Hello,

seems to me that the bar chat is mostly unused. I know that when I am at a station that the red bar tab means something happened there , but I might be in minority here.
I tried several times to chat with people at the bar but nobody seems to notice. I think the Bar is too hidden, the list of people at the bar should be visible on the main station screen - maybe in the top right pane just beneath the station name and location?
Otherwise the bar chat seems redundant to me.

I agree, it's redundant. In fact, it isn't even supposed to be there right now. But it was added back in because someone complained, I guess (I wasn't involved). My plan was to add it back in again when I had more of a point for it.

Maybe if the bar became the default chat when you entered a station.
Maybe if we had 10x's more players online too.

I'm guessing what Incarnate means is that there will be a use for station chat when npc's will be offering missions in the station bar as (I think it was him) he said he wanted to implement.

Yup. I also wanted to actually name bars individually, and.. other stuff.

bar chat does not really do anything sector chat can. That is why it is not widely used.

Maybe if chat weren't so universal. It isn't too realistic (unless there's new technology) and doesn't do much for immersive roleplaying when you can communicate instantly with anyone anywhere, all the way across lightyears, even when in the game they're your deadly enemy. Bar chat is pointless because you can talk to anyone elsewhere and it's easier. Maybe if chat only worked within a system, otherwise you had to post a message, like email kind of. Or, another idea. Anyone who has read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series (my favorite) is familiar with the "ansible," which is a device that allows instant communication across unlimited space. The problem is that it's expensive, and not everyone can afford one. Maybe if every station had one, and it was accesible from the bar, then for a very small fee (or not) you could have universal chat only in the bar, only with people in other bars. For roleplay purposes, you could only chat in the bar with people friendly to your station's government. For example, at a Serco bar, you could chat with Serco and anything unaligned. Similar with Itani, and if you're at a grayspace station or UIT station you can chat with anyone. This would encourage use of the bars, and mingling in grayspace.

Anyway, just a thought.

http://makchuga.tejat.net/

... enough said. Ya think? >_>

the Bar would be FAR more useful if it had some additional features over the other channels. For instance, if you were able to take randomly offered "under the table" missions that would boost faction ratings, offer greater reward cash, or whatever.

Maybe have some visual representation of the bar itself, chat with the "bartender" and other patrons to get tips on where good cargo runs are, that kind of thing. In other words, don't just make it another sector chat, but make it more like a real bar.

Hey, some of us use the bar for RP and the like. :(

Yep, the bar gets used during Guild meetings from time to time. I think its worth keeping for its long term potential.

Cheers

Ecka

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/11077

I could imagine the bar eventually becoming (among other things) a kind of long range communications hub.

Exactly, Phaserlight. Short-range communications from ships, long-range only at stations. Kind of my idea with the "ansible" from Ender's Game. Of course, it's also a good point that this wouldn't really be realistic until we have at least twice as many players as now.

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/14616#183719