Speaking of Templars.

[Asmoth]

Would be nice if there was a place in town where someone could pay say twenty sid to deliver a short message to a Templar next time they log on.

This way we could save the stun points on checking all throughout prime time for Templar A and B.

Perhaps a scribe in the bazaar, who you pay to deliver small messages to either any templar or specific templars?

This way it provides an IC way to start looking for these important characters.

[Lizzie]

If it were something really vague, I'd be up for it. Something like:

The templar's generic scribe-bot shows you a note, written in tatlum:
"The mangy-furred gortok-bristled man" (Fluffy) is looking for Lord Templar Hardnose.

And when Hardnose shows up and "reads" it - the message disappears automatically.

Each message would be timestamped just like it is on the tavern forum. So Hardnose will know (in general terms) what time of day/week in real-life to expect this Fluffy guy to be logged in. He can then attempt to find Fluffy himself or have an aide try for him, or hire a Bynner to find out, or whatever else suits his fancy.

No subject matter though. The reason Fluffy wants to meet Hardnose should be reserved for roleplay.

[Majikal]

Awww, that's cute. You guys think a Templar gives a shit about you and your messages!

              Ha                                                   ha                                                          ha
HA                                   ha
                                                            Ha        HA!
        hA                    haha!
HA

From a playability standpoint, I can see the merit. However, that's what aides and channels are for and I don't like the idea of stealing their thunder with an npc.

[Asmoth]

Awww, that's cute. You guys think a Templar gives a shit about you and your messages!

              Ha                                                   ha                                                          ha
HA                                   ha
                                                            Ha        HA!
        hA                    haha!
HA

From a playability standpoint, I can see the merit. However, that's what aides and channels are for and I don't like the idea of stealing their thunder with an npc.

I'll kill any aide who stands in the way of this idea...

[Lizzie]

Actually this idea would be helpful for Aides as well. As it stands currently:

Jimbob Kadius wants to deliver a widget to Lord Templar Hardnose. He can't find his mind, and Hardnose has gone through four aides in the past month, so Jimbob has no idea who the current aide is, if one even exists. So he can't look for her.

But Jimbob leaves his name with the NPC-message-bot:

"The tressy-tressed boychick (Jimbob Kadius) is looking to speak with Lord Templar Hardnose."

Hardnose sees this the next time he logs in and makes his rounds of the city. He can't find Jimbob's mind (or he's too superior to try), and tells his aide Amos to deal with it.

Now Amos can BE the aide he's being paid to be, Jimbob gets to deliver the widget, and Hardnose is happy that Kadius was prompt. Everyone wins.

[Asmoth]

Actually this idea would be helpful for Aides as well. As it stands currently:

Jimbob Kadius wants to deliver a widget to Lord Templar Hardnose. He can't find his mind, and Hardnose has gone through four aides in the past month, so Jimbob has no idea who the current aide is, if one even exists. So he can't look for her.

But Jimbob leaves his name with the NPC-message-bot:

"The tressy-tressed boychick (Jimbob Kadius) is looking to speak with Lord Templar Hardnose."

Hardnose sees this the next time he logs in and makes his rounds of the city. He can't find Jimbob's mind (or he's too superior to try), and tells his aide Amos to deal with it.

Now Amos can BE the aide he's being paid to be, Jimbob gets to deliver the widget, and Hardnose is happy that Kadius was prompt. Everyone wins.

I can't believe I'm typing this.  But despite disagreeing with Lizzie on most everything, I agree with her completely on this thread.

[Majikal]

Actually this idea would be helpful for Aides as well. As it stands currently:

Jimbob Kadius wants to deliver a widget to Lord Templar Hardnose. He can't find his mind, and Hardnose has gone through four aides in the past month, so Jimbob has no idea who the current aide is, if one even exists. So he can't look for her.

