i think ghosts should be able to observe the adventure / centcom z level (z2)

[Zamujasa]

thats it. thats the post. the old azone content is largely like 8-10 years old at this point and i think it would encourage more people to explore. "ooh, what is this, how do you get here for real".

this also includes centcom. you can't actually play with any of the fun toys unless you get there for real, but you should be able to look around as a ghost


this doesn't apply to the "super" secret z4 / ocean z3, just the old adventure zone.  plus we wouldn't have to worry about weird problems with ghosts in the afterlife bar any more 


e: in case the person in discord doesnt post it maybe you could disable fullbright view so its still kinda spoopy or whatever

[Megapaco]

Im da person from discord. I suggest that the areas do be shown but keep the good parts dark and obscured. Just enough to show newbies that there's more areas to explore around other than the station and build enough intrigue for them to want to go see whats going on.

[Glamurio]

Considering it's not secret content and considering that everyone can just download a local copy and explore all of this, I really don't see why people should arbitrarily be limited on live. I don't think it's necessary, but I also don't think it harms anything.

[Zamujasa]

it was fine back when it was still secret, similarly to how the trench used to be observer-restricted for a long time due to stuff like prefabs

[DisturbHerb]

i think it'd be a little strange if you could surf around z2 and see that mars is really just next door to where souls go when they die

[Chasu]

i think it'd be a little strange if you could surf around z2 and see that mars is really just next door to where souls go when they die

I wouldn’t exactly call it strange, it’s more similar to a little behind-the-scenes of how Goonstation azones are actually mapped and put into the game. Maybe it would even get some people into mapping?

I also don’t think that much of anything needs to be purposefully kept hidden from ghosts. Now that there are solid rules against powergaming and rushing said items in place, that‘s less of a concern. Many ways are also opened through indirect interaction like powering APCs and such, and you only get to see the layout as a ghost without being able to interact with it. Knowing where the door is is only one half of the solution, the puzzle needed to open it is another.

Also, moving azones further out of the semi-secret (can’t talk about it, but it’s also not actually hidden in the code and such) spot it is in right now is a good idea.

[Cherman0]

I would go so far as to say that secret content as a whole has lost a reason to exist. It feels like a charade that everyone is obliged to participate in just because "it's always been that way". For azones in particular I feel that it is harmful narratively, but for other secrets (especially chem) secret designation is seemingly arbitrary and just creates "in-groups who know" and everyone else.

[Glamurio]

I would go so far as to say that secret content as a whole has lost a reason to exist. It feels like a charade that everyone is obliged to participate in just because "it's always been that way". For azones in particular I feel that it is harmful narratively, but for other secrets (especially chem) secret designation is seemingly arbitrary and just creates "in-groups who know" and everyone else.

Secret content makes sense in so far as to release features that are still work in progress. A good example of this is rancher and chickens. I am inclined to agree that secret content could do with an expiration date, especially because we have so many non-developer contributors these days that could fix bugs or implement new features, but just can't access the code.

[Mouse]

On one hand I could finally see what's behind the locked door at Centcomm without key collecting.  On the other hand, I could finally see what's behind the locked door at Centcomm without key collecting.

[meaow589]

might be good idea since people who die in adventure zone sometime want to know how far we can go how progress we are or do we miss anything in that place? make a ghost can fly around your corspe abit should be great.I support this idea.
Beside Even the game not allow to do it we still have other way to see the real map already ( from adventure zone map in the wiki ) so in regular adventure zone. i think it should be fine to make people can observe area.
I still agree with some of secret still should be secret.

[Zamujasa]

I would go so far as to say that secret content as a whole has lost a reason to exist. It feels like a charade that everyone is obliged to participate in just because "it's always been that way". For azones in particular I feel that it is harmful narratively, but for other secrets (especially chem) secret designation is seemingly arbitrary and just creates "in-groups who know" and everyone else.

secret content isn't bad in and of itself, but i have opinions on that subject and this thread is not about that

Secret content makes sense in so far as to release features that are still work in progress. A good example of this is rancher and chickens. I am inclined to agree that secret content could do with an expiration date, especially because we have so many non-developer contributors these days that could fix bugs or implement new features, but just can't access the code.

i wouldn't really say chickens are a "wip" (they have existed for 3 years and seem relatively feature-complete) but as far as i am aware they are going to stay in the secret module indefinitely

i think it'd be a little strange if you could surf around z2 and see that mars is really just next door to where souls go when they die

it's a good thing this is a farting space man simulator and not an immersive triple-A rpg or we'd be in some real shit

[Lefinch]

Yeah sure, I'm not personally worried about pulling back the curtains of Z-level layout shenanigans given ghosts are OOC anyway and knowledge that ours is a realm of ultima VII cramming things in spaces is not for mortal IC men. I'm cool with giving our observer fans more to observe and as a sneaky side thing I think it might make spotting someone being a bit too repetitively nerdy about raiding areas a bit more easily exposed. On a more positive note its something for dead people to do, it'll let people dip their toes in by following along too.

So why not.

[Ikea]

My personal take here is ghosts should be able to move around in z2 but ghosts cant see or move past cordons on these z levels. This means you can actually follow the person you're spectating without being inside them, but you can't see every azone by accident. If being able to easily spectate other azones is desired, then just have the cordons block only visibility for ghosts so you don't get accidentally spoiled.

[Zamujasa]

if you don't want to be accidentally spoiled i would simply not ghost around the adventure zone level

i do not think making cordons specifically restrict visiblity is something you can do in byond

[kyle2143]

My personal take here is ghosts should be able to move around in z2 but ghosts cant see or move past cordons on these z levels. This means you can actually follow the person you're spectating without being inside them, but you can't see every azone by accident. If being able to easily spectate other azones is desired, then just have the cordons block only visibility for ghosts so you don't get accidentally spoiled.

Yeah, this is the way that makes the most sense. They shouldn't be able to move past cordons, I wasn't sure how to say that.