Best posts made by Lotherio

@faraday True, and I agree.

But for UI, we're behind the 8-ball. Iron Realms who made the comment about 'the first wall of text is a turn-off' use some pretty fancy interface.

The top right is chat/channel window, below that is a map that can be clicked on to navigate, click a room you've been to and you autowalk there (autowalk isn't know, MUDS use aliasing to make quick commands much like some older MUs have done). Click an arrow and you try to move/walk/go in that direction. No need to type an exit or direction name. Those images at the top are quick commands for abilities. On MudClient app for smart devices, one can change buttons, its not hard to have a 'who' button that lets you know who is on line. I've seen text data bank scroll wheels to get to common command like tell or pose even, I've used MUDClient to Mu before All that character information stuff on the left could easily just be sheet and finger notes. Enemy information could just be IC info on another character who's name you click on.

It could be super slick, and has been seen in MUDs already. The comment about hitting the part where reading comes in still rings a bell with me of curiosity. Also, learning different page commands isn't an issue for younger audiences, if there is a will there is a way. Various MineCraft servers use a few different ways for communicating personally, because like MUs, there are different systems once can install on their server for communicating.

I'm sure there is a happy medium somewhere certainly. But in the same vein, introducing a Mu as a text based environment where reading and writing is required like upfront could also help, part of the advertising/image. We've known for years that some of the folks that wander in from other mediums start with like RP'ing on WoW or EverQuest or whatever MMO and the RP isn't enough for them and they found MU's. As much as 80s interface isn't for some people, there still needs to be an input for text to write into and an output to read what is going on.

@Auspice Oh snap (small one, not universe altering one), that's right I forgot about the reboot. Well, that blows my theory on Josh Brolin eventually being a Nexus of All Realities (Alex Summers - Havok). Now there are two nexus in one reality - mind blown!

ETA: If it helps my favorite cross-over is Alfre Woodard, she's one up on Josh, Michael and Chris Evans (1st Storm/Capt America - I guess his ass is hot afterall?), she played two roles in the same movie verse (mother of boy killed in Sokovia and my favorite portrayal as Mariah Dillard on Luke Cage)

@kitteh said in How low can "low stakes" be and still be compelling for RP?:

@fatefan The Realms Adventurous (Pendragon game) tried to do the more 'your goats survive' level of play when it started out (characters were knights, but the... lowest, shittiest, 'your farm pays for your armor and horse and that's it' level of knight), but a LOT of people bucked theme and went for frilly L&L. I think it maybe could have worked, but staff wasn't very big on enforcing anything so you had people basically playing in completely different themes.

Realms was neither goat squabbling (6th Century enfeoffed 'lords') or L&L. It was between them (Pendragon rpg 510 to 520 AD bridges the hypertimline up to 11th century early L&L style play and chivalry of Arthurian romance in the literature) and the players choose one or the other then took pot shots at each other to be right on theme. Our focus was knightly adventures, we didn't want to keep dealing with non relevant squabbles such as what brand of paganism was celebrated, what style of linen dress was being worn, or should homes be closer to dirt squabbling enfoeffed farmers or 11th century manors. Lack of theme understanding is entirely my fault.

If I went dirt squabbling goat herder, I'd go 866 York, politics amongst the hirths for who controls what as Ivar moves on with Amlaib to harass Ireland and Scotland. Seeing if players could work together to reach Danelaw with Alfred (886 rl).

@three-eyed-crow said in A new platform?:

When I personally talk about the potential of MUing it's in the context of games that have more persistent world support and more ability to centralize stuff like character stats and systems.

I look for persistent world support that keeps stories connected and I enjoy RP'ing with new people as it introduces random elements into the writing. My Mu'ing experiences have been entirely different than the majority it seems.

@Auspice said in Songs on a Theme:

@Ganymede said in Songs on a Theme:

@Auspice said in Songs on a Theme:

What do you listen to when it's raining or storming? What songs remind you of the rain?

Garbage: I'm Only Happy When It Rains.

I was actually thinking of coming back and adding this one.

Earwormed, thanks you two.

I listen to whatever is on the playlist when its raining. But if I want to feel like its raining, metaphorically, some Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns by Mother Love bone.

@Sparks said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

@Arkandel said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

@Sparks As @Thenomain often repeats like the cranky old man he is, code can't solve social issues.

The code facilitates, that's all.

Yes, agreed. But the point I was making was not that "code will solve all issues about finding RP", but that "I think that adding a +wantrp command which takes a summary of what you want to do in a scene does not actually facilitate finding RP in any meaningful way which the current Ares +scene code does not already provide." Given that the premise of the conversation was that Ares in specific needed such a system because +scene was insufficient.

ETA To quote this, its relevant to my pondering:
@Lisse24 said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

the test is whether on Ares people start to make that change, or whether they can be nudged to make that change,

I think using +scene to make a scene public, with a short title that could be changed and a summary that could indicate what is expected was sort of intended to go that way.

Though, I'm noticing on the active Ares places, its going right to where the OP was coming from. Even group scenes are being set 'private' more and more. Its more arranging the scene through some leg work, which I'm not saying is a good or bad thing. Just new tools for changing environment. Ares is meant to be full web portal, client is for holdouts and older players. Instead of +finger to see someone's hooks, its just checking the wiki, then contacting them. Hey you seem interesting, we should scene, I propose an impromptu checkers game at the cracker barrel which is interrupted by the arrival of a juiced up truck driver come to find his cheating SO.