If Lord Templar Hardnose has gone through 4 aides then he deserves to deal with the complications that come with, same for having no aide etc. I like the idea of disrupting someone but disrupting their hirelings, it's a tactic I've used many o' times. I dislike removing the inbetween of using hirelings/aides etc by replacing it with npc's and I feel this way on quite a few different features in the game

[Riev]

Actually this idea would be helpful for Aides as well. As it stands currently:

Jimbob Kadius wants to deliver a widget to Lord Templar Hardnose. He can't find his mind, and Hardnose has gone through four aides in the past month, so Jimbob has no idea who the current aide is, if one even exists. So he can't look for her.

If Lord Templar Hardnose has gone through 4 aides then he deserves to deal with the complications that come with, same for having no aide etc. I like the idea of disrupting someone but disrupting their hirelings, it's a tactic I've used many o' times. I dislike removing the inbetween of using hirelings/aides etc by replacing it with npc's and I feel this way on quite a few different features in the game

I think that depends on the reasons behind having gone through 4 aides. Often, new(er) players will go for an aide-like position to learn more about the world or to be removed from the strict coded consequences of being in the wrong outdoor room. However, these new(er) players do rotate rather quickly.

Setting aside, as well, the fact that a GOOD aide actually has similar playtimes to the Templar they work for, so if you can't find the TEMPLAR... I'd assume you may also have boarded the Strug-Boat in trying to find their aide. I don't know if an auto-psi is particularly the way to go, but I've met some Templars that want things ICly done NOW NOW NOW, but OOCly you can't find the people you need, or they can't find the Templar to set things up. It gets frustrating on an OOC level when a player you can't connect with punishes you ICly for being untimely.

[Erythil]

An in-game mail/messenger system would be fucking awesome.  I've seen this work very well on other MUDs and MUSHes.

Spamming contact to get messages through sucks.  And I know it's something for aides to do, but it's not fun for them, either, just busywork.

[Asmoth]

An in-game mail/messenger system would be fucking awesome.  I've seen this work very well on other MUDs and MUSHes.

Spamming contact to get messages through sucks.  And I know it's something for aides to do, but it's not fun for them, either, just busywork.

Well I would like it to be quasi-in-character.

I don't want it to be a mudmail as such.  Honestly if you end up knowing who a Templar is you can pm them on the boards and arrange a time to meet, but that requires you figuring that out, having a system in game would eliminate the need to "out" players and gdb aliases.

I personally have never cared, but some people do.  Like I'm currently playing The Highlord, sorry to spoil for you.

[Erythil]

The way I saw it done that I liked best was where you needed to be out in a public area, and once you are, there's a brief room echo about a messenger showing up to hand over a letter, and then you get the contents of the letter (which can't be very long).

[Majikal]

All things that take away the opportunities of murder, corruption, betrayal. If Bob wants to meet with Jim and it's all handled through an npc/mudmail type situation then all of the opportunities for Assassin X, asshole Y and guy-who-sells-information Z are minimized for a (what I think) is a minor ooc convenience. Aides serve a purpose and thus a lack of an aide also serves a purpose. There's also a considerable crowd in the game that wants psionics done away with completely if only for the reason that written/spoken word makes for so many more shenanigans.

[Asmoth]

All things that take away the opportunities of murder, corruption, betrayal. If Bob wants to meet with Jim and it's all handled through an npc/mudmail type situation then all of the opportunities for Assassin X, asshole Y and guy-who-sells-information Z are minimized for a (what I think) is a minor ooc convenience. Aides serve a purpose and thus a lack of an aide also serves a purpose. There's also a considerable crowd in the game that wants psionics done away with completely if only for the reason that written/spoken word makes for so many more shenanigans.

Some aides...

You are talking about the rare time when an aide and their noble/nooblar are on the same time zone and are in sync.

You shouldn't have to

Contact NOOBLARNAME 8 times in your play session to find out that you missed nooblar by half an hour while you were dicking around.

I think you're also taking this as an affront to the aide or nooblar in question.  It's not, this is all about convenience.

