Idle Chatter

[Galileus]

For once, I'll write a short post on a topic

Idea came up from a deterring raiders by fear tactics topic. Basically - some specific raid leaders would be extra effective or quite negative in outcome when displayed as a corpse to scare off other bandits. And the knowledge who should be buried and who hanged would come from idle chatter from passing folk, attacking raiders and traders coming by.

But of course this is no limit to what can be done with that idea. Idle chatter (a pop-up message) could contain things like:
- Info on incoming events (scanned by ship, spotted by traveller, unfortunate taunt by raid leader), like:
-- Solar flare
-- Next raid
-- Next incoming ship
-- Incoming weather
-- Composition of next raiders group ("We'll wipe 'em out even before these assault boys get here!" from raid leader)
- Tips, tricks, and other useful gameplay hints
- Info on pretty much anything useful for future modules
- Some pointless chatter for flavour
- Exposition dumps in small doses

Now, three good things about it:
- Allows travellers to have at least a bit more use than just being colonists resupply and brings more flavour and life to the world
- Is easy to implement
- Semmy, being a workaholic, would just love to sort through hundreds of community suggestion for a idle chatter

[Coenmcj]

On that note, how about some variance based on how you run your colony? Like via fear or happiness?

"So what did you do yesterday jim?" the trader asks over the comm-system,
"Oh nothing, you know just the usual, putting my enemies in gibbet cages for all to see, brutally torturing my prisoners and setting up deathtraps, what about you?"

[Galileus]

I think idle chatter should be one-sided. I'm not sure if there is anything really to back up that approach, but I get a gut feeling you're going to run head-long into problems with a full dialogue option. Simply looking at complexity and intricacies of what could happen all game long if you allow for it...

But otherwise it's an awesome idea. We have no feedback so far on the "style" of your colony, and what better than idle chatter to give you an idea on how others see it? You can add single lines, activated only when your colony has some "style":

- Business as usual in this part of space. Lots of nothing and then pirates. Oh, and on that note? You guys would probably want to know, there is some talk about Richmond's boy getting his own group and running havoc. Brat is sponsored by his daddy, so he can do what he wants. Wretched family! Holds best sources of water and keeps half the place in check. But then again, bastard should be glad you're stranded here, right? I wouldn't want to be him, if you bunch were flying around the place.

So, you get an info on influential pirate, who can pose problems if "mistreated". Daddy will understand if he gets killed, sure, and really - will be glad that boy is underground. Wouldn't want to tell everyone his bloody offspring got himself shot by some crashed folk, now? Even less displayed as a trophy afterwards... Anyhow, then you get the fluff, establishing the feel of the place as a whole, and then you get your style flavour.

Note to self: would need to write all that chatter from "stranded" perspective. Some hostility and general lack of trust, with some "But big world ain't no problems of yours, son" in early game.

[Trensicourt]

Easy...
You have a Colony Chat or Idle Chatter Screen.

Then you have to make a communication table in order to make the new building. The building is called Sector-Galactic Tower or whatever name you guys suggest. The tower is then linked to another building or it can be viewed as 1 building.

The purpose of this building is it can connect to several network affiliates that you need to pay for every day, because they bring news from so far away. Some Network affiliates however, you need a pass to enter and so on. Each network affiliate brings different news. You can also get single channels, but they don't give out as much information.

You get the point, right?

[palandus]

The only problem with that idea Trensicourt is that breaks the overall lore of the game. As you are on a rimworld on the outer rim of the galaxy it takes many decades if not centuries for news to reach those places due to the inability to travel faster than light. So, if your star system is 100.3 light years away, it will take a communication at least 100.3 years to reach you (as communications are usually transmitted by microwaves (Wifi/Radar) or radiowaves (AM/FM) which travel at the speed of light). So any news you'd receive would be decades out of date, if you received it at all.

[Trensicourt]

What if its sector based? Only news from the current sector. At most those news would be 1 month out of date. Most would be 1 day old.

[Galileus]

What if its sector based? Only news from the current sector. At most those news would be 1 month out of date. Most would be 1 day old.

It's still a completely different idea by feel, lore, reason and function. We're talking about a simple, short and sweet addition that rewards curious players, not a "here is everything:" cheat-sheet. This is way off from how and why I proposed idle chats.

Not to mention - I even pointed out how you need to "bias" the chatter to keep that stranded and alone feeling to it. And you propose a multi-station news broadcasts... ^^'

[Trensicourt]

Nonononnononononnnonnonononononononononnnoono!!!!!!!!!

I mean there is a colony Idle Chatter screen, I'm just suggesting a news room with randomly generated news and channels. Sometimes there could be a clue to that could connect to your colony. You can set a colonist to communications on manual priorities, so he advertise and increases the quality and quantity of trade ships that go to your base.

[palandus]

OHHHHH Sector as in a sector in the colony, rather than a sector as in a massive chunk of space several light years across. That makes more sense.

[Galileus]

Nonononnononononnnonnonononononononononnnoono!!!!!!!!!

I mean there is a colony Idle Chatter screen, I'm just suggesting a news room with randomly generated news and channels. Sometimes there could be a clue to that could connect to your colony. You can set a colonist to communications on manual priorities, so he advertise and increases the quality and quantity of trade ships that go to your base.

My points stand. All of em.

OHHHHH Sector as in a sector in the colony, rather than a sector as in a massive chunk of space several light years across. That makes more sense.

Taking into account there is "sometimes" a news concerning the colony and spoke of channels and advertising, no, I don't think he meant sector in the colony.

[Trensicourt]

I meant a few solar systems across. So you may get information decades old, but it should show the date.

[Galileus]

I meant a few solar systems across. So you may get information decades old, but it should show the date.

So, what is the point of having that? My idea was to make a system that can be used to rely current information to the player.

[Trensicourt]

I'm getting confused  .

here is the new version:

A building that allows you to collect news in your solar system.
News can be 1 hour-6 months old at most.
A colonists can be assigned to do communications work; the colonist then tries to get trading ships in the area and possibly more raiders. This is the cons and pros of assigning colonists there.
Also, there are network affiliates that you need to pay for. Each one gives you 1-4 channels? You can surf through each channel and look at small bits of information. In addition to the information you receive, you can also detect early warnings of a raid. For example: Network Affiliate 4 or a.k.a. Rimmy World Station. 1 of the channels it called Boom Rat News.
Chris-"Hello there and Welcome to Boom Rat News! Today we have exciting news. We have seen a large wave of raiders who called themselves the Muffalo Cowboys."
John-"What is so interesting about them? The only the thing I know is they are establishing head quarters on [your planet]"
Chris-"Yes! Yes! The exciting thing though, is they managed to penetrate the border patrol on the planet Tritor 6. You can see miles of dead raider pilots and guardsmen alike. it is very terrifying that we now have raiders on the loose."

Then it will summarize and tell you that there is a good chance of a large raid incoming.

[Galileus]

Now it's even worse. It already was against feel of the game and fluff, now it also is against logic. "Today's news: to these 3 guys on a moon that will get this message in 6 months - a small raiders ship is approaching!".

Also, could you please start your own topic? This has nothing to do with idle chatter, and you trying to duct-tape what I intended it for to your news stations idea is not helping.

[Trensicourt]

You should have said this several posts earlier, before it developed into something like this. -.-