Mobile phones

[EchoMan]

I'm sure this have been suggested before, but a search yields nothing.

We definitely need mobile phones. And "static" phones too I guess.

[Andu]

How? And wouldn't this obsolete radios?

[EchoMan]

Radio = broadcast and static. Mobile phone = person to person and mobile. How = have a phone in your inventory and you'll be able to call numbers with it and speak into it.

[Doug R.]

The question is, how to have something in your inventory start talking to you.

[Andu]

Okay, small gold/platinum circuits, a bit of steel, maybe rubber for the buttons and then a MASSIVE TELECOMMUNICATION MAST MADE OF SEVERAL TONS OF STEEEEEEL.And some circuits for it too.

[EchoMan]

Phone calls: An event is created: "Your phone is calling"
Phone has an aswering button. Pressing it make you answer the call.
Phone has a speak button, same interface as radio, but without frequency.
When you have dialed a call that has been answered, or answered a call, any one talking into it on the other side, causes an event "You hear from your phone: Blah blah blah".
While you have an ongoing call, the answer button is replaced by a hang-up button.
As long as your have an ongoing call battery (as fuel for a vehicle) is depleted. It needs to be charged somehow after a while.

[Piscator]

I think Andu made a very good point. Wouldn't you need massive telecommunication equipment?

[EchoMan]

If we are going for 100% mimicing of the real world, yes. But that's not custom in Cantr as far as I know.

If we have radios without electricity, we very well could have cell phones without base stations.

[Andu]

As this would be even better than radios, I would say it would be only fair to need a telemast for phone calls. The masts would enable calling anyone within the telemast's reach. Building a new telemast which overlaps the first mast's Area of Effect, you would be able to call anyone within reach of both telemast.

[Piscator]

Well, we would still need some way to limit call range. I think it wouldn't be good if you could just pull out your cell phone and ask the guys on Fu how their expedition is going. And having a maximum call range per cell phone wouldn't feel right either.
I guess a workable solution would have to involve some kind of repeater network.

edit: What Andu said.

[Tiamo]

I like the idea. It would be a new level of telecommunication, like a car is an update of a bike on travel. But it should be really difficult to set up a good mobile network.
* The messages from the phone would be whispers, as would the talking into it be.
* Mobile phones would only operate in (or nearby) locations with a telephone relay mast, which are connected in a similar way radio relay stations are.
* Every phone would have a unique number. The caller would have to know that number in order to be able to make the call.
* Every phone needs a battery, that needs replacing after some (little) time.
* Batteries as well as the phones themselves are made of a series of little-used metals (nickel, copper, zinc, gold, etc.).

All in all this would be for the really rich only.

[Andu]

The phone itself would weight only a few hundreds of grams, but the battery would be a gigantic clay pot with copper and stuff, a "bagdad battery" so to say. Any you would have to fill it with lemon juice to work.

[Tiamo]

Lol

[SumBum]

Then we need hacking devices so people can eavesdrop.

[Tiamo]

Phone taps?