It's sort of an afterthought for most of my characters. I'll use it if I am seeking out specific individuals. Mostly I don't remember because it isn't well used and I get tired of refreshing it. I'd like to see extended duration and the ability to use it across longer distances with some sort of lore training or something. Or even better, just an on/off for wearing and activating it (and leaving it on).

-- Robert

I always have it on. Most times, even in Ta'Vaalor, I'll use it and get responses.

I dislike the idea of having to wear one constantly to be able to use it. As it is now I usually shatter one after my spell ups while waiting for mana to return. It takes up a valuable neck slot.

Chad, player of a few

My non-Voln characters are always on the amunet and use it frequently. My Volnies turn it on when needed. I can't tolerate lnet at all. The amunet works just fine for me.

I always keep the amunet active, but I'd have to thank ;isigils and ;isigns for that. I simply have sign/symbol of thought included as one of the things activated. I'm glad I do always keep it on, there is some chatter on the amunet and if someone needs a rescue or information I'm happy to help. If I had any volners however, I can't say I'd remember to activate.

Lochiven

I can say I would not mind using a very small amount of Voln favor to tap into the general amulet thoughts.

Chad, player of a few

I think a global ESP option would prompt a large resurgence in players using it again.

~ Inurtia Ayana Faendryl

But then you'd have to also be IC, which isn't happening on Lich.

---

~Wyrom, SGM
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>But then you'd have to also be IC, which isn't happening on Lich.

True, LNET is effectively a chat room and folks are even chastised for letting IC and OOC bleed together...in either direction, but I think that's all the more reason a IC amunet might be attractive to some.

To be honest though, I'd still be at least temporarily satisfied with an extension to the per rub duration on amunets...or someone (preferably NIR rather than random PC...no offense folks) explaining some reasonable reason why it's so ridiculously short now.

--Jurp

More than likely, if you do something to disable the third party communication tools, new ones will arise. However, if the in-game tool is easy enough to use and has equivalent capabilities (global range, either remove the crystal amulet dependency or make the duration permanent until stopped), then I'm sure there are quite a few people who would use it instead. This wouldn't supplant LichNet for the OOC stuff, but it couldn't be a bad thing to make it easier for the IC stuff to use the in-game tool.

No idea where something like this would fall on the effort/payoff scale, though.

Geof

<<<No idea where something like this would fall on the effort/payoff scale, though.>>>

I don't believe adding a global channel would be a major undertaking, since they already exist via CHEs and MHOs.

<<<One small change that would increase usage slightly would be that if when someone using the amulet thinks to someone who doesn't have it active currently, it could give that person a nagging indication that someone was attempting to communicate with them.>>>

Great idea. I completely agree, I think this would give ESP new life.

<<<That being said, I manage to keep the thought net active nonstop simply because it is a part of my ;sigils and ;signs which are always active after login. If I was voln, I'd never think to even turn it on.>>>

Yes. My CoL and GoS folks are constantly on the net. My Volnies rarely bother, although they do wear ESP devices (house pins), just in case.

~ Heathyr and friends

I personally use the amulet always and like the global thought idea, assuming by that you mean a channel you can think on that broadcasts globally.

Like this - THINK ON GLOBAL Where are all those deaths happening?

I don't really want to hear Ta'Vaalor calls for rescues when I am in Icemule.

But if I am in Ta'Vaalor I might want to let Mulers know I will be home tomorrow.

So let me throw out an old idea I had.

Make a citizenship channel that is world wide.

There are multiple ways to implement what channel you can access or hear.

You have access to any town's channel where you are eligible for citizenship (you could write your name in their book).
You have access to any town's channel where you have ever had citizenship (you have written your name in their book at some time).
You have access to the citizenship channel of the town where you currently have citizenship.

If multiple channels were implemented you could toggle each one just like the currently existing channels.

So if a player makes the effort they could gain access to each town's channel* and hear all those channel specific thoughts from anywhere. They could also toggle off the EN channels when they where in the West if desired. And easily turn them on to send a thought when needed.

I am no coder but since all these would just be new channels with access based on already existing character data it should be doable.

Just throwing it out there, might be a compromise.

Olgre's pea brain


*Some racial restriction(s) there?

>Platinum has global thoughts, and outside a handful of players, it tends to be dead there.

