[Wids]

But regardless of the true reasons for doing this, it seems this has elicited quite a negative response from pretty much everyone talking about it (me included). So with either tomorrow's or Friday's reset, I will be enforcing an attempted 'etiquette fix': Random (non-special-questgiver) commoner NPCs will no longer talk to a PC if there are other visible PCs within 20 meters of them. They'll just say they are very busy or some such nonsense. So this should be one point of 'etiquette' that no one needs to worry about anymore.

But then, wouldn't that preclude the option of getting rid of townies who keep wandering into PC-to-PC chatspace? Characters like Korina are very fond of using the "Get the hell away from me" chat option with the townies (even though my own characters are prone to either ignoring those intrusive townies or deriding them in-character until they wander off). Without the ability to chat with the townies just because other PCs are nearby, wouldn't we lose the ability to chase off any townie who isn't a gnoll, an orc or a goblin?

I feel that this measure would be like burning down a barn to kill a rat. Just because Animayhem's sticking to her guns doesn't mean that the rest of us won't see reason and stop preaching to the townies if someone politely asks us to knock it off (or if Carcass types up a thread about player etiquette to touch down on that same bullet point).

[Balanor]

If I have the ability to reduce 'tension' amongst the community, I will work to incorporate it. In this case I feel the restriction needs to occur to simply eliminate the possibility of anyone having to think about it or worry (or not, apparently) about upsetting someone.

I'll make sure I leave the ability to tell NPCs to go away, regardless of the nearest PC.

[Wids]

What about the ability to get quests from random townies, just in case Djed's in the party egging Corella to bug some random townie for a quest? ;)

[Balanor]

While I admit that seems highly likely..... ;) No, you won't be able to take a quest from a random NPC if another PC is nearby (30 meters). Conversation options with random NPCs while others are nearby are going to be virtually nonexistent unless the NPC is someone who has already given you a quest or is the target of a quest.

[Wids]

Aww. That's going to take some of the spontaneity out of Djed and Corella's first date, then. Thanks for explaining, though. ;)

[LooseWilly]

So... does this mean that Veybold should also stop using preaching at PCs as a means to open a conversation?

(I don't usually try to start preaching at NPCs when there are PCs around... but now I'll be tempted to speak in the general direction of NPCs and PCs alike about the Hidden Lord... Much as I often talk in the general direction of NPCs outside of the "designated" conversations... thanking Slave Buyers for taking the slaves off my hands, cheering after preaching successfully, laughing at those who sneer, randomly trying - obviously unsuccessfully - to hit on bar maids... etc.)

I would also note that, while one is "locked" into a preaching scene, the conversation of others still shows - so those annoyed by the preaching can also resort to what I did to the preachers on my college campus back in the day... they can heckle the preachers mercilessly.

Just my two cents...

[Bertram Anders]

Nope, preaching to PCs is great rp. Especially when you do it toward Djed. He loves all the deities of the realms.

[Purulent Carcass]

*Djed sharpens his blade and applies a thick coating of some noxious substance*

[Wids]

Oh, look! He's preparing for that first date! I guess that's his way of slipping his date a roofie, huh? :P

[Animayhem]

Will the new script allow people to tell orcs and gnolls other such ilk to get the hell away? Right now they just grunt.