Idea to improve gameplay -- limited message system.

[Chac]

I'd expect the existance of mindbenders and less conventional Way skills complicates this enormously.  It's somethign that will probably have to be left to the imms to consider since it can't be talked about on an open forum, but it's worth keeping in mind.

[Kalden]

The way I'd see the 'psi-buffer' working doesn't require any major changes to the Way format, and doesn't let people know you're online or not.

You contact someone, send them a message. If they're online, they'll see it. If they're not, it will go into a storage to be shown to them when they log in. Either way, the person sending sees nothing different.

The truth is that the Way can still be abused to check whether people are online or not -very- easily. You try it five times on someone, you basically know they aren't online, or they're putting up a barrier. If the person logs off while they have a barrier up, then they become uncontactable. You can assume they're either dead or trying to stay unreachable.

I don't know if such a thing is codeable, but it'd be neat. It would be an inconvenience because people wouldn't know for sure whether the person they just Wayed for help is online or not, but it'd be more realistic.

[Bestatte]

There are limitations to the code, first of all. Characters exist in the game only when the player logs that character on. When the character is not logged on, it gets tossed into the database and the file is closed. The character -does not exist- code-wise in the game at that point.

You can't send a message to someone who doesn't exist. There's no place in the game, code-wise, to store the message for a non-existent entity.

Then you've got the difficulty involving trying to send a message to a guy whose name is Jakhal - if he isn't logged in, you will be attempting to send a message to a jakhal creature. And of course - you can't do that, so you'd get a message saying so and voila - now you know Jakhal isn't logged in, or is dead, same as now.

The game doesn't distinguish between dead characters and characters that aren't logged in. They are -nonexistent- until that character is logged into the game.

If it -was- possible, then don't you think that merchant PCs waiting for the staff to load stuff up would just have them dropped into their inventory while they were logged out? It isn't possible - which is why they don't do it.
An IMM would have to pull the pfile out of the dbase, bring the character into the game themselves, and force a barrier onto him just so that Joe Templar could send him a message.

We have the GDB, e-mail, AIM, Yahoo, MSN, IRC, ICQ, and private messages outside the game. Inside the game we have tavern boards, clan boards, waying someone ELSE and asking them to deliver the message when your target is available, sending a runner to deliver the message at a later time, writing/reading for those who can.

There are PLENTY of ways to get info communicated. We don't need another one, especially not one that will return us to the same problems that caused the staff to remove certain echos from the Way the last time.

[Akaramu]

We have the GDB, e-mail, AIM, Yahoo, MSN, IRC, ICQ, and private messages outside the game. Inside the game we have tavern boards, clan boards,

All of the OOC means are a big no-no to use, except to coordinate login times, which is difficult when half the players in a clan refuse to post some sort of GDB name they can be PMed with.

And I brought up plenty of examples why rumor boards have a very limited use for such things.

No, I wontnt let all the VNPCs of a tavern spread the rumor that I consider reporting another clan player to suck up to a templar, which will probably get him executed, and that I desperately need to speak to my clan superior (who's GDB name or email I have no clue about since he refused posting them) before taking further steps.

I'm glad all those ways mentioned work for you, they dont for me.

[moab]

The best solution is for someone to start a clan that carries messages, packages and whatnot between people in the same town and intra-town.

This is completely do-able IC.  If you know that you might be getting message from someone else, you would go find yourself one of those pale-pinked robed merchants, cough up the fifty sid and get your message / package or whatever.

[Angela Christine]

There is another way to relay a message to a character that you ought to be able to reach, but it is a last-ditch thing that you wouldn't want to try more often than once a month or so.  Ask your clan imm (or the mud account if niether you nor the person you are trying to reach is in a sponsered clan) and ask if they can relay the message.  I've never tried to send a message to another PC this way, but I have recieved a couple messages this way.  Obviously this wouldn't be a routine way to chat, but if you have a VERY urgent, life and death message, or you haven't been able to reach another PC for WEEKS, then it might be worth a shot.

For routine "Hi, how are you?  I am fine," type communication I think the current communication channels are adequate.  If you just want to shoot the breeze there is nothing wrong with having to try to contact the same person 15 times (or 50) over the week.  If there was an automated message system it wouldn't just be used for the important communications that have been used as examples in this thread, it would also be used for routine communications.  It would be used for things that should be played out in game so that spys and mindbendser have the chance to overhear your plans.


AC


AC