Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

I think it would be nice if the gate guards could recognize when a character speaks their own name, causing them to open the gates. It seems kind of silly for new players to be stuck outside (or inside) the gates because they're phrasing their response wrong. As it is now, this...

The Gate Guard says to you 'Halt and state your name and business'
You say to the Gate Guard 'Good day, sir. I am Kenny the Great, and I seek entry into your fine city.'

...will not get you past the gates, despite having given them your name. I'm not suggesting that this replace the current system; I would like it to see it supplement the current system.

"Halt, unsavory traveller! State your name and business!"
DemonLordofEvilDarkness says, 'Name.'
"Come right in!"

Well, unfortunately, that actually happens. I had the misfortune of being there to witness it, too.

I made an alias three years ago that when I'm at the gate, I type it out and I can get in. Problem solved.

Gwain wrote:I made an alias three years ago that when I'm at the gate, I type it out and I can get in. Problem solved.

My Alias List wrote:gate = sayto gate My name is *****. Perhaps you've heard of me?

Same here, though it seems a waste of an alias. After all, you can only have so many, and my spellcasters always end up filling up their alias lists.

However, saving myself an alias slot or a little bit of typing really isn't my point here. After all, I would still have to type a different response to the guards that just doesn't use the word "name." To reiterate...

Keltorn wrote:It seems kind of silly for new players to be stuck outside (or inside) the gates because they're phrasing their response wrong.

I bring this up because this actually happened to a new player just recently. He got stuck outside until morning rolled around because he didn't know he had to phrase his response just so, and I can sympathize with that. Actually, when I started playing, I thought the key was to say your own name since that made the most sense to me, hence my suggesting it now.

Having to guess the correct keyword strikes me as a frustrating situation that shouldn't have to happen. Teaching the guards to react to every possible response isn't really feasible, but surely programming them to also react to a PC speaking his own name as part of a SAY should be doable, yes?

(not real code, but you get it)

Keltorn wrote:I bring this up because this actually happened to a new player just recently. He got stuck outside until morning rolled around because he didn't know he had to phrase his response just so, and I can sympathize with that. Actually, when I started playing, I thought the key was to say your own name since that made the most sense to me, hence my suggesting it now.

Story of my life. First time I'd been outside the gates, I waited til morning rolled around because I said "My name's Lylena!" "Name's Lylena!" Everything but "My name is" and just sat there. So it does happen, easily.

Uleha wrote:

Code: Select all

if (playersays(%n)) {set gate open}

(not real code, but you get it)

That's what I had in mind, yeah, though I think it should still open for saying "name," too. That way, people using aliases and whatnot can still get through doing what they've always done.

Lylena wrote:Story of my life. First time I'd been outside the gates, I waited til morning rolled around because I said "My name's Lylena!" "Name's Lylena!" Everything but "My name is" and just sat there. So it does happen, easily.

I tended to go with "I am" and variations on that. I actually still do that every now and then. Using the exact same sentance every time bugs the amateur writer in me, so I try to change it up sometimes, only to regret it.

I made some revisions for you all to test.

Harroghty wrote:I made some revisions for you all to test.

The new program is pretty nice, I think. I got to play around with it a bit, and it seems to react to a good variety of things now, allowing people to phrase it in new ways. They're still not reacting to a character's name, so you can't get away with rudely stating your name yet. I did notice that they don't like contractions, though. They'll take "I am here on business," but not "I'm here on business."

More words to react to mean they'll have to put up with more nonsense...

The Gate Guard holds up a hand to you.
The Gate Guard exclaims to you 'Halt!'
The Gate Guard says to you 'In the name of the Council of Lords, state your name and business.'
You say to the Gate Guard 'I have a lovely bunch of coconuts.'
The Gate Guard waves you up to the gates.
The Gate Guard says to you 'You may enter, traveller.'

...But silly players did that before, too. However, could we maybe get them to physically strike people that just say the word "name?"


I like the changes. Thank you!

Yeah, the speech program had issues with the contraction I'm.

Your example would get you past the gates though:

Good day, sir. I am Kenny the Great, and I seek entry into your fine city.'

It triggers for I and am (amongst other things). The reason why I did not bother to code it to respond to your name is that I figured it was more economical to include those other words (I am call call name named) because you would have to use at least one of them to give your name and business as requested.