Gossip
One aspect of the social system that we highlight is oral culture and the transmission of information. Our gossip mechanic is our primary tool for simulating this. It is a fairly simple concept: non-player characters (i.e. characters controlled by the computer, NPC) talk to one another about the events that are taking place within the world. What makes our implementation different from other games' is that the gossiping that takes place is based upon the "memories" that a character possesses. A memory can be a memory another character gossiped, a "notable" action done by one of the players, or some pre-scripted memory that we want to happen in a particular scenario. For example, if a shopkeeper catches a player stealing something from a shop, the shopkeeper would shout out to the public that X had stolen something from Y, at which point the townsfolk that had heard the shout would begin to spread the memory by gossiping with other characters around them at regular intervals. Eventually, if the constable hears about this theft, he will arrest the culprit upon their next encounter.

Above, we have so far described a "viral" transmission of information throughout the environment, where memories spread from host to host without discretion. While this can be interesting in and of itself, it fails to fully model the nuances of society. This is why we decided to place another layer on top of this system, where non-player characters choose who they talk to based upon a variety of social factors. For Revolution, we decided that the appropriate factors would be the gender, political affiliation, social class, and personal relationship (between the two characters gossiping). Essentially, if the two characters' social stances are too disparate, they will not gossip with one another. Players, on the other hand, will naturally make mistakes and try to talk across too many of these boundaries. When this occurs, the NPC makes a statement appropriate to the context, and then returns to their previous business. For example, if a lower class man tried to talk with an upper class woman, he would be rebuffed with a "Remember your place, sir." Thus, the social rules of the time become intertwined with the game's environment. It is our hope that when players explore this environment, they will begin to get a feel for the social dynamics of the town, and how those dynamics affect the spread of information through a fundamentally oral culture.

On top of all of this, we also provide other methods of transmitting information in the environment. The broadside (or in more modern terms, billboard) allows players to 'post' their memories so that all NPCs that walk by and read it learn it as well. There is also a podium in the town square where players may shout out something they know to the general populace. While this is an effective way of getting the word out about particular happenings, your remarks may be regarded as inflammatory. If people take offiense to what you shout, then you'll be held in lower regard, which makes it harder to speak with people.

Proper Etiquette
Whenever one character (player controlled or otherwise) engages another character in conversation, they go through the proper social protocol. Characters of a lower social class bow to their superiors and address them by Mr. or Mrs. and the person's last name. People of equal class refer to each other by their last names, but without Mr. or Mrs. in front. People of higher class refer to those lower than them by their family name, without an honorific. As expected, slaves remain deferential when conversing with whites.

Trade Skills
Each character (except the lawyer, Robert Carter Nicholas) has a particular trade skill which they may employ to make things. While the materials, tools, and final products of each trade vary, the basic process of crafting things is the same.

Players start by entering their "trade space," an area found inside their home or workshop. Once inside, they are prompted to start crafting. This is started by selecting what materials or ingredients the player would like to use in crafting. Next, they select the order in which they want to apply their tools. If the mix of ingredients and series of actions match a particular "recipe" (a set of instructions for making a particular item), a new game object is created. If it doesn't match any recipes, you get mush (at least if you're cooking).

Trade skills are primarily used to make items required for plots, but crafting also allows students to get a general feel for the tools, skills, and items that made up the everyday life of tradesfolk.