We don't tend to chatter and RP on it, but almost all of us have it on at all times, with few exceptions, and use it regularly, especially in coordinating rescues and whatnot. There are also a lot of private thoughts going around. The babble happens in chat, which is good, since I can turn chat off whenever I want without missing something important in-game. Chat is far too overused during events like EG, but oh well. I still love my global amunet. I always try a "think to" before a ";chat to".

~Lyradie
>With a startled yelp, a young elven child suddenly tumbles from somewhere above you, landing gracelessly in a pile of refuse!

>And FYI, we don't chatter on LNet either

at least a few of you do

I really do think that if the thought net was made global, a lot more people would use it. At this point, I don't see a point in keeping it regional at all.

Droit

---

Speaking to you, Ceyrin asks, "Do you spontaneously come back to life when you die?"
Speaking to you, Ceyrin says, "Because I do."
You say, "Yes. I have a condition called Annoraxia.""

I really do think that if the thought net was made global, a lot more people would use it. At this point, I don't see a point in keeping it regional at all.

Droit

Unfortunately I have to disagree with this. We use it in Ta'Vaalor during invasions. I'd rather not hear all the "noise" from the rest of Elanthia at all times. That would likely have me turning it off rather than using it more.

Chad, player of a few

>>I don't see many people connected to ESP in Platinum, or using private thoughts. I mean, I see it, but it doesn't come close to the number of people in game. I monitor it pretty heavily when I'm around. I am constantly checking tables, out of the way nodes, and ESP. Big Wyrom, always watching!<<

Related note: I heard a reference to someone in Prime accessing the amunet via a House "member's pin." What are these?

-E

>I don't see many people connected to ESP in Platinum, or using private thoughts. I mean, I see it, but it doesn't come close to the number of people in game. I monitor it pretty heavily when I'm around. I am constantly checking tables, out of the way nodes, and ESP. Big Wyrom, always watching!

comparing prime and plat is almost like comparing prime now to prime in the 90's.

That said, my initial issue is just as valid in plat as it is in prime...volnites have to rub their amulet a zillion times a day to stay on the net, and they rapidly get tired of the concept.

Consider this...

Would it be a game changer? No
Would it replace LNET? No
Would some people enjoy/appreciate it? YES
Would more people use the thought net? YES
Would it encourage additional IC contact? YES

So Riddle me this Aways Watching One....

What's the harm in implementing global net?
What's the harm in changing the duration of amulet activation in any of the ways mentions?
Is either change hard/time-consuming given that one exists in another instance and the other is either changing a number in code or copy/paste of code from every other spell we use?

I'll buy that it isn't high on the priority list...but you're effectively saying...it isn't used much in plat...so it isn't worth the <xx minutes> it'll take to implement in Prime.

Sorry...not buying that rational. Answer my 3 serious questions, with logical, cost/value, etc arguments...and I'll leave it be...but give me something other than 'the 25-50 active players at any given time in plat don't use it that much,' because that's thin if not completely irrelevant.

The reality is...not every bit of code you write/manipulate will make everyone happy or change the game as we know it. Some people hate invasions and storylines...some avoid merchants...and so on and so on. Don't tell us it's worthless...tell us why it's not worth what it'd take to do or how it'd be unbalancing to gameplay as a whole. I'll take either...but not neither.

--Jurp

I think the simple and obvious solution would be to simply add a Global channel to the existing structure, much like the CHE/MHO channels (that are already global). The mechanics are already there to pick and choose which channels to listen to, and which to tune out. Nothing new needs to be created here.

~ Heathyr and friends

It's definitely not that easy. ESP would essentially need to be redone to handle any changes for a new channel. It would also need a lot of approvals.

---

On a completely tangential subject, it has always amazes me how much apparent bureaucracy there is behind the scenes of Gemstone given the size of the game (community and supporting staff). I get that you want some level of approval and oversight but it often appears that this has been taken to a ridiculous level in Gemstone.

-- Robert

<<<On a completely tangential subject, it has always amazes me how much apparent bureaucracy there is behind the scenes of Gemstone given the size of the game (community and supporting staff). I get that you want some level of approval and oversight but it often appears that this has been taken to a ridiculous level in Gemstone.>>>

I actually appreciate the high level of oversight. I agree that it may sometimes seem ridiculous from the player's perspective, but I also recognize that it has helped preserve game integrity over the course of the game's long life. I don't believe the rich and complex game world of Gemstone could have survived for nearly two decades without it. Every change to the game carries the potential for unforeseen consequences. And if you think it's hard getting something changed, it's nearly impossible to get something changed back once it's done.

~ Heathyr and friends