Keep GBoards on NarutoMUD?

[Gatz]

After talking with a couple folks, I've been thinking of dropping the gboards or reducing their functionality. This forum is a far better format to discuss ideas, filter out noise, and be able to record information. In-game gboards were a great idea a decade ago, but now things like this forum have everything and more that you could want in a fully functioning message board. It almost seems counter productive to have two copies.

The gboard would basically be reduced down to a personal gnote board and an announce board. Everything else would have to go into the forums. The only way players could still use the gboard would be to send a personal gnote, and even that I could see getting rid of as the forums support private messages.

Anyways, go ahead and discuss pros and cons. I know some folks have some anti-forum attitude for a bizarre reason, but I prefer it and think it is the more optimal way of communicating over gboards.

[Yamashita]

I agree that the gboards should be nerfed some. Although I like the idea of removing them altogether, I would note that keeping some sort of global messaging system in the game is highly beneficial, especially for the users who are irrationally put off by the forums.

[Gatz]

My only hesitation for removing all gboards is how to convey Announcements. No one seems to read MOTD, even though they see it -every- login. It is hard enough to get people to read Announcements as they are now. How could new announcements be conveyed to players if the gboards are not there?

[Yamashita]

My only hesitation for removing all gboards is how to convey Announcements. No one seems to read MOTD, even though they see it -every- login. It is hard enough to get people to read Announcements as they are now. How could new announcements be conveyed to players if the gboards are not there?

It could be implemented by a reworking of the code for the gboards, wherein you (or any imm) can add to a queue of announcements (as in the current gboard system) but is read by an "annoucement" command. You could even keep the same code for the xp penalty for unread announcements. My idea for this is basically keeping the system more or less as is, but removing other boards, and therefore the necessity to switch between them. I don't think I'm describing this well, but I also can't think of a better way to deal with this other than the system already in place.

[Ichiro]

Basically if you removed all of the boards other than the announcement board, I think it would do exactly what Yamashita is saying. I'm a fan of still having the personal gnote boards in place, but otherwise I don't really see much use for the general board or the bug board anymore.

[Gatz]

I'm inclined to agree. The gboards had their time, but the fact that a stable and robust forum is very easy to come by these days, it reduces the need for having them anymore. So, I think I might make personal gnotes and announcements work less like they do now and more like old school style...

For example, you log in:

"You have X unread announcements!
Type Announcement to read them!"

Everytime you type ''Anouncement" you go through your list of notes. Or Announcement skip lets you skip to the end, with a ominous message warning you that not reading notes can be a bad thing. Also, Announcement list and Announce read #.

For personal gnotes, maybe a similar setup?
"You have X unread personal notes!
Type personal to read them!"
Same type of setup, except players can do: "personal write" to enter the buffer to make a personal note to someone.

[Ichiro]

That sounds pretty good.

[Yamashita]

That's pretty much exactly what I was thinking, Gatz.