Carrier Pigeons

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Greek
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Greek » Sat Sep 03, 2016 1:26 pm

Millhouse wrote:How about assigning a unique number to each dovecote, similar to locks/keys, that cannot be changed?

It's easy to do, but I assume it's not an option instead of other solutions, but an addition for one of these. The main advantage of such solution is ability to learn that "this pigeon has home in dovecote where we are right now. Because it's the only situation where it's very easy to check the dovecote ID. Otherwise, when you aren't in the location to check the ID then you need to get the information in a reliable way: travel and maintain a code book or in an unreliable way: ask by radio or from message carried by pigeon.

Option to see the location's name without ability to dynamic name sounds like the best version of idea #2.

So I think the discussion is just between #2 (in the modified form or not) and #3.
I'm currently in favor of #3 with the possibility of adding the idea from #2 in case the label-based system is not sufficient for the comfortable use.
I've already coded #2 so I'll put it on shelf in case it's needed.
I'm going to be one of the first people using it so it'll be quick to get feedback about user experience :P
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Millhouse » Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:46 pm

Greek wrote:I'm going to be one of the first people using it so it'll be quick to get feedback about user experience :P


Greek now that you're back will you be pushing to get this implemented?
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Greek » Mon Feb 20, 2017 7:35 pm

Yes, I've finished the work a week ago, but it's going to take some time to decide upon their parameters in RD.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Millhouse » Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:55 pm

Really looking forward to this.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Greek » Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:57 pm

Homing pigeons - unofficial announcement
Many details are not yet decided and it will be done by RD, but I can explain the general mechanics.

1. getting a homing pigeon
To get a homing pigeon you need a normal domesticated pigeon. Then you need to adopt it, and then click on a button to turn a pigeon into a homing pigeon.

2. traits and abilities of homing pigeons
Every homing pigeon can carry notes and envelopes, which means a relatively safe transport of long messages.

As you probably know homing pigeons in real-life know how to come back to home. Cantrian pigeons are similar.
But transporting a pigeon using a ship, just to let it fly to home, and then coming back home to travel with it again wouldn't be very convenient.
That's why every pigeon can remember not one, but two homes. It means that after transporting the pigeon from Klojt to Blojt it'll be able to remember both homes. It means the pigeon can fly between these two towns, but also be sent to any of these homes from any other place in the world (if it's not too far).

3. How does it work?
It's a normal pigeon
messenger-pigeon2.png

Clicking on a flying pigeon button will turn it into a homing pigeon (if your character is the owner of the pigeon)

This action will make the pigeon look a bit different:
messenger-pigeon1.png

There are some additional options, which means the list of pigeon's actions is almost as long as the one visible for lockets.

Homing pigeon allows performing the following actions:
- crossed pigeon - turning the homing pigeon into a normal pigeon, which means losing information about remembered homes (can be done only by the owner)

- home - select a dovecote that will be the first or the second pigeon's home (can be done only by the owner)
messenger-pigeon4.png


- paper airplane - dispatch the pigeon to the dovecote being the first or the second home
messenger-pigeon3.png


- label - save additional info about the pigeon e.g. what's the name of the first and the second home of the pigeon
A homing pigeon loses ability of being pet :(

After attaching a note or an envelope to the pigeon (it's like a storage) it's possible to send it to one of the homes. Pigeon flies with the constant speed and the shortest path possible. After reaching the destination the pigeon lands in the dovecote. People outside and people in the same room as a dovecote are notified from which direction did the pigeon come. After that people can take the pigeon from the dovecote, take and read the note delivered by the pigeon.
When a pigeon reaches the destination, but the dovecote ceased to exist in the mean time (e.g. it was destroyed) then the pigeon lands in a central area of location.
When pigeon doesn't reach the destination, because it dies of starvation during the flight, then notes land in a location which is closest to the pigeon at the moment of death. So don't forget feeding them.

