Housing: Mailboxes

Xith

Like hardcore immersion. For example one of the primary differences in the game I was plotting is that characters are mortal, have lifespans based on their race, and have to complete quests and stuff in an Underworld before they have a chance to come back to life.

Achaea's actually a pretty good balance between RP and metagameyness, mainly because most of the meta can be explained by RP things. People may have a habit of SAYing their damage numbers out loud and stuff but for the most part it's kept in character.

I was playing with the idea of a system that wasn't HP-based but actually biology-based, where you sustain cuts, bruises, breaks, organ damage, instead of repeatedly getting skewered on swords and sipping an oaken vial that makes you all Wolverine.
The physical combat would have a lot more parrying and look like a sword fight instead of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. Not many games have tried that in graphics because it would take a lot of detailed attention to how getting your wrist slashed would affect the NPC's fighting (torn ligaments, bleeding out, etc.)

Anyway much of Achaea is set in stone but there have been larger changes than things like mailboxes, so I don't see it on the same level.

Nim

Addama said:

Nim said:

This idea would work well only in a hardcore roleplaying environment, which Achaea is not.

Sorry, is there another roleplaying environment in which people have invested literally tens of thousands of real-life dollars in text objects that I'm not aware of?

That's called "expensive," not "hardcore." Furthermore, Achaea is not a roleplaying environment, it's a game with optional roleplaying and a simple rule that non-roleplayers have to respect IC space. It is 100% possible to play Achaea without ever once roleplaying, so regardless of how much money you can throw at it, it's far from hardcore.

Halos

Yes. It's a MUD where people can be pretty hardcore about their characters, yes. By "hardcore roleplaying environment" he means not only a MUD with more stringent RP standards, but also one with presumably more realism.

Silas

It's like everybody responding to this thread has forgotten that until a couple of weeks ago, Achaea also had rivers that weren't annoying.

Pique Sarapis/Tecton's interest with an idea, and there's every chance that it will be implemented regardless of the inconvenience to the playerbase.

Shirszae

I rather like the new way rivers work. Goes to show there's a market for absolutely everything, I suppose. 

Xith

Shirszae said:

I rather like the new way rivers work. Goes to show there's a market for absolutely everything, I suppose. 

They make gathering clay/flakes so much easier

EDIT: Tentatively holding out for some implementation of my 'Cerulean' water elemental idea, wherever I posted that.

Nvmd, found it. http://forums.achaea.com/discussion/comment/138307/#Comment_138307

Kresslack

Addama said:

Nim said:

This idea would work well only in a hardcore roleplaying environment, which Achaea is not.

Sorry, is there another roleplaying environment in which people have invested literally tens of thousands of real-life dollars in text objects that I'm not aware of?

Yes, it's called Avalon (Legends and First Age). It inspired MUDS like Achaea like the band Oomph! inspired other bands such as Rammstein and Megaherz, but I digress.

My point is this: it was originally a concept for another game (that it's better than Achaea is highly debatable, considering it's still in the designing phase and there are a ton of start-up MUD's that don't last long).

Achaea's environment over the past few years has been working on making communication via any of the multiple methods easier, not harder. I don't see them taking a step backwards, while inconveniencing people, by implementing something like this. There's already a well working and reasonable mail system in place, and with things like signet rings and the changes that have followed their introduction (signing documents, sealing letters) and stationary kits, more people are sending letters in a more official, RP capacity (based on my personal experience and what I've seen. I get a lot of letters, and I enjoy it.)

My underlying point was that if there are suggestions for Achaea, they need to be original and take into consideration what Achaea is and it's mechanics and current features. They should convincingly portray why such a change needed, or why it would be beneficial.

There's already got an item on the list to allow people to purchasing a mail room option for houses, to allow people to send mail from their house. As it stands, I don't really see anything wrong with the delivery method. When I'm on a ship, it's great to still be able to receive important mail, and people knowing I will receive it means they tend to mail it rather than message it (especially if it's lengthy). Whether it's a bird or a gremlin appearing in a cloud of sulpherous smoke, it fits into the Achaea theme of making things possible with a good blend of realism and magic, and it's highly convenient.

Edit: Something to consider as maybe an alternative change is whether parcels could be delivered to people directly or whether they get a notification that they have a package awaiting pickup, but the issue with that might be where would they pick it up? What if they don't have access to that postal location?