I started reading this topic and suddenly, as clear as water, I had an insight. I was not going to write this, but after a while I got it stuck on my throat, because I really saw this as an alternative. xD
Well, I see the game prison as a way of punishment, but it is so boring,
usually because:
a) if there is a prison map, it is separate from the rest of the world, thus free players can't see who is being punished neither why is being punished;
b) if one is in prison, banned from the joys of the game, s/he can pay his/her debt offline, logging in hours ago already out of prison;
c) after all, punished players often commit the same mistakes as before, meaning that prison-like punishments doesn't really mean anything (though I must agree it's not always the prison fault).
So, what could be done? I'll tell you: stocks and pillories.
(Check out my pixel art
and the following pictures:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chap ... Stocks.jpg
http://www.guestlistwebarts.co.uk/terra ... illory.JPG
These stocks/pillories should be placed near the entrance of a well populated city (e.g., Tulimshar), thus players could see if there's someone being punished while they are passing by. A sign (just one, working as a NPC) close to the stocks/pellories would tell the name of the banned players and the reason why each one of them is there.
For practical use, I personally think pillories are easier to implement than stocks. Stocks would occupy 2 tiles, pillories just one. Stocks seem to be permanent, i.e., it has those rock bases stuck on the ground, and without it the device would be 'escapable'; pillories are only made of wood, giving a just-made and tighter appearance.
The pillory graphic effect would be just one for all the characters: a naked player (without equipments) with the head and hands locked into the wood. Actually I thought of this whole thing to be just one, but just the head of the char would change (because of the hairdo). I don't know if I make myself clear, but anyway, another way to do it could be building the pillory as an equipment item, but I couldn't figure out here how to make the player wear it. xD
The player should be immobile, "tradeless", but not muted (perhaps a limited number of lines per minute?). I think the idea is make people realise being banned from the game is not a funny thing, so a funny way to put it out (lol?) is having the banned people stay online an especific amount of time according to what rule was broken. Yet one can be online, but AFK... This I was not able to "solve".
Oh my... I wrote a bunch of stuff.. Anyway, this is only a suggestion. I have no real idea how it could be done. I'm really liking the game, so thinking of new stuff to develop it is kinda easy. I hope you like it, but if you don't, it doesn't matter.. xD I know the final decision of this topic will be good, otherwise it would suck >__<.
(In fact I liked the "black hole", but it's so... black. O_O)
Cheers.
