Buffer npc dialog as necessary

[bilbous]

I find that one of the things that is annoying about talking to the npcs is the time it takes for them to respond. I find this a particular problem when they have multi-part comments. I would like to propose that when someone starts to talk to an npc, say about a quest, and the npc has such dialog, it all gets pulled out of the database at once and the extended bits get buffered until needed or the conversation times out. It frequently takes 5 or more seconds for a response to appear and while that is not a long time it impedes the flow.

What seems to be happening now is that each time a player prompts the npc the next bit is added to the database retrieval queue which takes however long depending on its traffic. It may well be that this suggestion is unrealistic given hardware limitations.

[Siteri Kidachi]

Actually, it used to be that the response would appear immediately after the question was asked. I think that the wait time is supposed to be a simulation of someone typing at the keyboard (longer sentences take longer to appear).

[bilbous]

Well it is certainly sometimes the case that the text scrolls too fast and I need to use the scroll bar to read from the beginning but I find that preferable to an auto-scroll rate just a bit too fast or too slow. I don't mind too much waiting for a real person to finish typing but I prefer not to wait for an automaton.

[Karyuu]

Not a simulation of typing at the keyboard (NPCs are a part of the RP world, not players sitting behind computers). The delay is to realistically mimic the speed of speech - you say something and then you might pause. It also gives you time to read what the NPC said before getting another chunk of text from them.

[bilbous]

Well I think it is not realistic at all, unless possibly I was talking to someone on the moon. I do not really understand why this in particular would be chosen for such a purpose. It already takes longer to read the lengthier passages, what with scrolling and all, that it would to hear it said, for me at least. Then again I am not certain we are talking about the same thing. In every case where the npc has something to say that is not just repeating one of his "what are you talking about" sentences it takes at least 5 seconds for him to respond. The longer his response is the longer it takes for him to start responding. If this is an intentional effect perhaps it could be user configurable because I, for one, would much prefer to keep the npc waiting for my reply than to wait for the npc to finish what he is saying. As far as breaking up what the npc is saying goes it is not a bad thing but I think it would be better accomplished with blank line feeds or lines with just one dot so that the player can know there is more coming.

Several times I have had it happen where the npc has refused my offer of help only to reconsider after I have typed in a query about another thing he had to say and have him expecting a yes or no answer. Let me try to be clear here, his reconsidering was not due to my further queries, he was programmed to have the afterthought in answer to the original "Can I help you."

I am all for trying new things to see if they work, I do not think this works and hope the consensus will come around to my view before too long.

[Karyuu]

Eep, I see. I thought that only happened when there are several large chunks of text coming from them. For example the NPC would spill one chunk (immediately), wait a few seconds, then give another. Waiting to hear a response from the first though is pretty annoying.

[Josellis]

I find it also very annoying. What I thought was a system where the computer receives the whole message at once (like it used to be), but the client shows 1 new letters every 20 milliseconds, or about the speed someone would speak at. This would make it look as if the speech is actually coming and being said instead of just waiting a long while where you are assuming that he is saying something or believing that the connection dropped out and then, having all the speech hitting you on the screen in surprise.

[ThomPhoenix]

It should probably made so that when you ask a question the first piece of conversation is shown immediately, so you actually know your question was right. After that the system should work just as it does now, with the pauses.

[Lanarel]

I was told (some months ago) by one of the devs that it was going to be changed again. No idea what it would be changed into, or when, or if it is ready for a new release though.
I think the problem is that the waiting is before showing the text, instead of after it. THere is a longer wait when parts of text are longer. If the wait was after, I think it really adds realism, but especially for actions and not text. FOr example, while Brado is pouring together some ingredients it is nice that he waits a bit before he tells you the result. But since we can listen while someone speaks, it would be nice if we could read while someone is writing too

@Billbous: when you enlarge your chat window to a few inches, there is no need for scrolling in most cases

[bilbous]

I do sometime enlarge my chat window and more than a few inches, most of the time I prefer to keep it 4-5 lines high and scroll when necessary. Most of the time I prefer to keep it small and out of the way but I rarely close it completely.

It is good to hear the change is a gonna come. I do not have a real problem with having the message come in spurts, but in cases where the npc first say "I got nothin" I think "oh wait..." should be in the first spurt so I know to wait for him to finish and not assume he is done. The big problem is the wait for a reply to my question. I do not even mind much hemming and hawing as long I do not have to wait for something, anything at all.