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[Regular Hexahedron]

There's no way to write on signs in adventure mode, which rules out a lot of possibilities on servers that choose this mode for their players.

Here's a new item I suggest: The Chalkboard

This item would be crafted by surrounding a piece of smoothstone with sticks. It would look like a black stone sign in a wooden frame, and could be placed the same way signs can. Text written on the sign would look like white letters on a black background.

Unlike signs, you wouldn't write a chalkboard's text upon placing it. Instead anyone can right click on the chalkboard at any time after it's placed to open up a editing screen and alter the message. There's no need to break it.

This is useful in any mode of gameplay for signs you plan to edit often. It saves the effort of having to break the sign. And, if you're only changing a small part of the message, it saves you the effort of retyping the whole thing.

It would be especially important in adventure mode servers though. Chalkboards would be the only signs you can alter while in adventure mode.

[Candypizza5]

nice bro, or broete, whatever you are.

[Skia]

I like it, but kinda confused. What do you mean, the only sign you could edit in adventure mode?

[SPWeber]

Skia, on 28 June 2012 - 09:28 PM, said:

I like it, but kinda confused. What do you mean, the only sign you could edit in adventure mode?

You can't break or place blocks in adventure mode, so you wouldn't be able to break and replace a sign to write on it. With this you could edit it without breaking/placing. I think this is a cool idea.

[Zoju]

How would this be useful?

[SPWeber]

Zoju, on 28 June 2012 - 10:33 PM, said:

How would this be useful?

Did you even read all of it? He explained it in depth.

[Regular Hexahedron]

Zoju, on 28 June 2012 - 10:33 PM, said:

How would this be useful?

To expand on what I wrote in the OP, it has two main functions:

1) To allow people in adventure mode to leave messages on signs

2) To use as easier to edit signs, perfect for something requiring frequent changes.

For example, a blackboard would be a better way to leave mail for another player because they can easily delete the message after they read it without having to break the sign and place it again.

Or if you were keeping track of something like how many ingots are in a chest, you could edit the sign easily whenever you add or remove items.

A traditional wooden sign would be better for something that's not supposed to change often, such as street or building names or a list of server rules.

[SPWeber]

And maybe it could be slightly modular? Like a double chest, a double chalkboard could have more written on it?

[Regular Hexahedron]

SPWeber, on 28 June 2012 - 11:14 PM, said:

And maybe it could be slightly modular? Like a double chest, a double chalkboard could have more written on it?

Maybe. Although there's always the option of just putting multiple blackboards side by side and editing the text in each square individually, the same as signs. More annoying to use, true, but easier to code.

[SPWeber]

Regular Hexahedron, on 28 June 2012 - 11:44 PM, said:

Maybe. Although there's always the option of just putting multiple blackboards side by side and editing the text in each square individually, the same as signs. More annoying to use, true, but easier to code.

well it would be different than signs because of the border, if they would combine it would be much more fluid looking

[Regular Hexahedron]

SPWeber, on 29 June 2012 - 12:20 AM, said:

well it would be different than signs because of the border, if they would combine it would be much more fluid looking

True. If chalkboards don't merge together, then they should either not have a border where they touch other chalkboards, or if that's too difficult to program then they should have no border at all.

[Diamondcup67]

I would think the same thing too

[Mathy]

Or, you could borrow CTM scripting to make a chalkboard of n by m dimensions. Might be an interesting concept to explore further.

Support.

[Sylveon]

Good idea!

Have some butter!

[SnowConez]

I would really like this. I'm not sure if it would be for anything but aesthetics, but I think it would be pretty cool if you could change your writing colour through use of dyes. Piggles approves

[jpmrocks]

I support. I would love to use even without adventure mode, just take notes of coordinates and such.

[Melkior_Wiseman]

I like this idea.  Support, even without combining signs.

[Gorinich Serpent]

Wait can you place a chalkboard on the floor like a sign? That would look a bit silly, any way support.

[Regular Hexahedron]

Gorinich Serpent, on 05 February 2013 - 01:53 PM, said:

Wait can you place a chalkboard on the floor like a sign? That would look a bit silly, any way support.

Probably. I think it should work just like a sign that can be edited at any time. So anywhere you could place a sign you could place a blackboard,

[tigereye504]

Perhaps, instead of crafting this with stone and sticks, you could craft a blackboard with one sign and one ink sack, in a shapeless recipe. There are two reasons why I think this is a good idea:

1) Aesthetically, it makes sense. The item is a black sign, so why not make it by painting a sign black?

2) Functionally, it makes sense.  This item combines the function of a sign with the book's ability to be edited  The ink sack is a key component of the written book, so combining a ink sac and sign to make a editable sign seems reasonable.

3) Realistically, it makes no sense at all. While this isn't really a good reason for or against the crafting recipe, I figure I should state it now instead so that a fuss isn't made of it later.