Player Made Literature

[Slitherrr]

One thing I thought was neat in AC (one of the few things) was the ability to write on and personalize things. Maybe you guys could expand upon that, maybe even make it so you can put a seal on it and the receiver could tell when the seal is broken, or something similar. Just random thoughts...

[UBIK]

hey that would be pretty sweet....

[Slitherrr]

And other thought on that general line, how about a service where PC's could pay NPC's to deliver a message to someone? It could be a sort of alternative to EMails in-game, cause with tells, it wouldn't be needed if the other guy was really on, although it could still be good for appearances.

[Lordosis]

I actually only played AC for about 20 minutes before I had to turn it off and uninstall it. So I never got to see any item personalization. But it's definitely possible to some extent. How did AC work, did you just get to write whatever you wanted on any item? That's kind of lame. If you crafted a powerful weapon and inscribed it, that would make sense.

Hmm, like a post office system? Possibly. I actually was planning on implementing a very simple e-mail type system within the game. So if you sent someone a tell and they weren't online, they could still get the message the next time they logged in. But it's not set in stone.

[Saint Faucet]

AC gives you two different ways to write.

The first is the obvious parchments/books/tomes, which you can write in until you fill up the page/book. I've been using a book to keep track of all my notes in-game (saves me from finding the post-notes I wrote last week).

The other is an inscription bar on items/weapons/armor. Almost every item has a small bar that can be written in. Once a player inscribes something on an item, only they can change the inscription. If you're another player and you get an item that someone else has written on, then you're SOL if you want to inscribe it. The only advantage that this gives is in allowing other players with a better Focus to write what stats a higher powered item may have. I haven't seen much use for it otherwise.

[Scrote]

Rich said: Hmm, like a post office system? Possibly. I actually was planning on implementing a very simple e-mail type system within the game. So if you sent someone a tell and they weren't online, they could still get the message the next time they logged in. But it's not set in stone.

I would love to see an in-game representation of that. NPC messengers that you can hire to deliver messages. Especially if you make it so certain communications require the use of these in-game messengers.

Streetkids and beggars and such would be perfect for this. Go to the square, talk to some of the beggars there, give them payment & the message and the target's information/location and off they go!

This opens up all sorts of possibilities - the messenger could get intercepted, bribed, the message changed/stolen... ooh, the potentials are endless.

A nightmare to code too, no doubt.

S'right,
Scrote

[Lordosis]

Faucet, writing on scrolls/books is a decent idea. And it also could possibly tie into the mail system. You could write on a scroll and send it off to the recipient.

Scrote: Might also be nice if you could send items as well. Sounds pretty reasonable. The price would probably be much higher for destinations that are off the major trade routes.

[Wrentia]

First on messages...

There should be 2 systems really. One a small email facility that allows small messages (2k or less) and a
limited size mailbox say 50k or less. Perhaps mail should be accessed before entering the game and not in game.

Other messages could be handled as mentioned by others. These would be quick notes of say up to 800 chracters. And better delivery reliabilty would be higher cost. (A beggar will do it for 1 money unit, but theres a good chance he'll go buy a mead or two before delivery and maybe even get drunk and totally forget while the Cromin Territory Message Service will guarntee deliver for only 20 money units, and delivery is by the fastest means possible)

Now on Item Delivery...

Could be a tough issue....the only feasable way to do this across the world would be through magical teleportation which I would assume to be a difficult spell to master. Thus causing the expense to be high. Also delivery should not be instant. If a service like this existed they would gather items for most of the day, then tp to the various distribution points where the item would be hand delivered the next day. Cost should be extremely high....

Anyway, thats my opinion

Wrentia

[Slitherrr]

Ahh, game hasn't even started and we're pulling out plans for the Arcane Postal Service. We rule.

