Plea for a Simple Change to In-Game Chat

[LaughingOtter]

Just to point out one part of the OP:

add a simple check box labeled, "keep focus in chatbox after sent message"

This would be an additional option, not a standard default, if it were implemented as described in the OP.

[Pharcellus]

Plenty of games require hitting a key or clicking a mouse to activate the chat input line. Guild Wars, for example, you have to click a button, the chat line (if visible), or hit enter or "/" to get the chat line to open. Then you type your text and then hit enter to send.

I solved the "open 15 jillion windows to lag me out" problem with HZ one very simple way: Change all letter key bindings to Alt+letter keys. So, Alt-G opens/closes the Group Window. Alt-I opens/closes the inventory window, etc.

The only key I didn't do that with is the (a)ttack key, which doesn't open a window, and I don't use auto-movement for attacking, so that's not a problem, either .

That said, it would be nice that if you click ANYwhere in a chat window, it acts as if you clicked in the chat line. Sometimes that bugger is pretty small, and clicking multiple times, missing each time (or even dragging accidentally on a locked window, which does NOT open the chat line), is quite frustrating.

Also, for chat, getting rid of the "mini game" that has existed since release would be nice, too. You know, the one where the text draw for scrolling gets out of sync with the actual length of the line, usually due to backspacing, and you are typing blind.

[Image]

On the same token though, how many of you try to fight and your character does nothing. While you're busy trying to figure out why your character isn't moving or attacking, you click on the ground in front of you knowing that stupid thing is in a chatbox somewhere instead of lag or a client crash and now you have to delete (or enter in spatial to clear it)

735123412sssssssss23waaaaaaassssssssswwwwwsssssssq qqqqqqqqqqqqq

:/

Most MMO chats I've seen requires you to hit enter twice or at least the ones I've played, so hitting enter twice feels more natural to me.

LOL Oh the memories.... jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj (my fly key) "GRRr will you take off! ... OOPS" happens too often.

But I found my solution to the multi window pop up when I type outside the chat box, ( which is WAY too small in my opinion and possible the cause of missing the box when you use your mouse. )
I changed most of the commands, adding CRTL in front of them. So no more multi pop ups.
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[Justa Mirage]

No... the one big fear a lot of people usually have:

*So, What are you wearing today?*

*I don't care I still think <character> is a <explicitive> <bleep bleep>*

*takes his <bleeeeeeeeeep bleeeeeeeeeeep> and <bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep>*

and it ends up in the guild chat or public chat channel

Then you are forever wishing you watched what tab you were on

[Takora Drakan]

Wierdlessy, mistells happen very very rarley to me in Istaria, the most mistells I ever had in Vanguard, that chat system was HORRIBLE! Every second tell got furbared in the wrong channel

[Favoran]

No... the one big fear a lot of people usually have:

*So, What are you wearing today?*

*I don't care I still think <character> is a <explicitive> <bleep bleep>*

*takes his <bleeeeeeeeeep bleeeeeeeeeeep> and <bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep>*

and it ends up in the guild chat or public chat channel

Then you are forever wishing you watched what tab you were on

Before I came to HZ I played on some mu*s... instead of "mt", there the term is "mav". Some poor guy named Maverick has gone down in history for something like this. XD

[Drakarr]

Other games you get out of the chat window by a simple mouseclick anywhere outside the chatbox, thus focusing your keyboard outside the chat window. Another game that keeps the typing focused in the chat window after you start a conversation untill you force the focus out is secondlife.

[Steelclaw]

I've developed the habit of tapping enter twice when sending the message. The first enter sends the message, the second one returns focus to the chat bar.

Then I get to annoy everyone with 'qqqqqqqqqqqqqzzzzzzzzzzz'!

[Shian]

LOL Oh the memories.... jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj (my fly key) "GRRr will you take off! ... OOPS" happens too often.

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Mine is bound to 'e' so if I get one of those fits, everyone in dragon channel is like, "What's wrong?"
'cause I just yelled my head off ^^;

No... the one big fear a lot of people usually have:

*So, What are you wearing today?*

*I don't care I still think <character> is a <explicitive> <bleep bleep>*

*takes his <bleeeeeeeeeep bleeeeeeeeeeep> and <bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep>*

and it ends up in the guild chat or public chat channel

Then you are forever wishing you watched what tab you were on

Definatly. Maybe not to quite that extreme, but as 'enter' goes to last chat used, I'm often sending stuff meant for dragon channel to my guild window or sent to the last tell recieved....

Oi. WTB: memory chip for head that can keep track of what box was used last when multitasking.

