Global Chat: Yes or No?

[irchrisr]

I would Have to say yes its just so much more convenient being able to find people to help you with an item that you need made or a guy that you cant kill. They could always make it so you can leave the global chat or even a ban from global chat although the later might not be the best of choices.

[BlackOrc]

Wow. 36 people said yes?

Just, wow...

[Archaaz]

Originally Posted by BlackOrc

Wow. 36 people said yes?

Just, wow...

I think you mean WoW...

[Traceur]

Originally Posted by Archaaz

I cannot but agree. Damn technology...
Group chat would be acceptable (or rather an unavoidable evil).

Originally Posted by Lachrymose

traceur's got the right idea. there's no way to completely stop voice chatting, and if some people can get it, they may as well allow everyone to have it. no global chat or regional chat, but as far as team/guild chat, i would say provide in-game voice chat or allow the use a 3rd party voice chat, and what the hell.. why not team/guild chat windows as well for those introverted folks who feel self concious about others hearing their voice over ip.

like parrothead said, without global or regional channels, meeting places can develop. some type of "trade zone" will be established within nearly every city, and the same goes for LFG areas. most likely everyone will gather in front of the bank, which should please all you bank-sitters out there since you'll have a bigger audience.

i am actually against group chats, i just don't think there's a viable solution to avoid them. i am not against voice chats but yes in an ideal world i'd want it to be based on in-game distance filters, but again i don't see how it's viable to eliminate 3rd party chat programs.

in the past in other MMOs i was on the other side of this conversation, believing that their must be somehow a way to eliminate group chat. then my little sister bought a new mobile phone to which she just downloaded a group voice chat software to talk with her friends, and my ilusions where broken...

so i just want to make it clear: this is not me having the right idea, this is me submissing the right idea to the annoyign constraints of 21th century reality. group chats is not a good idea, it just an unavoidable bad idea.

[Esturk]

No global chat. Custom chat channels would be fine though.

Better to find someone you've met before to help you. You never know who you'll attract in Global Chat.

[Kohl]

I didn't read all of the posts so if this has been suggested I apologize in advance. A way to send messages across vast distances and still have immersion. Carrier pigeons, or a flying coon hound that finds it's target by smell to deliver a message.

[Cye]

Not entirely familiar with the concept of Global Chat. Realistically, I only want to hear what's being said in my immidiate surrounding. (and not halfway around the world) Yet, I am for tells.

If my buddy is on, I want to know that he's online, and be able to tell him to meet me somewhere. (Without having to be in his guild, or on his Vent/TS/Xfire/Etc)

[Zenabi]

Global chat would just clutter up local chat, so no.

I have no problems with guild chat. It makes for a nice community.

[Elfvis]

Global Chat is a no from me.

Its a no not from a "realistic" standpoint but its a no from me because it opens the door to spam. I know you can turn on the channel (or will most likely be able to do this) but I do not want a channel that is prone to spam.

[Gallo]

Global chat? lol no! (my english is poor, sorry about that)

No chats in this game. Be creative! Use the international sign language!

Are you Japanese? French? German? English? American? Spanish? Does not matter! Thus all we are understood perfectly! We break the barriers!

Do you undestand this? or or ? This should work fine in game. No matters what is your nationatity. All people in the game can chat in this way.
Simple orders can make complex dialogs. The unique thing that there is to do is to invent the icons for the language of signs and to learn it in two days.

Seek for a tavern and asks with your new lenguage of signs who wants to share with you the hunting.

LFG = ? lol yeah!

Gallo.

[ordi]

I'm not in favor of Global Chat, but I'm in favor of zone chat.

I really dislike the idea of a global chat mostly because I know that a lot of people are going to use it like a chat room and talk about anything unrelated to the game.

And the spam from gold seller etc..

[Arxon Havenloft]

I'm mostly against chat boxes.. I like anything being said to be coming from an area within hearing distance, and I like the chat to be associated in some manner to the person's character avatar that's saying it. I like to look to my left is someone to my left is speaking, or look to my right to read what someone to my right is speaking, etc.. I hate chat boxes, period. I rarely even read what is being said as I just get tired of filtering through the "shit".

[Resin]

I would love proximity based voicechat only. And pigeonss to send PMs, and falcons to intercept/block them. There would need to be a good usefull supply of emotes for silent stealth communicating.

If people want to use steam let them, but don't provide it for them. Of course then everyone would feel like they have to get it. Maybe a guild/friends chat by invite only channel.

[Stump]

NO TO GLOBAL CHAT!

[Crash250f]

Communication is just one of those areas where I don't think MMOs can emulate real life. Limited population size, limited and inconsistant play times, sound vs. text, and the fact that these games are based on social interaction are all reasons why these games require unique ways to communicate.

For example, I'm against eliminating chat boxes. The only way this could be done with text is with chat bubbles, and how realistic is it to have to look behind you to see what the person behind you is saying. You would need proximity voip to do this successfully, which brings up the issue of voip in MMOs. As a person who has used teamspeak/vent in MMOs since around 2002, I don't think built-in voip will ever really fit into MMOs. I could elaborate but that's really a whole new discussion.

I'll agree with the majority of you that global chat in general is way too easy to abuse, and a step too far in accomidating the community. I do think group and guild chat are necessary for organization, though the OPs ideas about group based content are still great ideas. Group, guild and proximity (say, yell and whisper) are integral to the success of an MMO, as organizing/communicating without them would become more struggle than fun. I would also like to see global town chat, as towns themselves are like the pubs of MMOs. Thats how I think of them, and I would prefer not having to sit in a building designated as a pub to meet other people. Tells I would like to see, but I think could possibly be eliminated. Whether or not there is a tell system would probably be heavily based on whether there is a /who system.