[Scrote]

Scrote: Might also be nice if you could send items as well. Sounds pretty reasonable. The price would probably be much higher for destinations that are off the major trade routes. [/B]

oooh... trade routes. The fact that you mentioned that says to me that you've at least considered the logistics of your world. I don't mean this to come across as patronising - cuz it isn't - but I am becoming more impressed with your game and your team by the day.

Yep, being able to send a rare alchemical substance to someone in a distant town who desperately needs it for some research is a beautiful thought. I'm all for the NPCs being a living and breathing part of a living and breathing world.

S'right,
Scrote

[Cynycal]

good idea..i remember delivering messages in gemstone...u could work as a messenger as a newbie to earn a little money from an actual PC and u could have NPC's doing the same of course...but i mean AHH! its a good idea!

[BelDragos]

It leads to a whole new class of characters. Just don't kill the messenger or you will never find out if the check was really in the mail.

[freejack]

Very good idea... a great way to make cash while role playing. And on the flip side you could always form a group and try to intercept the messengers!

[fredrick]

RE message/item delivery, I think it would be best done like the postal service. For real cheap you can send a message to someone.. whereever they are. If you want to send an item, price is determined by weight.. and then it's delivered from a queue. (Mass teleport) For an additional fee (which is probably fairly hefty), you can have it be teleported instantly. (Especialy if it's late at night. Mr. Wizard probably doesn't appreciate being awakened to send your package off)

One great thing about this would be a decent means of transfering items to your other characters. I was never quite satisfied with the options: leave it in the care of someone you probably trust, or B) drop it in an area people are unlikely to travel, then quickly log on with your other character.

RE writting, it would be awsome to have a notebook with unlimited pages. (Stored on the local client of course) This would be great for taking those little notes that we probably all currently take on the back of some random print out we have handy when playing ;) If we could also do something like drag an item into the notebook to "draw" it, that would be REAL awsome. Then we could have home-made compendiums. (Drag a monster as well :-)

This would also allow for a mapping ability maybe. We all start out with a map of the land (or buy one or make one or something), then we can keep notes on it.

It would also be cool if we could copy notes and send them to other people. (This could use the same back end method as the mail; just make it instant)

If half of what I see posted makes it into the game, it will so be 'da bom!

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

I diffently agree with you Fredrick, if half of what I have seen and talked about in just the 2 weeks I have been around makes it into the game, it will be awesome.

[fredrick]

I read one of the interviews the other day, and there was mention that tells would be used because they make the game more interesting even though they don't really fit into the story line.

I just wanted to propose that it could be slid fairly well into the story line with either the intervention of gods, or psycic activity.

The story line could hold that either A) With the raised use and awareness of magical forces, all sentient beings gained telepathic abilities to one extent or another; the most basic of these being telecommunication. (ok, bad pun ;)

If you wanted to use gods instead, you could say that with the increased activity of the gods in our lives, all (fill in a philisophical stance... creatures with soulds, sentient beings, or whatever) are linked through the gods and able to communicate with the assistance of the gods.

Just a few suggestions ;)

[Wrentia]

The rason could be anything.....for anything....

Mind to mind talk with anyone is due to the fact that one of the results of the Cataclysm is that the old Telecommunications system was at first changed into a being (God) and then became part of the earth itself.

All those demons running around are the result of the changes made by the Cataclysm....they used to be Nuclear Warheads....(actually from a series of fantasy novels....The Sword series from Fred Sabrehagen, you Brickhouse guys might want to take a read to not step on any toes...its on a future earth where everything has been reduced to a fantasy level of society...God's are the former engineers and scientists, demons are nuclear warheads come to life....fun reads...)

Given the fantasy setting you can come up with a reason for anything.....the question is wether you need to add the thing you need a reason for. With private tells, group chat, and guild chat, the answer is yes....

-Wrentia

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

I don't think we really need a storyline to cover this, it's just a part of the game that is necessary. The postal service is a nice idea, but not practical for the programmers. Can you immagine having 10 guys at Brickhouse just responsible for delivering in game mail and items?