I can't speak to adding a +wantrp, I know indicating timeliness of poses when setting up a scene was discussed at some point by that group (like 5-10 mins between poses or, slow work scene 30+ mins between poses, or super slow, once a day cause our times don't align scene).

I think OP is saying what others said about NM - not much of what you think it is (some Moose, I think the infrastructure is separated north/south with some off grid stuff more northerly?) . If I did NM it'd be completely wrong and that's okay.

I think another interesting area might be north Wisconsin, a little city area with lots of rural areas to explore (similar to what outsiders view Maine or rural Washington state as?), a few seasons, lots of snow. I'm probably totally wrong, but a few islands, can have some light houses and stuff to explore. Some sunken ships (Edmund Fitzgerald).

@Arkandel Touche, or well played/point well made. I'll watch it, I'll probably like it I admit. I also enjoyed the stand alones so far despite others not enjoying them so much. I'm sad we won't get more Han Solo in a completed trilogy like format.

This came up in the thread on working hard for RP and made me curious. Could be better in that thread, but it seems good for a thread of its own too. I never know.

@Arkandel said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

@faraday I've found (and obviously YMMV) that the use of tools like those is cultural. In some games they are commonly employed and it's nearly a no-brainer, and in others few players even know that they exist.

One way to do it is to incentivize them. For example games like Arx explicitly make it 'profitable' to play with new people (they have a flag, basically, that offers free XPs if they +recc others).

But other times it just... happens, organically, and people use the tools coded for this purpose. I don't know why since the syntax is usually very similar and fairly simple in all those games.

Having followed some of the Arx Peeve threads (2 active, 3+ total?), I have seen folks complain how some players do try to game the system of incentives for RP'ing with new players. Is making the incentive to RP a bonus to XP or character development the right incentive?

Are there other incentives that might contribute to stimulating RP? What if people running scenes got RP points to spend, like double XP scenes for all who join, or extension of PRP Policy (you can now blow up major world banks in your plots if you wish, or major landmarks), or another system that is less gamey then trying to get +votes for being on the grid around other people actually RP'ing?

@krmbm said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

@desc here=You are in traffic.

... While few clouds are in the sky, there is a hazy yellow something in the distance in every direction.

Double ... For what its worth, I'm feeling over the abundance of comic genre and zombie genre and supernatural genre stuff on TV, if this heralds in a few more fantasy series in the end. Then I'm grateful they got in the dragon stuff and some of the magic and the general populace has taken to it in droves, could get a few more things out there I'd like to see in TV series format.

Let's pretend I didn't mention Arx, have of it feels defensive. I support Evennia and Arx development, I like what I've seen.

My question is more, must everything be XP oriented incentive wise or are there other incentives that could work that are less, well, gamey to me. @Tinuviel made a great comment, it takes more work and XP is easier to hand out.

Only curious, because when I MU, it is not game oriented to be honest, never has been.

@thesuntsar said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

@krmbm Okay but if this a city with a milllion freaking people why can't I be an assassin turned history professor???????????

What happens in Colorado stays in Colorado.

@Rinel said in Game of Thrones:

but my taste in shows is terrible

You and me both, I'm tired of enjoying a new season of some show that gets cancelled after the 1st/premiere season or even before the pilot run has finished.

@faraday said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

The more options you start packing into a single command, the less intuitive it is.

scene/start name/location=description/timeofday=event/posetimes=publicprivate/faction=scene runner/scene secondary ... is totally intuitive to me.

I started working on one not too long ago focused on small folk (sort of like gnomes) and their high fantasy adventures/world. The knights road like snow lynxes, war ponies and wild boar. It had an encroaching enemy of other small folk (goblin-like) who mounted like winter wolves and wolverines. It was a small forest location and focused on their struggles, the bad ones were winning the struggle to control the vale/valley. It stalled as some collaborators weren't sure about playing wee folk.

A unique high fantasy would be interesting to see.

@Auspice said in Good Music:

@Wretched said in Good Music:

For the like 3 hiphop heads in this hobby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTDb0ebFh8E

Joyner and Logic, fire emoji'

One time for them prayin' on my downfall (Yeah)
Two times for the homies in the chow hall (Whoa)
Three times for them hoes on the internet
Shittin' on niggas when they really should get out more
Four times for the days that were all bad (Woo!)
Five times for the bitches who ain't called back (Yeah)
Six times for the kids like me who got ADHD just to— (Brap, brap, brap)

Someone remind me to listen to this tonight.

Give this a listen tonight.

@Ghost said in Incentives for RP:

4500: Stephen Seagal
.
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Ao-iNPPUc

How dare you! Oh, not Steve 'N Seagulls.

http://eightsixtyad.wdfiles.com/local--files/home%3Ahome/pagesevent.png

Here you go .... spawn is done in global events, this has the window showing how it was set up and in the background you can see potato client with the spawned window (it goes below your normal world tabs).

Another first for me lately, here is a Netflix series I recommend: Jinn

Only two episodes in but its great so far. Sad about the backlash its receiving. I've said way back and talked with folks about a non-western dark urban fantasy would be good (cause I'm over vampires, wolves, fey). This is pretty spot on (this or Halfworlds). Also, I'm sure the producers had a tight budget, good thing they're FX gurus, and the acting is pretty damn good considering the actors never acted before, they showed up with enthusiasm when the producers were casting locally.

No spoilers, I can't binge watch, I'm only 2 episodes in (of only 5).