Psychic characters

[Juuustaaas]

An idea for a character trait: psychic. A psychic character could sense some things others couldn't, such as getting a message "You feel a wolf is going to attack a man in his twenties." an hour before an animal attack, or "You feel a tandem bike will arrive soon.", or "You feel a man in his twenties feeling faint." and so on.

This could be developed to wild extents:
Adding a project "Meditation", through which already psychic characters could develop their skills and feel some things happening in other locations for instance.
The game admins could even play around with the psychic chars: "You hear a voice: Kill that man in his twentieess..." or even "You hear a voice: You are my propheett..."

My suggestion would be make one in 500 or 1000 chars psychic. The char won't know till he "feels" something, and the other chars will never know for certain. If programming weren't too difficult, I'd love to see meditation too. Perhaps only the already psychic chars could benefit from meditation and gain more "powers", personally I wouldn't like every char being able to become psychic by meditation.

[Chris]

The game would have to perform each process twice — once ahead of time so an event can be predicted, and again just before it actually happens. We have enough lag as it is.

[CantrFreak]

The game would have to perform each process twice — once ahead of time so an event can be predicted, and again just before it actually happens. We have enough lag as it is.

Well, I doubt when there are about 10-15 psychics that it would too much of a problem.

[Juuustaaas]

Well, the game could check only in towns where psychic charries are. That's about 4-8 more extra operations in total.

[toon]

What would happen if you feel a tandem coming, but before it gets here it turns around? Would it say, " You feel a Tandem turning around."? that would get old to me. so much spam.

[SekoETC]

Not to mention that Cantr isn't supposed to have magic or paranormal elements. If there were only a few psychics then people would most likely assume they are breaking the CR and report them, causing extra work to PD, or actual CR-breachers might avoid being reported claiming that they know stuff because the game made them a psychic. Not good.

[Juuustaaas]

What would happen if you feel a tandem coming, but before it gets here it turns around? Would it say, " You feel a Tandem turning around."? that would get old to me. so much spam.

Yes, I thought about that too. It's not a common thing for tandems to turn around just before the end of their journeys, but anyway, the psychic would still get "A tandem is about to arrive". If he reacted and told others in the location to prove his "gift", he'd just screw up despite being right. He'd be a prophet no one believes, I see no problem in that.
"You feel a tandem turning around" - I didn't suggest these senses to cover every aspect of the game. Actually - the less psychic powers possible - the better. The reason I'm suggesting psychic powers isn't to make some chars almighty. I just think a small amount of mysticism would stimulate spread of religion in Cantr.

Not to mention that Cantr isn't supposed to have magic or paranormal elements.

Well, if that's an uncompromising rule - you got me here.

If there were only a few psychics then people would most likely assume they are breaking the CR and report them, causing extra work to PD, or actual CR-breachers might avoid being reported claiming that they know stuff because the game made them a psychic. Not good.

It all comes down to what powers the psychic chars have.
If you implement powers allowing the psychic to figure out other chars' inventories, listen to their whispering or conversations three locations away - sure, PD will probably have an increase of work.
But allowing psychics to sense when an animal is about to attack - how can anyone consider that CR breach? Or hearing strange voices, or perhaps being able to heal diseases.

I'm sure these powers could be thought out in a way both making the rp more interesting and not causing too much trouble to the PD.

[Money]

I think this is a bad idea. I like Cantr becuase it is so realistic. If you add the "powers" To the game then you start making more fantasy based and less like the real world. Also once their are fantasy like powers why not have more such powers? And so on and so forth till the game turns into a fantasy one.

[Juuustaaas]

If you add the "powers" To the game then you start making more fantasy based and less like the real world.

Actually - the less psychic powers possible - the better.

That's what you're implying, that's not what I'm implying. "Start making more fantasy based"? I don't think a small novelty would cause an avalanche.

Imo a small touch of mysticism would increase spread of religion in Cantr a whole lot.

[Pie]

acturally, I don't think...

that this is a bad idea.

Has a chance I think.

two thumbs up from the pastry down the streat.

[fishfin]

I don't like this idea because it would give some people an unfair advantage and it could cause people to mass spawn character and then kill them off just to get a psychic character.

[Tiamo]

I don't like this idea because it would give some people an unfair advantage and it could cause people to mass spawn character and then kill them off just to get a psychic character.

I second this. Characters in Cantr are all nearly equal when spawning. This would be a unique, powerful and unobtainable power for the happy few, totally disrupting the idea of equality (or equal chances).

[Juuustaaas]

lol, no it wouldn't. Chances of getting a psychic would be like 1/1000, you'd have to spawn 1000 chars to get one psychic. Plus killing chars under 22 would make the player wait 40 extra days. Also, since there would be so few psychic chars, it could even be worked out that admins hand pick the psychics themselves. Or the psychics start to feel their powers only at like 30 years of age.

It would give some people an advantage - granted. A small advantage. An unfair advantage? I think not. As I said, I'm not suggesting the psychic chars to be almighty. I just want them to be able to prove there is a supernatural element in the world, that they themselves are gifted, and that other chars should react accordingly. No producing bread out of nowhere, no turning sand into gold - nothing that would provide actual benefit - just something to provide a base for their claim for divinity.

[Juuustaaas]

totally disrupting the idea of equality (or equal chances).

Much stronger than average?
Expert farmer?
The jury is out deciding whether this idea applies to rl, or that it should apply in Cantr.

[tiddy ogg]

As suggested above, it will create many claims of CRBs. We have already have had several chars belonging to cheating players revealing events elsewhere claiming they are psychic/dreaming them.

As in RL imho 99.9% of claimed psychics are frauds, let it be so in Cantr, but add the final 0.1%.