*reads thoughtfully, stroking beard*
Hmm...
It does look good, I must say...
Question is, though, where would we run it?
One of the myriad EU based IRC servers? I already use Undernet for three things, using the mIRC client to do so.
Okay.
Well, I'm still on CoH, but it looks worht a try.
Ok...less caffeine for you.
Pro's - No subscription, allows for the GG style freeform to be continued
Con's - Netsplit, Netsplit, Netsplit :P
Other things to think about - no missions, no graphics, no mechanism for bringing in new players.
I think it could work as a supplement to GG/CoH based RP, I don't think it could replace it entirely.
The biggest hurdle will be finding a stable server, since it's hard enough right now to keep 4 people together on undernet.
Anyone got a spare server lying around?
Uh, Z, basically what you have described is, if I understand it correctly, a request for development of a CoH MUSH?
If so there are various options out there so you don't have to develop the entire codebase.
PennMush and TinyMush are popular.
[ QUOTE ]
Ok...less caffeine for you.
[/ QUOTE ] Less? I only had one cup of hot chocolate.
[ QUOTE ]
Con's - Netsplit, Netsplit, Netsplit :P
[/ QUOTE ] Then Sorcery.net, which from what I remember only had 3 netsplits when I was on in 2 years of useage.
[ QUOTE ]
no graphics,
[/ QUOTE ] I count that as a pro. 
It means no worries, for the-, I mean, it means that certain looks that were not possible in a graphical based client (Like Rheu for example, unless the Dev's happen to add Cat to Male, Female and Huge body types.).
[ QUOTE ]
no mechanism for bringing in new players
[/ QUOTE ]*Motions to the snares, harpoons and weighted nets* Or word of mouth and livejournal. Whichever works.
[ QUOTE ]
I think it could work as a supplement to GG/CoH based RP
[/ QUOTE ] Aye, that it could.
[ QUOTE ]
no missions
[/ QUOTE ] Hiki, meet Fudge (the diceless kind, not the delicious snack or RP term). It was done before on IRC for that guy who was evil, one of his zombies ate Jane's foot.
Still, this is just me in the 'spewing out granie blocks of idea' stage, with the chisselling to get fine detail (or making an utter mess of things and throwing the block on the slag heap) to come.
[ QUOTE ]
Uh, Z, basically what you have described is, if I understand it correctly, a request for development of a CoH MUSH?
[/ QUOTE ] Having never used a MUSH before, that completely slipped my mind. Gar, you're right!
You know, depending on hosting options that might actually be easier. I know the old discworld sourcecode and libraries are open-source, I've scripted under them before for startups, and while fancy stuff like powers is beyond me, physical layout, npc scripting and descriptions are so easy a child could do it (well, I *was* 15 when I started 
)
Depends if one of the proper coders *looks at RW and FFM in particular* is willing to try and do the fancy stuff that will make it live. From memory it's a c-variant code used on the discworld codebase.
Um... Z? I just realised a problem.
Freeform isn't good for character strengths/weaknesses.
On CoH, EVERY character starts at level one, and a level one can't beat a level 50. That means we don't have any "UBERPOWERFUL-GOD-MONKEYS-OF-DOOM" character running about from level one.
But in freeform, we wouldn't have that protection.
If the above isn't clear enough, tell me and I'll try and clarify.
/em "real coder" wanders in and looks around.
Would depend a lot on how much effort was needed. Currently I've got a Neverwinter module I'm supposed to be working on which is progressing in fits and starts. If I took on another project, it would probably be Christmas before anything saw light of day.
Also, honestly, I think I've kind of had my fill of CoH and GG roleplay. I managed all of about 20 minutes recently with a new toon.
I'd also have to point out that a "CoH MUSH" has some potential to get you sued by Cryptic and NCSoft. RP over IRC is almost certainly okay since it's transitory, but a MUSH is a rather more permanent thing and probably massively contravenes copyright regulations.
My 2 Inf. 
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
[ QUOTE ]
On CoH, EVERY character starts at level one, and a level one can't beat a level 50. That means we don't have any "UBERPOWERFUL-GOD-MONKEYS-OF-DOOM" character running about from level one.
But in freeform, we wouldn't have that protection.
[/ QUOTE ]
*laughs his behind off* (Sound of clanging hoise as behind falls on the floor.)
Almost ALL of the UBER-GODS OF DOOM have been level 1 toons, mate. The phrase, "You can't arrest me, I'm roleplaying a level 80 character," has wrung out many times.
You think FFM levelled Voyd to 50 just to make him more believable? Hell no, level 1 roleplaying as a demi-god.
War Crow had powers way beyond his level for ages. Doc T has been able to do stuff from us seeing him that aren't possible in game. Zortel can get herself teleported across the world via orbitting sattelites. Hikari is basically a walking goddess. Grav Mistress can summon stuff from nowhere.
Believe me, if we were worried about player level, we'd never have started GG. It might even be easier to handleunder freeform, because we can agree to codify the way these powers work. (Or probably not, actually, but that's human nature for you.)
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
[ QUOTE ]
I'd also have to point out that a "CoH MUSH" has some potential to get you sued by Cryptic and NCSoft. RP over IRC is almost certainly okay since it's transitory, but a MUSH is a rather more permanent thing and probably massively contravenes copyright regulations.
[/ QUOTE ] Aye, that's true. :<
Might need to apply the KISS principle to the idea then.
[ QUOTE ]
Believe me, if we were worried about player level, we'd never have started GG. It might even be easier to handleunder freeform, because we can agree to codify the way these powers work. (Or probably not, actually, but that's human nature for you.)
[/ QUOTE ]
And that's what big sticks are for, big sticks which aren't availble in CoH.
