This is a followup or perhaps an addendum to my previous post: 'Music'.
Perhaps a subclass of instruments could be implemented that when 'used' do not toggle a 'playing' status, but instead send out a single echo x rooms away. (like.. 5 rooms? 10 rooms?) It would work just like the shout command, only on a much larger scale. Hold warhorn; use warhorn:
You press your lips to a curved hollowed wooden warhorn and it emits a deep, rumbling blast.
(10 rooms away, Bynner b gets)
You hear a deep, rumbling blast to the distant west.
Not only horns, and things of that nature, but perhaps drums too. I can see drums being a not-so-difficult thing to pick up, and perhaps 'nakki war platoons could employ drums to announce their coming and frighten off elves or whatnot. I also have a vision in my head of wearing a drum on waist ( fastening it with some leather and cords ) so you could carry an enormous drum, too big to even walk with- you'd have to ride, but its 'boom' could be heard for leagues.
Codewise this would all just be an easy extensive of the shout code though unique sounds would need to be written for the instruments.
(see previous thread!) ..however, 10 "rooms" can be ten leagues+. I think that's a little silly.
Ah- have the distance range vary with terrain... such that in a city it could go 10 to 30 (depending on the fancy-pantsness of your instrument)(to call all PC soldiers to a gate) but only 3 or 4 rooms in outdoors_desert.
I have a hard time believing that with the accompanying world noise, a toot on a horn will travel 4 miles ;)
I'd say 4 rooms away at the most (probably 3), if you want to get fancy you'd get different echoes for different rooms, and certain instruments would have certain room-lengths. I think it'd be cool if militia got whistles or something similar that the blew when they see a wanted person. Would it fit Zalanthas though? I dunno, what with the Way. But it would be fun.
Hunt around in-game, John.
Yeah John, your in the right place to find something like what your looking for.