Feature request for 0.2.8.4

[Uzix]

Small feature requests:
1) Option for do not mute sound while loosing focus - it will be realy nice to switch to other window when player died at start of round .
2) Console log on client - save all that user see at top of screen (chat messages, server notices, console commands, etc) to file.
3) Cache server list on client - sometimes masterserver replies is realy long.

[Z-Man]

First, there is not going to be a 0.2.8.4. There is a remote chance there will be a proper 0.2.9 at some point, but it's very remote. We're working towards 0.4 right now.

1) Option for do not mute sound while loosing focus - it will be realy nice to switch to other window when player died at start of round .

Already works that way on 0.4, all of the time.

3) Cache server list on client - sometimes masterserver replies is realy long.

Already works that way. To skip fetching a new list from the masters, you just need to hit ESC during or before the connection phase.

2) Console log on client - save all that user see at top of screen (chat messages, server notices, console commands, etc) to file.

For what purpose? We already have serverside text logs, clientside screenshots and clientside debug recordings covering pretty much every use case. Though, worth considering, if the log can be done with bbcode text colour tags and if it gets adopted by players, it would make all those 'funny' chat log posts that much more readable.

[AI-team]

2) Console log on client - save all that user see at top of screen (chat messages, server notices, console commands, etc) to file.

For what purpose? We already have serverside text logs, clientside screenshots and clientside debug recordings covering pretty much every use case. Though, worth considering, if the log can be done with bbcode text colour tags and if it gets adopted by players, it would make all those 'funny' chat log posts that much more readable.

That would be pretty useless but also pretty cool

[Uzix]

Already works that way on 0.4, all of the time.

0.4 too unusual after 0.2 (and unplayable fps at integrated videocards!). I think that many old players will continue to use 0.2 and will be pretty cool if this feature will be present in 0.2.

Already works that way. To skip fetching a new list from the masters, you just need to hit ESC during or before the connection phase.

This works very infrequently for me (0.2.8.3.2). So, i incorrectly said. I mean that when entering to server list it's always using cache and updating list in background.

For what purpose? We already have serverside text logs, clientside screenshots and clientside debug recordings covering pretty much every use case.

It's useful in many cases. For example, currently i developing statistics script for Armagetron and analysing its output in offline better than reading text in Armagetron window with PgUp or than screenshotting many screens of text.

[Z-Man]

Already works that way on 0.4, all of the time.

0.4 too unusual after 0.2 (and unplayable fps at integrated videocards!). I think that many old players will continue to use 0.2 and will be pretty cool if this feature will be present in 0.2.

Tough. It's not pick and choose. We may do the occasional backport, but mostly for serverside features, and only where possible; here it isn't because the sound system in 0.4 is all new.

Already works that way. To skip fetching a new list from the masters, you just need to hit ESC during or before the connection phase.

This works very infrequently for me (0.2.8.3.2). So, i incorrectly said. I mean that when entering to server list it's always using cache and updating list in background.

Yeah, that's where it'll probably be going sometime, but it's too big a change even for 0.4, I'm afraid.

For what purpose? We already have serverside text logs, clientside screenshots and clientside debug recordings covering pretty much every use case.

It's useful in many cases. For example, currently i developing statistics script for Armagetron and analysing its output in offline better than reading text in Armagetron window with PgUp or than screenshotting many screens of text.

That's probably no use. The output isn't meant to be machine readable (player names can easily mess your parser up), may be in different languages or consist of completely custom strings the server admin made up.

[Uzix]

That's probably no use. The output isn't meant to be machine readable (player names can easily mess your parser up), may be in different languages or consist of completely custom strings the server admin made up.

But it's human readable

2) Console log on client - save all that user see at top of screen (chat messages, server notices, console commands, etc) to file.

Patch for this in attachement (for 0.2.8.3.2, adding 10 lines of code).

[Uzix]

1) Option for do not mute sound while loosing focus - it will be realy nice to switch to other window when player died at start of round .

Patch for this in attachement (for 0.2.8.3.2, adding 2 lines of code).
Sound in backround enabled when setted option "Keep window active".
Tested on Linux (didn't know how it's will be work with DirectSound).

[Z-Man]

Ah, why didn't you say 'feature request I'll implement myself' right away? Both accepted with minor adaptation.
(There's still the issue of possible merge hell, of course, but I've learned to deal with that by now.)

[Zimblunk]

Hey Uzix / Zman,

Would it be possible to make the client console log so that it leaves out player chat? I don't want AA chat to become like IRC in that anyone on the server can automatically record what you say. Could be manipulated by bot phishing clients.

On a more positive note, I think a lot of people will appreciate the background sound patch.

[AI-team]

Are you talking about the client log or the server log?
In the former case: No, it's not possible, since the client can't differentiate between the different kinds of messages sent by the server.

[Z-Man]

Could be manipulated by bot phishing clients.

Malicious users can already do what they want with the console log, so I see no problem there. Same with framing people, if you trust logs or screenshots posted by random people as hard evidence, it's your fault.

AI-team: not quite correct, modern clients (past 0.2.6 or something) get sent special chat messages that are different from plain console messages.