Forgotten Kingdoms Forums

Using communication amulets to 'secretly' speak with people in the same room is off-putting, intrusive to the RP and pretty silly now that they are verbal/aural rather than 'mindspeech'

Considering this was just gechoed, I'd like to propose a whisper command, to allow two characters in the same room to communicate in whispers. This way two characters could communicate without being overheard.

if you are in the same room as the person, you can remove your amulet and then there would be no echo...I think..

Aveline is correct, you can telepathically or whatever speak to a person in the same room, amulet or not, using the tell command.

Id suggest for this, instead of making the whisper into the amulet echo, if you were telling someone in the same room as you, it would instead echo

Blah blah blah whispers quietly to blah blah blah.

If this worked out, the Listen skill should be used to eavesdrop.

I would be more than happy to allow listen to eavesdrop.

Having played thieves a lot in table top, I would love to see that.

The TELL help was recently updated to address this, actually:

TELL sends a message to another awake target, that can NOT be heard by others.
If in the same room as the target, and NOT holding or wearing an amulet of
communication, you will whisper to them, inperceptibly. It is good roleplay
form to smote that you are whispering, unless IC conditions are such that
you really could pull off whispering in another's ear without anyone knowing:
for example, if you are already right next to them, and it is dark. IF you are
wearing or holding an amulet of communication, then TELL will employ it
to send your private message. Your message will reach your target, provided they
are awake and alert in a place not dead to magic. Those in the room with you
will see you whisper into your amulet, and hear that you are whispering into it,
but be unable to discern what you are saying. TELL can also be used in this
manner when you are a spirit in the realm of the dead, without an amulet, but only
to contact targets who have GREETed you.

I have no idea if there's any chance of listening in, but it would be neat if there was. That said, it may be ICly unrealistic in some situations, too.

Thank you all for clarifying this.

Here I had been under the impression that there was no way other than the amulets...

Using "tell" without an amulet to send out "secret messages" to people who are in the same room is completely not consistent with the way amulets work now.

Also, the fact that you can do so without triggering the message by removing your amulet of communication is clearly a dirty "trick".

I really do not like that.

The main reason why I added the echo to the amulet of communication was that I had witnessed several situations where one character would talk with people and send off messages with the amulet of communication at the same time, without giving any hint (with a smote for example) that they are doing something else at the same time, and I really didn't like the fact that they were giving no chance to people around them to even guess what they were doing.

An example (but there are many others, with more "serious" topics): I do not mind people pretending to think one thing while they are think something else, but then, they should at least give a chance to others to spot it. I do not mind people sending tells left and right while they are talking with some people, but then, they should at least give a chance to others to understand what is really going on.

With that interpretation, removing the amulet so you can "tell" people in the same room is clearly a cheat.

I personally really dislike the echo. I don't care if other people see it, but to me I feel it may be unnecessary. My characters very rarely react to the amulet-talking. Mostly because IRL I HATE cell phones and those who use them while engaged in a conversation are (to me) annoying, rude, and disrespectful of their current company.

Oftentimes, due to how fast time flies when engaged in a conversation I will respond with the amulet as if I'd not even done it. Is this cheating? I really don't care either way, though, because I find they are often extremely disruptive to current RPs and feel they are better overlooked.

I realise that many people have very limited time and it is unfair to me to interrupt the RP I'm engaged with them, especially if assisting with a hard quest or something, to RP messing around with the amulet.

If you don't respond to tells, people automatically assume the worst or suspect you're just being rude. This, to me, would make the RP more complicated than it really should be.

Edited to include: Unless it has something to do with the characters present. Then I do echo whispering and even let them tell me whether or not they overheard it.

I think Selveem has an interesting point.

Maybe using the amulet should incur a minor fatigue penalty? Movement drain?

After all, communicating telepathically can be very exhausting. I mean, theoretically.

I'm sure it could be set up so that wizards lose less movement than fighters, or something like that.

Amulets already use movement for each tell.

And as it is right now, lower level players are strapped for movement as it is. I wouldn't want to see the move rates for simply sending a tell making it worse.

Kregor wrote:Amulets already use movement for each tell.

And as it is right now, lower level players are strapped for movement as it is. I wouldn't want to see the move rates for simply sending a tell making it worse.

Too true, my low-teen level characters already make choices like 'move to next room or answer the tell' far too often in my opinion.

As far as I understood it, costing movement was a deterrant from repeatedly abusing the amulet as an instant messenger device of sorts. I personally see no real IC explaination why talking should take even a single percentage of endurance. Why doesn't say or sayto command do the same?

I really don't even feel the need to see people 'whispering' into their amulets. I liked the old way where you 'thought' about talking to a specific person to activate your amulet and it simply made it so. If there were a way for me to not have those echoes displayed in my zMUD, I would change it so I didn't even have to read them.

I don't think making it harder is the right decision. I just think what the original post intended was to just have something where you didn't have to display an echo for something no one else would hear.

I believe 'whispers' should be used for in-room stuff that could be overheard with a good listen check and 'tells' would be better back to the non-echoed, fully-telepathic missives they used to be.

I'm probably in the (vast) minority in this, but I would make amulets of communication useless by characters over level 20 or so. At the same time, I would add spells that convey messages and mobs that charge to deliver messages, perhaps low priced mobs that take some time and high priced mobs that send the message magically. There could be multiple versions of the spells, lower level ones might convey messages via some physical messenger that takes some time, whereas higher level spells would deliver the message instantly. Higher level characters might also be able to acquire (for a heavy cost or through a difficult quest) an amulet that they can use. This would also create an opening for some racial abilities. I believe one of the halfling races (ghostwise?) has the ability to mindspeak, an ability that could then be limited solely to them.

