Minor Idea.

[jhunter]

I was thinking about the assumption that people make about where people are seated in a tavern and such. The real problem is...there is no particular placement other than the individual's interpretation of it which varies from person to person.

How about when you "look tables" in addition there be some sort of mapped out version of the seats at the tables in the room in comparison to the main entrance and such?

Not exactly sure how it would be done, but I think it would help prevent people from making assumptions about whether or not someone is likely to notice those entering the tavern as your seat would be mapped out to have its own place in the room.

I know this is far from a priority so save me pointing that out please as I already know this.

Any thoughts on the idea? Or how it could be done?

[Armaddict]

I've thought about the same thing, mostly for the issue of 'Did my character see that?"

I don't like how you emote doing something subtly near a corner of the room, and -everyone- just happens to notice, even though they're seated at the bar that faces away from you across the room.

It's not high priority, it'd just be nice if people could have a note to realize where their attention would most likely be directed, as well as where they would be in relation to happenings in the room.

[ashyom]

Although not neccessarily the solution, I suggest making creative use of change ldesc.

change ldesc sits in a corner, nearly hidden in the shadows.
change ldesc sits in the middle of a bar.
change ldesc perches primly on a bench against the west wall.

I've seen muds where they used ASCII to depict who was sitting where, and it was kinda kludgy; you still couldn't tell WHO was sitting where.  Just that the seat itself was occupied.
It looked something like...

*^*
*@*
**^

* = Vacant seats
@ = table itself
^ = Occupied seat

I didn't find it very helpful, personally.
-Ashyom

[jhunter]

That seems like a pretty poor way to do it. I'm sure someone can come up with a better more useful way. One where sdescs are tagged to the seats when you are sitting in them or something.

[Trenidor]

They already have an order.

type Look tables

and you'll get something like

so and so, so and such, such and so, such and such.

So and so is closest to the door...why? because he's seated first at the table

so and such is in between such and so and so and so, so basically second closest to the door

Such and so is next to such and such as well as so and such, if he were to bump elbows with someone it'd likely be such and such or so and such, there's no way to bump elbows with so and so because he's so far away

and if it's a table equal with the door then they are all closest to and seating arangement is in order of what seat they are at.

[Delirium]

I'd rather see something like this:

Code Select Expand

>look roomlayout

=/ \====================|=====|
|       ##  BAR   ##    \    #|
|       ############    /  @ #|
|                       |======
| ###     ##        ### |
| ###    ####       ### |
|         ##        ### |
| ##           ###  ### |
| ##           ###      |
========\    /===========


Just a very basic idea of where the tables are, and you can guess which tables are which from the results of the 'look tables' command.

[Anonymous]

I've always wanted something like that in a tavern myself, Delirium.  It would be very cool.  Like how Wild Bill always sat at a table so he could watch the door, until the one day he was killed.

[Agent_137]

I assume, unless the desc says otherwise, that the tables at the top of the list are closest to the door.

I could go for Delirium's idea.

[jhunter]

I like Delirium's idea alot. Something like that with the table numbers labeling each and the normal message given by "look tables" listed below. Just additional info given by using the command, then one can match up the seating from the lists with the layout of the room.

[ShaiHulud]

The order of tables often changes and so would be inconsistant using that assumption. Unless you assumed they just decided to rearrange the layout every so often.
Most long descs of tables in a taverns, or the room desc of the tavern itself, give a good idea of the layout and where the tables are in the room.
Better still, is to let the player decide where and how his chair is positioned at his table and decide whether thier character was able to notice something or not.

[jhunter]

Most long descs of tables in a taverns, or the room desc of the tavern itself, give a good idea of the layout and where the tables are in the room.

Odd, I can't recall any of the room descs describing the exact placement of the tables in the room.

