Hearthstones and Whispers

[Grayl]

I did a search but couldn't find anything. If I missed a post or a sticky/FAQ, I'm sorry.

So, normally, hearthstones aren't considered real/IC items, as they're a little strange and as common as air. I was thinking of maybe making them relevant, though it would be hard to fit into the stories of each individual character. I guess they could be given them off trainers and such, but I had an idea anyway.

I don't know how people respond to a /w from afar on this server, but generally they're considered OOC as they don't really make sense. But the other thing that has always annoyed me is when someone /w's to my character saying "(( You want to come to Deadmines for a full run? ))". That, in essence, is fine. It's the fact that I respond with a "(( Yes. ))" and my character suddenly decides to run off (or even get teleported) to Deadmines, meeting up with 4 other people he's never met in his life, as if he's expecting to meet them.

I understand how it won't happen so much on this server as it isn't massively overpopulated and the emphasis is on RP, but I still think it's a good idea to introduce hearthstones as an item that "makes sense". Teleporting back to your home is a strange thing to do IC without having a hearthstone for it, so couldn't we make it into a thing that everybody has? Maybe Thrall gives it to all members of the Horde that are trying to help out, or it's a new invention by some powerful mage who wants to test it out amongst people. Or, as I said earlier, your trainer could give you one to keep in touch with you.

The up-shot of this idea is that whispers from afar can actually make sense. We could make it so that a hearthstone is sort of like a walkie-talkie. You can speak into it, and someone who has a hearthstone who is relatively near-by can respond when he/she hears the voice coming out of their pocket. The only problems I can think of are:

1) How exactly does this fit into the lore? Could hearthstones that can communicate with other people actually make sense in the Warcraft lore?

2) How do you set up the hearthstone to you can speak to someone in particular? If you needed a healer and you /who'd your area, it still wouldn't make sense for you to magically be able to find a healer by just speaking to one directly. Considering you don't know anyone's name anyway and hearthstones aren't like phones, it'd be hard to make this fit. Unless everyone near-by can hear it whenever anyone speaks into the stone and they can just ignore it when someone says "I'm an adventurer and I'm heading into the Defias infested Deadmines for some gold! I could do with someone to keep me alive with healing from the Holy Light, but you'll get a fair share of the reward!".

So, what do you guys/gals think? I've just never liked the idea of hearthstones being used to teleport home when we're still IC, and yet they're still acknowledged as being non-existent.

[Jeff]

I do not actually think Hearthstones exsist ICly. If they do, then I'd imagine it to only move physical objects over a time. Sound waves are not so much psyical as they are vibrations that come then go. As you can nmot move when using it as a game mechanic, if you take it into IC account, sound waves move. Thus unable to transport.

I personalyl say no on using it ICly. And no on using it as a talking device.

[Kaghuros]

I'm pretty sure it says on the wiki that Hearthstones are completely OOC. This is more or less to keep people from teleporting everywhere via magic items. Whispers are usually only IC if you're whispering to someone nearby, I.E.:

/e leans over and whispers to X

/w X "Blah blah blah"

There are ways to communicate over long distances, but keep in mind they don't appear to be easy to get a hold of. Examples are Goblin and Gnomish radios, and likely some kinds of magical enchanted items that powerful Mages can create.

[Shiv]

My idea if you want some sort of long distance communication.

Hearthstones are OOC and are not 'walkie-talkies'
Instead for some of the alliance towns (Sorry Hordies) there could be Gnomish Ham Radios in bars/taverns/inns. Considering the fact that it's new technology not everyone should know how to use it but Gnomish Engineers.

For Example...
Lets say theres an Inn, with 5 players in it, one of which is a Gnomish Engineer. Somebody else that is a Gnomish Engineer could use some form of localised general chat (Or make your own chat like /join H.A.M Radio) and use that chat to speak with other radio listeners in your area, now the reason you need the engineers... Since sound waves are a funky thing the radio must be tuned every now and again, thus giving the group on the other side something to RP as you talk to them, but this would also require both parties participation. Examples!

[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "Hello? Come i... Anybo... out there?" (the ... representing static interferrence)
[Say] [Player2]: /e fiddles with the knobs on the radio and finds player1's voice again.
[Say] [Player3]: "Oh good we got him back."
[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "I have an urgent mess...ge for anyo...e listening."
[Say] [Player3]: "Quick fix it! We can't hear him!"
[Say] [Player4]: "Ye!"
[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "My mudder she geifs birth."

Anyways something like that. Sorry if my explanation is a little sketchy I'm not good with words...

[Mikain]

Tyrande did not hesitate. "She has a hearthstone."
Varian's eyes were not the only ones to widen. Broll also knew of what the high priestess spoke, though even he himself had only twice seen one of the artifacts. A hearthstone was a palm-sized crystal, oval in shape, that was bound by arcane magic to not only its bearer, but a particular place. Most often, they were tied to great locations such as, apparently in this case, Darnassus. Distance did not matter.
"I'd thought them only legend," Varian remarked warily. "Things heard only in stories concerning magi... or elves."
"Or Elves," the high priestess repeated with a brief, dour smile.

