General Plea - Be Searchable

[Dragor]

The crossroads I am not so big on, since that is saying that one farm farmed by a farmer with questionable loyalties is a very public place.

I would go with this list:

All city districts and towns
Second Wind (outside and inside)
The Gate
and inside taverns

I would also consider legion camps.

[Chiangtao]

I like it the way it is. As I play an outted villain mostly, I'm rarely in a public location. I leave it on in case someone wants to visit the Necropolis and enjoy some verbal sparring (and kick my butt!).

I like the option of having it on or off in any area, and leaving it up to the player. But maybe you can just have it always on in public locations while still giving the option to manually turn it on in non-public locations?

[GodBeastX]

I like it the way it is. As I play an outted villain mostly, I'm rarely in a public location. I leave it on in case someone wants to visit the Necropolis and enjoy some verbal sparring (and kick my butt!).

I like the option of having it on or off in any area, and leaving it up to the player. But maybe you can just have it always on in public locations while still giving the option to manually turn it on in non-public locations?

Yeah, I like that. Turn it on if you're looking for people to find you, instead of turning it off. Maybe you want people to know you're running a dungeon or hanging out in Argyle or something.

And I can agree to crossroads not being a public place.

[Cornuto]

Yeah, I like that. Turn it on if you're looking for people to find you, instead of turning it off. Maybe you want people to know you're running a dungeon or hanging out in Argyle or something.

And I can agree to crossroads not being a public place.

I think we already have a way to track public places from when people were leaving dead bodies in the cities and stuff right?

[GodBeastX]

Probably, I'm just kicking out ideas to help improve things and make people's online time not feel like a ghost town, but also cater to the people who really don't want to be bothered.

I figure if you don't want to be bothered, you wouldn't be anywhere public anyway, right?

[thaelis]

Yeah, I like that. Turn it on if you're looking for people to find you, instead of turning it off. Maybe you want people to know you're running a dungeon or hanging out in Argyle or something.
.

Yeah.

Having it forced on in some of the more public areas sounds like a fine idea. However, having it forced OFF in all wilderness areas would suck. Having an option to switch it on would be greatly appreciated.

[FoogooFish]

The searchable system is fine as it is implemented IMO. The only suggestion that remotely interests me is the one where someone who has turned themselves off searchable cannot see others listed on searchable, because it seems fair that someone who chooses to stay hidden cannot have the advantage of knowing the locations of others (without using IC methods.)

All in all though, this seems to be a "ain't broke - don't fix it" thing. Let the people who want to be asocial from time to time (or all the time) continue to do so.

[Torgar]

I played back during the time when people would abuse the search tool to find people grinding faction area's, hop on their level 20 character, and come kill me and my group. I did speak to some DM's about it, but in the end, it was my fault for not using screenshots to prove my case, and so I solved the problem another way. Find a group, level up, and when you're just as strong as the guys doing it, wait for them to do it AGAIN, and be with the people they are doing it to, and kick the crap out of their face.

Trust me, it was super effective. However, that is different from high level people such as Urlok, whom stands, patiently, for HOURS every day, guarding the graveyard. Urlok always has searchable on when he's there, so if you see Urlok on, and you see someone in graveyard, add 1+1=Don't go there unless you think you can win.

As for locate creature, I agree with GBX on this, that spell blows. Contrary to popular belief, most of the server does NOT pump UMD, and most of us do not have those caster classes in our build to use the scroll without UMD, so the arguement that "Searchable should always be off because I make an item that only 25% of the server can use, and the one's that can use it probably know the spell" is not viable, in my opinion.

To be honest, I really liked GBX's idea to make public area's automatically make you searchable while you are there. Here are my thoughts on the criteria that makes an area "public"

Taverns: Natural gathering place
Cities: People live there

Roads not located within faction owned territory: These are frequently traveled by merchants, even if you don't see it happening. Trade is a constant thing in Sundren, there are caravans of goods moving around all the time, so these places are public. This would be "Gate of the sunderer" road, through rural farm, past second wind, past tyr's fork, and to crossroads, that is a trade route to the trading post, so it is public IMO.

Places searchable should be toggleable:

Any area that requires you have joined a faction to enter.
Any area that a faction controls that does not require being in faction to enter.

Exampls are: Banite citadel, rogue den, Necropolis, Schild mountains, Thayan enclave, cartel caves and cartel mountain, Cold climb (belongs to Aurilites), Viridale forest.

As for unaffiliated area's, where no faction holds sway, there are not a whole lot at this point. Sharahan hills, ghost ruins, sestra lizard caves, Argyle keep, mossdale. In the end, I suppose we could just throw them in with the faction affiliated area's, and leave searchable toggled. I dunno.

That's just a suggestion I'm throwing out there to see how GBX and the rest of the staff like it. I think of the idea that public places ALWAYS showing people being there is simply awesome. Absolutely loved it, GBX.

[ManUtd4Ever]

Urlok, whom stands, patiently, for HOURS every day, guarding the graveyard. Urlok always has searchable on when he's there, so if you see Urlok on, and you see someone in graveyard, add 1+1=Don't go there unless you think you can win.

I have taken many a character to chat with Urlok. It doesnt always result in PvP... but it ALWAYS results in great RP.

IMO search is not a prerequisite for RP. If you are in game and no one is searchable, send someone or anyone, a tell.

*returns to the game*

Cheers!

[Kaybrie]

The more I think about it the more I like the idea of searching for players being limited to public areas like camp fires or quest hubs (Like right before sharahan hills) and not be toggled. Finding people in places meant to find other people I can't see a problem with.

However, I can't really see a positive reason for knowing somebody is in another area unless you want to be courteous and not run a dungeon someone else is running.

Public areas that come to mind:

Second Wind
Crossroads
Gate of Sunderer
Sundren City districts (Not inside places)
Other Taverns?

Thoughts? Then the idea is, if you don't want to be found, don't be anywhere with high traffic/public.

Temples, while I feel most temples should be protected from scrying, I feel that temples should be accounted as public places. "Oh hey, there are people in the temple of the Triad, maybe I could get some RP in on my Tormite!" Blamo!

[Root]

I like the searchable system as currently implemented and, if we are voting, I say leave it as is.

Happy with it as it is, too, because I find the vast, vast majority of my RP outside of 'public' places.

My only shctick in this thread is asking people to be a bit more open, and not treat the majority of the playerbase like either plebs not worth RPing with, or metagamers out to bust their super-secret villain alter-ego by seeing that one person in the server is in one area, extrapolating this to instantly criminalise this person, then metagame this information to accuse them.

[Urithrand]

The searchable system is fine as it is implemented IMO. The only suggestion that remotely interests me is the one where someone who has turned themselves off searchable cannot see others listed on searchable, because it seems fair that someone who chooses to stay hidden cannot have the advantage of knowing the locations of others (without using IC methods.)

All in all though, this seems to be a "ain't broke - don't fix it" thing. Let the people who want to be asocial from time to time (or all the time) continue to do so.

LOVE this idea. Kudos to you Foo

[Zoberraz]

Okay, but then, what would stop people from turning searchable, toggling player search, and then turning nonsearchable?

[Thief Of Navarre]

Lately, I have spent over an hour just wandering around not finding anyone. With 7 or 8 players, no DMs, and 1 person other than myself searchable...I get bored very easily and just log off

I think that goes for a lot of people. A shame.

[Thief Of Navarre]

Okay, but then, what would stop people from turning searchable, toggling player search, and then turning nonsearchable?

Very much like player poker with spurs on your boots.