Forums » Suggestions

Petition to abolish broadcasted chat

«123»
Feb 04, 2004 Magus link
I don't see why people are so willing to deprive themselves of a good feature because someone else isn't using it the way they like it. Don't let some jackass have veto power over your vendetta experience. /ignore works fine.
Feb 04, 2004 roguelazer link
I don't care about that... I think global chat is unrealistic and makes the game too much like SpaceQuake2! for my liking.
Feb 04, 2004 randomize link
"good feature" my ass.
with universe of 100+ sectors and more than 1000 users online at one time would you be able to read anything at all? even now it's damn hard to see team messages. there's multilog, but not many noobs know about it and they miss team orders.

GET RID OF IT!!!
MOVE IT TO STATION!!!
STOP THE ABUSE OF SPACE RADIOWAVES!!!
Feb 04, 2004 Celebrim link
First, /ignore is there for a reason. Use it often. In general, I /ignore anyone that ever launches into a long derogatory rant, repeatively uses profanity, or boasts about his skillz more than once in any five minute period.

That said, I've wanted general chat gone for ages now. Not only would people get along much better without it, but for me it destroys the 'real sim' experience. Instead of feeling like I'm in space, I feel like I'm in a space game.

People should be able to communicate as follows:

1) From a station, to anyone in any station.
2) From a station, for a fee, to everyone in every station.
3) From a station, for a larger fee, to everyone in the game.
4) From a station to any ship in the sector.
5) From a station in a chat room, to everyone else in the chat room.
6) From a station in a chat room, to everyone in every chat room.
7) From a space craft, to any other space craft in los.
8) From a space craft, to all space craft in los who are on one of several standard frequencies or channels.
9) From a space craft, to all space craft within 1 jump who are on the same frequency as you.
10) From a space craft with a high power transmitter, to all space craft within n jumps who are on the same frequency as you for some cost in continious power.

Channels could be 'open', meaning anyone that was on that frequency could hear what was said, and 'coded' meaning that anyone not a member of the faction that started the channel only hear static. You could turn on or off any channel you liked. Better radios would let you have more channels. You could also /ignore individuals, erasing there communications from every channel. The first 10 or so channels would be non-coded by diplomatic treaty, and would serve something like chat. The rest would be open for any groups use. When in space, you would be expected to be 'in character' (not that that is ever enforcable). When in stations there would be a 'communications' tab, allowing you to view who else was in station, who was in the sector (at least those in los of the station), and with buttons for entering a chat room (a bar, pub, coffee shop, resturant, whatever), and for paying for broadcasts using the stations high powered transmitter.
Feb 04, 2004 ojok2 link
hmmm... im not really sure why but I am completely opposed to this idea.
Feb 04, 2004 Magus link
Again, I see global chat being phased out eventually. But until some RPG elements are added and we're given something to do like in a real MMORPG the game would get boring fast.

That and the small scale of the playerbase means that the community will just end up being more disjointed than ever. What the hell are traders supposed to do while they're trading? Twiddle their thumbs while tapping [tab]?
Feb 09, 2004 a1k0n link
I say "yea".

IMO, which is similar to most people around here, I think chat should be more like "hailing" ships within line of sight, or using radio signals with frequencies or channels, or using station radio relay, or whatever.
Feb 05, 2004 toshiro link
play solitaire on the onboard navcomp.

seriously though, i am against extreme measures concerning global chat. right now i feel that without global chat some new players will not be able to get out of their respective homesectors and leave the game frustrated, which is not what we want.
SC's idea was decent, why don't we endorse it?

on a sidenote:
the idea of a permanent in-station chat window is highly called for in my opinion. i have to tell almost every single new player i try to train how to use the console in order to chat from the safety of a station.
Feb 05, 2004 SirCamps link
People, this was not a debate, but a petition. Please sign "yea" or "nay" and take your debate elsewhere, such as my chat thread.
Feb 05, 2004 Pirogoeth2 link
"Nay"
(Now debates)
Global Chat is often abused now-a-days, it is true. However global chat is still a very important part of interaction. Also, as toshiro said, Newbs often need help... Care to destroy this game by not letting them ask questions?
Feb 05, 2004 Celebrim link
Newbies most often need and recieve help from thier teammates. Team chat is rarely a source of trouble.
Feb 06, 2004 Skyfox link
Sign me up.

General chat makes the game too much like a chat room instead of a game. Making specialized com channels, and hailing the main way of communication would make the atmosphere of the game more real. After all, how can chat be instant across the whole galaxy, and to every single person?

I think a varient of team, cross-sector chat should still remain. But the main cross-sector all-to-read chat needs to go.
Feb 09, 2004 AlienB link
so we're not going anywhere with this? No? damn
Feb 09, 2004 Renegade ++RIP++ link
against
Feb 09, 2004 Ceadda link
against. Not enough to do without global chat to entertain
Feb 09, 2004 Sheean link
Without global chat the game would be booooooring.

Maybe make the chat more like an 'IM' you can add people to your list and see if they're online. If stuff gets anoying in public chat, you just type something like /immode (or something), and you can only receive messages from those you have on your list. Maybe make it so that the /immode automaticaly switches back to 'normal' mode after 20 minutes or so.
Feb 09, 2004 GThang link
Kill global chat
Make sector-wide chat default
Keep nation/faction chat
Imp buddy-list chat
imp stations-wide chat (plural)
Imp LOS chat, and make default when targeting other ship

Anything I missed?

Suggestion: Station-based private messages (You know, for when you've docked, or within 200m of the stations tranciever.)

/G contemplates changing his ship-tranciever to snoop on Serco-chatter.
Feb 09, 2004 Vlad link
Wait, a1k0n, I didn't know devs could vote too...

Feb 09, 2004 DR link
A dev voting has got to be good for the petition...
Feb 09, 2004 Urza link
Right now, i feel that chat is becoming a little to complicated. we have sector chat, group chat, team chat, broadcast chat, and PMs.

Cant we find something nice and simple to use?