Tell Interception Options

[Guest_Grimoire_*]

While talking on the IRC, sensitive information and how it can effect the game and how easy it is for someone to transmit this information came up. Obviously, the topic itself is too broad and almost entirely impossible to stop altogether, but an idea that came from this conversation is as follows. It's a very rough draft, so please comment and revise as you think is necessary.

One way to curtail someone from divulging information is to simply remove one of the ways they transmit this 'data'. Tells is the most common IC method of hidden communication, so therefore there should be a way to monitor these. This skill would function, likely, as a telepathic specialization with a general defense skill with a specialized defense skill in telepathy.


Skill Name: Skimming

Syntax: Skim <PERSON>
Skim <Room Name>

You open your mind to the telepathic waves in a specific location and begin to hear the whispers of your target.

This would have a moderate drain, so it couldn't be a constant effect. The drain would be reduced as your skill increases.

Also increasing would be your chance to remain undetected and the chance to pick up pieces of the conversation. If the person is visible, you can pick up their individual thoughts. If they are not, you have to determine their location and must filter their thoughts through those of anyone elses in the room.



To combat Skimming, there would be a general defensive skill that offers a low chance to cut out larger pieces of the conversation with a specialization in telepathy to give a much greater chance. This defense would have a very large drain so that it couldn't be in effect for over, perhaps 5 minutes.

Plug

Syntax: Initiate Plug
Terminate Plug

You close your mind to all outside influences as you begin to transmit your thoughts across the distances.



Here are the problems I see now and don't have an answer for yet.

1) For skimming an invisible person (after scrying them and locating their room) how could you differentiate between room name copies?
a) perhaps after scrying someone you can skim them by name, but you still receive the general thoughts in that room

2) What would the thoughts look like coming across to the intruding telepath, especially when skimming an area? Bob tells Sandy, "Hi" Or, Someone tells Sandy, "Hi", etc.

Let me know what you all think, please.

[Guest_Grimoire_*]

After talking some more, one of the changes that should be made is that you must be in the same room as your target to hear their thought specifically. Otherwise you are relegated to the entire room's tells.

That would change the syntax to being : SKIM <PERSON> without having the SKIM <ROOM NAME>

It also eliminates problem number 1

[Cubey]

I don't really like the idea of tell interception, mainly because tells can be OOC. Channels or says are okay though, and intercepting messages on them has actual strategic benefit because they're used for coordination in combat and stuff like that.

[Guest_Grimoire_*]

I don't really like the idea of tell interception, mainly because tells can be OOC. Channels or says are okay though, and intercepting messages on them has actual strategic benefit because they're used for coordination in combat and stuff like that.

This isn't for intercepting coordinating commands, that is done with technomages. This idea is to combat spying, mainly. It adds a lot of interesting methods of misdirection, too. I brought up the fact that tells are often ooc as well and the reply was that tells are completely IC. If you want to relay ooc information, use a messaging service. I was swayed to agree with them after some thought.

[Vidal]

This isn't for intercepting coordinating commands, that is done with technomages. This idea is to combat spying, mainly. It adds a lot of interesting methods of misdirection, too. I brought up the fact that tells are often ooc as well and the reply was that tells are completely IC. If you want to relay ooc information, use a messaging service. I was swayed to agree with them after some thought.

I agree. Tells and messages should be seperated for IC and OOC, respectively. Nothing breaks immersion for me than getting an IC message, or an OOC tell. Tells are the mental communication of your character, right?


Also, the only thing that came to mind regarding this was the "drain". The drain, mana/willpower or whatever, should be effective enough that novices or lowbies couldn't make much use of this, in order to prevent the creation of lolalts as spies.


For syntax in problem 3 , I was thinking:

Your mind tunes in to that of <TARGET>, and <HIS/HER> words begin to filter through your hearing:
...
Bob tells someone, "Hi."



The person your target is talking to would be unknown, as you're only skimming your target's mind. Perhaps at higher levels of this specialization, you could focus your skimming to the point where you could determine your target's talking partner, or even hear both sides of the conversation.

[Guest_Grimoire_*]

I agree. Tells and messages should be seperated for IC and OOC, respectively. Nothing breaks immersion for me than getting an IC message, or an OOC tell. Tells are the mental communication of your character, right?


Also, the only thing that came to mind regarding this was the "drain". The drain, mana/willpower or whatever, should be effective enough that novices or lowbies couldn't make much use of this, in order to prevent the creation of lolalts as spies.


For syntax in problem 3 , I was thinking:

Your mind tunes in to that of <TARGET>, and <HIS/HER> words begin to filter through your hearing:
...
Bob tells someone, "Hi."