*shrug*

[Anonymous]

A bar in a room is often described in the room main desc.  Take a good look. When typing look tables, the position of the table in the room is often told.
Examples:
A polished bar runs the length of the building's east end.
a large round table in the center of the room

[jhunter]

Just logged in and checked my nearest tavern...it tells where the bar is in the room and that's it. All the tables and such are not layed out whatsoever.

[Xamminy]

jhunter, what's being said now is that SOME taverns do include descriptions of where the talbes are.  I can think of at least three that do.  Would it be helpful to have all tables include an indication?  Possibly.

[jmordetsky]

I think a temote command would be better (table emote)

People at tables could use this to do "subtle" things.

temote slides ~envelope across table to ~templar.

Then only people at the table would see:

HoodedGuy slides the crimson, sealed envelope across the baobab table to the mean Templar.

As a next step I'd replace listen with "awareness" that allows table emotes come across to skilled people as well as dialog.

[jhunter]

jhunter, what's being said now is that SOME taverns do include descriptions of where the talbes are. I can think of at least three that do. Would it be helpful to have all tables include an indication? Possibly.

Really? Gosh, thanks for clarifying that Xamminy.  :roll:  

My point is, since you seem to be missing it, that not all do and not all tables in the room are layed out. I would prefer in addition to the the layout of -all- of them being described, that there be something similiar to what Delirium posted to help people better visualize their place in the room and the place of others who are seated at tables there.

[moab]

Is this really an issue though?  I mean, we don't have code that lands a thrown dagger in your eye because you are sitting in front of the real target, so we don't really need to know their positions.

Can't we just use common sense and give a little when someone's brand differs from our own?

[Xamminy]

Personally, I'd rather steer away from Delirium's suggestion.  Use word descriptors and that's it, I say.  ASCII pictures of where the tables are seems...unwholesome to me.

[Delirium]

Yeah, on second thought, I would actually NOT like to see my idea implimented. Word descriptors would do the trick easily, and the less cheesy ASCII ingame, the better.

[ShaiHulud]

Xamminy is quoted,

Personally, I'd rather steer away from Delirium's suggestion. Use word descriptors and that's it, I say. ASCII pictures of where the tables are seems...unwholesome to me.

Delirium is quoted,

Yeah, on second thought, I would actually NOT like to see my idea implimented. Word descriptors would do the trick easily, and the less cheesy ASCII ingame, the better.

I am quoted,

Yay!

The great worm moves away across the open bled, contented and coiling around a rich deposit of spice.

[Steel Leopard]

I'm not quite sure I like the temote idea.

Too many people would get to using it too often, or for big things like, waving their arms in the air.

It's much harder to hear something than see it, provided there's enough light in the room in which to see.

[Trenidor]

I'm not quite sure I like the temote idea.

Too many people would get to using it too often, or for big things like, waving their arms in the air.

It's much harder to hear something than see it, provided there's enough light in the room in which to see.

Just put

Emote stealthily slides the envelope across the table and your average good player will play it like they didn't see it.

[jhunter]

The word descriptions of the layout of rooms needs to be flushed out alot better then. As is they leave too much up to the player and cause for conflicts between different people's interpretations of what the layout actually is.

[Xamminy]

Oh, I'm all for adding word descriptors as to where the tables are.  I just don't want to see the ASCII.  :wink:

[Hexxaex]

I'd rather see something like this:

Code Select Expand

>look roomlayout

=/ \====================|=====|
|       ##  BAR   ##    \    #|
|       ############    /  @ #|
|                       |======
| ###     ##        ### |
| ###    ####       ### |
|         ##        ### |
| ##           ###  ### |
| ##           ###      |
========\    /===========


Just a very basic idea of where the tables are, and you can guess which tables are which from the results of the 'look tables' command.

One might argue that having a room layout command limits the player's imagination.  When I first started playing muds, I was to use my own imagination of how the room looked, with the description only being a guideline.  Another mud I play has a "zone map" which puts the bird's eye view layout using a special font for symbols on the top of the room title.  Some players turn that off because they want to imagine how the room looks.