Copyright wise I *think* it would come under the fansite rules. I'm not certain though.
Time needed - a lot. Hosting would be about $10/month that someone would have to cover. Most of the work is layout though, it probably needs minimal input if all you want is an RP environment, much much more if we want it to be combat-capable, since that's a complete rework of the combat system (took about 6 months IIRC for the one started at Uni)
So long as everything you want is already in the base mudlib, it's just changing descriptions.
For IRC, I'd strongly recommend a dedicated server. That said, they're not that hard to set up, and a home broadband connection should be able to support one with the level of usage we'd be needing. It just depends if someone has a spare box to host it (I looked at setting one up for our IRC games, what's mostly stopping me is my laptop has a bad habit of rebooting unexpectedly and I'm still waiting to upgrade my desktop so I'll have that free)
[ QUOTE ]
And that's what big sticks are for, big sticks which aren't availble in CoH.
[/ QUOTE ]
You're thinking of @-shaped sticks, right?
[ QUOTE ]
You're thinking of @-shaped sticks, right?
[/ QUOTE ] For IRC at least. With sticks in the k and b variety.
[ QUOTE ]
Copyright wise I *think* it would come under the fansite rules. I'm not certain though.
[/ QUOTE ]
Essentially, you're running a seperate game based entirely on the IPR of Cryptic/NCSoft. They don't license that kind of thing (as with Neverwinter, for example) so I doubt it constitutes a fan site.
[ QUOTE ]
It just depends if someone has a spare box to host it
[/ QUOTE ]
At some point in the not-too-distant future, I'll be getting a server to host Tharcion on. Having an IRC server on there as well probably wouldn't kill it and might actually be useful for the Tharcion players.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
[ QUOTE ]
So, I now have... 15 days of subscription time left, and I'm in the process of winding down my RPing.
[/ QUOTE ]
You're leaving?
Oh man! Ah well, I guess all good things must come to an end... /em mopes disconsolately around the room, pulls out an assault rifle and threatens anyone else who is thinking of leaving...
Well, it's a shame - man this feels like the end of the Freedom Force boards all over again 
Aye, part of the fact being I'm paying £24 every 3 months to log in to talk and RP with people, when I can do it for free elsewhere minus the fancy graphical interface and lacking chat interface. If issue 8 were to surprise me with chat and social RP features (Look, look there, you see a tiny, glimer of hope just shine) then I may be back, dragging some others with me.
Ah fair enough. I guess I'm still such a fledgling RPer that all the shininess here is keeping me going, attracted to it like a moth to a flame...
Ahem.
Well, although I'd love to get involved in extra RP stuff outside CoX I've already got enough on my plate what with RL and everything (boo!).
You never know, I might actually make it to the Brighton comic-con one day and get to meet the people behind the Heroes? I only live half an hour away after all.
Personally, I think it's a stonking good idea, especially as it lets us RP with those who have moved on from the game... If they wish!
I have a private IRC server so there's no problem about that. Once we get something sorted, I'll let people know the address, but it'll likely only run in the evenings...
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Personally, I'd have to have a reason to join in...
Whether this is a "every X night at Y time"
Or something specific schedualed.
But other than that, I'd be up for it.
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
Another related, and mildly interesting thought came up earlier as I was cleaning toilets.
'Ultimate Galaxy Girl', my mind dubbed it. No, not the statue's super mech form, but just what it says on the tin. If you happen to also know about Marvel's Ultimate and 616 universes, that is. All food for thought. As for those details, I'm sure some kind of schedule can be arranged.
No, I do not know about the Marvel's Ultimate or 616 universes...
as for the execution, some of my thoughts:
I don't think we'll need an elaborete combat system, we didn't need one at GG...
I think we'd need a variant of GGOOC, which would also serve as a list of those online at that time? (Mandatory to join, chat on if wanted?)
... short list of thoughts, this because I realised most have been mentioned already.
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
Not even sure that damn title makes sense, what with space limitations et al.
So, I now have... 15 days of subscription time left, and I'm in the process of winding down my RPing. Now, a small group of my characters are now living on a (fictional) South Pacific Island. (If it's okay for Marvel, what with Latvaria and Genosha, then it's okay for me.) and several people will be visiting IC, which will take place over IRC for groups, and MSN for individuals.
"But wait!" Says I, well, thinks I. If we route the energy from the non-essential systems to the phaser array... we get nothing to do with RPing at all.
So, that plan got chucked out of the window. A team of college-grad kittens got to work on a new, and better plan, and many kitty nights and chinese takeaways later, they showed me the new plan.
Free-form RP over IRC, with channels set up for various locations, whispers used for two people doing a scene, a script bind for getting descriptions (from players and from the locations themselves). Built in logging if you use a good client, more variation on speech output using bold, underline, text foreground and background colours for multiple character playing (AKA: Pulling a Z), the /me command for actions (as we would use for ; /e and /em) and as I mentioned earlier, built in remote, binding and scripting support.
I looked at the grad-student kittens. I saw no phasers or schemes to get delicious kibbly snacks in the plan, but who trusts kittens with things like RP? So tis be why I'm here typing this to you, to find out others oppinions. Aye, it has cons. but it also has pro's as well. Accessible for players who have quit for monetary or other reasons, with many IRC clients being freeware, a greater control of the channels, spangly options for RP'ing away from places yet still having the area open for people to come into. (Example, say Characters A and B headed into the burger shop. They create a channel for this. Anyone else who wants to go into the burger shop can check the info to find out that characters A and B are in channel #burgershop and join it.)
I'll umm, stop rambling now and get back to the mind numbing Human Physiology revision that drove me to distraction to type this out.
Arm bone's connected to the, elbow~
SUPPORT - IT'S NOT JUST A GROUPING OF ATs
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