LACK OF INTEREST Proposal for Diplomatic Channels Indexing System

[Bossza007]

Roleplay Think Tank​

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Introduction

Hello, dear friends and fellow roleplayer in our world of roleplay,

As we navigate the various narratives and storylines that we are so passionately crafting together, it's become increasingly evident that our system for managing diplomatic relations could use a bit of refining. With our varied nations, diverse characters, and the web of interactions we are spinning, staying abreast of diplomatic exchanges is no easy task.

After observing and experiencing firsthand the intricacies of this roleplay journey, I've found myself drawn to the idea of better organizing our diplomatic interactions. Hence, I come to you today with a proposal I've been nurturing: the creation of a Diplomatic Channels Indexing System.

This system, as I envision it, would be a tool designed to streamline and simplify the management of our diplomatic threads. Its primary aim would be to provide us with a quick, clear overview of the state of diplomatic relations between our diverse nations at any given moment.

The Need for Diplomatic Channels Indexing

In the world we've so lovingly built together, filled with political intrigue, power struggles, alliances, and disputes, keeping track of our many diplomatic exchanges is critical. As any ruler, diplomat, or observer knows, missing a crucial conversation or overlooking an important diplomatic message can drastically alter the course of events.

In our current system, we face challenges of transparency, accessibility, and efficiency. Conversations can get lost in the shuffle, critical information can be overlooked, and threads of interaction can become tangled. This can dampen our roleplay experience, reducing the depth and richness of the world we're collaboratively creating.

This is precisely the problem that the Diplomatic Channels Indexing System seeks to solve. By offering a clear, organized framework for diplomatic threads, we can enhance our experience, ensure important communications are tracked and visible, and further immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of relationships that make our world so fascinating.

Proposed System: Diplomatic Channels Indexing

Allow me to take you on a brief tour of the proposed Diplomatic Channels Indexing System. Imagine it as a vast library, where each country's diplomatic history is neatly archived, a place where any observer or participant can easily navigate the corridors of our collective geopolitical saga.

1. Country Subforums: Think of each country's subforum as a unique room in this grand library. Each room is decorated with the country's distinctive colors, the echoes of its past discussions and the future plans being charted. We continue to nurture these spaces as our individual command centers, our national headquarters.

2. Megathreads for Diplomacy: Within the hushed corners of each room, we find a massive book, the "[Country Name] Diplomatic Channels". This book records all diplomatic dialogues of the respective country, acting as the single source of truth for all current and past interactions.

3. Individual Diplomatic Exchange Threads: Here's where we implement our new structure. Within the megathread, individual threads for each diplomatic exchange between the host country and another are created. Following a specific naming formula, the thread's title would be "[Sender] to [Recipient] | Subject". This systematized labeling ensures easy understanding and indexing of the threads by the system from the Diplomatic Proceedings. The thread would then become a chapter in our "Diplomatic Exchange: [Host Country] and [Interacting Country]" book within our grand library.

4. Outreach and Reception Sections: Each chapter, in turn, is split into two halves - "Outreach" and "Reception". The "Outreach" half chronicles all messages sent out from our homeland, the words and gestures with which we extend our influence. The "Reception" half, on the other hand, treasures the words we've received, the world's responses to our actions.

Visual Indicators

To help you navigate this grand library with ease, we're introducing a system of visual indicators. Much like the symbols on a map or the signs in a library, these colorful tags or unique icons would guide your journey, revealing the status of each diplomatic exchange at a glance.

Need Reply: A bright red tag or a loudly ringing bell icon beckons you, signaling an awaiting response from the other party.
In Progress: A sunlit yellow tag or a steadily ticking hourglass icon indicates a conversation gently simmering, an ongoing dialogue that needs no immediate action.
Finished: A calming green tag or a satisfying checkmark icon marks the close of a chapter, a conversation neatly tied up with a resolution.
On Hold: A quiet grey tag or a paused clock icon whispers of a conversation waiting for the sands of time to turn, a dialogue on hold, poised for future developments.

Conclusion

I share this proposal with you, not just as an idea, but as an invitation to join me in refining our great narrative. Please, upvote if this resonates with you and share your valuable thoughts, suggestions, or concerns in the comments. Together, we can continue to evolve our shared world, shaping a more engaging, more dynamic roleplay environment.

 

[Dutchy]

Hi Bossza007,

While I understand that it would be nice to have an index of RP, I would argue we already have that with the current subforums which differentiate between diplomacy, military, and internal RP.

In terms of a database, such as an Archive, I would argue that this is the player's own responsibility. Because I don't see a way to automate this it would then either become extra work for the player or the staff (and putting more work on the staff is not an option). I am currently working on my own archive to keep track of everything which the Dutch government would have access to as you can see here LINK

Perhaps it might be worth adding an example of what you are suggesting so we can better understand the proposal.

Thank you for taking the time and effort to suggest this proposal, I do truly appreciate it and I hope that my aim to provide constructive criticism isn't taken in any offence.

Kind regards,
Dutchy

 

[Bossza007]

Dear Dutchy,

Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my proposal. I greatly appreciate your thoughts, feedback, and the evident effort you're putting into maintaining our roleplaying experience.

