What makes you go wow?

[Sanvean]

Recently on topmudsites, people were describing builder tricks. I mentioned the following:

I tend to prefer areas that are detailed, because I think they are part of the overall story, and tell
something as well as providing atmosphere. We tend to put the most detail in places that people use a lot: the Main Bazaar in Allanak, the Trader's Inn and other bars, busy streets, etc.

I'll throw out some things that we've used to add more details to the world, in the hopes that they might spark ideas for other people:

Individual tracking messages, as well as specialized items "skinned" from mobs, which can be set by race, or by npc. Mount animations as well as the ability to give your mount a name to distinguish it from all the other mottled purplish kanks in the world

Equipment that is similarly realistic is being sized or which cannot be worn by different races.

Animation echoes that go off randomly - generally I try to err on the side of too slow rather than
too fast on these, because spammy, repetitive mob progs are one of my pet peeves. Some busy rooms have these as well as a few less habited places.

Weather messages and equipment status changing as a result - getting sweaty or dusty from travel, bloody from combat, etc.

Molly includes about a bajillion good ideas - we added various taste/scent/eat messages to Arm and they're fun. Players have enjoyed supplying a lot of them. We also began using dawn/dusk/assorted time checks to echo something to the room

We added a lot of sectors and the objects for which you can search on them vary according to the type of sector: one set for heavy forest, another for silt shallows. You can forage for roots/stones/salt/artifacts. Sector can also affect messages/effects from magick spells, travel messages. etc.

Scripts, scripts and more scripts for items and npcs, including things like:   
   being able to break bottles and turn them into weapons
   being able to battle to be the () Champion of Allanak
   the ability to seal a scroll with a signet ring
   ability to have pepper-eating contests
   npcs that walk regular patrols
Scripts can be written and tested by any staff member and we include web utilities for uploading/downloading them, which encourages people to do a lot of these. I have seen some just plain amazing scripts since we added the javascript capability.

Tattoos and scars that can be gained through the course of play and which can be set on individual NPCs, as well as a talk program that allows builders to set npcs to respond to keywords.

examples of animated npcs:
a snake charmer who dances with her snakes, which are objects that are referenced by her emotes and says
various dancers and jugglers throughout the game
npcs who react to specific events

I'd like to open this up and ask what features work and what don't? What other cool little scripts, projects, or atmospheric details would you like to see? What should we be leaving off? Do you read room descriptions? What do you look for in them?

[creeper386]

I personally like just about anything that give more options to the players. Like the new flip command and such on some weapons, being able to break bottles to use as a weapon and such. It'd be nice to have more things like this included, even away to use various normal items in combat with good chances they break(Chairs, sticks, maybe a log for a half-giant etc.)

I also like detailed areas, room echoes such as the new ones in Allanak's Bazarr, and in the taverns. Anything that brings the world to life more. I tend not to read room descriptions more then a few times and ussually miss things, but it's great to be in a new place and it really being a new place instead of just the same old tavern all over the realm.

Creeper

[CindyLou]

I read room descriptions. I didn't even know you -could- set a room-brief flag til someone mentioned it on the GDB a few weeks ago. I won't set it though..I don't run walking scripts and I want to see everything.

I love imbedded objects. I'm an object freak. If an area of the city has the description of an enormous tower to the south, then I want to see the top of the tower get closer and closer as I progress southward. If it isn't described that way in the room description, then I want to be able to "look tower" and see the tower separately.

If there's a description in a room saying that there's a view of the dunes over the northern horizon, then I want to be able to "look horizon" and see what the dunes look like from my perspective.

Even if it's every other room, or even every 3 rooms, I want to be able to find "things" to look at in addition to the normal room description. Granted, I came from a game where builders were -required- to add objects to room descriptions. If the room didn't have at least 2 objects, then it wasn't acceptable.

