Amulets of communication

[Dalvyn]

I have recently added an "echoaround" (that is, an echo to everybody near you in the room) to the amulet of communication, indicating that you are whispering into the amulet. The echo always happens when you use "tell" or "reply". [Side note: can someone check with abbreviations and verify that short versions like "repl" or "rep" or "tel" also produce the echo please?]

My reasoning to add this echo:

• The ability to mindspeak at very long distances is VERY powerful. It's more powerful than most of the spells available on FK. I think it is fair to have a "downside" to it, the downside being that you have to actually whisper your message into the amulet of communication. Note that, with that interpretation, what you communicate is sound, and thus "mental images" cannot be sent. Think of them as FK mobile phones!
• I know that this this echo means that the presence of hidden or invisible create can be detected. I am actually fine with this - this is not a bug -, and this is consistent with the fact that you have to whisper your message into the amulet. Does it mean that this change completely screwed up thieves and spies? Not at all... they can still perform well. The only difference is that they would have to move one room away before they can send a message discreetly.
• When you are talk with someone and that someone is busy thinking about something else, you notice it. I didn't like the fact that, when you talk with someone, you had no way to find out that they were communicating via their amulet with someone else at the same time. The new echo fixes this problem.
• If I had to answer the question "What is your number one pet peeve when you are roleplaying with someone?", I would definitely answer that what I hate the most is when people seem to not be paying attention to the roleplay. If someone is slow to answer, I can't help but think that they are actually typing in their IM windows at the same time, sharing information about the ongoing rp and getting OOC input from all their clique friends (and the same feeling is actually shared by many other players I have talked with). When the lag in answer is simply due to the person answering questions via their amulet of communication, this will be more obvious.

I'm all ears for positive and negative comments and opinions about those new echoes.

[Rawlys]

An excellent idea to add the echo. I do like having the ability to know when someone is communicating with someone else out of the room.

Two little issues stand out to me, having already experienced the whispers and not knowing why people were looking at me funny.

1) When the echo happens, it gives the name of the character. I don't know if it happens when hidden but being around others who I did not know, it echoed their name.

2) I like to smote leaning over to someone and whispering something in their ear and then using the tell command to say the whisper so that others cannot hear it. If we could have a whisper command, available only if your target was in the same room, I think it would solve this issue.

I know the whisper command has been suggested in the past but was easily overlooked because of the amulet of communication. Which made sense at the time but things are a bit different now.

Of course, we could just ICly overlook the whisper into the amulet whenever someone leans over to whisper something to someone. That would be a simple solution until another option came about.

Overall though, I like it!

[Dalvyn]

I checked the program twice for 1) and it is set to display the adjective if you have not been greeted, so if it doesn't, it's a hard code bug.

[Cret]

Can there be some other echo then whispering? I know there is a shop that sells an amulet worn on the belt as a buckle.. kinda wierd to bend over and speak into your crotch.. you know? Thats not the only place they are worn as well... so

[Oghma]

One idea I have is, to avoid spam in one room from too many sent tells or recieved tells, would it be possible to randomise the times you would see someone sending a tell? That way it cuts the spamming in half.

[Dalvyn]

Randomizing is possible. But that might mean that you will miss the message that one time when it would have really mattered (depending on the IC situation). Feel free to comment on this idea.

As for changing the "whisper" echo into something else, that is not possible. People can interpret it as your taking the "amulet" from your belt to your mouth then putting it back again (like one would do with a mobile phone or some other kind of transmitter placed on the belt).

I think that another positive change with this echo is that it's now clear exactly how amulets of communication work (while, previously, some roleplayed that they carried sounds and others, that they projected thoughts). Even though I certainly do not want an answer, I am wondering what kind of information you roleplayed your "amulet worn on the belt" to transport.

[Maybel]

I like the idea... save... for the spam issue... Everything else, Is brilliant

[Raona]

I'm keen on this change as well. I suspect I'll feel like asking "Pardon me, would you mind terribly if I take this?" the next time my amulet interrupts a conversation, but that's all to the good.

