizturbo]

em rubs his eyes in exasperation.

Plenty of things in Armageddon are eligible to being abused.  It's an optional thing.  If you choose to list a playtime there, you take the risks associated with that potential abuse.  That's all there is to it.

I personally will use it.  I do not mind in the least if someone uses my Playtime to help coordinate my character's murder, or any other nefarious action.  Fact is, that's just removing an OOC barrier to coordinating those events.  I've actually coordinated playtimes with people in the past when I EXPECTED them to murder my character...  (spoiler: they did)...and I don't see the problem with that in the slightest.

Benefits > > > > risks on this.  

[valeria]

I could see the value, but I honestly doubt I'd use it.  My playtimes change too frequently and if it's too much of a bother to change my objective every now and then I'm definitely not going to put the work in to keep it updated.

I would note though that I don't like having a weekend/weekday distinction.  Who decides when someone else's weekends are, anyway?  For instance, Zoltan's weekend is Thursday and Friday.  The only way this would be at all useful is if it was broken down by specific day.  And I think that's getting way too specific.  I'd rather just see it be one line.

[Narf]

em rubs his eyes in exasperation.

 I've actually coordinated playtimes with people in the past when I EXPECTED them to murder my character...  (spoiler: they did)...and I don't see the problem with that in the slightest.

Benefits > > > > risks on this.  

I've done this as well, but it was awkward and annoying because I had to OOC over the way. A playtimes command would have been much better.

For people saying it can be abused, I'd ask how? Since it's opt in, you can delete it or ignore it or whatever you want. Setting a fake playtime would be the epitome of foolishness since staff can probably just check the logs to see if you're ever actually on when you say you're on. Everything you'd be lieing about is recorded, so I dunno what you're worried about.

Misusing the information you're given would be nigh impossible too since providing it is option and the validity of the information is optional. I could just set my playtime as being 6:00-8:00 PST for people trying to get ahold of me, but that doesn't mean I'll only log on during those times. This mean's it's not really helpful to people trying to rob my apartment since it's not an all encompassing list of when I'll be on.

Seriously, I think having this command will do more for player driven plots than just about anything else Staff could possibly enact no matter how much time they put into it.

[wizturbo]

Seriously, I think having this command will do more for player driven plots than just about anything else Staff could possibly enact no matter how much time they put into it.

It's definitely low hanging fruit in terms of bang vs. development time buck, that's for sure.

[Reiloth]

I also don't see the problem with letting people know your playtimes, if you so choose to do so. It'd sure make me play the game more, rather than check my clan GDB to see when soandso is on (Which seems to be the only purpose of the GDB forums for clans, beyond documentation. The rumor threads are almost always retarded, and I wish IG boards were used rather than the GDB, which isn't in the game, and can't be seen by spies in those compounds).

I basically don't see the harm either. You can figure out when people play, without any sort of playtimes command, it would just be a convenience -- Which let's face it, we need convenience in this day and age of MUDS. If people can figure out when to play with other people, they will actually play.