Town Criers

[herkles]

Hello,

I was thinking about something recently and that is town criers. For most people in the dread realms, reading and writing are a luxury that they do not have, thus they are illiterate. So I thought what about having town criers in the game that can shout things out for people.  This can be done by a NPC who would occasionally shout stuff out, similar to how belker does so in dementlieu. I do believe it is possible to have what it is shouted out to be customizable but I am not quite sure how to do so, i have seen similar things to this on other servers.

I think this would be useful as it would allow laws and information to be available, such as laws, events, and where locations are. I would like to hear what others think of this concept?

-herkles

[Feronius]

Isn't that DM Heretic's job? hehe

[Sewerprince]

I love it....BUT....

I can see this town crier being killed -very- often 

[Kendric98]

Would be cool if the message could be set by the players.

[Bad_Bud]

Wasn't this suggested before, somewhere?

[Heretic]

Would be cool if the message could be set by the players.

Its been suggested before the town crier idea, its a matter of getting it done. As for messages by the players, I would only have it done through natives + guard faction members ranked 5.

[herkles]

actually heretic that is sort of how I thought this would work. As I thought this would be a good incentive to play native characters of barovia.  Though not sure if you want it so they have to be both native and garda member rank 5, which I dissagree with, but having it require to be native barovians would be a good thing.

[Heretic]

actually heretic that is sort of how I thought this would work. As I thought this would be a good incentive to play native characters of barovia.  Though not sure if you want it so they have to be both native and garda member rank 5, which I dissagree with, but having it require to be native barovians would be a good thing.

Town criers are agents of propaganda. This propaganda comes from higher powers that inform the population of what they want them to know.

[herkles]

understood, however that really limits it. as we don't even have a garda rank 5 atm. Plus not everything town criers say is pure propaganda. They also try to lure people to tavens and shops, and inform about the local going ons, aka events for barovians, along with laws and proclamations from the government.

Though, maybe certain jobs could allow for the usage of the town criers as well? say a city official, like an archivist or something or the broken bell theater manager?

[Bato]

I've come from Arelith.
And let me tell you, Town Criers added nothing to the server.

Every now and then it's used well but it usually it spams nonsense and usually ignored anyway.

[BrightLights]

Having seen it used elsewhere, I can honestly say that unless it was heavily DM monitored, you'd get what basically amounts to spam emails, constantly. It could be used well, and was, very occasionally, but without being very well monitored it got to the point that most players either got mad about it or ignored it.

However, I would happily support a sort of specific-location NPC that was only usable by PCs of a certain faction:
For instance, a bounty hunter crier that the Garda could place bounties on. A Morninglordian priest in training that could announce events or preach prayers... Opening it to the general public, however... Probably not so great, having seen it.