I do see how this might crimp the style of spies and the like - though it's IC if the nature of the amulets is such that they are like cell phones. There's no plausibility in a suggestion that they be capable of text messaging! That said, perhaps a more rudimentary communication device might be made that could be used without a hint it is being used - but that can not send such rich information. Perhaps it just sends a click, or a screech, or something, when touched. Perhaps this could even be a function of the current amulet. You whisper into it to send a message - but if you touch it, it sends a growl or hoot or something to someone else - and that could be done while hidden, without being detected. (If you were visible, the action would be seen.)

Perhaps SIGNAL Fred would echo

Code: Select all

Bob touches <amulet description> momentarily

if visible, and nothing if hidden.

Fred would get either

Code: Select all

An image of Bob flashes in your mind

or

Code: Select all

A faint hoot is heard over your <amulet description>

or, if we wanted to stick strictly to the cell phone analogy

Code: Select all

You hear a faint scratching sound coming over your <amulet description>

As I said, this could also be made a separate object, with only this function - a belt buckle, or somesuch.

Just trying to give the forces of intrigue a bit of a break...the cursed buggers! Come out where I can see you!

[Amalia]

Sooo... camera amulet + thieves cant?

In short, as seems to be the popular opinion, I like the change except for the spam. I think it would be useful for the amulet to have a "big red button" function, though, because I'd want to turn it off when my attention was on someone else on a certain character (I often do anyway) but not at the risk of ignoring someone who needs help in a life-or-death situation.

I think this change also opens up an avenue for some new communication spells-- perhaps one to speak mentally to others, and one that would act like Wizard Eye except the "eye" would be another (willing, or maybe unwilling and unwitting at higher levels) PC.

[Kelemvor]

Use DETUNE to turn your amulet off and TUNE to turn it back on again.

I noticed as I was posting this, that there is no Help File instructing players on these commands. Could they be added, please?

[Rhytania]

Why not make the echo based on the PCs opposed Listen check. That way only the players that pass the licten check receive the echo.

[Moloch]

I really like that suggestion, Rhytania. Gives a new use for listen .

[Dugald]

Or the listen allows to hear the whispered tell! OooOoOoOoo

I like the change.

[Dalvyn]

Yes, that indeed opens up options for spells that would work like improved versions of an amulet of communication. That is all good, I think.

As for using a "listen" check, that is theoretically a good idea, but for the next three points:

• Making it depend on a listen check would require hard code. As long as a change uses only area code, it can be made quickly. Hard code is not up to me though.
• Using Listen would indicate that the person using the amulet of communication would always be trying to hide it, which is not the case. Besides, most of the time, even if you can't actually make out what words are being whispered, you would be able to see that someone is whispering.
• As it is currently, I do not like using skills. That's part of my firm opinion that we need a skill-point-based system. There's not much that I can do about it though, but not using skills unless it is really necessary is my tantrum.

Keep the comments coming though. It looks like I'm refuting all the options for changes, but that's really not my goal. I'm just trying to give practical answers.

[Raona]

I think it would be useful for the amulet to have a "big red button" function, though, because I'd want to turn it off when my attention was on someone else on a certain character (I often do anyway) but not at the risk of ignoring someone who needs help in a life-or-death situation.

Oooh, this is a good idea!!! ...though some people will always cry wolf, I suppose. I'd love to have the option of detuning my amulet, yet still be able to pick up a distress call! If the red flash was visible to all, it would, one could hope, also make them more understanding of you "taking the call."

Use DETUNE to turn your amulet off and TUNE to turn it back on again.

I noticed as I was posting this, that there is no Help File instructing players on these commands. Could they be added, please?

Done! The Amulet's help has often been tweaked to reflect this new (echoaround) reality.

