Mod idea: Redone `Ask-about` feature

[NathanKell]

Actually, not _really_ redone, as it looks like this was Akella's original intention.

Basically, instead of having the `ask-about` feature `hard-coded` into the citizens' dialog files, you do it like rumors.
Check island and nation, find applicable people.
Player chooses one.
Check island and nation and find thing to say about said person.

Doing it in an `id-based` array like rumours[].

In fact, this was originally _part_ of the rumor system (see program<b>dialog</b>rumour_data.*


EDIT: I mean, check town using the new town system, not island and nation. AND, per Cat, check sex too. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

<!--`QuoteBegin-NathanKell`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NathanKell)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->AND, per Cat, check sex too. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />[/quote]<snicker> Is this another thing I will never be allowed to forget? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Sounds quite efficent, Nathan, and has the potential for immense variety! Is it something that can be put together before Sept. 15th, or are we going to stretch our deadline for the Build? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

 

[NathanKell]

Probably not; this was just an idea I had, I don't know when I'll get to it. Like I said on the other thread, my plate is rather full. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

If someone else wants to do it, though, that'd be great. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

Heh, yes, I figured you were pretty busy. It was more or less a facetious question. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

 

[alan_smithee]

What exactly would it do?

 

[NathanKell]

OK, you know how you can ask a townsperson about the shipwright, storekeep, or barkeep?
The way that's set up now, it's `hard-coded` for each dialog.
I.e. Oxbay citizens (that is, anyone who has dialog oxbay citizen_dialog.c) have three `ask-about` choices, for owyn, alan, and, um, Everard?
Rumors, however, are kept in a central store and tagged (by island and nation, or "all"), and you get a rumor by calling SelectRumor; i.e. the rumor is chosen dynamically.

What this mod would do is take that (`about-people`) data out of TOWNNAME citizen_dialog and put it in a central file, like rumors. So you could give anyone the dialog choice "talk about people", and you could add any character to the list of "people to talk about" and POTC would handle it from there.
{under this new scheme} Want to add Sneaky Trader to the ask about dialog? Just add an entry into people_data.c and say what towns he applies to, and POTC will handle the rest
{under current scheme} manually add the dialog entry to all ***citizen_dialog.c and *.h files affected.

This also would allow peoples' impression of people to change over time, and even allow asking about _yourself_ and have _that_ change over time (keyed to your nation relations, fame, quests completed, etc).