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Oct-27-2009 16:37

TAKE 2:

Anyone who wants to resume discussions on something I've had to clean up on the HLI thread, please feel free to discuss it here or make your own thread about the specific topic.

Anyway please feel free to discuss to your hearts content any particular idea that has been risen on the ideas thread.

PS I really liked Charlie's archnemesis idea.

Nov-4-2009 20:07

I really like the bank idea. Not sure about robberies but hey lifes a gamble right? Editing of posts I would really like to see implimented especially like SS says if its deleted it should be gone completely saves space. Now my Arch Nemisis idea... I would have to say its my baby and I am happy others would like to see it too. I can give more clarity on the AN hunt if you just PM me.

Now for those of you who think a gamble is nice. How about a lottery? winner gets slueth cash....once a week a winner is selected and its posted in the city news. you have to buy a lottery ticket to win. but the lottery ticket can only be purchased from a certain townie in each city....after you complete a favor for them.

Nov-26-2009 12:34

Quote from the HLI thread:

Dunno if its been said or not but what if during Christmas or some holidays your allowed after doing an AVH to go back to the prince and instead of taking a pick of 4 different things have the ability to make your own customized item, like you can make your own bio for it you can name it and you can add your own icon for it with in the gm's ability to mod it if its not up to standard of the game of course.

You could also have a set number of points you could put into it like say 5 and you can add points to it by putting negatives on some stats.

(end)

I think that that's a really good idea. A couple things, though:

1. I think I would build a safeguard into the system where people could only do one, perhaps two max, of these 'special' items of their own. That way, each detective has their own personal chotchke (sp??) that they can have and show round Sleuthville, but we still have a uniform look to Sleuth.

2. I wouldn't allow these items to be tradeable or sellable (ie--their worth would be like $5, not enough to bother getting rid of them). This item is meant to be YOURS, no one else's.

3. I would have a set list of stats to choose from (one that's heavy on tough, one heavy on charm, one heavy on smart, and perhaps a couple of combos, and THAT'S IT). Letting people choose their own stats for their item (0-8) on each could be very risky, at least from my viewpoint.

4. I would have each item approved by a Senior staff member (Mod, Editor, Admin, whoever), so we ensure that the item is appropriate and logical (not the right word, but I can't think of what it would be) for the Sleuth period (1920's-1940's, or earlier).

Again, I think that this is a wonderful idea to consider, and build upon. Thank you for submitting it!!

Breit

Nov-26-2009 21:10

On editing posts, I'd like to see a golden window, maybe 15 minutes or so, where edits could be made before the post is finally locked in for good. I think this has been mentioned already though.

As for post deleting, at minimum it'd be nice if the mods were able to comment on why the deletion happened:

"Double Post" (another board I used to be more active on replaces all double posts with the single word "waffles" - just an inside thing)
"Inflammatory/attack language"
"Violated Geneva Convention standards on humane usage of ellipses"
"Deleted at request of poster"
etc.

Nov-28-2009 19:30

"Violated Geneva Convention standards on humane usage of ellipses"

That is an awesome reason, Jesse. :)

Jan-24-2010 17:14

Reading V Buster's recent musings on the HLI Ideas thread about how tilted Hostage Negotiation seems to be Compared to Trap Detection.

Suggestion were to raise the cost of being Pirated or lower the rate of use of Trap Detection to once a day etc

I think originally Ben changed it to alleviate the burden on those people who had neither skill, or were working their way up the ladder.

So, I suppose, the people affected are those that now have either skill.

Someone in reply said well there are far more people using Hostage Neg than trap detection, so that must mean that it's not that big an issue.

And I realised that the 'probable' reason behind this is that you get pirated at least a few times when you are levelling, right. So your initial response to what skill you'd like is 'Heck I don't want to be pirated any more!'.

AND if you've had someone guide you to the Lamasery via a few of the different maps that float between Sleuths and websites, then you're probably not thinking that Trap Detection is that big of a deal. Pfft who needs it when I get walkthroughs.

UNTIL you have to do a Cairo Catacomb or a Ship Hold, then you're thinking gee I'd much rather have that trap detection skill coz this is a PITA.

SO I think there is some disparity in terms of those people who have one or the other still. ie new content has had trap detection feature, right? Cairo, Ship, even the new books etc to be found for titles.

Hostage Negotiation has one feature, stave off the pirates. (And they don't appear that often - honestly I can't remember the last time I was pirated).

MY Suggestion would be, rather than tinkering with the mechanics of the skill, as I always find that muckign about with content after it's been release causes more hassles than answers, IS for some future content to feature the Hostage Negotiation Skill as a '+'. So that people actually start saying oh I wish I had Hostage Negotiation as often as they say 'Oh I wish I had trap detection!'

:)

Jan-25-2010 00:00

I have tried to guide a few people to Shangri La, and through the maze there, and often I do not even tell there are maps out there to get you through, but tell they have to draw map themselves (hey, we are sleuths, and supposed to like challenges), and when it comes to choosing who to side with, I have ALWAYS said that they need to be very careful about what they choose, and tried to hold up Trap Detection as the ultimate skill.
Even so, most of the people I have guided choose to have Hostage Negotiation.
Yes, there is a drawback with not having Trap Detection, but most of the people complaining and want to take from the few who choose Trap Detection, and give to the ones with Hostage Negotiation, seem to forget that they are spared for the drawback of not having Hostage Negotiation.
Often I feel the discussion are some kind of take from the few and make it even worse for them, and give to the many.

What makes people believe that those who choose Trap Detection does not say "Oh I wish I had Hostage Negotiation" when they get pirated? We do, but we also know that a) we made a choice and could not have everything and b) if we were to complain officially, everyone would tell us we had to handle it since we were so stupid we did not choose Hostage Negotiation before Trap Detection.
SO MY suggestion would actually be, make Trap Detection even more attractive, so that some more people actually consider having that skill before Hostage Negotiation.
Perhaps make Shady offer you to walk through a maze for some reason, to give you 5% decount off his fee or, if you don't make it, 5 additional % to his fee for paying off false accusations?
I don't think the pirates appear more often when you level up, so I think we all know about how often they appear? - or, I have a slight idea that the Pirates does not appear that often when you have the Hostage Negotiation skill...

Perhaps we should ask that the Pirates would appear more often when you get the HN skill?

Jan-25-2010 05:55

Sounds interesting SS. It would be nice if HN was not an almost useless skill. I hope admin hears this :-)

Jan-25-2010 06:51

^^ Btw, I'd be very curious to know how many traps there are per map besides the three I always manage to stumble onto :-)

Jan-25-2010 07:22

Agree totally with SS - the balance needs to be restored by making HN more useful.

I'll confess now that I chose HN (all those years ago...) because it said you couldn't get into Cairo because of the pirate blockade, and I couldn't see how having Trap Detection could get you past them. Not my brightest thinking, possibly!

And Turtledove, yeah, I'd like to know how many there are too.

Jan-25-2010 08:51

I still stand by my Hostage Negotiation 100% and would take it again if I had to choose over. I have managed to get through the caves succesfully quite a few times.