Any messages? (An answering machine on the radio)

[mtm21]

I don't know if this has been suggested.

How about an answering machine for the radios?

1. Either set up a button where it can list the last lot of messages since you last walked into that building. Or...

2. Like you would a location when you enter a town for the first time... announce the messages as you enter a building.

You could make it that you can turn off the recorder on or off. Also set a keypad number to read messages.

Some people may not like this idea but I find that most people that do radio watching die from boredom, which is really sad.

[tiddy ogg]

This limitation of radios has been questioned before, and suggestions have been made for a teletype attachment to give such hard copy output, and for external loudspeakers that can be heard outside the building. Nothing's been done about any of them, but keep plugging away andd maybe one of them will get picked up eventually.

[fallenval]

FOR

Radio watching sucks man.

[trexdino]

I have never been assigned radio watcher, but it seems to be incredibly boring. Really, the only thing I see as a downside is more lag. I am for it.

Maybe it is another thing you build though, like there is your radio, radio receiver, and then a answering machine or something or the like.


Another downside I just saw, it would be immpossible to get rid off. Like, say you were trying to hide a message, you couldn't.

[joo]

I am definitely for the Automatic Radio Logger, but I just have one thing to say about radio watching:

In real life, people spend a lot of their time working, socialising, eating, sleeping, etc indoors, and there is a reason - most facilities, like kitchen appliances, etc are inside - and the second reason, which does not relate so much to Cantr is for shelter and security.

You may not have ever though that the requirement of a radio to be inside is actually a good thing - it encourages a more varied society be formed, with peopl both inside and out, which is generally more realistic.

Now in a proper society with multiple active people in high positions, there might be someone who spends most of their time outside, so they can see who comes and goes, and gather resources, hunt etc, but it is also possible for somebody to live inside - and if there are a few people, and miltiple projects to engage people, then there is no reason for there not to be someone always inside.

If the find that you are missing radio messages, then move some of your work inside - appoint someone to keep watch outside, and try to create as active an environment inside as there is outside. It's definitely possible, and it's been done before. And with the current programming situation, it's likely that this type of solution will be needed.

[DylPickle]

Agreed with the above post.
I like inside societies. It's too bad people often neglect their indoor characters though. Why is it that most people need to see new visitors to have a decent conversation? Why can't people simply talk indoors?

I find it pretty fun to talk to people in game about random crap. If you take a second to think about it, you'll find that 50% of forum jabber could be done in the game instead.

[Oasis]

It is indeed preferential to have a hub of activity inside and thus listen to the radio and not be bored while doing so.

However, that is not always possible, especially now with the decline in players/characters, whereby most places are significantly too small to sustain both an inside and outside active life. A town of ten is lucky to have three active people, and many towns don't have ten people in them.

There is also the problem of radios not being movable, thus having to work in one room because that's where the machine you need is, and the radio is in the other. I have a char with that problem right now, but can't afford to rebuild the radio or the machines to rectify it.

I like the idea of an answering machine that you need to put a code into, or better yet, have a key for. I don't want the messages to spurt out all messages all the time for anyone to read, nor to go off just because you enter the room.