[Discuss] Theoretical realistic messaging

[Robert Croson, Jr]

On 2 May 2006 at 14:35, Thomas Dalton wrote:

> > I don't like this idea of delayed messaging for a number of reasons, not
> > to mention delayed scout reports.
> > If we are going to delay scout reports then the same goes for
> > recruiting, repairing, entertaining, everything. Scouting costs 1 hour
> > from your time pool, recruiting can take anywhere from 1 to 20 hours or
> > even more. I don't see why we should just make scouting extra difficult
> > for the heck of it.
> 
> Your problem is based on a simple misunderstanding - the one hour it
> takes to scout is the hour your character spends talking with the
> scout, sending him out and listening to his report when he gets back. 
> The delay would represent the time the scout takes to go there, look
> around and come back.  That time isn't taken from your time pool
> because your character can do something else while he waits for the
> scout.
> 
> The time pool represents the time available for your character to do
> things, the real time delays represents your character waiting for
> other people to do things.

How far is this going to be taken? Will we take into account that one scout can 
only go scout one region per turn? To scout multiple regions, will you need to 
have multiple scouts?

How about the distance the scout has to travel? It is completely unrealistic to 
expect a scout, even mounted on horseback, to go 100 miles, scout a whole 
region, and come back to give a report in a mere few hours. That would take 
days, or possibly weeks. Not to mention the scouting of regions that lie across 
boat routes between islands.

Realism is all well and good, but it can be taken too far. And when that 
happens, the game stops being fun.
-- 
Rob

Why doesn't life have a command line mode?