How about allowing characters to leave each other messages using the way?
Could be pretty useful when playtimes don't quite match up.
Quote from: lordcooper on September 04, 2010, 06:40:00 PM
How about allowing characters to leave each other messages using the way?
Could be pretty useful when playtimes don't quite match up.
The problem with that, is the code would have to know that the person is not logged on, and -not- dead/barriered. And this could be problematic for people who -would- do something about a situation, but aren't logged on, and other people taking advantage of that fact. Example:
contact rich.guy
You can leave a message - he's not logged in.
cease
think Yay, I'm gonna rob his apartment and he can't stop me.
True, but it may be possible to use a different command.
contact qwerty
You suffer from use of the Way.
You are unable to reach their mind.
contact qwerty
You suffer from use of the Way.
You are unable to reach their mind.
contact qwerty
You suffer from use of the Way.
You are unable to reach their mind.
Message qwerty Got that stuff ya wanted, when can you meet me at x?
Wouldn't that negate the point of contact entirely, then? I mean, if you can leave someone a message at any time regardless of your contact level, why even use contact at all anymore? I'd rather leave someone a message once than spam contact amos 50 times and risk losing valuable stun.
High stun cost and maybe a time restriction on how often it can be used (possibly due to the great willpower required).
If you were to do this, I think it should use contact and be impossible to tell if the other player is online or simply ignoring you. Making it a new command is unnecessary in my opinion.
For example, say Amos is offline, but with this change, it is possible to contact his mind anyway.
contact amos
You suffer from use of the Way.
You are unable to reach their mind.
contact amos
You contact the tall, muscular man.
psi Hey, wassup, Amos?
think Hm. Why isn't he responding? Is he ignoring me?
psi Well, when you get a chance, I need those agafari branches we talked about. I got the sids for it now.
cease
Then, when Amos logs in, he gets a bunch of spam from all the people who sent him messages while he was offline.
Done this way, it would actually make it harder to use the Way to determine if somebody is offline because they could be simply ignoring you.
However, a possible downside is that if somebody is uncontactable, then it might mean that they are dead!
It used to be that way, and that was how people would know that PCs were dead, or logged out (their PCs no longer existed in the game, which could be either given the codebase). That's the problem with the current code; it can't distinguish between no longer existing because their players logged them out, and no longer existing because they're dead, or retired, or force-stored.
It was changed to prevent people from using the Way to find this information out. I like it the way it is. The Way isn't voice mail, it isn't an answering machine. If the person isn't available, they're not available. If you want to send a message, find another PC and give them the message to pass on.
This has been suggested at least once or twice in the past, BTW, and it's always shot down on the argument of abuse potential (see arguments above).
I still wouldn't complain about a messaging service which worked like this, though:
QuoteA messenger dude is here, accepting messages.
> message malik tall muscular man
Are you sure you want to deliver a message to the tall, muscular man?
> yes
What message do you want to deliver to the tall, muscular man?
> Amos says you owe him that 100 'sids next week.
The messenger nods and you give him 20 'sids.
Later on, Malik logs in and wanders by the messenger and this occurs:
QuoteFlagging you down, the messenger dude says in sirihish:
"Hey you! Yeah, you! Gotta message to pass on to ya."
> hear message
The messenger dude says in sirihish:
"Amos says you owe him that 100 'sids next week."
Hell, maybe even make the messenger contact the recipient with the Way when they log in for a slightly extra fee.
Is it possible that there will be two characters in-game with the exact same sdesc? Possible, but unlikely. And hey, if it happens, it's believable: people get mixed up all the time in real life.
Messengers make me happy. A 'way answering service' does not. Messengers do indeed seem very viable in our world.
Quote from: The7DeadlyVenomz on September 04, 2010, 10:11:20 PM
Messengers make me happy. A 'way answering service' does not. Messengers do indeed seem very viable in our world.
Totally agreed.
I kinda remember from long ago as a mail service. Maybe my memory is going.
I think you could pay a few coins for a npc to keep a message or maybe even a package. The other player would have to come by to get it or was it shown when they logged in? Been a long long time. Who knows, maybe that was part of stock diku.
Not sure why they got rid of that or the clan who.
Sucks to have to go down the list of knowns for a clan.
Actually, the messenger suggestion DOES make a lot more sense.
It would seem like something Nenyuk could provide. You go into the bank, pay them some coin to leave a short message for someone. When that person feels like it, they can go to Nenyuk to check their messages.
Not only does Nenyuk profit, they also get a feed of information (which may not be terribly useful, as anyone with a brain won't transmit vital information this way).
The problem is messengers (not to be confused with a delivery service) are entirely obsolete in Zalanthas. The only reason they would serve any purpose is because of game mechanics (people being offline), not any sort of need in the world. If it weren't a game, the only time you wouldn't be able to call someone up on your headphone would be when they're asleep, I'd imagine.
Messengers are not obsolete. To understand why, find out in game.
I'd rather have an option to 'remember' what people have psi'd me in the past. IIRC, they added that option to Achaea a couple years back, now.
psis
1.) Booboo psi'd you, "Hey dude what's up?"
2.) Booboo psi'd you, "Oh that's cool."
3.) Amos psi'd you, "OMG where's the jacket I ordered?"
4.) Talia's psi could not be understood.
5.) Booboo psi'd you, " Yeah I was thinking the same thing."
Incredibly useful for those of us who disconnect.
Metagaming already happens Lizzie.
Quote from: Is Friday on September 09, 2010, 07:48:17 AM
I'd rather have an option to 'remember' what people have psi'd me in the past. IIRC, they added that option to Achaea a couple years back, now.
psis
1.) Booboo psi'd you, "Hey dude what's up?"
2.) Booboo psi'd you, "Oh that's cool."
3.) Amos psi'd you, "OMG where's the jacket I ordered?"
4.) Talia's psi could not be understood.
5.) Booboo psi'd you, " Yeah I was thinking the same thing."
Incredibly useful for those of us who disconnect.
+1
Also very useful for those of us who unfortunately spend a lot of time idling due to RL concerns (homework/studying/kids/etc.). I mean, it can be solved by using the search function in the MUD client, but having x number of psi messages that you actually received in-game stored in your pfile would be immensely helpful in cases where, say, your MUD client crashed and you weren't logging it to a file, or where you lose power or your computer crashes.
I'm interested in the messenger idea much more than the ability to recall old psi's or psi's from when you're offline.
So, to expand on the messenger idea:
- Go to Nenyuk messenger service.
- Pay a premium based on the duration of the messaging attempt (days/weeks/months).
- Provide them with an sdesc and message to be delivered.
- Nobles and Templars cost more to deliver to due to the means of communications (written missive vice psi?).
- Nenyuk intermitently reaches out to said sdesc's to deliver the message via the Way.
- Within a given time of logging in the PC gets contacted by Nenyuk and the message is psi'd.
- If Nenyuk is unable to contact the individual within the contracted duration.
- Clients can check message status by checking with Nenyuki Messenger Services
Or...some enterprising PC could start this service in game.