Another drover thread

[Kjel]

I know this topic has been discussed at length before, but I was wondering the thoughts on being able to hire a "personal drover" when you want to get to RV or even Monlon quicker.

So you're standing around at the Hospice, no drover for what seems like hours. You look into a crowd and find a sharp-looking drover. You ask the sharp-looking drover, "Looking for some work?" A sharp-looking drover looks you over and asks, "Where you headed?"
You say to a drover, "Rock Valley." A sharp-looking drover says to you, "Thats a long walk, its gonna cost ya." A sharp-looking drover offers to escort you immediately to Rock Valley for 890 denars.

The cost could be dependent on your total ranks, tier, or something else. So newbies would get a cheap ride and Culexus would get charged 10 talents per trip.

Thoughts?

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by Kjel

I know this topic has been discussed at length before, but I was wondering the thoughts on being able to hire a "personal drover" when you want to get to RV or even Monlon quicker.

So you're standing around at the Hospice, no drover for what seems like hours. You look into a crowd and find a sharp-looking drover. You ask the sharp-looking drover, "Looking for some work?" A sharp-looking drover looks you over and asks, "Where you headed?"
You say to a drover, "Rock Valley." A sharp-looking drover says to you, "Thats a long walk, its gonna cost ya." A sharp-looking drover offers to escort you immediately to Rock Valley for 890 denars.

The cost could be dependent on your total ranks, tier, or something else. So newbies would get a cheap ride and Culexus would get charged 10 talents per trip.

Thoughts?

Nice! He could offer to lead a group and set a total price and a minimum per person. "Well, I won't do it for less than 1500 denars, and that's 20 denars minimum each." Of course for 20 denars you walk, but for a higher price maybe you could have wagon space.

You wait, and every now and then an NPC comes up and offers money. At any time a rich NPC merchant might pay the entire remaining amount. Or if you're in a hurry you or some other PC can pay whatever it takes.

[Cagefighter]

I like that idea...I would also like to be able to 'wait for drover' and have you auto follow him. Its a pain in the ass sitting there doing nothing for 20 to 30 minutes.

[Lexi]

It'd be easier to have a 'walk to rock valley' command that only works outside the Hospice and takes a few minutes to initiate. That way you don't need a drover and can pretty much leave whenever you want. For the return trip it'd be 'walk to Iridine'. You can even stick a sign out by the markers, to avoid confusion. It's one less thing that'd rely on a timer.

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by Lexi

It'd be easier to have a 'walk to rock valley' command that only works outside the Hospice and takes a few minutes to initiate. That way you don't need a drover and can pretty much leave whenever you want. For the return trip it'd be 'walk to Iridine'. You can even stick a sign out by the markers, to avoid confusion. It's one less thing that'd rely on a timer.

That's an interesting thought too.

How about, the walk to rock valley takes at least x minutes, and if you sleep the character and wake him at least x minutes later he wakes up in rock valley.

So you get a definite transition, but you don't have to be bored taking it at all.

[Kjel]

Originally Posted by Lexi

It'd be easier to have a 'walk to rock valley' command that only works outside the Hospice and takes a few minutes to initiate. That way you don't need a drover and can pretty much leave whenever you want. For the return trip it'd be 'walk to Iridine'. You can even stick a sign out by the markers, to avoid confusion. It's one less thing that'd rely on a timer.

Wasn't the point of the drover to add some sort of realism? Most people wouldn't know how to get Rock Valley and thus need the drover. In terms of coding, I agree your idea would be easier. Just depends on if we want more of the simple stuff, or less stuff, but slightly nicer.

[Armataan]

Originally Posted by Kjel

Wasn't the point of the drover to add some sort of realism? Most people wouldn't know how to get Rock Valley and thus need the drover. In terms of coding, I agree your idea would be easier. Just depends on if we want more of the simple stuff, or less stuff, but slightly nicer.

You can see the blackroot mountains from Iridine. And there is a paved road.

Anyone could get there. The reason for the drover is 1.) safety in numbers and 2.) animals are used to haul carts, which are used to convey supplies, which is what that drover is doing. You are just latching on to his already existant caravan and tagging along.

[HotMoltenLava]

I would settle for the RV routed drover reaching both destinations and leaving both destinations at the same time. Same with the Monlon ferry. I wouldn't worry about the one to the island obviously, it's short enough. But it would be a simple enough solution I should think to lessen the the time required to stand around doing nothing while you wait or are in transition. It's all good and fine if you have people to rp with, then the wait and trip is not as tedious but often times you won't have any company and it's just plain wasted time.