-Stormrage, pg. 270 (Yes, I sat here and found the passage.)

They are there in lore, but we've never had them ic here.

[Shiv]

one of the artifacts.
"I'd thought them only legend," Varian remarked warily.

They are there in lore, but we've never had them ic here.

In this case it states that they are in fact legendary items of immense power, or whatever. So in order to put them IC we'd have to only give them to a select few characters. Maybe like, only one or two people. I guess they could work, but it'd be difficult... Because removing the item completely would make it very difficult to level, for people that wanted to level.

Offtopic: Mikain what book are you getting all this information from? I kinda want to get it...

[ThePharaoh]

Kudos to the find. The only problem I see with ICly Hearthstones.

is the Bubble-hearth theory.

I don't play retail, Never got into the raiding or PVP. But I've heard so many people hate paladins because when they get whooped they bubble then hearth.

If hearth stones were ICly, everyone would hearth before catching a period on a crispy ass whooping.

Nothing says aggravation like kicking some dudes ass and him poofing away because he has a rock.

[QuantumLegacy]

My idea if you want some sort of long distance communication.

Hearthstones are OOC and are not 'walkie-talkies'
Instead for some of the alliance towns (Sorry Hordies) there could be Gnomish Ham Radios in bars/taverns/inns. Considering the fact that it's new technology not everyone should know how to use it but Gnomish Engineers.

For Example...
Lets say theres an Inn, with 5 players in it, one of which is a Gnomish Engineer. Somebody else that is a Gnomish Engineer could use some form of localised general chat (Or make your own chat like /join H.A.M Radio) and use that chat to speak with other radio listeners in your area, now the reason you need the engineers... Since sound waves are a funky thing the radio must be tuned every now and again, thus giving the group on the other side something to RP as you talk to them, but this would also require both parties participation. Examples!

[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "Hello? Come i... Anybo... out there?" (the ... representing static interferrence)
[Say] [Player2]: /e fiddles with the knobs on the radio and finds player1's voice again.
[Say] [Player3]: "Oh good we got him back."
[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "I have an urgent mess...ge for anyo...e listening."
[Say] [Player3]: "Quick fix it! We can't hear him!"
[Say] [Player4]: "Ye!"
[HAM Radio] [Player1]: "My mudder she geifs birth."

Anyways something like that. Sorry if my explanation is a little sketchy I'm not good with words...

Using GHI Some characters and I'm pretty sure, most of GSF have radios already. They were around back when I was on the server, but it was sort of only a engineer of some sort creation. And I'm sure it was limited. The ones I used to use for my guild only would work within the same zone as the other person. But that's just how I implemented it.


Also as for IC Heartstones, as everyone else has rather well stated. The possibility of them being Ic would ruin it for most people. Thus I don't think we should ever make them IC.

[Benislav]

The entry posted above makes it sound like hearthstones are little to none, and in the game purely for the reason of being able to conveniently travel back to an inn.

As for whispering, I've always taken it as OOC, unless explicitly stated otherwise. It's the only sensible way of sketching out RP or conversing OOCly with a single other player. Sure, you can use it ICly, but there's never a reason to keep it to that.

[Grayl]

The general census seems to be a big fat no as there are other ways to explain long distance travel (ish), so fair enough. It was just an idea, and I've never liked the idea of having a hearthstone and teleporting around but it never happens IC.

Oh, and thanks Mikain for finding that entry! I think it's very interesting to know that hearthstones actually do exist in the Warcraft lore and they're not just there for players' convenience. But as you said, it says that they're extremely powerful, rare items, so everyone having one is pretty hard to explain.

Unless someone found a giant stash of them somewhere or something. But that's just wishful thinking...

[Rigley]

While one could always go for the obvious point on the mention of an IC Hearthstone [Cough cough, Knaak], I've heard from a few different people that Hearthstones do in fact exist; the problem is that they are very rare, and extremely expensive. As in, your entire sum of wealth for a portal rock.

[Benislav]

I feel I should add as well, that, as rare as they sound, I don't think it'd be realistic at all, even if you were to have one, to be able to just waltz in anywhere and go "yo, I'm just gonna set my hearthstone to your inn, ok?" I think that if you're to have one, it would return you to one preset place and could maybe be changed if enough time was spent on it.

[rentiger1]

So this begs the question, should hearthstones be removed from game? Should we have them as an item of rare power that is a gift from the GM's a reward for some role play?

I am sure there is a way to remove them from inventory, and with the reset we could make them as rare as they are supposed to be.

[Wuvvums]

So this begs the question, should hearthstones be removed from game? Should we have them as an item of rare power that is a gift from the GM's a reward for some role play?

I am sure there is a way to remove them from inventory, and with the reset we could make them as rare as they are supposed to be.

No, we should just not be allowed to use them ICly.

[Grakor456]

Removing hearthstones OOCly would just be cruel. They're pretty much mandatory for easily getting around the world.