The admins have lamented this many times. People keep using these forums to report bugs, news, etc, when they should use the in-game tools.

I think the big problem right now is the fact that using the forums is too easy. While I like MUDs better than the cutting-edge graphic MMORPGS, especially if they are as good as this, the telenet-based interface has its limits. With people so used to IM, message boards, etc, posting here is just easier, both in terms of writing the messages and reading them. Somehow, I think the truly cutting-edge muds may abandon Telnet for an Ajax based web interface in the future (as well as access via PDAs), but that's for another topic.

1) Make news postings free.

Let's face it, what's the point of limiting postings for gold. It should be based on level, like shouts, if you're concerned about newbies. I hear a lot of people complaining about the cost of stuff. Unlike Bookbinding there are no costs associated with this. Eliminate this cost and I'll bet you'll see a double of postings. News has no impact on economy, culture, and the gold doesn't go anywhere. Cost is a legacy from Achaea.

2) Web-Enable the news system.

This would be tougher to implement. However, we can already do a players online and read our messages. It should be straightforward to write this as well. Granted, this probably isn't a priority--but I think the reason why more posting comes here is ease of use. I know you can't match this forums threads and other stuff, but I could see converting an HTML textarea form into text. People have to "disappear" to write in the news, so there's no effect on RP.

We should be able to read and write news via a web page. I think it can be done.

3) Have a "forum maintenance week" now and then.

Maybe once or twice a year, have the forums shut down for a week. Just to see the effect it has on the game.

The gold fee was added because of an insane number of public posts, as we don't have that proble,(infact the opposite), I would agree with killing it or dropping it a lot.

Web-base, never going to happen. Messages are both IC and OOC(ie, you can talk about anything you want). News is not that way, they are all IC... well clan newboards don't need to be... but who cares about clans...

As for easy of use, use the nexus client. It has a nice little editor that pops up when ever you would get that nasty ingame one. I do all postings that are over 1 line by logging into nexus to post.

Well, there is the forum on/off option for the Invision boards... It'd be interesting to see what would happen. Shiri might explode.

And the reason it costs gold to post is so that we don't get tons of retarded posts. Why limit it on level? Newbies should be able to make a news post if they wish, and most people don't wish to spend 1000 gold to make posts over and over. I think it's working pretty well right now.

I would love for it to be free too. I know I cannot play as much as I like and therefore don't have a great deal of gold, but I still would like to post from time to time.

Out of curiosity, what does that have to do with web access? Basically, the news shows it's age--you can't search for a individual post, etc. Web enabling writing messages or news posts has nothing to do with IC or OOC, it has to do with making it easier for people to use the easiest and convienent interface.

I'm not trying to knock the existing system, but just pointing out things are showing their age. There are many posts here that come close to being "IC".

I can understand if it would be a bitch to code, that's what I expected, but I don't think you can knock the idea based on the status of messages or news.

Richter, I'm just saying it's not a deterent, and I've seen about half a dozen different people make comments about "wasting gold on a public message board", so I figure if you're gonna limit it, do it by level, or some other requirement.

If it is not in the game, it is NOT IC.

People dont "report bugs on the forum", it's just that funnily enough major bugs that do crazy things tend to be fairly discussion worthy, so said people post it and talk about how completely weird the occasion was.

I've never seen a post say "Just a bug i thought i'd report"

People whine about all kinds of things. What about "wasting gold submitting cartel designs"? I assume they have a similar effect, they deter people spamming. In my opinion, it works. I remember when they implemented the gold cost on Aetolia, I loved it, even though I was a poor nobody.

I agree that posts here aren't "in character", Hajamin, don't get me wrong. Again, I was just hypothesizing people will post here OOC because it's easier than providing an appropriate in-game response.

It's happened, which is why gods freak out everytime posts about a bug (sometimes unintentionally). But we're not talking about bugs, we're talking about less posting on the fourms creating more posting in game.

QFT.

Phred, Lusternia is a text-based telnet MUD, if it doesnt take place inside the telnet MUD window, it isnt in Lusternia, therefore not IC in any way shape or form. You can roleplay as if you were your character here all you like, but nobody will be obliged to play along or take you seriously. Having numerous little web apps or pages to open to play the game as it has always been, will be retarded and detract from the entire format of Lusternia. it's a MUD, that's a part of its charm and the reason why it is what it is and not just a browser based game. Enough said.

And i'll reiterate the point made previously, restricting posts by level is pointless, since you're suggesting that level has bearing on the validity of someones opinion. Gold is fine, it prevents meaningless spam posts and makes sure that if you do post it's something worth peoples time. Maybe it could be lessened a bit, but the gold format is fine.

Edit: quoted the wrong post

Although people can read messages on the web, they can not send them. It might be interesting however to have the nexus client get a sperate window for searching through news posts.

I agree. I wasn't suggesting people play the game on the forums.



Giving suggestions to improve the eventual format of the game is not unreasonable. I made a suggestion to enable a feature that takes you out of the game interface, especially since IRE has already made a little headway into that--you can read honours, do a qw, and read personal messages via the interface. They are obviously thinking about that kind of stuff, otherwise it wouldn't have been created.

The game is a game, but technological improvements aren't unreasonable. Some muds do limited graphics and sound--the zMUD talks about other protocols, or they can use HTML to do some text effects. For example, stuff like this

http://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/mxp.htm

Again, I'm not demanding or even expecting my suggestions are followed, but I'm just considering theories. As a computer user, I use tools that are easy to used. For instance, G-Mail is a lot easier than Hotmail. Should Ajax development be scrapped because they felt it wasn't a traditional web application. Heck, no. Same thing with MUDs.

I do think in the next 5-10 years, we will see some basic MUD interfaces change with the times. We'll see.

'Technical improvements' only need to go so far, since the entire concept of a MUD is it's using a classic format and absolutely ancient technology because it chooses to, because that's what the whole point is. Honours, QW, deathlogs and all that stuff are all OOC gameplay enhancements, in game news boards are IC, your character actually has to walk to a newsroom and write out the post physically. You have a divine here clearly stating he isnt up for the idea of "expanding the format of the game" to the web, so saying the divine are actively aiming for this is putting words in their mouths. They have a nice Java client with visual aids and enhancements to mechanics that the player regularly uses, this doesnt branch to anything IC like equipment, newsboards and in game politics.

Having IC characters milling about on some web page would be going too far, and i dont like the idea at all. But that's just me.

Being able to search news would be awesome. I don't care if it's in game or on the web, but a full text search of newsboards would be GREAT.