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by HotMoltenLava

I would settle for the RV routed drover reaching both destinations and leaving both destinations at the same time. Same with the Monlon ferry. I wouldn't worry about the one to the island obviously, it's short enough. But it would be a simple enough solution I should think to lessen the the time required to stand around doing nothing while you wait or are in transition. It's all good and fine if you have people to rp with, then the wait and trip is not as tedious but often times you won't have any company and it's just plain wasted time.

Just to be plain -- you're talking about having two ferries and two RV drovers. The trip then takes just as long, but the waiting time is cut in half.

With two ferries you could be on one ferry while somebody else is on the other one. Currently, if you stay on one ferry anybody who wants to go to Monlon or leave Monlon has to be on the ferry with you. With two ferries they could miss you.

And of course it would be possible to have three ferries, or N ferries, and cut the waiting time further.

[Lexi]

Originally Posted by roadstrom

Just to be plain -- you're talking about having two ferries and two RV drovers. The trip then takes just as long, but the waiting time is cut in half.

With two ferries you could be on one ferry while somebody else is on the other one. Currently, if you stay on one ferry anybody who wants to go to Monlon or leave Monlon has to be on the ferry with you. With two ferries they could miss you.

And of course it would be possible to have three ferries, or N ferries, and cut the waiting time further.

That's double the timers and double the lag. Timers in MUDs cause significant lag issues. A simple command would work, where a timer isn't running nonstop.

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by Lexi

That's double the timers and double the lag. Timers in MUDs cause significant lag issues. A simple command would work, where a timer isn't running nonstop.

I'm with you on wanting to keep it simple. But I see no need for a new nonstop running timer for this.

The obvious approach is to have one nonstop running timer, with a list of events on it. Add the ferry to the list. Each second, check whether the first event on the list happens that second. If not, you're done. If so, do that event and check whether the second event also happens then. You can add lots of events with hardly more lag than a single one.

Ferries would be particularly simple (without piracy events) because nothing will interfere with the ferry schedule. If on every turn you had a chance to hijack the ferry or sink the ferry, then the ferry's arrival at Monlon would have to be taken off the event list after it was put on the list but before it reached the front. But with a reliable schedule you don't have to worry about that so it's all nice and easy.

[Ilaxandus]

The ladder was so much simpler. -1 to being a fun game and +1 for realism? I don't go to the bank on Friday afternoon just to stand in line. If I did I'd really enjoy drovers/ferry rides

[Shamed]

Might it be easier for them just to think aloud, "Hey, drover/ferry in the City/Monlon?"

I know thoughts were once restricted by distance. Maybe this could be reactivated for the drover and ferry so they don't bother everyone in the game world.

Seems like a good balance of keeping the wait time the same while still making it easier for players. Also doesn't break any precedent.

[PBandJ]

I would really be equally happy with either of:

1) Two ferries that ran on opposite schedules so the wait time was cut in half, or;

2) An "instant" ferry that spawns as soon as you reach the docks and can be hired for XX money vs. the free barge (carrying cargo) which risks attacks by pirates and is slower (slower to wait for and a slower transit time).

Both of those are good and fun options, I think, and maybe can be coded soon? (Can we circle around a player-base-endorsed option?)

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by PBandJ

I would really be equally happy with either of:

1) Two ferries that ran on opposite schedules so the wait time was cut in half, or;

2) An "instant" ferry that spawns as soon as you reach the docks and can be hired for XX money vs. the free barge (carrying cargo) which risks attacks by pirates and is slower (slower to wait for and a slower transit time).

Both of those are good and fun options, I think, and maybe can be coded soon? (Can we circle around a player-base-endorsed option?)

I like those too. And yet Ilaxandus has a point. When the game was paid for by advertisers, anything that kept players online longer was profit. When the paying players are the customers, why not satisfy them? Waiting for the ferry can be dead time, along with waiting to get off the ferry. It would be possible to set it up so you buy your ticket and go to the ramp and it says "After a long wait for the ferry and a long ferry trip, you arrive at Monlon" and then you step off the ramp at Monlon.

One problem with this is that in game time it makes Monlon and Vetallun closer than Vetallun and Iridine. If a bad guy does something in Monlon or Rock Valley you can get there *fast*. There are some times that the game might be more exciting if there is a delay.