Extended Descriptions

Ideas we've discussed and decided not to implement.

Moderators: Maeve, Maeve

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Bryony
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:08 pm

Mon Jan 28, 2013 12:54 am

My biases from other games is probably going to come through loud and clear here, and I think I've spent enough time in the game to realize this is probably a huge coding nightmare to implement, if it's even possible at all - but here I go asking anyways.

I would really love to be able to see other people's stuff, and I'd really love for other people to be able to see my stuff without needing to show it to them.

I don't mean the short descriptions (and holy cow, the sheer number of things I've seen described in exactly 60 characters creeps me out for some irrational reason I can't pinpoint) I mean extended descriptions. I want the detail that can't go into a short description.

We MUD. We read thousands of words in our fantastical pretend world, we use our imaginations to emote and think on a consistent basis. It's jarring to me that I can't see that level of detail on a person when there is so much detail everywhere else. It drives a more subtle form of RP when you can have clues to a character that are there for anyone to see, if they look. But it's weird to go around shoving that stuff in people's faces with the current mechanics.

I'd love for that same level of detail to be continued into people's clothing and objects on their person.

Again, I realize this very well may be impossible, and certainly poses issues with things like letters and mail which you would -not- want people to see without showing it to them, but I don't know. Any chance at all?

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Zeita
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:38 pm

Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:18 am

This is already possible- you can add extended descriptions to objects and others can view them.

For example, my character wears a number of items with a more detailed description. One of them is a torc, and to look at it, one would 'look Cenvald torc'

X looks more closely at a torc of gold, the termini shaped like growling bear heads:

This thick golden torc is an exquisite piece of work. Designed to
extend around the neck, the gold is worked in fanciful designs all the way
around, the look of them reminiscent of Hillman geometric stylings, but
more detailed still. Worked out carefully along the length are the forms
of two bears, the heads of which come close together near the base of the
neck, where they are eternally caught mid-growl as if trying to eat each
other.

Take a look at help special extended. To add one when stringing an object it is;
'tool (or restring) torc ed add torc' That puts you into an editor where you can put in the full description.

I'd love to see more people using this feature!

-Hera.

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Kinaed
Posts: 1984
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:54 pm
Discord Handle: ParaVox3#7579

Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:22 am

Yes, this already exists in-game. A lot of players are just lazy and don't add ed descs, so you'll see something like:

look cenvald torc
"Kinaed sees nothing unusual..."

It doesn't work to look at things in people's inventory, they have to be wearing the object. I'm not sure if it'd show a letter's contents or not, I'll have to test that.

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Bryony
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:08 pm

Mon Jan 28, 2013 1:40 pm

Syntax kills me. Every. Single. Time.

But really though, I love this game.

I keep getting it confused with one of the other Inquisition games I played for a short time, which was almost but not quite exactly the same. The major difference being everything I seem to want and couldn't have in that one already exists here.

This is excellent. I am happy. Maybe we could add a line to the helpfile for extended descriptions that has this information? I swear I didn't see anything about it when I was reading through.

When you look at other people's stuff, does it spam it to the room? Cause that would be weird, and end you up in some really awkward RP situations, and I won't be so happy anymore.

Going one step further, is there any chance we could get some sort of extended look command that would automatically show you that person's description complete with all extended descriptions of visible things?

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Leech
Posts: 349
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Behind you.

Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:43 pm

In line with this I think it would be cool if we could add stuff to our clothing's ed desc without having to retool it. Kind've like a mood setting for clothing - so I can give little hints on the fly as to what my character was just doing, whether that be fishing or sexing somebody up.
Player of: Alexander ab Courtland

User avatar
Kinaed
Posts: 1984
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:54 pm
Discord Handle: ParaVox3#7579

Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:16 am

I like the idea of a look <name> long or something to get all of the extra descs on their objs with their desc in one hit. I'll add that to Az's list of todos.

I'll also add a note to help extended since that's easy enough.

Finally, it does not spam the room, but it does alert the person that you're looking at that you had a closer look.

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Bryony
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:08 pm

Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:45 pm

Thank you!

If the echo is not simple and neutral from an IC point of view, then IC awkwardness will prevent the OOC use of it. Any chance it can be an open ended command like sit and move?

On its own:
exlook <character>
Bryony looks at you.

And then also allow for a bit of flavor:
exlook <character> surreptitiously from downcast eyes.
Bryony looks at you surreptitiously from downcast eyes.

exlook <character> like a two-bit hussy, wantonly ogling /character's tight leather pants.
Bryony looks at you like a two-bit hussy, wantonly ogling your tight leather pants.

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Kinaed
Posts: 1984
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:54 pm
Discord Handle: ParaVox3#7579

Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:48 am

Yeah, good point. I don't see any issues with that. Poke me and remind me to put up a request for this to Az.

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