Character Help Files

[Narissa]

Don't get me started on help files....I already got myself removed from the GM list - don't tempt me to push for more!

[Algernon]

Push away!  It's silly enough that we magically somehow know the name of every person in the world (as if we all had "Hello my name is..." stickers on our shirtfronts).  By what magic are we able to divine their entire biography including what profession they are before we have so much as introduced ourselves?  Pah.
 

[Narissa]

Well, this is probably suited for another topic... But, anyways - I think it's more that we're all on some level somewhat famous. There all lots of anonymous dwarves and Thakrian men wandering about and (except for Bob, that one Springdalian a few certain Thakrians might remember) they are all nameless an anonymous. Clearly, we're a step above them! However, the detailed history seems a bit annoying, especially as people base a lot of judgements on them, and the history does't really say much directly about who someone is.

I like IRE's system - they have certain honors you can get (they have served on a ruling council, etc) so you still get a sense of who someone is, without too many crazy details. I'd like it if guilds had the option to hide membership, perhaps, of their members - being a Thief, for example, is pretty silly to try to pretend sneakiness at, since everyone can just type help (name) and go olol stop trying to trick me, it says right there that you are one!

[Elmak]

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the abolishment of helpfiles as we have them now. Perhaps you'd be able to look up the detailed history of someone in one of the Libraries (for a small fee of course!). As well as a few ways to alter the character histories; omitting information, forgery, etc etc.

[Narissa]

Oh that would rock. I love that idea - and perhaps incorporate it with the booklore skill, or librarians? Maybe keep the personalized help file blurbs, but everyone else just has their birth and significant details (like if they won a gem or got elected to city council) readily available. Those would logically be public record (maybe not even birth, though), but the rest is pretty debatable.

[Elmak]

Public record as in... you can go look it up for free mebbe. I like expanding that out with booklore/librarians. Put the customized helpfile blurbs into character histories that you can look up in the libraries, with more detailed information at a price. Personally I think the character's description can be enough information on that character beyond knowing their name (they'll never change that).

Would have to really break down what would be considered public record, what would be private (ie, paid-for) information, and what could be altered/removed/forged. A good idea outta me for once (that isn't directly related to my skillset!), I might have to prod Genesis into making it happen.

[Algernon]

Agreed on help files - great ideas.

[Bowdyn]

Avalon's player base was always kind of small for this sort of idea I think. All it would take is one stab for your victim and all your buddies to realize that it's a thief or a ranger attacking him. Then ask is the stabber a bear? no? ok, thief then.
 
I agree that if there were a lot of players, anonymity would be nice, but in such a small close-knit community, everyone knows everyone anyway.

[Narissa]

Yes, but that would entail the person stabbing you. Someone like Endyamon WOULDN'T and that's the point. They could completely RP being a knight or something, and you would at least have to investigate to prove them wrong.

[Lothar]

I agree - the helpfiles are retarded, especially for someone like Neidhart (Mr. 5 pages).

I was going to IDEA the basic principal that all but birthdate, guild and citizenship were removed, leaving just the three header items and the personal history part.  Incorporating the Libraries into this would make even more sense!

[Narissa]

Plus some of us went through embarassing emonewb periods. :blush:

*erases Springdale/Paladin from public record plz?*

[Salvador]

Thought I'd chirp in since I'm only 15 RL months old and have a 3 page helpfile....

I think losing the helpfile is an excellent idea, especially if, as suggested, best practise for finding out about someone comes either from purchasing that information and investigating, OR, perhaps more importantly, actually interacting with people and acquiring your OWN interpretation of them. I tihk without a helpfile 'pointing your finger,' people will be far more encouraged to take the time to get to know people before making their judgements, which is what should happen now but rarely does.

[Zenichiro]

Unless of course they say 'do a city status on Zenichiro for me?'. On the face of it, it's a nice idea to have no help files, or ones with limited information but the truth is that there is so many ways to gain information about someone (besides asking others) that the help files don't make that much difference.

[India]

I actually like my helpfile for India. It is nice and neat and tidy and is just the public record I want.
City loyal, guild loyal, patron loyal - but never married with a child.
 
A tiny air of mystery 

[Kresslack]

Help files do, as Narissa has pointed out, limit and/or ruin possible roleplay. Yet, another good point brought up is that everyone already knows everyone anyway, and a lot of people keep close tabs on others, so a switch in city, guild, or professions wouldn't really be to difficult to follow, especially when you notice someone practicing new skills.

The idea would be nice, if, as previously stated, there were a higher player base....which won't happen anytime soon, if ever because not only do you have to pay to play, you have to pay an unreasonable amount every month, or buy a life subscription, which a lot of people see no point in when they can play other games for free, that have 100+ players on active at any given time all day.

Avalon has never really been the RP type of place anyway, mainly due to a large portion of the players in it not being interested in rping or just being ignorant to it. If anything should be deleted, along with the help files, it should be things that ruin the chance for rp such as the lol emote, terms such as CCC. And if you want to get extreme with rp, you would limit yourself to using only says and letters for communication, as it makes no sense to be able to talk to people across the land, or waste gold on sending them a mental memo.

Just my thoughts on the matter.