The person your target is talking to would be unknown, as you're only skimming your target's mind. Perhaps at higher levels of this specialization, you could focus your skimming to the point where you could determine your target's talking partner, or even hear both sides of the conversation.

The drain would need to be something that can't be restored with ease. An example would be willpower or endurance from other IRE muds, I just don't know if they'll be present in this one. The skill itself would be very high in the telepathy (it could also fall under other categories, mutants perhaps) skillsets and would be supplemented by another skillset (although I'm not a fan of that idea) or some other type of modifier to increase effectiveness.

I think it's a good idea to have a very small chance to hear who the target is speaking to, rather than always not knowing or always knowing. It adds a little more ambiguity to it, which is good because this shouldn't be, in my mind, an end all be all for espionage.

The syntax you listed would work for a single target, but for a room full of tells, it wouldn't work right, grammatically. But yes, I like it!

[Oneymus]

Discussion on the IRC produced these ideas:

Skimming Tells would function like overhearing Whispers. The message would be garbled, with Ranks in the Ability increasing the clarity of the message. The General defensive Ability, as well as the Skill-specific Ability would both work to counter that effectiveness.

As to energy expenditure: the idea would be that the Telepath is taxed for every Tell Skimmed, and not just for using the Ability. I would like to see a means by which the Telepath could increase expenditure to increase clarity, or perhaps to better focus on her target specifically. The defense would act passively, except for rival Telepaths, who would be able to activate a more powerful defense.

As Grimoire suggested, there would be various ranges and scopes. The first would be the Telepath in the same room as her target: she would be able to filter through all telepathic communications, and hear only her target's. In the same Area, but not the same Room, she would be forced to hear all Tells in the Room. Outside of the Area, and off-Planet, she would be forced to hear all Tells in the target's Area.

This is to prevent Telepaths camping out in the Empire capital, allowing for retaliation by her opponents; for the Telepath to do anything other than be in the Area would be a costly, and mostly futile, exercise in spam filtering.

For the sake of clarity, let it be known that Skimming would be an Ability. Abilities are members of Skills. Skills are selected by players, based on their Archetype and Subtype.

And, for the record, Tells are 100% in-character. They are explained within the canon: the Tears have granted the Touched some telepathic abilities; in this case, telepathic communication. One can generally assume that if it happens in the game, it's part of the game.

[BrandNew]

I had forgotten to mention that area effect, thanks for adding that.

I'm personally not a fan of draining by tell, because I think you should have to pick and choose when you use it rather than being able to turn it on for long periods of time with no effects as long as your target isn't speaking.

What do the rest of you think?

(I'm Grimoire, btw. Just got tired of that boring forum name...not that this one is any better)

[Vidal]

As to energy expenditure: the idea would be that the Telepath is taxed for every Tell Skimmed, and not just for using the Ability. I would like to see a means by which the Telepath could increase expenditure to increase clarity, or perhaps to better focus on her target specifically. The defense would act passively, except for rival Telepaths, who would be able to activate a more powerful defense.

As Grimoire suggested, there would be various ranges and scopes. The first would be the Telepath in the same room as her target: she would be able to filter through all telepathic communications, and hear only her target's. In the same Area, but not the same Room, she would be forced to hear all Tells in the Room. Outside of the Area, and off-Planet, she would be forced to hear all Tells in the target's Area.

To the first part, I don't know the full extent of the Ability yet, but for increased clarity:

FOCUSSKIM: allows perception of who the target is talking to, but not any replies to the target, with an increased drain on willpower.

TRUESKIM: allows perception of who the target is talking to, as well as replies from this person, with a significant drain on willpower.



That raises a question for me, though. If you get FOCUSSKIM (I hate that name), what's to stop you from just skimming your target, getting who they're talking to, and then skimming that person as well.


Perhaps skimming should be limited to one target at a time. Or a trans ability to "multi-skim", but with drawbacks.

[BrandNew]

To the first part, I don't know the full extent of the Ability yet, but for increased clarity:

FOCUSSKIM: allows perception of who the target is talking to, but not any replies to the target, with an increased drain on willpower.

TRUESKIM: allows perception of who the target is talking to, as well as replies from this person, with a significant drain on willpower.



That raises a question for me, though. If you get FOCUSSKIM (I hate that name), what's to stop you from just skimming your target, getting who they're talking to, and then skimming that person as well.


Perhaps skimming should be limited to one target at a time. Or a trans ability to "multi-skim", but with drawbacks.

Only one target would be a very acceptable condition. One that I approve of, indeed. I don't know if I like the focusskim or trueskim ideas themselves. The main thrust of the skill is to allow for a lot of ambiguity, so for me, any focused attention in one area or another kind of weakens the idea of the skill. Thoughts from everyone else?