Also..I realize that some of the plants exist just for atmosphere, and it's appreciated, and I'm VERY glad to see them because it breaks up the monotony outside the city. But I wouldn't mind seeing their descriptions longer than a single sentence. And if a room description says there's trees and shrubs and vines and reeds all over the place - and your forage skill is good, and you can't find anything there, I'd like to see some kind of echo besides "You don't find any food here."

I find plenty - but maybe it just isn't edible? Maybe it's all rotted? It's there - the room description says it's there. But it's frustrating as all get out to emote hacking down a vine, only to be told that the vine doesn't exist.

Overall though, I'd love, well, everything. I love the danger, I love the intrigue, I love not knowing that any moment the weather can change and you can't see crap more than a room away and have to wonder if you're walking into a family of pissed off carru.

I love all the work that's gone into the development of the game, and the improvement, and I am constantly WOWED by the interaction of the storytellers, and would like to say thanks to the IMMs who've animated NPCs, even just on the spur of the moment for no particular reason.

That's all.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

What other cool little scripts, projects, or atmospheric details would you like to see?

Hard to say, we have so many already, and they're all so cool. With Arm, I'm always thoroughly impressed, and by the time I recover, there will probably be something else to impress me. I haven't really had time to ponder new ideas to add to the atmosphere in Armageddon, I've been too busy running about 'tasting' new objects. Magnificent!

Do you read room descriptions? What do you look for in them?

I'll be the first to admit it, I rarely read room descriptions past for the first line or two. The only exception to this is when I'm looking for a specific detail, such as 'are there virtual chairs here that I can sit in?' or 'is this place teeming with VNPCs, or no?' So basically, when I read a room description, I'm looking for the virtual elements that are not already mentioned as hard-coped PCs, NPCs, or objects. Hope that helps.

[Rindan]

There are certainly times that I skim room descriptions.  That said, I love them none the less.  Often times when I really have nothing to do I just make up a simple story of me going from one location to another.  I read all the room descriptions and emote my merry way.

One thing I would suggest to get room descriptions to be read more would be to avoid repetition.  If the room looks like it has the same description as the last room, I tend to skim.  It turns out that skimming is not always a good idea and I miss details that change.  

Realizing that it is very hard to write 10 different descriptions for each strech of Caravan way, I think it would be great if players were encouraged to send in alternate descriptions.  Keep a tight control on it for consistancy and really encourage quality.  Don't accept sub-standard stuff, but leave the option in.

I agree with the person who said they like being able to look at different pieces of the room description.  It is always a joy to find places where you can look at everything.  It also saves casual viewers from an utterly massive description by hiding bits and pieces of it.

[Gorobei]

we added various taste/scent/eat messages to Arm and they're fun.

Hell yeah they are.  I know that I've sent in a bunch, on most things I've tasted/smelled recently.  I hate it when I taste/sniff something, and I don't smell anything special, or it turns out it's just ordinary meat.
The one thing that I haven't idea'd in this way is scrab head.  I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like.  Also, cheese.  I wish Urkel played Arm, because then we'd have awsome taste/smell messages for all the cheese in the game.
Everyone, idea everything you eat and drink, at least!
What are these eat messages that you speak of, though?  Am I missing a whole aspect to my ideas to the mud?

Another thing I love that's been mentioned are imbedded items.  Even that steel dragon still tickles me pink.  Can I idea these, too?
Cripes, what am I saying, of course I can!
CindyLou, Rindan, I know you're with me.  Send in ideas daily!

P.s.  I don't trust these newfangled targeted ideas/bugs/typos and I always include the sdesc if the item I'm ideaing.  I hope that's not irritating.

