Developer Request: Quality of Life improvements to the game

[betweenford]

If you're already actively dehydrating then the idle timer doesn't save ytou

Then you were already dangerously dehydrated to begin with and you deserved to die.  Always drink till your stomach can’t contain any more and fill up on food.

This really isn't true, it can take less than 30 minutes to enter starvation/dehydration territory, just from being outside in some areas.

[Pariah]

If you're already actively dehydrating then the idle timer doesn't save ytou

Then you were already dangerously dehydrated to begin with and you deserved to die.  Always drink till your stomach can’t contain any more and fill up on food.

This really isn't true, it can take less than 30 minutes to enter starvation/dehydration territory, just from being outside in some areas.

Totally understand that, but honestly there are placed in the game that physically hurt you simply by standing in them.

That's not to say that going to such a dangerous or hazardous place should have coded safeguards for if you lose your link.

[Lotion]

You can easily go from "not thirsty" to dying of dehydration in under 30 minutes.

[Incognito]

Since Analyze is a static skill (ie you can't raise it) based on whether you have a certain skill or not, and further based on the level of said skill - could we have it changed at chargen from (novice) to (master).

It's not a big deal, but after you've mastered your craft skills, for Analyze to still continue appearing as (novice) is jarring.

[Lotion]

A way to send hemotes that are automatically visible to other characters targeted in them for stuff like nudging someone with an elbow or kicking someone's shin under the table (also probably has applications for flirting)

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

A way to send hemotes that are automatically visible to other characters targeted in them for stuff like nudging someone with an elbow or kicking someone's shin under the table (also probably has applications for flirting)

Fuck. Yes.

[zealus]

A way to send hemotes that are automatically visible to other characters targeted in them for stuff like nudging someone with an elbow or kicking someone's shin under the table (also probably has applications for flirting)

Would be nice, yes. Bonus points for a small chance for them to *not* notice it

[Delirium]

Butcher NPCs that accept animal corpses for a small payout and sell whatever skins off that creature in an attached shop.

[betweenford]

Butcher shopkeeper who gets more than just the meat in the butchery meat shop....... So all that sunback hide doesnt vanish into the aether.

[creeper386]

Since Analyze is a static skill (ie you can't raise it) based on whether you have a certain skill or not, and further based on the level of said skill - could we have it changed at chargen from (novice) to (master).

It's not a big deal, but after you've mastered your craft skills, for Analyze to still continue appearing as (novice) is jarring.

Or make it like the accents and not have a skill level?

[creeper386]

I was just wondering today how it might be if the talk code wasn't limited to just tables.

Perhaps talk could also just be involved with a group of people. Codewise maybe using "follow". Don't know feasible it'd be currently, but I think it'd be interesting to have groups or clumps of people talking instead of just at tables and not hear everything about a large room or exterior area.

[Fernandezj]

I was just wondering today how it might be if the talk code wasn't limited to just tables.

Perhaps talk could also just be involved with a group of people. Codewise maybe using "follow". Don't know feasible it'd be currently, but I think it'd be interesting to have groups or clumps of people talking instead of just at tables and not hear everything about a large room or exterior area.

The idea of locational actions (like approaching people) is done in other games, seems more complex than a lot of the current code.
An alternative, or starting point, would likely be with the table code. i.e. on a simple level you could have "an open space" in a room (thats actually a table). Which might play out like:

Code: [Select]

> e
A Crowded Courtyard [N, S, E, W]
   This is a crowded courtyard.

> look tables
At 1) an open spot off to the side:
        many open seats.
At 2) an open spot off to the side:
        many open seats.

> stand at 1
You stand at an open spot off to the side.
Next person enters the room:

Code: [Select]

> e
A Crowded Courtyard [N, S, E, W]
   This is a crowded courtyard.
The tall, muscular man is standing at an open spot off to the side.

> look tables
At 1) an open spot off to the side:
        The tall muscular man, and many open seats.
At 2) an open spot off to the side:
        many open seats.
This would basically involve adding a generic series of "tables" to different rooms based on some category, or how rooms are categorized. Like wilderness might have different descriptions than city rooms, etc.

[betweenford]

When using the functionality of "look canvas table" (or any illustration objection) it would be nice if it displayed the first illustration on that object and not just the object's mdesc. For use in display cases, tables, and framed paintings.

[creeper386]

I'm not against that idea Fernandezj.

I'm just thinking having a talk option among a group of people walking together. Especially in exterior or large rooms would be nice to indicate size and space that doesn't really currently exist.