[fredrick]

hehe.. the programmers wouldn't be the one's to physicaly run the postal service... their NPC's would. Items awaiting transit would go into a state of storage.. similar to lockers or the bank.. then at a certain time the computer waits for, it sends all the mail to wherever it's addressed.

RE reading the sword series so they don't step on any toes, I read and enjoyed the series... but also have to say that cataclysms/nuclear war/whatever resulting in a destruction of the earth which then results in the release of magical energies is in a LOT of psi-fi and fantasy novels.

The Shannara series also does this as well as many many others... and I'd hate to tell them they have to go out and read them all just to avoid steping on toes. (I'm sure they've read a lot of them anyway)

Besides which, steping on toes... isn't necissarily. If you can relate a premise to another story you've read, it helps things make more sense to you.

(Did anyone else get the impression EQ is based out of forgotten realms? I don't know if they meant to do that or not, but there were some very stricking paralells)

[Dyson]

Hehe... I'd love to see the coding for a homeless messenger NPC

IF gold > 10 BUY MEAD TRUE
IF gold < 10 BUY MEAD FALSE
BUT
> 1 BUY CHEAP_WINE YES
GOSUB
DELIVER_MESSAGE
RAND 10
IF 1 = DELIVER_MESSAGE TRUE
IF 2-9 = DELIVER_MESSAGE FALSE
GOSUB BUY_MORE_BOOZE

[Dyson]

Okay, okay.. I know that's not what C coding looks like, but it's still pretty funny. :P

[Slitherrr]

#include <bum.h>
#include <messenger.h>
#include <guinness.h>

int buyBeer(int &gold);
int dlvrMsg(void);
void passOutandLoseMessage();

void main()
{
int gold;
bumin >> gold;
if gold > 9
{buyBeer(gold);}
else
{passOutandLoseMessage();}
return;
}

Compiler Warning! --> Function dlvrMsg() prototyped but not used!

There ya go

[UBIK]

mmmmm..... the glories of c/c++, slither, do you know any opengl or anything?

[The Other Joe]

I really liked the books in UO.Couple of improvments though. First is a way to copy text from outside of the game into the game. I was running quests on UO and liked to give out books with info in them, to do this I had to log in and type them in a book. It would be nice to be able to past to a clip board from word pad or some such program and copy it to a book or scroll in game. the reverse would be nice also. So i could read that book while im at work (things get slow sometimes :) ). Mabey it could be doen with some sort of e-mail system, that woudl allow you to mail text to char's in game (even your self). Another idea woulde be a book you could lock text into so that you could have a book sittin in a travlers inn or something, and allow anybody to read it, but only you could add text to it.

Joe

[fredrick]

I agree on that one.. it always frustrates me when the GUI doesn't allow for copying and pasting. (At the very least, make it so ALT-TAB works... that annoy anyone else with EQ? :-)

I don't code WYSIWYGs, but I'd figure if you don't trap the CTRL-V keys (or maybe trap them as you're probably going to want CTRL, but make an allowance for CTRL-V), pasting should work.
As far a text; give us a vim interface, and let us yank text :-)

LOL... OK, so that would only work for 1/30th of your client base.... but vi rocks.. I think everyone should use it :-)

(Imagine; a text editor where you really don't need a mouse!)

[Slitherrr]

Ubik - /sigh, I wish I knew OpenGL, that's on my to-do list, I've got to learn more basic C++ first... Pretty much all I got is a grounding in the basics of Borland Turbo C++, with an introduction to OOP. Graphics is my next hit, although I'm gonna start a little simpler than OpenGL.

[UBIK]

for graphics, i found that the easist was opengls GLUT thing, its really easy, you dont need to know windows programming to make stuff cool with it. DO NOT GO TO DIRECT X- its the devils work.....

[BelDragos]

Listen to the Arch-Bishop, he should know.