Fronter: The cash cow you may have overlooked

Tureth

T
I would imagine almost every player at sometime or another has said some comment to their tv or monitor in response to the question "What are you hauling?"
What I suggest as a way to capitalize on this is simple, and code wise most of the work should already be done.

First create a new chat channel, much like local. You might call it 'Open Direct'. You would move such NPC comments to this channel, resulting in a locally broadcasted statement directed at a player. so instead of just the player seeing the statement, everyone local would. The fun part is those same people would see the players local preset response as well.

So an example might go like this:
[Open Direct] [Cool guy to playername] "What are you hauling?"
[Open Direct] [Playername to Cool guy] "Body bags, one size fits all. And I think I have one with your name on it!"

The player responses would not be typed out of course, that would be a little silly. However pre-cashed responses defined by you guys opens up a fun little door. There would be your basic response kit, which would have some milder responses to the various times NPC's socially interact, and then there would be 'Premium response packs' you guys could sell in the same way you sell skins etc now.

Who knows, these could even end up being applied in pvp. Could be alot of fun hiding in plan text!

Frontier, players, what do you guys think?
 

Winterwalker

Winterwalker
Not saying the OP is a bad idea (though do wonder about button binding problems, for having very many scripted repsonses) but for info, I also use (on PC) a script solution (autohotkey) to type one touch messages (for which I have just four, basic, quick messages);

*F3::
Clipboard = Heave to and power down Commander!
sleep 10
send ^v
sleep 25
send {Enter}
Clipboard =
send {Enter}
return
Might be able to do something with Voice Attack, if you're clever?

ps. I wouldn't buy it unless "I consign your remains to the void" is in there somewhere ;)
But I would like a one touch binding to open voice comms with a target (player) ship (must check, there might already be one I don't know).
 
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Tureth

T
k but console players (typically) dont have that option, and even if you reply to an npc theres none but you that see it. instead of just a witty response to the void it could be chat vanity
 

Taranis Dekker

Taranis Dekker
I would most definitely not spend any money on the ability to respond to a chat message with a preset response.

Unless I've really misunderstood what you mean, I can't see what the attraction is.
 

Teh Smoo

T
Winterwalker said:
Not saying the OP is a bad idea (though do wonder about button binding problems, for having very many scripted repsonses) but for info, I also use (on PC) a script solution (autohotkey) to type one touch messages (for which I have just four, basic, quick messages);

*F3::
Clipboard = Heave to and power down Commander!
sleep 10
send ^v
sleep 25
send {Enter}
Clipboard =
send {Enter}
return
Might be able to do something with Voice Attack, if you're clever?

ps. I wouldn't buy it unless "I consign your remains to the void" is in there somewhere ;)
But I would like a one touch binding to open voice comms with a target (player) ship (must check, there might already be one I don't know).
Click to expand...

I am saying it's a terrible idea. Pay real money to respond to NPCs? I'm sure that I've heard worse, but not lately.
 

Koen

Koen
No. The things we buy in the Frontier Store are just vanity items, including the chat you propose.

We have on the other hand been asking for *functional* chat with NPCs on this forum for years.

For example: after hitting with friendly fire, it should be possible to apologize, and even to compensate the damage such that the NPC does not attack. It should be possible to let a pirate know that you submit and will drop cargo, and to negotiate how much - or to tell the pirate that you're actually a bounty hunter and that he has fallen for your bait. It should be possible to bribe the police for a multiple amount of credits of the outstanding warrant, so that they do not shoot you and possibly even reset the warrant - or to surrender and let them know you agree to follow them to the station and be arrested. And so on...

Here is hoping that something like that will be included into the core game updates after 2.4.

Once FDEV starts selling vanity chat, all hope for ever getting functional chat is lost.
 
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Arry

Arry
Teh Smoo said:
I am saying it's a terrible idea. Pay real money to respond to NPCs? I'm sure that I've heard worse, but not lately.
Click to expand...
Lots of lazy role players out there; to which £5 is nothing. That is why it is called a cash cow.

Why can't there be a form of predicted text? Ever mobile has had it for decades now; so why not have it as a programmed part of the chat mode/window? Text that is 'tuned, or even mapped by the player', for the game.
 

