Focus - cutting down on spam in taverns

[John]

At the moment a problem with largely PC-populated rooms is that spam makes it very difficult to make sure you don't miss things directed at you.

I have been thinking and I think a "focus" command would help in taverns a lot. By "focus"ing at a table, all other "talk"s at other tables wouldn't be echoed.

For example, let's say the Barrel has 10 PCs in it, spread across various tables, all talking to each other (a common set up). At the moment everyone would get all the "so and so says something at their table" messages. However if I did "focus bar" I would only get "talk" echoes from people at the bar. I would still get emotes and leaving and entering messages. But all other "talk" spam would go unnoticed.

The advantage is if I'm sitting at the bar, I can now ignore everyone else talking in the tavern. If I'm sitting at a table with "listen on" I would ignore everything everyone else says, except for what the people at the bar are saying. If I didn't have listen on and I wasn't at the bar, I would still be able to focus on it and receive "so and so says something at the bar" messages.

This is like the "listen <target>" idea, only it adds more functionality and isn't only for people with the "listen" skill

[Forest Junkie]

Hrrm...Sounds nice.

[Trenidor]

I think it sounds alright, but with the current coding I don't know for sure if it's possible.

I'm no expert tho....

[John]

with the current coding I don't know for sure if it's possible.

I think it might be possible to do it in a trigger. All it takes is gagging everything of "such and such" type except for the one part you specify. But I'm no expert on triggers so I don't know for sure

[Cenghiz]

It's going to be too easy with a little alias and a trigger that alias created. Just do it! I think I'll do it when I have a char with listen.

[Carnage]

No.

It makes it too easy to miss important things. Such as someone saying something at the bar as they aim their crossbow at you.

This idea is along the same lines as the 'brief' option: if you use it, you're missing out on many, many things.

[Cenghiz]

Hey, if you're really focused on one table, you'd miss it already, whether he points a crossbow to you or not.. OK.. I liked this trigger thing.. But I think we need an alias assigning a variable, and a substituter that shows only when "at ....." is "your table" or the variable.

[Larrath]

Get zMUD.  Learn some zMUD child-window functions.

Make a 'focus' alias that captures all information you do not want to appear into the child window.

Then make a trigger (don't know how to do that one! ) that will beep whenever the word 'you' or 'your' appears in the child window.

Then eat pie.

[Carnage]

Hey, if you're really focused on one table, you'd miss it already, whether he points a crossbow to you or not.. OK.. I liked this trigger thing.. But I think we need an alias assigning a variable, and a substituter that shows only when "at ....." is "your table" or the variable.

Correct. However, this statement implies that it's an OOC change, just like brief.

At the moment a problem with largely PC-populated rooms is that spam makes it very difficult to make sure you don't miss things directed at you.

[Larrath]

Get zMUD.  Learn some zMUD child-window functions.

Make a 'focus' alias that captures all information you do not want to appear into the child window.

Then make a trigger (don't know how to do that one! ) that will beep whenever the word 'you' or 'your' appears in the child window.

Then eat pie.

[John]

It makes it too easy to miss important things. Such as someone saying something at the bar as they aim their crossbow at you.

Good point. I didn't consider that.

[mansa]

I think there isn't enough spam.  I guess it just comes with experience.  I don't think it's a bother to me at all.

I know people that have their mud clients highlight a whole line when they see the word 'You'.

[Lazloth]

I'd still like to see group-targettable emotes rather than room-level.

[Irulan]

I actually have the "at your table" color coded in green, it just seems to help keep the confusion down. That way the things that are said right in front of me stand out a bit, and I can ignore something things that are going on around me.

-Irulan