[Poll] Rumors

[Kinaed]

In the last two OOC Chats, the new rumor system has come up. Some players don't like it, some do. How do you feel?

[Taunya]

I like it better than the old system, but it could probably still use some tweaks.

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

I have already stated my "dislikes" in OOC chat, but one thing I DO appreciate about the new system is that it tries to capture the "living, evolving" aspect of rumors.

But I REALLY HATE reading 2-3 of essentially the same rumor... even if those takes are different. There's also really no motivation for me to try and rewrite the rumor if it's just going to be 'one of two others' that people will also 'just skim' because it's now work to participate in the system.

So, just throwing things out there, what if... instead of having multiple rumor promotes with equal weight at any given time... we just had THE ONE rumor/promote that is "predominant" in the system, and the others are invisible, lower down, or greyed out or something. And maybe there are ways to make YOUR VERSION more predominant, such as spending IP to influence it, or the Bards pushing it, or whatever. Maybe if you post a rumor in YOUR CIRCLE it has more weight than trying to push a version outside your circle, etc.

Then, people might actually feel motivated to rewrite the rumor and have their version be the one that is "hot right now." Otherwise, I just don't see the point in competing for the real estate.

(Edited for clarity in the third paragraph.)

[Kinaed]

I wonder if some sort of middle ground were to exist, if it'd be cool - like, the system works like it used to, but a person could rewrite a comment on a rumor for a reasonable 'fee' related to their social power or influence over the rumor system. For example, perhaps bards could rewrite one rumor or rumor comment for free per week, and other players might be able to spend silver and/or IP to do so? *ponder*

[Buzz K[ir]ill]

I wonder if some sort of middle ground were to exist, if it'd be cool - like, the system works like it used to, but a person could rewrite a comment on a rumor for a reasonable 'fee' related to their social power or influence over the rumor system. For example, perhaps bards could rewrite one rumor or rumor comment for free per week, and other players might be able to spend silver and/or IP to do so? *ponder*

The rewrite idea occurred to me, but not for comments -- just for the original rumor! But then I figured if you could rewrite the main rumor, the comments might get weird and seem completely out of place, so I scratched that idea. The ability to rewrite the promotes perhaps makes more sense.

[Vee]

I have to say that I enjoyed the way the old system worked, but I was never a fan of how caustic it tended to get. Like you'd get a really innocuous rumor such as, "Oh, Missus ab Mumbles? Didn't she just get a job at the University? It'll be so good to see some proper classes being hosted again." And two comments on the rumor later you'd see something like, "That woman's such a filthy whore. I hate her guts." Which is themely and whatever and rumors tend to be nasty, blah blah. I know. And sometimes it did make for some entertaining rumor comment chains.

So I enjoy that with the new system, it combats that somewhat. But I really haven't been enjoying the way it works so far, to be honest. I don't like that we can only see the last two to three versions of the rumor because it puts way too much power in the Troubadour hands, in my opinion. I mean, I know that the Troubadours have always had a lot of power in regards to the rumors, but now, they can completely steer the way this information is being consumed by the public because if someone tweaks a rumor to be sending a message they don't want, they can just fix it and get it pushed down past the point where no one can see it. It can make it really difficult to stay well-informed because this literally happens within a minute or two so if you're not constantly checking the rumors, you have no idea what's happening.

The current system also implies that just two to three versions of a rumor are being parroted by everyone all over Lithmore City whereas with the older system, it did make it feel more like a conversation since we were all responding to the rumor itself rather than trying to just rewrite it and put a new spin on it.

[Dreams]

Ok, so... leave it to Kitty to complicate things, but it is my opinion that rumors wouldn't stay in one circle. AND... that the viciousness/tone of a rumor would be different depending on the circle it is circulating in. SO! I wonder if a system couldn't be set up that does something like this:

Original rumor - gentry circle - rumor text (blah blah blah)

• comment

• comment

• comment

Rumor branch - freeman circle - rumor text edited with freeman slant (blah blah blah)

• comment

• comment

• comment

Rumor branch - noble circle - rumor text edited with noble slant (blah blah blah)

• comment

• comment

• comment

I say this mostly because, I saw a rumor that was going around recently that was supposed to be in the Troubadour circle, but a lot of the comments, at one point, took a very noble slant to them (which actually currently breaks policy according to 'help rumor standard' because it should be thematic according to the circle it's moving in).

I'm seeing this a lot, it seems, with the new system. People are commenting and slanting the rumors the way they want them slanted, which seems logical to 'change' the rumors as it seems people want to do, but the policy is written to state that it should slant the way that circle would slant them. I wonder, however, why the assumption is being made that other circles would not talk about the gossip? Of course they would. So, my suggestion gives the option for... branches that alter the rumors and make new circles to talk about them.

THEN... maybe what can happen is that what is seen by those purchasing... is the most current rumor slant from each circle, and then they can see how the varied circles are talking about it and having differing opinions about one specific thing that is going on.

... maybe?

[Kuzco]

I wouldn't mind in the new system, the last 3 versions of the rumor being up for promoting/quashing individually, until only one version remains as 'true'. But this may annoy some players.

[Geras]

By the way, does anyone remember when instead of rumours, NPCs would spout random words strung together? So you'd be sitting in the Half-Pint and suddenly the barkeep would say, "I'm a mage ho ho ho cow sandals."

Good times.

[Niamh]

By the way, does anyone remember when instead of rumours, NPCs would spout random words strung together? So you'd be sitting in the Half-Pint and suddenly the barkeep would say, "I'm a mage ho ho ho cow sandals."

Good times.

HAHAHA WHAT