Changes to the writing editor?

[Anonymous Writer]

I'm not sure how easy this is, but I wanted to suggest a few changes to the editor the game uses when you're writing things like books and scrolls or backgrounds and mdescs that have a somewhat short character limit.

The way things are right now, if you try and enter more characters than the limit allows, you get a message "String too long, last line skipped." and then you get thrown out of the editor entirely. This can be a little frustrating, because you aren't allowed to edit what you've already written if your entry is too long, or do things like format it. Once you hit the character limit, bam, you're done.

What I'd like to see are two changes. First would be a new "dot" command, something like maybe ".l" (length) that could tell you how many characters you've entered and what the character limit for whatever you're writing is. This way you could know how much room you had left.

Secondly, if you do go over the limit, it'd be nice if the editor didn't boot you. Staying in the editor means you could shorten your addition some, or cut down what you've already wrote to make it fit, or just format what you have now before exiting.

I know there are probably workarounds for all this, but a more friendly editor would be really convenient at least for me. What's everybody else think?

[Larrath]

Yes.  Very yes.

Also, it would be EXTREMELY nice if the command for writing on IC boards and writing using R/W skills would be separated.

Code Select Expand


> post Hunter looking for work!
~~~now entering Board editor~~~
> Yeah, so like there's some new huntress going around looking for work and
> everybody totally cares and her name's Joanna and she's got large breasts
> but she's still a really good huntress so hire her plz kthxbye.  Oh yeah they
> say she's very sinewy looking with runebane-hued eyes even though it's
> Red Storm and nobody really knows what runebane looks like anyway but
> oh well she's got large breasts so hire!!!!


Code Select Expand


> write scroll quill
~~~now entering Writing editor~~~
Joanna log, day 2:
> Blah blah blah blah blah plotting.


But yeah, changing the editor to keep it from booting you out would be wonderful, too.

[Vesperas]

Code Select Expand


> post Hunter looking for work!
~~~now entering Board editor~~~
> Yeah, so like there's some new huntress going around looking for work and
> everybody totally cares and her name's Joanna and she's got large breasts
> but she's still a really good huntress so hire her plz kthxbye.  Oh yeah they
> say she's very sinewy looking with runebane-hued eyes even though it's
> Red Storm and nobody really knows what runebane looks like anyway but
> oh well she's got large breasts so hire!!!!


... I know it's a derailment but... lmfao...

Oh, man.. XD

[mansa]

I usually use notepad and write everything in there before I do it in game.  I put a list at the very top like this:

Code Select Expand


12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
        10        20        30        40        50        60        70        80


It shows me how long the editor is, and then I just do a word count to make sure I'm under 1000 characters.


I agree that the in game editor needs work to make it more user friendly.

[Aldiel]

I -really- like this idea, and if it's possible, I think it should be implemented.  Although I must say Armageddon has a pretty good text editor as far as MUDs go, I think.

[bloodfromstone]

I'd like the ability to edit a specific line, as well.
>.e 3
Now editing line 3:
'but she's still a really good huntress so hire her plz kthxbye.  Oh yeah they'
>but she's still a really great huntress so hire her please, thanks! Oh yeah, they
Line three edited.

I may have overlooked something similar, if it's already in the editor. D: I've only written a few times in it. Don't stone me, please.