Like I've seen muds that have rooms gridded out depending on their size and you ahve to move within the area of the room to interact with people. And that's probably to complex and not what I'm interested in either.

[Lotion]

Would be convenient to set certain words to never mangle per character. By default would include your name

[Ziel]

Remove the requirement of writing an Initial Background during the application process.

[SpyGuy]

Remove the requirement of writing an Initial Background during the application process.

Why?   While I’m a big fan of basic backgrounds and expanding on them with biographies for some PCs I think that requirement is a fine one to show prospective players your PC is expected to be a fleshed out character and also a potential filter to spot if someone doesn’t understand the documentation.  Trust me, staff will approve very basic backgrounds.

I would be in favor of some very basic archetype backgrounds being written up and posted in the new player docs that new players (or lazy old/returning players) could just copy, modify a bit and submit.

[Ziel]

In order to make applying for that first (or second, third...) character easier for new players, particularly those new to MUDs.  I remember finding them very daunting when I first started playing and had even passed over a couple other MUDs that had application requirements before giving this one a try.  I agree with everything you're saying though, and posting some basic archetypes is probably a better idea.

[mansa]

Remove the requirement of writing an Initial Background during the application process.

Why?   While I’m a big fan of basic backgrounds and expanding on them with biographies for some PCs I think that requirement is a fine one to show prospective players your PC is expected to be a fleshed out character and also a potential filter to spot if someone doesn’t understand the documentation.  Trust me, staff will approve very basic backgrounds.

I would be in favor of some very basic archetype backgrounds being written up and posted in the new player docs that new players (or lazy old/returning players) could just copy, modify a bit and submit.

I am definitely in favour of:

Choose one of the following backgrounds:
a) fighter from a small village  <trope1>
b) thief from the alleyways <trope2>
c) woodcutter family <trope3>
d) <trope4>
e) <trope5>
f) write your own!

[Lotion]

If someone starts scanning it echoes to the room but if someone starts scanning and then just types "scan on" repeatedly to keep it up there's no way to know they're scanning. Whether or not someone is scanning should show up in their assess.

[mansa]

If someone starts scanning it echoes to the room but if someone starts scanning and then just types "scan on" repeatedly to keep it up there's no way to know they're scanning. Whether or not someone is scanning should show up in their assess.

You want the game to reply with something like:
"You are already scanning."  ?

[Pariah]

If someone starts scanning it echoes to the room but if someone starts scanning and then just types "scan on" repeatedly to keep it up there's no way to know they're scanning. Whether or not someone is scanning should show up in their assess.

Scanning is a timer action that I believe is tied to the skill.  So it eventually wears off and when they type scan on after that point, it will display the Dude is scanning message again.

I don't think by spamming scan on removes this, so I'm not sure what you're asking for here.

If your scan lasts 15 minutes and they type scan on within that, nothing happens as they are already scanning.  After 15 minutes the first time they do it will say Dude scans the area or whatever it says.  Certain classes and skill level might have shorter or longer scan active windows, but as a guy who uses it almost constantly on most characters it always rescans the room visibly when I type scan on after it expired.  I normally can tell because I learn that my stun might be 100/100 but while scanning and listening be 89.  So once I see the stun progress farther than that, I do LISTEN ON SCAN ON.

[Fernandezj]

I think the idea is if you are not in a room when someone types of the scan command, you have no indication if they are actively scanning.

And from that: the QoL improvement would be a way to discern if a person is actively surveilling their surroundings if you missed the fact that they used the skill in a room before arriving, with the implication being that "scanning" is an active sort of thing that a person might notice (if not, maybe tie it to watch).

If its not meant to be a skill that anyone would notice, then maybe no active echo at all.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I think the idea is if you are not in a room when someone types of the scan command, you have no indication if they are actively scanning.

And from that: the QoL improvement would be a way to discern if a person is actively surveilling their surroundings if you missed the fact that they used the skill in a room before arriving, with the implication being that "scanning" is an active sort of thing that a person might notice (if not, maybe tie it to watch).

If its not meant to be a skill that anyone would notice, then maybe no active echo at all.

I like the idea that it not be a room echo, but instead something you can notice or assess someone to find out, like watch. Great idea.

[Lotion]

NPC regen is ridiculous. If they flee from you there should be a 30 second delay MINIMUM before they start regenerating again so that by the time you sneak back up to them they haven't regenerated half of their hitpoints.

Maybe even take away their fear status after they regen to full to represent some kind of reset