Also, for chat, getting rid of the "mini game" that has existed since release would be nice, too. You know, the one where the text draw for scrolling gets out of sync with the actual length of the line, usually due to backspacing, and you are typing blind.

Definatly. At least if you delete something, you can just hit <- key and go back to the beginning to make sure you cleared it all out and start all over.

I'll usually dump stuff like that in spatial (there's no one around right? Okay.) then go back to the tab and do a shift click up to get the text back and keep going where it messed up. If I'm in another window, it gets more complicated though.

[Steele]

On the same token though, how many of you try to fight and your character does nothing. While you're busy trying to figure out why your character isn't moving or attacking, you click on the ground in front of you knowing that stupid thing is in a chatbox somewhere instead of lag or a client crash and now you have to delete (or enter in spatial to clear it)

735123412sssssssss23waaaaaaassssssssswwwwwsssssssq qqqqqqqqqqqqq

:/

Most MMO chats I've seen requires you to hit enter twice or at least the ones I've played, so hitting enter twice feels more natural to me.

/agree

In every MMO I can remember playing in (from the days of UO and EQ1 onward), you hit Enter to start chatting and Enter to send the message; if you have a second line to immediately add, double tag Enter (once to send, once to start typing agian) and continue typing.

If I had to purposefully click out of a game's chat boxes every time I was done typing just to be able to use hotkeys again, I simply wouldn't play that game. That'd definitely be a deal-killer for me from a usability perspective.

Edit: I'd be ok with it being an option, as long as the default is the current implementation... you want the interface to be as intuitive a possible for new players, etc.

[Mensar]

I use the slash to start commands and enter to start chat.. I don't know what you mean about different windows though.. I'm guessing you use free floating chat windows?

I would suggest putting them in tabs in one chat window so you won't forget which window you're in and there's never a question of which window has focus.. the one you're reading from.

[Arietna]

Sorry to get slightly offtopic, but this thread and typing WWWAAASSSD reminded SO much of an old eq story, I had to share it..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was invisible and running through the Karanas one day when I noticed a young gnome near the gypsy camp. He was fighting a lion and though it looked like he would win the battle, being a fellow gnome, I decided to help the guy out.

I targeted the lion, clicked on my mesmerize spell, then *started* to type: "I'm mesmerizing the lion for you." I got as far as: "I'm " when I remembered that I had replaced my mesmerize spell with an Area of Effect mesmerize spell... and that I was standing next to an NPC enchantress. Gulp.

My movement keys are mapped to "w a s d" so I frantically stabbed at my keyboard, trying to MOVE and interrupt the spell.

I forgot that I was in typing mode.

The gypsy enchantress didn't like my attempt to mezz her so she promptly charmed me and made me go after the gnome I had been trying to *save*. I watched in horror as my peace-loving character, knife flailing like a crazed sushi chef, chased the little guy down and stabbed him to death.

I found my victim later and apologized profusely... I even gave him a nice weapon and a piece of armor. He was great about it, and laughed when I told him what happened.

He said he didn't know WHAT was going on. One minute he was fighting a lion, the next minute a strange gnome appeared out of NOWHERE, announced: "I'm wwwaaaddd", then sliced him up like Freddy Krueger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This, and other similar gems can be found at: http://ancarett.com/eqhumour.html

[Steele]

Also, for chat, getting rid of the "mini game" that has existed since release would be nice, too. You know, the one where the text draw for scrolling gets out of sync with the actual length of the line, usually due to backspacing, and you are typing blind.

Yeah... that REALLY is rather annoying... but you can get a lot of practice anticipating where your words should be by counting the pseudoblank character spaces before the cursor!

[Shian]

He said he didn't know WHAT was going on. One minute he was fighting a lion, the next minute a strange gnome appeared out of NOWHERE, announced: "I'm wwwaaaddd", then sliced him up like Freddy Krueger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This, and other similar gems can be found at: http://ancarett.com/eqhumour.html

This is most awesome and only something a gamer can appreciate. ^^

"I'm wwwaaaddd163"!

Edit: at least I was just drinking coffee... little easier to clean up :P

[Steele]

He said he didn't know WHAT was going on. One minute he was fighting a lion, the next minute a strange gnome appeared out of NOWHERE, announced: "I'm wwwaaaddd", then sliced him up like Freddy Krueger.

*spews Diet Pepsi all over his work keyboard & monitor*

LMFAO

...and to think that story is almost how I met my wife! LOL

No, really! We actually met in EQ beta4 under very simliar circumstances.

[Image]

Before I came to HZ I played on some mu*s... instead of "mt", there the term is "mav". Some poor guy named Maverick has gone down in history for something like this. XD

OH yes, I remember mav, used it aslways... lets resurrect poor Maverick and his claim to fame.
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