0001922: Improve the chatbox. - DEV Arcen

ID	Project	Category		Date Submitted	Last Update

0001922	AI War 1 / Classic	Suggestion - Interface Ideas - Multiplayer Communication		Dec 8, 2010 1:55 pm	Dec 8, 2010 3:18 pm

Reporter	Spikey00	Assigned To	Chris_McElligottPark
Status	considering	Resolution	open

Summary	0001922: Improve the chatbox.
Description	From: http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,6628.0.html With modifications and updates. I understand that having an external voice relay is effective, but personally throughout my history I have not preferred the use of voice (I only use voice with close friends, during matches/tournaments etc.) and I don't consider AI War to be demanding of voice communication as it is more of a slow and strategic game in comparison to a quick macro-micro RTS or FPS. Enhancing and improving the chatbox would be a welcome sight, especially to those who also refuse to use voice chat. What I'm generally concerned with is: [b]Chatbox visibility[/b]; players who aren't focused at the top right of the screen or are windowed out may miss messages sent by other players (to the confusion and frustration of them why they aren't reacting/replying). It has been suggested that there be a sound notification of new messages. - Colour-code player names according to their chosen faction colour. [b]Increase the chatbox functionality[/b]; the chatbox at the moment fills the role of a primitive communique. It's enough, but I would like to see some addition features such as: - Automatically hotlink a detected planet name so if you click on it, it should bring your camera over there. - Option for player in the CTRLS menu to automatically attach current camera position to all shouts for others to click on and zoom to view (like Supreme Commander). There should be an icon next to the player name who decides to utilize this, to indicate that it is activated. [b]Announce the following in the shoutbox[/b] (with additional information such as what planet event has occurred when necessary and hotlink that for easy camera), when player: - creates flare ("Spikey00 has flared on Murdoch"), - gives # ships to X player ("Spikey00 has given you 1024 ships on Murdoch"), - has lost X number of ships in X duration of a fleet of X total ships ("Spikey00 has lost 535 ships on Murdoch"), - is on a significant offensive (X% >= ships sent to X enemy planet) ("Spikey00 has sent 512 ships on Murdoch"), - lost a command station ("Spikey00 has lost a command station on Murdoch"), - included notes on a planet in the galaxy view ("Spikey00 has created a note for Murdoch"), Include where AI progress was increased/decreased. Of course, all messages should definitely have a cooldown time so as to avoid spamming (like the fantastic and familiar "YOUR COMMAND STATION IS UNDER ATTACK, CAUTION, WARNING!") -- This would definitely help teamplay with those who are anti-social or too busy to communicate and would help players such as myself who want to know what is occurring around them when other players don't offer their information on a common basis (they shouldn't if they're busy). The camera hotlinking is important because it will allow players who are concerned to instantly view what others are doing when they sent a message; in-game a player could say "help here" instead of "help here on X [planet]" because well, we're all lazy and interested humans. Someone on your team could say, "ZOMG THINE FLEET ART DESTROYED" and could click on their message (instead of tabbing to galaxy map, clicking on said planet, then see devastation and make O shape mouth). Simple changes to improve awareness and decrease queries of "what you say !" and eliminates the need for the main [galaxy] screen [to] turn on and increase amount of commanders reporting "we get signal" for rapid response with ZIGs. -- Recent chatbox problems - Chatbox needs to newline if the message is too large, or scale the font so it fits on the screen. - I really don't like how you need to click on message log in order to see past messages; by pressing enter, you should be able to recall old messages like most game chatboxes. - By holding alt, it hides the chatbox, and some players may miss messages for that duration. - No notification of messages in the galaxy view mode anymore.
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Internal Weight

Date Modified	Username	Field	Change
Dec 8, 2010 1:55 pm	Spikey00	New Issue
Dec 8, 2010 3:18 pm	Chris_McElligottPark	Assigned To	=> Chris_McElligottPark
Dec 8, 2010 3:18 pm	Chris_McElligottPark	Status	new => considering