Balek wrote:I'm probably in the (vast) minority in this, but I would make amulets of communication useless by characters over level 20 or so. At the same time, I would add spells that convey messages and mobs that charge to deliver messages, perhaps low priced mobs that take some time and high priced mobs that send the message magically. There could be multiple versions of the spells, lower level ones might convey messages via some physical messenger that takes some time, whereas higher level spells would deliver the message instantly. Higher level characters might also be able to acquire (for a heavy cost or through a difficult quest) an amulet that they can use. This would also create an opening for some racial abilities. I believe one of the halfling races (ghostwise?) has the ability to mindspeak, an ability that could then be limited solely to them.

I honestly wouldn't mind that, except there are often circumstances where people can't send messages like that. Like if they have a leg chopped off and haven't trained Aid skill and the like. Or, if someone's drowning.

Also, money is something that is very hard to come by right now. You used to be able to, as a high level character, sell armor and other equipment worth several platinum. Now drops have been modified or characters are chased out of areas for 'farming' equipment. It also seems that areas will be able to purchase far less. Places that don't gouge as much for selling equipment to them have a very limited amount of platinum with which to purchase said items. The cost of repairing equipment also has not declined and armor still gets damaged just as easily in the past. There have been times on my wizard where I had to decide whether or not to repair my sleeves/leggings/etc or to purchase components and food..

That being said, I would not be in favor of a high cost solution.

And then...What about people that go into some place for a quest or so and...die...or rather get into a very tigth spot in which they -need- help? I've been in a few where only the usage of my amulet saved my behind from dying.I can see a problem with the spellcasting, too. What about warrior-classes and rogus that have no access to spells and magic?

I have never understood what exactly the "story" behind the amulets were. I always assumed from a game perspective, some handy dandy wizard came up with this fangled thing and so all the schools of making started to do it. It lets the messages sort of eek into your brain kinda telephathically.

Going with this theory, the code makes it kinda hard on you for using it. You kinda have to broadcast your brainwaves out, and thus it takes stamina. If you ever look at your resistances, when you are wearing an amulet, it lowers your resistance to mind magic. That doesn't seem to terribly compilcated to follow. You are opening up your brain pain to magic. Seems pretty straightforeward.

Now, I don't mind seeing when someone is using their amulet. Mostly cause from an incharacter perspective, depending upon who you are will depend upon wether or not it affects you.

I have one character who doesn't care. I have another who thinks it's the niffiest thing ever. Then I have a character who hates it when her significant other uses it right in front of her. And I have another who LOATHES it when you don't at least say, "Pardon me." before using it. And she's like anal retentive about it. (Those who have been caught by her know she does not appreciate it at all and will not tolerate it!)

I personally think it's BS that the echo was taken away for when you are in the same room with someone. Mostly because, even if you have your tongue up someone's ear, the only way -I- in real life don't notice that sort of close contact is when it is pitch dark. I am sorry, you see two people sitting THAT close together, sure.. youc ant hear anything. but you can figure out two things... they are either talking or doing -other- things.. which makes this game slightly higher rating .... (see other post for rating nonsense.)

In conclusion:
-I'd love to have the amulets flash when they are in use, either by you sending out a 'signal' and using the magic or when a message comes in to you or both. It's magic. Especially to those who are like neck deep in it, it would be an obvious signal that it is being used.. and you can point and say, "Hey.. cut that thing out.."

-I would also like prefer an actual whisper command. That way, you can see obviously that someone is standing that close to another person. You can visually SEE that Ridiculous the Mage and Martiana the Warrior Maid are sitting close enough that you are pretty sure they are not swapping spit.

That way, everyone's happy. Those who want to whisper can whisper.. those who are still using their amulets.. they are going to flash and give away that you are using them. And maybe if we want to get really really really fancy... have them not flash when you areusing the amulet to answer ooc tells? Or flash a stupid color like neon green or something... that way everyone knows you are answering about something oocly.


Just my suggestion.

Larethiel wrote:And then...What about people that go into some place for a quest or so and...die...or rather get into a very tigth spot in which they -need- help? I've been in a few where only the usage of my amulet saved my behind from dying.I can see a problem with the spellcasting, too. What about warrior-classes and rogus that have no access to spells and magic?

If they die, they would be able to use tell without an amulet, just like they currently can. As for warriors and rogues having no access to spellcasting...well, you could either pay someone (PC or mob) to send the message for you, or you could ask a spellcasting friend to do it for you for free. If you're worried about getting into a tight spot when you're in a dungeon...well you'll just have to travel with a group and protect the spellcasters, pray they don't die, and ask them to send the messages when you're all in trouble. Most of my characters are fighters, so I'd be affected pretty heavily by this myself.

Selveem wrote:If there were a way for me to not have those echoes displayed in my zMUD, I would change it so I didn't even have to read them.

Pattern: * whispers into an amulet of communication (Or whatever the echo is. Use * to replace the name)

Commands: #GAG

Should work for you just fine. I know triggers are frowned upon, but this is purely cosmetic and will not give him an edge over anyone else, so I hope it is allowed. If not, feel free to delete.