We are playing a game, with other people who are busy doing shit.  I live in EST, Templar A might live in whatever the UK has.  Templar B might be in EST but works nights.

You shouldn't sacrifice playability just because you fear that aides will become useless.

Hell, I don't see any reason why templar a couldn't list with staff tressy tressy B as his aide, and have the messages come to the aide?

[Asmoth]

Could actually be a good addition for Nobles too.
This is sorta what I envisioned in my mind's eye:

Location: Probably outside the Dome on Meleth's. (Because all Templars tend to go there)

Code Select Expand

Inside a Canvas Tent [Leave]

This tent could more properly be described as a lean-to as the back side of it utilizes the dome as a wall.  Gaps between the dome and the interior occasionally allow a stray gust that sends someone rushing to grab a piece of paper here or there.
Various men come and go, wearing all manner of clothing, from silks all the way down to nothing but a slave collar, though more of the later by far.  Groups of slaves sit in the corner of the tent, behind a large flat obsidian table that must have taken multiple half-giants to drag into this area.  Different colored quills and various pots of ink sit atop the table.  One sturdy chair sits behind the table.
An aged, pale man sits behind the table.

Request
You can use Request to send a message to a noble/templar asking for an audience.  Bear in mind, the Highborn have no requirement to respond or grant you an audience.
Example: Request (Recipient)Asmoth (Given Name)Tressyboo *Allowing you to keep any alias you're using or to provide misdirection.*
A message will be dispatched to Asmoth and will include your description and given name, if the Lord or Lady is interested, they will let you know. You pay 20 sids to The aged, pale man.

The aged, pale man hastily scribbles something down on a small leaflet of paper and then snaps his fingers and hands it to a slave with hushed instructions.

The slave bows and rushes off out of the tent.

Asmoth Logs on:

Timer starts to say maybe 30 seconds, so he doesn't get spammed right in his logon jargon.

Asmoth sees:
A slave rushes in, he hands you a leaflet which tells you that Tressyboo is seeking an audience.  He leaves as quickly as he came.

Asmoth thinks: Excellent, I wanted to kill Tressyboo (Example).


[Lizzie]

Right - the ONLY thing the templar will know is that a specific person is looking for him. He doesn't get to know why, or what the subject matter is, or where or when to find the guy. Only that the guy wants to communicate.

All the rest of the situation would be left up to the templar and the guy.

[wizturbo]

I would be okay with this, but frankly, I think it should be a service available for all players.  Nobles/Templars might get to use the service for free, or have it be enhanced in some way, like including a short message...  whereas normal commoners can pay to the use the service and have it be more limited.

[Asmoth]

I would be okay with this, but frankly, I think it should be a service available for all players.  Nobles/Templars might get to use the service for free, or have it be enhanced in some way, like including a short message...  whereas normal commoners can pay to the use the service and have it be more limited.

Seems reasonable as well, now w just need someone with the juice to make it happen.

[WanderingOoze]

I imagine this.

[solera]

Illiteracy .

[Asmoth]

Illiteracy .

Some trusted servants know how to read and write. And who says it couldn't be a noble?

[solera]

Illiteracy .

Some trusted servants know how to read and write. And who says it couldn't be a noble?

I should use more quotes! I was answering Wizturbo, who wants the peons to get serviced too.

[Asmoth]

Illiteracy .

Some trusted servants know how to read and write. And who says it couldn't be a noble?

I should use more quotes! I was answering Wizturbo, who wants the peons to get serviced too.

Ahh gotcha, this is more about playability versus realism.

I know I hate having to go through this when I log on.

Contact Templar
Contact Other templar
Contact noble
Contact guywhoowesmemoney
Contact friend
Contact guyisortalike
Contact aidea
Contact aideb
Etc etc

To be left at half stun with nothing to show for it.  The way almost is is too easy of a way out to explain why systems like this haven't been put in.  Couriers would still exist, messengers would still exist.  But we hide behind, but you have the way! For everything.