R7 Notes: The Exciting Adventures Of Moo The Cow

​

​

@AndyCortez: (to everyone, during playtesting Friday) "When I ask the cow what its name is, can it say "moo"?"​

@chillblain: "And have its name replaced by "moo" as well?"​

@Lum: "IMPLEMENTING THIS NOW"​

​

You may have noticed a mysterious patch note for version 109 this weekend:​

• Moo the Cow now reacts correctly

In other words, we added a conversation object to the cow in the south Owl's Head market (the one that blocks traffic constantly. moo.). No matter what you said to the cow, it would always say "Moo." because, well, cow. It did understand "What is your name", however, and properly showed its True Name, that being Moo because, well, cow.

These are the ways developers of online games occasionally go mad.

Fast forward a few days, to the end of R7. At the end of every release, it's my task to go through and check unrecognized responses from every NPC to help make them a touch smarter. And near the top of the list?

Mmhmm. A lot of you talked to Moo the Cow. And thanks to how we got her to always say "Moo.", we logged it all.

Such as:

• Moo.
• Moo moo moo?
• Moo?
• Poo.
• Oh? That will surely work!
• How can I kill Lord British?
• Would you by any chance know Smith the talking horse?
• Really? OK, I'll try that.
• So, tell me about life in Owl's Head.
• I hear you might have a quest for me!
• Hello, Moo!
• It's so difficult.
• I want to go shopping.
• Don't be afraid.
• I will protect you from Randall. Speak very quietly and walk slowly this way.
• Are you a paladin?

Note: Moo is not a paladin.

Thank you, and see you for RTX weekend and next month in R8!

 

Still a better story than Twilight.

 

Whats a Paladin?


~runs and hides~

 

Wisdom AND truth!

 

I'll show you a paladin

 

Please don't ever take away the free-form chatbox for NPC conversations. Despite being a throwback to older Ultimas (and text adventures), it's one of the most innovative features of this game. Thanks for sharing your madness with us, Lum, and keep up the great work.

 

Better looking too.....



Moo wins....

 

Fun stuff, thanks for posting this.

 

Does Moo's milkshake bring all tha... oh nevermind.

 

I"ve been recruiting the wrong spies, should have got Moo the cow instead.

 

*laughs until she snorts*

 

Me too... My daughter would kill me with one of her death-ray glances if she knew *what* I snorted about!...

 

If I'd known you'd put the cow back in for this release, I'd have played nothing else all weekend. However now I know, I'm gonna stress-test the udders off that beauty for the re-opening of R7.
I of course happily talked to the cow before it was coowl; and indeed had many exciting adventures with her. But I must request the following Mad Cow Conversation be added; "Moo. Moo. Moo. I AM LORD PALMERSTON! *bang* Burger anyone?", although possibly only a few people would even know why...

 

I was unable to find Moo tonight, despite my best efforts to quiz people all evening as to her location; I did have an interesting chat with a city guard though, which either shows how well the conversations are starting to develop, or perhaps how disturbingly.


I seem to have flustered him towards the end there... Or maybe that "No" was not in fact shocked confusion but rather a sweet attempt to say "Moo" with a lisp? Either way, my search shall continue tomorrow...