The exact parameters of the pigeons and dovecotes are yet undecided, but there are some things that are very unlikely to change:
- a dovecote is a special storage, where the pigeons can be kept. It's also possible to put animal feed there. It'll most likely be lockable
- a dovecote can be built only in a building (not in a central area) and this building cannot move (so it cannot be on a ship or in a vehicle). It means the sea expedition will be able to dispatch pigeons back home, but will not be able to get response
- a pigeon will be able to reach the dovecote being the home even if it's located in an extension of an extension of a building. You can assume that a hole in the roof is part of the dovecote, which makes them possible to fly there freely

4. How to communicate using a homing pigeon?
- tame a pigeon and adopt it
- turn it into a homing pigeon
- build a dovecote in your town and remember it as home #1
- travel to the city with which you want to talk
- make pigeon remember a dovecote in this town as home #2
- send pigeon back to home #1 and come back to your town
- when you want to send something, then you attach a note to a pigeon and dispatch it
- hope somebody on the other side will send the pigeon back
As you see, it means that you need two pigeons - one in every town to be able to send the message immediately.


The things I've explained above are already done and work quite well, but some parameters are still undecided. I didn't yet manage to write a summary for RD, so I don't know when the pigeons will become available.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Millhouse » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:11 pm

Can you just confirm again that other birds than just pigeons can be used? If these are going to be as important to communication as has been hinted at in the radio announcement, I think it should be accessible to more places than just the islands which happen to have pigeons.

Edit: If not, will RD be seeding more places with actual pigeons? I'd prefer seeing more types of birds, especially owls and ravens (Harry Potter and Game of Thrones style). Hawks are more or less ubiquitous in game. Most areas I've traveled to have some form of hawk nearby
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby viktor » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:53 am

is this why wood pigeons can't be domesticated yet? cuz the carrier pigeon coding is still being done?
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Greek » Sat Apr 15, 2017 4:35 pm

I'm not a member of RD, so my job is only to make it work.

Code doesn't make any assumptions about the animal type that can work as a homing pigeon (internally they are all called 'messenger birds'), but I'd find it a waste of effort to allow it only for one animal type.

It's a fair point that availability of pigeons is drastically different in different regions of the game world and it should give access to it on an island or in its neighborhood. I have nothing against allowing more bird types to dispatch messages, as long as they make some sense.
I'll prepare data about animals for RD to help in making a correct decision.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby computaertist » Sat Apr 15, 2017 4:45 pm

Wait, wait, in theory, it could be any animal? Let's collectively take a moment to imagine one of them being dogs! "What's that, boy? Timmy's been kidnapped by pirates!? And if we ever want to see him again we'd better bring a load of precious metals and gems?"

And here I was just thinking I was too busy irl for it to be fair of me to keep having players waiting for my characters to wake up once in a while. I might have to find a way to make more time...

(P.S., I'm well aware this post is probably more wishful thinking than anything, but it was too fun a thought to keep to myself.)
Mark Twain wrote:Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby sanchez » Sat Apr 15, 2017 7:30 pm

I think the suggestion of dogs is adorable, but probably not feasible in this implementation as it would be to restricted as to terrain. Poor Fido.

Though RD has not seen the details of this project yet, I fully agree more bird types should be included to give some access in all zones. More specific suggestions are encouraged.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Millhouse » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:53 pm

sanchez wrote: More specific suggestions are encouraged.


My suggestion really would be any type of bird that can be domesticated, except for the few flightless birds such as penguins, ostriches, chickens, turkies, or peacocks. I know some of those aren't classified as flightless but I think it would be kind of ridiculous to have a homing chickens carrying messages across oceans.

If that's too much, then I'd suggest something common like hawks. As far as lore is concerned, owls and ravens make sense. It could also be like steeds where each island had some kind of animal type that could be saddled. RD would probably need to look to see how animals are distributed to pick something that makes sense.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Rmak » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:21 pm

So you take away core functionality and it's mooted 'replacement' is not even ready ?
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Arval » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:00 pm

Patience... Given the circumstances they must be surely working hard on this.
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby Rmak » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:12 pm

Arval wrote:Patience... Given the circumstances they must be surely working hard on this.


Im sure greek has but excuses for self made circumstances just highlight weak planning
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Re: Carrier Pigeons

Postby the_antisocial_hermit » Sun Apr 16, 2017 2:49 am

Regardless of how hard they are working on it, the one should not be taken away when this is not ready.
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