OOC Communication Tools

[creepyguy]

I was just thinking about this, and while using the Way is one way to see if another char is online or to try to coordinate play times, it only works when you're both logged in and able to spend time and stun.
What I think would be useful for players, is possibly being able to from the main game menu, or from some tool on the website, being able to send messages to the player's account of characters they need/want to meet up with. Something like mudmail, but not just to Imms and you wouldn't have to know their account name.
There could even be privacy options, if one didn't want their account name known, it could just show their charname, and other options to block or report annoying/offensive messagers.
Another advantage to being able to communicate like this without having to login is if you're at work or somewhere you can't login and play, you'd still be able to tell poeple when you will be free, so through the website might be better for this, if alot of people are potentially blocked from telnet or using the client on the website from work and/or school.
Sometimes its just really hard to coordinate multiple players/characters and would reduce the need to OOCly ask for player's email/IM name if you need to plan something.
Thoughts?

[Lizzie]

The problem with that, is knowing who the character is, and being able to differentiate him from someone else who has the same name, or same keywords.

Account names are unique, but character names aren't. You might know my character, the tall lanky elf, as Amos. There's also Barzalene's short stumpy dwarf, whose name is Amos, and Fantasy Writer's thick, red-skinned half-giant named Amos. How does the GDB know which Amos to send the info to?

And what happens if you only know me by a keyword, and not a name at all? What happens if I'm called Stumpy, and there's the stumpy red-headed elf, and the green-eyed stumpy dwarf, and this and that and the other thing, and my character's name isn't really stumpy, but she's the stump-legged woman, and that's just what everyone calls her, and her name is actually Allison? How would the GDB differentiate between all those stumpies, that aren't someone's name?

[creepyguy]

Ah, I thought that names were still unique. I see the problem then if this has changed. I guess it could be made to allow for multiple keywords to specify, much like 'contact' is now.
I also just thought that I should add that this function would be especially beneficial to independants/unclanned who do not have the benefit of a clan board to coordinate with the pcs they regularly interact with.

[Lizzie]

I would really LOVE to be able to communicate to players, particularly to let them know about scheduling online time in game. I think I tried to get a message to someone by asking the staff via e-mail, and was told to get word to the character in-game. Which is kind of hard to do, when you're trying to arrange for an in-game meeting but can't figure out when you're both logged in at the same time.

Another problem, is when the person you're trying to communicate with is dead. Their character is no longer in the database, so what happens? You get an error, in which case - you now know the PC is dead? Or, it goes to nowheresville, in which case, you'll never know he didn't get the message? Or, it goes to the mud administrator, in which case you might get a response 2 months later letting you know that the player never got the message?

If there was a way to actually get messages to people when you're not in the same clan with the same access to the same GDB subfolder, it'd be great. I just don't know how to do it, short of just flat out using the OOC command in-game to ask them for their e-mail address.

[Barzalene]

I think the problem is getting someone to code it. I mean if we took the idea not as a concept but as a suggestion that required little work on the part of the staff it might have a better chance to fly. I say that as a guess. I don't actually have insight into what staff is thinking.

[spawnloser]

Names haven't been unique since accounts came on the scene long ago.  They're just unique on any individual account.

[Reiteration]

I've never really been a supporter of OOC coordination unless it's for family roles.