Wilfred Bukowski
Sleuth About Town
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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.
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Wilfred Bukowski
Sleuth About Town
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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.
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