Deleted member 110222

D
Tureth said:
k but console players (typically) dont have that option, and even if you reply to an npc theres none but you that see it. instead of just a witty response to the void it could be chat vanity
Click to expand...

Buy a USB keyboard. Fiver at the most. Sorted.
 

Deleted member 110222

D
CMDR Ross said:
I actually understood what you meant there OP.
I'm one of those antisocial don't talk buggers out there. I'm here to fly not chat but some people might like the idea course if it was for free. Frontier have enough cash grabs in the store already.
Click to expand...

More to the point, this isn't something FD could monetize even if they tried.
 

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
I'd expect being able to chat to NPC's being core gameplay.

IMHO, the same system that we use for requesting docking permission, could be expanded to send pre-recorded messages to NPC's, which they understand and can react too.
Or we could have some sort of context menu, like I get in my Xbox one controller if I hold down certain buttons.

The menu would be context sensitive, so you're not flooded with 50 items to scroll through, for example, any trader or miner NPC can be threatened with piracy messages, and they may either drop their cargo without a fight, or some other action.
Recently agro'd targets could be apologised too, so they stop attacking, etc.
 

DocLooshkin

DocLooshkin
Hello, Tureth. :)

It's a good idea, but I'm with CSH, above: it feels like something that should be universally-available core gameplay, rather than a vanity item. I hope it does happen, though.

Thinking on from the OP's suggestion, I wonder if all NPC and scripted-response player-dialogue would make sense being fed by simple, pre-moderated forum threads? 'Most Absurdly Camp Threats of Murder', 'Most Ridiculously Overblown Macho Response to an NPC Demand for Cargo' and so forth.

Obviously, the kitsch grandiloquence of "I'm gonna boil you up!" medically needs to be in there, somewhere.

Apart from building the UI itself, it doesn't seem too challenging, technically-speaking: the client would just have to load a few dozen newer replies (etc), upon entering an instance, serving them up two or three at a time, when needed. Lightweight stuff, or so I would have thought. It also seems like something far too small in the context of the game to invoke any kind of copyright issues, even if trolls try to flood the system - making it almost entirely risk-free on the legal side of things (truly vexatious actions notwithstanding).

"I am Bullet-Hell Santa and you may now suck on my favourite presents." That would go quite well with my Festive paint-jobs and my Christmas tree bobblehead. Sounds like a plan to me. :)
 

Teh Smoo

T
Still, do you imagine for a minute that players would use NPC communications for it's intended purpose?

*ship scan detected*
"Oho! Jackpot! Drop 150,000cr of cargo if you want to live!"
"Ok, dropping cargo, give me a minute to calculate how many to drop, I need a calculator here. You should have asked for tonnage."
*you have deployed hardpoints*
*k-warrant scanning enemy ship*
*pips to weapons/system*
"Why are you scanning? Drop cargo already!"
*scan complete*
"Nevermind, I've decided to drop ammo instead. Catch."

SOP would be to keep them talking, while you scan them, boost your systems, and line up the perfect shot.

Of course, if they ask for tonnage, people will just haul biowaste with the good stuff. I'd happily drop 8 tons of that for a pirate with a small rack. It would be too funny not to do.
 

Tureth

T
Teh Smoo said:
Still, do you imagine for a minute that players would use NPC communications for it's intended purpose?

*ship scan detected*
"Oho! Jackpot! Drop 150,000cr of cargo if you want to live!"
"Ok, dropping cargo, give me a minute to calculate how many to drop, I need a calculator here. You should have asked for tonnage."
*you have deployed hardpoints*
*k-warrant scanning enemy ship*
*pips to weapons/system*
"Why are you scanning? Drop cargo already!"
*scan complete*
"Nevermind, I've decided to drop ammo instead. Catch."

SOP would be to keep them talking, while you scan them, boost your systems, and line up the perfect shot.

Of course, if they ask for tonnage, people will just haul biowaste with the good stuff. I'd happily drop 8 tons of that for a pirate with a small rack. It would be too funny not to do.
Click to expand...

nice lol.. kinda the point. But imagine the exchange going on in local chat instead of direct chat, bt with the names included... would you want the basic responses or something with style?
 
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