Idea to improve gameplay -- limited message system.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I was talking to the same folks that Tlaloc was talking to. The rest of you commoners can scurry around in the dirt like little tregil, using the barbaric Way. We of more noble blood will indulge in our blood-given right to pen words on paper.

[Akaramu]

I agree with Tlaloc. Use your damned writting skill. Geez!

What writing skill?

The majority who is affected by this problem cannot read or write. Nobles can order their aides to relay messages, the average commoner is out of luck.

Oh well? People have played around it without much gripe for over ten years. I'm sure you can as well.

Hello? The entire thread is about discussing an idea that some of us like. Are you not in favor of discussing anything? No one was whining or complaining.

And yes at times there has been much gripe, I've seen players take long breaks because of frustration with this problem.

[spawnloser]

I've been frustrated by not being able to get messages to people...so I figured out a way to get messages to people.  I know of one clan that has a solution for this issue that I helped the clan IMM come up with and test.  I don't know if it is the same one Delirium is thinking of, but that could indicate that there are ways to go about this for more than one or two clans.

[Gilvar]

I think clans and nobility are an exception from this. There is a limited ability through clan boards and IC message boards for clans to arrange and coordinate play time for special events and other nescessary meetings. So of course the suggestions in this thread arn't as valuable to them.

[spawnloser]

Well, I can see the value of something for a non-clanner...but if we're only trying to come up with ideas for non-clanned people, that AUTOMATICALLY means that writing notes and having them delivered is completely out of the question, as nobles and merchant family members are the only people that can read and are clanned from the start.

[Naiona]

At least one clan has been using a written message system with success for a couple real life weeks now.  Of course, you have to be literate to use it, which limits it severely.

[Delirium]

Actually, my example was just a case of two literate characters setting up a place to leave notes to keep each other informed with, even though they rarely got to actually speak in person.

[Trenidor]

[Again...too lazy to read other posts]

As much as I think it would be a good idea, I think we dicussed this a while back about a answering machine kinda thingy.

Anyway, the results turned down the idea.

I would rather see the message mail system that is at the begining, used currently for staff to player mail, to be avalible for player to player mail. Unfortunately, even that wouldn't work because of too much ooc info spreading.

Anyway, I don't see any other way to do this but: When you meet a player, and you are planning something big, the best thing to do is exchange email, when they die, you just don't respond to any of their emails and eventually they understand.

bla bla bla I have no say, bla bla just some useless imput bla bla

[Savak]

The problem with bringing back "mudmail" for player-to-player communication is a practical one as well, because it requires targeting not only to the character name but also to the account name -- and neither of those do I think a person should HAVE to give out in order to arrange further communication.

In most cases, if you need to send messages back and forth this can be done in-game, or at least messages can be sent via other PC's or clan/house boards.  In the relatively few cases in which this isn't so, messages can usually be forwarded via a staff member.  Personally, I think the vast majority of messages can and should be sent in-game, even time arranging messages -- because really, it's an IC message often translated into OOC terms (see ya next Nekrete, aka Monday 9pm).

We've seen numerous cases of people abusing the ability to send "ooc" messages to one another, and this is easy enough as it is (email, irc, AIM, MSN, etc. etc.), versus seeing vanishingly few cases in which sending an out of game message to someone is necessary.

-Savak

[Akaramu]

Well, I can see the value of something for a non-clanner...but if we're only trying to come up with ideas for non-clanned people, that AUTOMATICALLY means that writing notes and having them delivered is completely out of the question, as nobles and merchant family members are the only people that can read and are clanned from the start.

Even in clans the communication can be a problem... for example when people dont even sign up for the clan board, and everyone missed the fact that they did not, or it is something only a specific player should know, not every little employee who can read the board.

I found that emailing over the clan imms is helpful, but might turn into too much extra work for them if the play times of several key PCs are too diverse. I had the idea of a clan NPC who whispers specific messages to specific people and is updated regularly, if I have time I will develop this idea more.

[Kalden]

I'm very much in favor of the psi-buffering idea. I hate inconsistency, especially where it's not necessary. As long as characters are alive, they should be contactable by the Way. The Way messaging offline would be helpful for both gameplay and realism.

As far as Quirk's point about raising barriers, even if you have a barrier raised, you're still contactable. You're just not messageable. So someone would know you're alive and around.

All barrier really seems to do, in my experience, is lower spam and probably prevent mindbenders from getting at you. You could ignore the spam, or if it's really so important, a toggle could be made.

[Kalden]

*mutters* Doublepost.

[spawnloser]

Um, Kalden...not 100% correct there, but I'll let you and everyone else find out IG how.

Back to Akaramu, yes, there are GDB forums for clans, but there are IC Boards in game as well, that you don't have to 'subscribe' to and can just look at.  At least one clan has more than one board so that you can post something for these people and something else for those people...and then you can go post something on the clan's GDB forum as well.

This is potentially more realistic than the an NPC that whispers messages only to certain people.  Having a board allows messages to spread, which will happen if not told directly to the person you are talking to.

[Kalden]

So the biggest problem with the psi-buffer idea is that it will allow a few messages to slip through the barrier? Can barriers be put up during sleep? Are they dependable enough to be up all the time? *shrugs* It seems like a very small problem to dump on a very good idea, and a toggle could likely be coded(say, if you log off while your barrier is up). I'm not sure it would be worth the effort.

The biggest problem I see with the idea is the amount of coding involved. It's not really abusable - the Arm pbase is responsible enough to use it ICly. Even if they weren't, they're smart enough not to twink it, because it would likely be logged. Instant-messaging is used to twink regularly, I'll bet, and this has the potential to reduce that.