I certainly agree with you that maintaining an archive of individual characters and their interactions is, and should be, a player's responsibility. The intent of my proposal is not to shift that responsibility onto a system or the staff but rather to augment the current tools we have at our disposal to facilitate a smoother and more immersive roleplaying experience.

The idea behind the Diplomatic Channels Indexing System is to create a more streamlined approach towards the management of our diplomatic threads. Currently, the onus of keeping track of various diplomatic threads lies solely on the individual players. While some players like yourself may have efficient systems in place to manage this, others might struggle, and critical information could get lost or overlooked. The proposed system seeks to mitigate these issues by providing an organized, clear, and easy-to-navigate framework for all players.

In regards to the feasibility of such a system, I understand your concerns about the implementation of it. You're absolutely correct, setting up and maintaining such a system would indeed require work, but I firmly believe that the benefits it would bring to our collective storytelling experience would far outweigh the initial effort. Additionally, if we can collaborate on this endeavor, the workload could be shared and become more manageable.

Regarding your suggestion to provide a tangible example of the proposed system, I fully agree with you. I should clarify that while I don't currently have a visual prototype to share, and I am not experienced in creating such elements, I do believe that it could be a valuable asset in helping everyone understand how the proposed system could function. As you rightly suggested, having such a visual aid would greatly enhance understanding and potentially bring more constructive feedback. I am open to attempting this myself, and I would also welcome and appreciate any contributions from the community. I see this project as a collective endeavor, and I am sure there are members within our group who might have the necessary skills and would be willing to contribute to this cause.

Again, thank you for your constructive feedback. It's precisely these sorts of conversations that help us continually refine and improve our shared roleplaying experience. I assure you, no offence was taken. On the contrary, I'm grateful for the insightful critique.

Best regards,
Bossza007

 

[Taranis]

Bossza007,

Firstly, megathreads for diplomacy can already be done by the player, as part of their archives (e.g. the United States or the Netherlands), and doing so is really only useful to that player. Practically speaking, you can search up messages in diplomatic proceedings by a player, but I doubt you will need to find an old diplomatic communication unless you were involved in it.

Secondly, your visual indictators are either already available in some way or have no practical value:

Need Reply: You can mention someone, and that player can bookmark it if they really can't find it, but it shouldn't be too much work to find it.
In Progress: No/little difference between that and Need Reply.
Finished: Already available
On Hold: No roleplay is ever 'on hold', in any field of MN, unless the player is on LOA; but there is no need for a tag specifically for LOAs, unless you want to extend this to all roleplay by people on LOA.

While I like the principle of standardisation, there are better ways to show the subject that's not in the title, especially if it's a long subject; and customisation of your roleplay title format just makes each country more unique.

I generally like these proposals for its detail and commitment, but, in summary, I don't think they're particularly urgent.

 

[Bossza007]

Dear Taranis,

Thank you very much for engaging with my proposal and offering your thoughtful insights. It's precisely through this robust exchange of ideas that we can continue refining our shared roleplaying experience.

I understand your points about the existence of some current methods to manage diplomatic exchanges, and I appreciate the efficiency with which players like you and Dutchy manage these interactions. However, the intention of my proposal is to supplement these methods with a system that offers added clarity and accessibility for all members of our community.

In addressing your points:

1. Megathreads for diplomacy: While individual players do indeed create their own archives, having a standardized Diplomatic Channels Indexing System could allow for more accessible and comprehensive tracking of diplomatic exchanges. The goal here is to simplify the process and make it easier for all participants, especially new or less experienced members, to navigate our complex world of roleplay.

2. Visual Indicators: The purpose of introducing visual indicators is to provide an at-a-glance status of diplomatic communications. I understand your points about the existing options, and my suggestion is not to replace them but to enhance them. I believe these visual indicators can complement existing methods by offering a clear, color-coded, easy-to-read summary that can improve user experience.

Regarding your specific points on each indicator:

- Need Reply: While it's indeed possible to bookmark or search for specific messages, a visual indicator can instantly signal to a player that a response is needed. This can be especially helpful during periods of high activity where messages might get buried quickly.

- In Progress: This indicator serves a different purpose. While 'Need Reply' suggests that immediate action is required, 'In Progress' signifies an ongoing dialogue that doesn't necessarily need immediate attention but is not yet complete. This can be useful for long-term negotiations or extended diplomatic interactions.

- Finished: While it's true that a thread's status can be inferred, a visual indicator simply makes this information more readily available and noticeable.

- On Hold: I agree that roleplays are rarely put 'on hold.' This indicator is designed for situations where an exchange might temporarily stall due to external factors or pending decisions, providing a way to denote threads that aren't currently active but aren't necessarily completed.

Regarding the subject of roleplay titles, I absolutely agree that customization adds a unique flair to each country's roleplay. The standardization suggested is purely for diplomatic exchanges within the proposed system, and players can certainly continue to customize their titles in other areas of roleplay.

I understand your point about the urgency of this proposal. My aim with this idea is not to suggest an immediate, urgent overhaul of our current system, but rather to introduce an enhancement that I believe could enrich our collective roleplaying experience. While this proposal might not be urgently needed, I do believe it has the potential to add significant value to our community over time.

Thank you once again for your thoughtful feedback. All points of view are critical in shaping and refining ideas, and I deeply appreciate your contribution.

Kind regards,
Bossza007