As a preface: my suggestion is really more for IC groups, though I realise that the coding that would likely be put in would affect all groups. That said... here's my suggestion:
User / player group-specific inventories and currencies.
I was mostly thinking about this as an epic group thing because I realise how it would make things easier for group organisers and owners. However, I think it would be nice for people to have the ability to make custom group inventories and currencies just so that things are easier for role players to keep track of. Moderators would have the ability to add things to users' inventories, and users can earn currency either through IC-posting or through admin and moderator approval.
As a whole, I think a lot of people that RP -- especially with those that have original characters and world settings -- would like the ability to keep track of stuff they earn or collect in their groups, should the group that they're in have a specific setting. Admins and mods would have the ability to add to an item database that is specific to their group, and they can even name their currency (maybe with an option for up to four different increments, ala copper, silver, gold, and platinum).
When it comes to group specific items, I think it would be really cool to have an option to allow text-based names for stuff, but also an option to add an image to showcase what that item looks like in one's inventory for those that either have the resources, or for artists that have the vested interest in creating these images for the group resources.
I don't really know the coding or effort that it would take, it's just something that came to mind that as a role player, I would love the option to have when participating in any groups that have specific settings. Managing a lot of things offsite, or in documents just gets a little inconvenient at times -- especially if you don't remember to actually document anything.
User / player group-specific inventories and currencies.
I was mostly thinking about this as an epic group thing because I realise how it would make things easier for group organisers and owners. However, I think it would be nice for people to have the ability to make custom group inventories and currencies just so that things are easier for role players to keep track of. Moderators would have the ability to add things to users' inventories, and users can earn currency either through IC-posting or through admin and moderator approval.
As a whole, I think a lot of people that RP -- especially with those that have original characters and world settings -- would like the ability to keep track of stuff they earn or collect in their groups, should the group that they're in have a specific setting. Admins and mods would have the ability to add to an item database that is specific to their group, and they can even name their currency (maybe with an option for up to four different increments, ala copper, silver, gold, and platinum).
When it comes to group specific items, I think it would be really cool to have an option to allow text-based names for stuff, but also an option to add an image to showcase what that item looks like in one's inventory for those that either have the resources, or for artists that have the vested interest in creating these images for the group resources.
I don't really know the coding or effort that it would take, it's just something that came to mind that as a role player, I would love the option to have when participating in any groups that have specific settings. Managing a lot of things offsite, or in documents just gets a little inconvenient at times -- especially if you don't remember to actually document anything.
I just want to toss out there that while I imagine this would be awful to code up, especially for how little use I think it would get... I still think it's a pretty neat idea. 
Maybe an alternative for now would be a forum section where every thread was a player's/character's inventory? Maybe the first post, created by a GM figure, would list the actual stuff, and perhaps the player could post in it when they want to use something so the GM doesn't have to follow every post of every thread in the group. But maybe a quick link to where the character is using it in game, and the GM could post a little OOC note or something if it's necessary to prove a person had and used the item as declared.
Maybe an alternative for now would be a forum section where every thread was a player's/character's inventory? Maybe the first post, created by a GM figure, would list the actual stuff, and perhaps the player could post in it when they want to use something so the GM doesn't have to follow every post of every thread in the group. But maybe a quick link to where the character is using it in game, and the GM could post a little OOC note or something if it's necessary to prove a person had and used the item as declared.
This is a super interesting idea. It raises a crapload of questions, also, but still. Intriguing.
Not something I would want to consider on the current codebase, but maybe on the next...
Not something I would want to consider on the current codebase, but maybe on the next...
My question is how would something like this work? I'm having trouble imagining how things like currency and inventory could ever be updated automatically, since they'd be influenced by RP. However, a non-automated version would probably be super easy to make!
For example, I created something like this a long time ago by using ranks on whatever website host I was using at the time. Each rank had special colors, badges, descriptions, and names. People could have multiple of them displayed in their profile or even their signature, making it ideal for inventory. So, instead of using them as intended, I drew up little sprites for some items that people could earn then gave them the "ranks" as they obtained each item. Currency was pretty similar, I just made a smiley that looked like a coin and used the smiley in the title of a custom profile field. That was my way of getting around the fact that field titles couldn't have pictures. I had a lot of fun bending the rules, lol.
For example, I created something like this a long time ago by using ranks on whatever website host I was using at the time. Each rank had special colors, badges, descriptions, and names. People could have multiple of them displayed in their profile or even their signature, making it ideal for inventory. So, instead of using them as intended, I drew up little sprites for some items that people could earn then gave them the "ranks" as they obtained each item. Currency was pretty similar, I just made a smiley that looked like a coin and used the smiley in the title of a custom profile field. That was my way of getting around the fact that field titles couldn't have pictures. I had a lot of fun bending the rules, lol.
Admittedly, a lot of my thoughts and inspirations came from places like Gaia Online, Flight Rising, NeoPets, and other generally pet sites of one kind or another that have a lot of these systems in place.
Gaia is more at the front of my mind, as it has a system in place for earning money per post -- and generally rewards you for your length of post. It also had a currency cap so that you couldn't abuse this system and just spam the forums for your money, meaning you'd actually have to make your posts count.
We don't have mini games to earn money -- not that we really should have any flash or java based games for that. Earning them through posting makes the most amount of sense (for the people that wish to implement that as a system).
As for inventories, it would be easier to manage through having group IC-shop systems set up, that much is true. The main thought would be that moderators or admins would have to manually add them to the character that is getting the item. The system was never implied to have been fully automated in the first place -- only the currencies in some respect.
In my mind, the inventory was more of a setting to allow a user to see what they have as well as the benefits or detriments of an item they have. Adding to or removing from that inventory as an admin or moderator would look more like just going to a group setting page that allows you to see that information, clicking on the character in question, and adding or removing from a reservoir of items that has been cataloged into the group by those that have chosen to take on that responsibility.
Gaia is more at the front of my mind, as it has a system in place for earning money per post -- and generally rewards you for your length of post. It also had a currency cap so that you couldn't abuse this system and just spam the forums for your money, meaning you'd actually have to make your posts count.
We don't have mini games to earn money -- not that we really should have any flash or java based games for that. Earning them through posting makes the most amount of sense (for the people that wish to implement that as a system).
As for inventories, it would be easier to manage through having group IC-shop systems set up, that much is true. The main thought would be that moderators or admins would have to manually add them to the character that is getting the item. The system was never implied to have been fully automated in the first place -- only the currencies in some respect.
In my mind, the inventory was more of a setting to allow a user to see what they have as well as the benefits or detriments of an item they have. Adding to or removing from that inventory as an admin or moderator would look more like just going to a group setting page that allows you to see that information, clicking on the character in question, and adding or removing from a reservoir of items that has been cataloged into the group by those that have chosen to take on that responsibility.
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