[Lazloth]

So the biggest problem with the psi-buffer idea is that it will allow a few messages to slip through the barrier?

The "biggest problem" will be identifying the recipient, n'est ce pas?
Just not worth it imho.  Use PC go-betweens.  Use written skills.

[Tlaloc]

What happens if your character is asleep while offline? What happens if they get incapacitated? What happens if they get shit-faced drunk? What happens if they just want some privacy, to s3x0r thier F-ME PC mistress? What if you're dead? What if you're dead, and a Sorcerer is using your undead body for his own evil uses?

What if the PC's you're trying to contact are online...only you just don't know it?

I think all of those are reasons alone why a psi 'buffer' would probably be alittle unworkable, at least from an IC standpoint. Sure, you character -should- be able to get messages when they're conscious...but thats only assuming you have a 100% chance of 'contact' working all the time anyway.

With the way I understand this buffer proposal is working, I would know, with almost 100% certainty, when a PC was online, or not, just by the mere fact that I might or might not get a message sent through. I don't think this is feasable, really, nor really something people would want. Psionics isn't a 100% thing (for most people). Its unreliable, hard to use, uncomfortable. There is a reason why it takes away 'stun' at a steady pace.

I don't think you need to be in a clan, or fabulously wealthy, or use fancy boards, or writing to be able to take messages to someone who doesn't play when you do.

[Gilvar]

I think the point is that currently it takes much more effort then should need to be taken to get in contact with someone who would technically be in the world. Sure the proposed plan may have kinks, but I think that anything is a better alternative then just trying endlessly to contact, or work through a network of people (which may not even be in-character for that person) to have a message delivered, or any of the number of other possible,  yet silly, ways an independant can arrange things with others.

[X-D]

Well, one could always change the way contact works completly.

contact templar hardnose

You fail to touch the way.

contact templar hardnose

You feel the subtle contact of the ether of the way

psi Yo! I saw you diddling that kank last night.

You send the message through the ether of the way.

You are drained from the strain of holding the way.

(templar hardnose)

You feel a nudging of the way.

A scarred elf sends to a telepathic message through the ether: Yo! I saw you diddling that kank last night.
==========================================

This would allow for a psi buffer and would NEVER give away if somebody was alive or dead, logged on or not, awake or asleep, barriered or not.

I could also think of some interesting mindbender skills to go with it, but am not gonna talk about them here.

Though, it would require that an nickname/alias line be added in char creation and no keyword use on contact...maybe even allow a more refined version if you happen to know somebodies -real- name...a tighter link as it would be. This would allow real names to hold more power in game.

[Akaramu]

Back to Akaramu, yes, there are GDB forums for clans, but there are IC Boards in game as well, that you don't have to 'subscribe' to and can just look at.  At least one clan has more than one board so that you can post something for these people and something else for those people...and then you can go post something on the clan's GDB forum as well.

I probably havent made my point clear. Okay, again. Some things are not to be spread / be heard by everyone. Actually, with my current role, -a lot- I deal with is not to be overheard by 80% of the virtual and NPC, and in some cases not even all of the PC population. And sometimes, it is very very urgent. And very IC to want a specific person to know about it -immediately- or something terrible might happen.

Seriously, would you post "person XY has been acting suspicious and has been watched, these are the results" on the clan board where that person reads the message as well?

In all the clans I've been in, few actually used the IC board. There was like one message per RL month, at most. Hardly anyone checked the IC boards regularly because there was almost never anything new on them. Maybe your experiences were different, I dont know.

It depends a lot on the clan, and the role within that clan. My little commoner PCs with common everyday jobs they shared with hundreds of others never had to urgently forward stuff back and forth.

[spawnloser]

I do understand, Akaramu.  I completely do, but if you want to pass a message from your character to another, the ONLY ways to do so realistically that would have noone else find out would be to speak to that person directly.  I'm sorry, but there are ways for information to get out...people can overhear, get a copy of the letter, torture someone into talking, and etc.

[Quirk]

General agreement with Tlaloc; originally had posted something here on the verge of IC-sensitive which I later rethought the wisdom of adding.

[Akaramu]

I do understand, Akaramu.  I completely do, but if you want to pass a message from your character to another, the ONLY ways to do so realistically that would have noone else find out would be to speak to that person directly.  I'm sorry, but there are ways for information to get out...people can overhear, get a copy of the letter, torture someone into talking, and etc.

Exactly. And if you dont see someone on for RL weeks because play times differ, but realistically you should be able to talk after an IC week, it can be frustrating. Thus I favor the idea of a psi buffer system.

[spawnloser]

Having found out something in game, about the Way...I'm not sure how this psi buffer system could go in without requiring certain other things to be analyzed quite well.  I would be in favor of the idea...but I would not expect them to put it in any time soon or at all, for that matter.

[UnderSeven]

As far as the way letting you know if someone is dead or not, or actually online, it actually USED to work that way.  If said player wasn't on you got a different message, it was abused.. EXT.  

No, I actually don't like this idea at all.  The way is all knowing enough as is, if someone doesn't want to be found, in order to pull it off they have to REALLY know the mechanics of the way and how to makethemselves unreachable, because lets face it, barrier doesn't do the trick very well considering contact is used so much more often anyway.

The only way I'd be in favor of something like this being implemented is if the BARRIER skill was given a higher cap for regular people so that they could have greater success using it to appear non existant.  

Then again, I think that should be the case anyway.

[wizturbo]

I still don't think the way should be used to solve this problem.

Clans have the boards.  If your not in a clan, you could OOCLY request contact information if your involved in an indepth plotline with someone.  

Adding a complicated psionic ability could do more harm then good.