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Jun-23-2013 03:41

In some scripts or intros the detectives are involved in somewhat closer or even personal relationships with the characters. Wether the client is an old college mate, the chief inspector is a friend or one of the suspects becomes more intimate, their only option is to use the appellative 'Detective'. This is off putting considering that a friend would call you by your name and not your title.

Having said that, I realise that this allows for a neutral approach in reading intros and scrips as some of the detectives' names are more unconventional. However, finding your name in the newspaper, in a telegram, on the back of an envelope, called out in a telephone conversation with a friend, written in blood on a brick wall or appearing in scripted twists, this would provide for a deeper immersion in the text.

Could this be achieved with a simple [DetectiveName] replacement tag? Or, indeed, [DetectiveFirstName] and [DetectiveLastName] would provide an even more complex choice of writing if it forenames and surnames would be implemented in the game.

Jun-24-2013 14:42

Umm, Wilfred, are you asking because you're writing a Scripted Mystery of your own, or because of something else??

I'm afraid I don't really understand what you're trying to ask. Are you wanting to introduce real detective's name in the mysteries?? Your own name?? Or are you asking about editing the intros and and so forth for the Random Mysteries (the part at the beginning of each case)?? Are you wanting to introduce the authour's name INTO the intro, twist, ending, and so forth??

Sorry, but I'm incredibly confused here. Could you give a little bit of clarification??

Thanks,
Breit

Jun-25-2013 04:06

I apologise for the incredible confusion, I probably should've tried to make myself more clear. To put it shortly, I was suggesting the possibility of including the username of the players, as replacement tags, in Random Mysteries Intros (i.e. when one is writing them) or, indeed, in Scripted Mysteries' Intros, Dialogues, Crime Scene Investigations, Endings, Twists and so forth.

I realised the need for this in writing intros or playing Scripted Mysteries when your close relationship with one of the characters would be deemed inconsistent if the said character would call you 'Detective' instead of, say, 'Breikat'.

In my opinion, having this option of a [DetectiveName] replacement tag would add a more intimate quality with the mystery you are being faced with and a deeper immersion in the storyline/setting. This is similar to the already existing twist in Random Mysteries where your name (e.g. Breikat in your case) appears written in blood on a piece of paper (if I remember correctly).

However, this feature would act against players with usernames such as 'pink123' (hence the 'unconventional names' in the second paragraph of my previous post) because that could break the illusion if one of the character calls you 'pink123' or if it serves as a headline in a newspaper in a Scripted Mystery twist (e.g. 'pink123 Helps Police With Murder Mystery'). Just as much as having a forename and a surname in one's username, such as myself, would offset a dialogue with a close client, who would call me 'Wilfred' and not 'Wilfred Bukowski' or a chief inspector that, in the story, I would have known for a long time and who would call me 'Bukowski' instead of an impersonal 'Detective'. This made for my point in the last paragraph of my previous post, where I suggest implementing the possibility of choosing a Forename and a Surname instead of a Username.

I apologise for this long bulk of text but I hope I managed to get my ideas across in clearer way.

Jun-25-2013 22:56

Thanks for clearing that up, Wilfred. It helps, a bit. ;-)

Unfortunately, Random Mysteries are designed to be from a first person (I or me case) perspective. If you look at a few, you'll see the intro is *ALWAYS* written in the first person perspective. The actual casework is done in second person (you, singular perspective, meaning 'you' and not 'you all'.) Scripted Mysteries follow a similar pattern. They are written entirely in the first or second perspective.

There are a couple of twists in Random Mysteries that do use a detective's actual name (the one that has a letter written in blood is one I can think of off the top of my head). But most cases are designed to be from a neutral perspective (neither male or female). That means that there are some things that just won't work in them.

As for converting the system to include a detective's name throughout a case, another problem is the programming involved. If you want *ANYTHING* changed in a case, programming wise, I'm the last person on earth that you want doing it. I do know, though, that programming changes take an IMMENSE amount of effort and time. Two things that Admin seems to be a bit short on at the moment. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Sorry.

Your profile says you've only been here for 4 days. I wonder if perhaps you might do a bit of exploring around Sleuth, or have a look at some of the Newbie information. It might help you a great deal. ;-)

You also sound remarkably like another person who shows up around here from time to time. He's known to most of Sleuth as Nephi. Any relation between the two of you??

Not sure if I cleared up your questions, but I'm tryin' here. Good luck, Wilfred. Hope things go well for you. ;-)

Breit

Jun-28-2013 02:42

It was more of a suggestion with some rhetoric aspects in regards to changing the actual way a player chooses their username (by choosing a separate forename and surname), which, I have to admit, might involve a little bit more work. However, I was referring to adding another replacement tag, which, even if it involves programming, the code is already existent since it's already used in the other replacement tags. Furthermore, first-person and second-person personal pronouns are devoid of gender, so it wouldn't affect neutrality.

This is an excerpt of a mystery intro, which I particularly enjoyed, written by Amber MR Detty:

<<"Oh, detective, you're awake!"

"Yes, Lazarus. What on earth are you doing asleep outside my door?" I had known Lazarus for most of my life. We grew up together and attended the same grammar school. Even after all this time, we still kept in touch through letters and an occasional dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Still, it was unnerving to see him so disheveled and sleeping outside my apartmetnt.

"I didn't mean to alarm you, detective, but I had to see you. I came by late, but didn't want to rouse you, so I thought I'd sit down until daylight. I must have fallen asleep."

"What was so urgent, Lazarus, that it couldn't wait until morning?">>

Although we have known Lazarus for most of our lives and we still keep in touch with him, we seem to be on a mutually exclusive first name terms with him. I hope this further illustrates my point.

Jun-28-2013 18:23

erm in Scripted Mysteries there IS a [DetectiveName] replacement tag. You can see that in the Intro of the Sleuthetania SM (I only remember that one coz I leant a hand).

Doesn't work in Intro's. No Idea why. So I can't imagine if Ben ever got round to it it would be difficult to do. But he'd have to get round to it first :)