Cross Server Chat

[Shock]

I do not know anything about computers, but I do know I like talking to friends ingame. All the different servers severely disrupts the social aspect of arma. A chat for everyone playing the game, no matter the server they are in, seems like fun .

[kyle]

here are someother relevent topics.

[gawdzilla]

Forget it, the developers are waiting for the community to die before they implent new stuff.

[Shock]

What a good idea

[insaneo]

Forget it, the developers are waiting for the community to die before they implent new stuff.

Well, it's already happened that way once...

[Tank Program]

Thinking about it more, having cross server chat could be done through the master servers some how. Which would then also give a nifty way of keeping global statistics as well. And providing chat logs for those situations which are becoming all too frequent.

[Z-Man]

Zoids, Liz has discovered our secret plan! Quick, deploy an alibi feature!

Now, seriously, I still think this is a bad idea. One way or another, the global chat coordination service would need to keep track of players, which is problematic from the privacy perspective. And cross server chat doesn't even get far enough for convenience, you'd want cross game chat. For that purpose, we could do what Luke-Jr suggests: integrate Jabber as a) a method of identification and now b) a medium of communication, either via a client that supports getting used as an overlay in OpenGL (Think steam or mumble) or a rudimentary own client implementation. All of this is a lot of work, of course.

Oh wait, you're not just talking about PMs, you're talking about a global shoutbox thing where everyone can write in and everyone has to listen? Before we can talk about how such a thing would be best implemented, how will it work socially? Why won't it get spammed to death?

[gawdzilla]

Privacy perspective? You can see who is in every server by hovering over them, how is this any different... there's even a 'mates' option in some versions ffs besides, almost every game I know has a more advanced chatting system / crosschat, I've never heard of someone being spammed to death. Also, there can be an option to toggle chat off for yourself (text output: off / enable_chat 0)

Not that I really care anymore, I know this won't be implented. ZZz, carry on...

[epsy]

Tracking people's nicknames around isn't the same thing as tracking people's chat around.

[Shock]

/Off topic/
The spam is only an issue because the text covers so much space. Instead of making the chat over the whole screen, a chat "box" is less distracting because it is smaller, and does not get in the way of your game.
/End/

So.. yeah? I do not see a reason against cross server chat that makes much sense yet.
o.o

[INW]

I don't understand why there can't be a chat box section beside the master server list where as it's like a lobby...only people viewing the servers will chat there....I can't see how having chat from all the servers will be too convenient when put with the server's chat currently viewed in game but then again...I can't see how it can be too inconvenient either.

[Titanoboa]

I decided to show my appreciation by demonstrating how I imagine it could come in handy, in just one of the many situations it could be used.

( Imo, this feature would work best with a buddy list* (or mates list* if that's what you call it), so a possible layout on that is displayed too.

I think it would be easiest (I'm viewing from the user end perspective) if cross-server messaging required people being logged in.
Eliminates the issue of two players on different servers with the same name.

You'd show/hide the buddy list with a button like you show/hide the score table. )

*I realize there's already some kind of Mates function in some versions.. Never really paid attention to it though. No clue what it's for and if anybody uses it.

[Mkay1]

/msg titanoboa@forums that's cute. ________________ iPhone

[Tank Program]

*I realize there's already some kind of Mates function in some versions.. Never really paid attention to it though. No clue what it's for and if anybody uses it.

It lets you filter the server list by player name, so you can easily identify servers that people you know are playing in.

[ZURD101]

/Off topic/
The spam is only an issue because the text covers so much space. Instead of making the chat over the whole screen, a chat "box" is less distracting because it is smaller, and does not get in the way of your game.
/End/

Code: Select all

CONSOLE_COLUMNS 150

I prupose armagetron adopt console_columns 150 as the default size of chat.
/End/