[Neriadin]

Dalvyn wrote:


If I had to answer the question "What is your number one pet peeve when you are roleplaying with someone?", I would definitely answer that what I hate the most is when people seem to not be paying attention to the roleplay. If someone is slow to answer, I can't help but think that they are actually typing in their IM windows at the same time, sharing information about the ongoing rp and getting OOC input from all their clique friends (and the same feeling is actually shared by many other players I have talked with). When the lag in answer is simply due to the person answering questions via their amulet of communication, this will be more obvious.
----

This echo stuff just about guarantees that people will be using their IM more often than the amulet because they see the echo as a "defect" that distracts from RP. Although a few players prior to this "defect" taking place would RP using their amulet in some way, most do not. Now that the echo is in place, it will be used far less often than it was. We've basically turned the amulet into the FK version of the cellphone. I have visions of a dozen people in the MS whispering into their amulets at the same time. Almost as bad as a dozen cellphones going off in a crowded room at the same time....almost.

As for the "lag in answer" you mentioned, it is probably not as much a lack of attention as you think. For instance, I type 80 wpm, which is a bit better than average. In RP situations, I often retype the response I'm about to post at least twice. Effectively, my response comes out at 40 wpm or less, which is much less than average. Odds are, the average person will have a serious lag in their response if they are paying enough attention to change what they're about to say when appropriate.

Another thing is that some of us have things going on around us on the "input" side of the screen. Whan I first started playing on FK, my grandaughter would sit in my lap and "help" me type. Thankfully, she didn't hit the "enter" key very often. Anyway, the point is there are many logical reasons for lag in response that don't involve OOC use of IM and I feel that those who were doing it before will now do it more often because of the change.

As for me, you're still going to get a slow response because I edit what I type before hitting the enter key but at least you'll KNOW it isn't because of the amulet.

One last thing. It took over an hour to type all of this because of editing.

[Maybel]

Use DETUNE to turn your amulet off and TUNE to turn it back on again.

I noticed as I was posting this, that there is no Help File instructing players on these commands. Could they be added, please?

I will add one into the game as soon as I can.

EDIT: Or not... it seams to be added in there... as well as everything to go with it

EDIT to include a response to Neriadin.....

I thought average WPM to be around 25-30... but that is besides the point... Yes... there is IM conversation going on... when i play FK... What I usually have going on is this...
iChat: 3-5 people
Safari: FK forums, email, various other sites including editing web pages
iTunes: always playing something random that i am fiddling with or changing some way
TV: At the same time... yelling at the people on the TV wishing they could hear me
My Son (half the time): Running around me jumping on me... and at times... typing for me on the game as well (he's 4 so it's a lot less then 30 wpm... more like 0.3 WPM


So yes... we have IM's going on... but none of it (other then the forums) is related to FK... although i allocate FK most of my attention not everyone can.... I read it and i don't want this to come out as bragging... just that when some people get on... they DO have their attention stretched and may not respond as quickly as others...

[Amalia]

I have to say I agree with Maybel and Neriadin on the topic of lag, though from the other side of things. My best writing is extemporaneous, I type quickly, and I can split my attention. I often have an IM window or two open while logged on (not talking about FK, if that had to be stated), and if the RP isn't intensive I'm often cooking as well, and yet generally I don't have much lag. Knowing people who simply type slowly, though, I fully expect that if they're multitasking their response will be slower-- and I don't really care what they're doing, as long as the RP can continue, albeit at a slower pace.

I still like the clarification of the amulet-- it was often ambiguous whether you were supposed to RP tells, or what exactly a tell was, or how many you could handle at once at any given INT level without losing track. Maybe it will drive more people to talk over IM-- but hopefully it'll make that more noticeable, too, so people who are sharing IC information OOCly will be easier to spot.

[Hviti]

I don't mind the amulet whisper echo that much, but is there any way the amulets' names could be removed from the echo (leaving it just as "x whispers something")? Some of them (especially renamed ones or the ones like Cret mentioned) don't fit overly well with the "whisper into" echo...

[Rhianon]

Makes "mind speak" redunant if this is indeed what you are going for. If your whispering, your NOT speaking with your mind, but instead with your voice.