Apocoreo wrote:OOO in the future could we get messenger pigeons? If raised in a coup, you can right click and set how many tiles they will fly, then release them in that direction. With a string and parchment you can tie a messenger to their legs.
Idea: it would be kind of redundant to use messenger pigeons to send messages since this game already has a chat function. However, messenger pigeons would still be really cool and useful to send items to other players.
let's say messenger pigeons have a small inventory, maybe 2x2. place items you want to send in the bird's inventory, then select a player from your kin list and the bird will fly to that player and let them access their inventory. If the player is outside, the pigeon flies right to them and perches on their shoulder until they take what the bird is carrying. if the player is in a building or cave, the pigeon will perch outside the entrance until they leave and then perch on their shoulder. if the player is in a dungeon, the pigeon can't find them and comes back to the sender (or just perches outside). If the player is logged out, maybe the pigeon should wait in the coop until they log back on, then fly out to them.
I see this as having a lot of application for gift giving and trade, especially for players that live in villages or do a lot of trade. Is one of your friends asking for a specific item, but they live far enough away to discourage you from riding out to them? Have the pigeon bring them the item. Have a market alt that you want to send some money to? Have the pigeon bring it to them. Did one of your villagers ride out far away and get seriously hurt in a fight? Use the pigeon to send them some medicine.
Is this realistic to how messenger pigeons work IRL? No, but this is a game where questgivers are all talking trees, so I think it's the right level of realism vs. fantasy. I'm a fan of this idea for the gameplay implications. Admittedly this sounds really OP, but there could be limitations. For example, I also think it should be possible to intercept a pigeon that's flying out to someone. When you catch or kill a messenger pigeon, you get the pigeon as well as whatever it was carrying. So it's possible for players to steal things that were meant for someone else, but it's pretty much impossible to know when someone else is sending a messenger pigeon unless they tell you or something, so your chances of being able to intercept a specific gift being sent to a specific person are pretty low. Taking things out of a messenger pigeon's inventory that weren't meant for you should leave a scent of theft, and killing someone else's messenger pigeon should leave a scent of vandalism.
I feel like there's an interesting risk/reward factor to using pigeons to send things to people if there's a narrow possibility they could be stolen along the way. It might make you have to consider what kind of items you're willing to send out by pigeon. Also, for realism factor/keeping this from being too overpowered, you could put limits on what kinds of things messenger pigeons can carry. No metal ingots, perhaps.