Frankly, I don't particular care that much if there's a level of unrealistic behaviour, such as every NPC being informed of world events instantaneously. I certainly can understand it from an algorithmic design consideration point of view, as implementing a full information flow system would be overly complex.

What I do mind if is this system makes the game world unrealistic. Common problems in RPGs include NPCs who will attack you on sight if you pick up one of their items (never mind that the NPC is an unarmed peasant and you are a walking tank), or where the game hard codes an instant death penalty to someone who steals a slice of bread (Ultima 8 is the example that springs to mind for me). Or if whatever penalty applies to the PC doesn't seem to apply to the thieves, muggers and murderes NPCs in your game world (worst example I can think of is in Arcanum, where if an assassin attacks you in a bar the town guards inexplicably come after you).

So Wavinator, if you include a reason for why all your NPCs know things instantaneously, then I'll be happy. If your game was less high-tech then having wanted posters plastered over the town would also have the same effect. I'm happy to believe that every NPC is an insatiable gossip and that information of the players misdeeds spreads very quickly. Just make sure that you integrate your system into the rest of the game world so that all information flows as quickly, and it will be good.

I'd prefer the above poster's method - wanted posters probably won't blow holes in your plot - or better yet...the NPCs aren't telepathic and you just don't get found it if there's no witnesses/there's no proof it was you. Probably awful difficult to implement, but it would be neat to A) get away with murdering someone every once in a while and B) killing someone and getting in deep crap for it. :)

Might not be the kind of game you want; I just thought it'd be nifty.

The notion of direct mind-to-mind communication on any scale brings with it a lot of baggage, and if you're going to hive up a whole community or civilization, you need to be concerned about far more than just their investigative techniques. In fact, I doubt such a society would have criminal laws, or any distinct governmental body. Since the tech/superpower/whatever allows their minds to be in rapport, there would be no real need for any other communication, and every individual in the network would effectively serve as little more than an appendage of the communal being.

Heinlein's short story Lost Legacy has an instance in which three people have telepathically joined and are performing some task with only one of their bodies. The other two sit in chairs across the room. That's the sort of thing you might see in such a society.

What's more, it might reduce individuality, so that the population is little more than a pack of drones, controlled by the mental sum of their minds. I can only imagine how efficient such a group could be in terms of military tactics, directed research and technical operations.

On the other hand, if it's just a brain-phone that you have to consciously use, the effects would be more slight. If that's the case, just tell the player about it, and make an NPC stop and close his eyes for a moment, or have his pupils emit blue light or something when he "jacks in" to report you. It would be the functional equivalent of a guard reaching for his radio, and you'd have the same opportunity to interrupt the operation.

Okay, reading over this post, I got some very distinct mental impressions.

First and foremost, the Borg of course. We all know and love the Borg! "Resistance is futile!"

Secondly, agents in "The Matrix". Regular "people" being turned into agents for no better reason than their close proximity to the perputrator(sp?).

Finally, what about... "Minority Report" game? While we're creating hive minds that allow NPC's to instantaneously know that you've killed another NPC, why not just arrest you (or attempt to) before you even commit the crime based upon the fac that the "pre-cogs" have seen it.

Anyway, I didn't really have anything beneficial outside of that scope to offer, so I'll shut up now.

Vopisk

Stephen Baxter and Arthur Clarke's "The Light of Other Days", while not the same, has a similar theme. Starts with a future Earth where "brain phones" exist (with the minimal change that ICC suggests). Then a technological break through allows instant communication across any distance (which leads to telepathy) and the ability to see the past.

I don't think it'd work. Just how many criminals do you expect them to be able to recognize just like that? It's one thing to be told (whether on TV or through cybernetic implant) that a guy looking like this is a criminal. But actually *remembering* the face at the point (much later), when the player actually drops in, is tricky.

I'd still have the same problem. Only instead of it being "How does he know I killed that barkeep", it becomes "Ok, so how come everyone can recognize *me* in particular? Am I the only damn criminal they've been warned about?"

I'd have thought that if the system warns everyone of everything, then they'd have to remember hundreds, thousands of faces of criminals. And then it'd really surprise me if they can pick out the player in particular.

And as others said, it might just hinder the plot too.

Quote:Original post by Spoonbender
I don't think it'd work. Just how many criminals do you expect them to be able to recognize just like that? It's one thing to be told (whether on TV or through cybernetic implant) that a guy looking like this is a criminal. But actually *remembering* the face at the point (much later), when the player actually drops in, is tricky.

I'd still have the same problem. Only instead of it being "How does he know I killed that barkeep", it becomes "Ok, so how come everyone can recognize *me* in particular? Am I the only damn criminal they've been warned about?"

Does anybody else find the descriptions of criminals (e.g. murderers, rapists, etc.) on the news completely useless?

"The suspect is a white male with brown hair, 5'10" and about 180lbs."

Makes me think, "Damn... just what did I do last night?"