[Anonymous]

I -love- imbedded objects in rooms...it seems like alot of people don't even attempt to look at things that are only visible at a glance in the room desc. I, just for the hell of it have attempted to look for imbedded objects and have discovered some very cool things because of it.
I'd like to see even more of it, and would also like to see more sound/smell emotes from more places in the game.
I've seen alot of them in Allanak, but not so many in Tuluk yet...we need more all over the game.
In the cities, out in the wilds...I love the extra atmosphere they add as I'm travelling along.
I also like the scripts some npc's have that they do...although I wish some had more variations for them...sometimes you can sit in a room and they'll do the same couple of things repeatedly.
Also I love Rindan's ideas about having more variation on the dangers in the wilds other than shitloads of super-buff npc's, it would have more of using your knowledge and brains to survive out there than just the "Look out for the buff-ass npc's that are going to kill us!"
I think that variation of the dangers would create more depth like the added room emotes and embedded objects do.
I posted anonymously because I was too lazy to log in and it really doesn't matter who I am.

[CindyLou]

Okay okay Gorobei, I'll dust off my builder's hat and start submitting objects.

Not everyone might know what an "imbedded" object is, and I don't know if Diku uses the term. Here's an example:

Player Home, Receiving Room:

An elegant wool runner in shades of red and black looms over the agafari parquet floor, reaching from the archway toward a small door at the far wall. A short glass topped table sits before a small black hide sofa that lurks in the shadows against the north wall. Opposite the sofa three sturdy agafari chairs surround a small matching oval table. Candles in sconces cast dancing shadows throughout the room.

In the room description, there's mention of a runner, the floor, a table, a sofa with chairs, another table, and candles in sconces. When I wrote this, I created an "imbedded" object for each of these things, and each one had its own description. There was a second layer of imbedding for the table in front of the sofa, which held a vase of flowers. The vase was its own imbedded object. Here's the runner - when you "look runner" you'd see this:

Woven into the pattern, small deformed elven figures dance in unison over the rug, their feet bloodied stumps as an unseen force commands them to stomp in rhythm to their deaths. Every fifth mangled body within the weave lays in tormented eternal rest, providing a stoccatto heart-beat to the illusion of the runner's movement.

Please note: These descriptions were part of another game, and I would normally not post them without permission of the game's admin, except I "recycled" that player home to create a new one when the player who had this home stopped playing. It is therefore no longer property of that game, since it no longer exists on their database. I changed the wood type to fit the Zanthalas genre.

In the room description as you can see, there's no:
A woven runner is here.
An oval table is here.
or anything like that. The code for the other game allowed -all- objects to be toggled either "dark" or "!dark," and "immobile" or "!immobile." Generic objects such as a wool runner are automatically dark and immobile. I don't know how much of a chore this would be for a Diku-based code though, to have so many embedded objects in so many rooms. In a Lambda-MOO based code, however, it's a cinch.

[Athenspatch]

What makes me go "WOW"...
    Most common would be the hidden details in rooms.  Learning that within the non-descript salt-flats lay a labyrinth of salt-worm tunnels that eventually lead to the ruins of a Steinal outpost, buried deep within the bowls of the land.  
    Those hard to get to safe rooms, complete with hidden containers.  I enjoy looking around.  My Characters deserve a hard won secret where they can find them!  
    My other love is a big nasty beast!  Nothing better than a big nasty jumping out at you from above or below!  Death is finest when your something's lunch.

Athenspatch

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Most common would be the hidden details in rooms. Learning that within the non-descript salt-flats lay a labyrinth of salt-worm tunnels that eventually lead to the ruins of a Steinal outpost

You're kidding... Right? Was that exaggeration or sarcasm or something? If not, that's the most blatantly IC thing I've heard on these boards.

[Rindan]

You're kidding... Right? Was that exaggeration or sarcasm or something? If not, that's the most blatantly IC thing I've heard on these boards.

I am pretty sure he was making up a hypothetical story.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Just thought I'd check... Phew...

[Tlaloc]

Actually, most of the 'embedded objects' you're refering to are actually 'edescs', or 'extra descriptions'. Occasionally, though, some of those will actually be hidden objects, which you can interact with. It can be tricky to figure out which is which - but thats what playing around and discovering for yourself is for

As for 'taste' messages: those, I believe, are relatively new and have only been added in the past few weeks.

[mansa]

I felt silly, once, when I thought an item I was interacting in one room was just an extra item, until someone walked by and took an item from it.

All the time, it was a container item!

When i finally had my first peek inside...  

i found a brick of spice, and 5k of coins.  woo!  i was rich!

[CindyLou]

Well I just submitted a few of (insert favorite phrase to describe what these things are called) to MUD.

Nothing important, nothing particularly significant. Just a couple of little details that you might find if you're reading a room description and try to "look" or "examine" something the description mentions is there.

[Johan]

I've always wanted to DIG. Dig holes in the desert bury treasure, and have it save. While there are multi-play issues, I think it would be fun to stumble across ancient Black-Robe Templar Richandpowerful's secret desert stash.

Dig would be fun! and I'd go wow if I ever found anything.

[Kankman]

The new messages you get while walking in Alanak's Bazaar are awesome. There is a good variety, and they really fit the scene. Not sure if they were added anywhere else, but I'd love to see them -everywhere- else. There is great potential, because they could be used to describe the sound of twigs breaking beneath your feet, or the smell as you enter an alley in the 'rinth.

Stepping into sewage is a great touch, I've often wondered why this doesn't happen when you enter stables.

Extra descriptions are also great.

One thing that's always nagged me is not being able to tell the weather from inside a room with windows. It just doesn't make sense. If you're in the main room of the Gaj, for instance, looking to the street, you should be able to see if there's a sandstorm. If its too hard to code it so you can tell with a 'look north' then weather dependant room echoes would probably be the best.

If there is a fierce storm outside, every now and then the room should echo something about wind howling and sand blowing through the flapping tarp. Think of how a tent in the wind would hold up. Also, if there is a howling wind, but no sand, there should still be some sort of echo as you walk.

Even give a bonus to wind at your back and penalty for walking right into it. Especially when there are fierce sands up. It would make travelling between the cities more difficult, which in my opinion would be a very good thing. People would have to pay much more attention to the weather when they travel. On Zalanthas your life is perched precariously on the edge of death by the elements, your life is ruled by them. It should be blatantly obvious. This would be a good way to make the world more harsh without adding another deadly NPC. There are enough deadly NPCs around, to be certain.

Those are a few things that (would) make me say "wow".

[EDIT] Digging to bury items, or otherwise concealing them would be excellent. We have the commands already. Hide to hide it, scan to perhaps notice hidden/buried/concealed items as you walk by them, and "search" to find them. [/EDIT]

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Armageddon, in, of, and by itself, makes me go 'wow'.

[Synthesis]

I really like the backstab command.

:twisted:

[Northlander]

I think kankman has great points, especially about the wind bonuses and penalties. That'd do a lot for giving me the feel of Zalanthas.

[astilwel]

I'd just like to say that I also really really like the new messages in the bazaar. They give you something to emote/interact with, and it usually slows my character down when she is buzzing through the bazaar, and makes her interact instead of just walking through. Since, sometimes I'm really just not that creative, and giving me something to work with GREATLY improves my RP.

Something I'd like to see more of is emotes from NPCs or other echos in different places. I love the fact that in the Gaj there is some echos to the room for you to interact with, and I'd like to see more. I also think it would be really cool if some of the NPCs would give off little emotes here or there. How cool would it be if you are just walking along on Caravan way, and one of the NPC soldiers squints his eyes and clutches his weapons before dashing off, or something like that.

Anyways, I also really like the new taste/smell echos and would love to see more of those as well.
Thanks for all the work, Armageddon rocks! :lol:

[crawly]

<---- New player.

What really made me go WOW was what I think you refer to as echoes.
That is, i was in a tavern filled with people and got messages about how people were talking to eachother (not the actual conversations). Someone might whisper something to another person at a distant table and then both glanced across the room at someone at the bar. That kind of stuff.
Someone made their way across the room and shaked hands with another person they met at the bar.
Alot of really skilled emoters and echoes I guess.

it was the first time in a game a tavern actually felt like a place you wanted to spend some time in. There were 10 different intrigues (spelling?) going on in that place, or at least it felt like that.