[Traceur]

i think built in VOIP with distance accountability, voice fonts, etc' will be great - i just don't know if it's technically possible yet or not. i don't see why it can't be built into an MMO.

as for text display, i agree with both sides: those who say no to chat boxes & those who say no to chat bubbles. especially in FPV - looking over someone's head when your talking to him will be really akward. an alternative solution must be found.

[Neek]

Let me just say I voted "no."

I do however think that global chat in no way is a make or break for the game. It's an oversimplified generalization because there are much more pressing matters.

What would we miss from global chat? For starters, the shit-talking. I enjoy this aspect of gaming. What's the point of vanquishing a dog with all bark and no bite if you can't humiliate them via global chat on top of kicking their ass on the field?

For the nubs who are just getting involved with the game, which fosters an ultra harsh environment, global chat can make for a way to get their bearings straight. NPCs are one way to do this, but rest assured questions to the community by new players are inevitable but hardly a hindrance to immersion.

And finally, for reiteration purposes, if you don't want global chat, turn the damn thing off.

[Haltair]

I voted NO, because of these reasons:
-If its a global chat there will be a lot of spam, like people trying to sell stuff and others searching for a group.
-If its not a global chat cities and villages will be a meeting place to find group, friends and buy things.
-It will be more interesting having to find a sword you want going to the biggest cities to find a vendor, not saying in the chat "I want someone to sell me this sword".
-If someone says in the chat "We will attack to this clan in five minutes" everyone will know.
-And finally, if you want to advise your clan that the enemies are comming its more interesting to have go by horse to tell them like in medieval ages.

Sorry if something is wird, im spanish, not english.

[Mathael]

Originally Posted by Traceur

i think built in VOIP with distance accountability, voice fonts, etc' will be great - i just don't know if it's technically possible yet or not. i don't see why it can't be built into an MMO.

as for text display, i agree with both sides: those who say no to chat boxes & those who say no to chat bubbles. especially in FPV - looking over someone's head when your talking to him will be really akward. an alternative solution must be found.

Aye, i think a textbox has to at least exist. If the only viable form of communication was through chat bubbles above a players head then we would be seeing a lot of head craning as well as players constantly badgering each other to "repeat the last sentence".

[Seth_Almighty]

Originally Posted by Crash250f

Communication is just one of those areas where I don't think MMOs can emulate real life. Limited population size, limited and inconsistant play times, sound vs. text, and the fact that these games are based on social interaction are all reasons why these games require unique ways to communicate.

For example, I'm against eliminating chat boxes. The only way this could be done with text is with chat bubbles, and how realistic is it to have to look behind you to see what the person behind you is saying. You would need proximity voip to do this successfully, which brings up the issue of voip in MMOs. As a person who has used teamspeak/vent in MMOs since around 2002, I don't think built-in voip will ever really fit into MMOs. I could elaborate but that's really a whole new discussion.

I'll agree with the majority of you that global chat in general is way too easy to abuse, and a step too far in accomidating the community. I do think group and guild chat are necessary for organization, though the OPs ideas about group based content are still great ideas. Group, guild and proximity (say, yell and whisper) are integral to the success of an MMO, as organizing/communicating without them would become more struggle than fun. I would also like to see global town chat, as towns themselves are like the pubs of MMOs. Thats how I think of them, and I would prefer not having to sit in a building designated as a pub to meet other people. Tells I would like to see, but I think could possibly be eliminated. Whether or not there is a tell system would probably be heavily based on whether there is a /who system.

This basically mirrors my thoughts on the subject, so a second(third?, fourth?, 120th?) to no global chat!

[ltankhsd]

I voted no. But if there is no global chat, I hope there are places where people will gather where we can chat if need be sorta like how people used to congregate at the banks in UO. I remember some of my first days in UP when it was just release. I remember tailoring skullcaps and trying to peddle them at trinsic bank. God that was a long time ago.

[ilocpis23]

Im against global, regional and group chat.

Some sort of Guild chat is required, however the rest is not.

Some may question why Im against group chat. Personally I think it just makes it too artificial to assume that your 'group' is talking at a level that no one else can hear you. Not only that but Im not in favour of a real 'Group' system for MO. I dont see any significant advantages that cannot be gained by simply travelling with other companions.

Some may argue that targeting your companion to assist or to 'heal' (if there is healing) would be difficult when not in a group. I would argue that the game should allow the user to create a hotlist of targets from nearby PC's and NPC's by drag and drop. Simply drag the title name to the right hand side of your screen and the target list is created.

[Shargas]

I agree completely with OP. I m all for promoving the meetings at the local tavern looking for adventurers. The no need of a group funtion is also an interesting topic.


ps. also, from the way you Etwynn describe the dungeons, sounds a lot like EQ1, which no need to say, had the best dungeons of all mmos

[Dalixin]

The closest thing to global chat I would like to see is a /yell command where only people within a certain distance from you can hear. So say you're at a market place or town square you can shout a question or shout your wares. But if you are out in the wilderness only people near you could hear, which more than likely is no one unless you have friends around... and even then, a PK might hear your yell and come looking to kill you.

[Neek]

I, along with many others enjoy the boisterous back and forth banter with my fellow combatants on a grand stage. The soap box megaphone option, should I choose so, informing the population who cares to read it about a recent jostle with a now pseudo-famous dirt napper encourages rivalry, revenge, and fun. If this process bother you, turn the global chat option off.

[Ceynt]

the problem with global chat is that people will spam this channel with selling or buying messages.

guild global chat, yes.
faction global chat, yes.
all other global chat, no.
(mutable by leaders of faction in case of spam)

[Effect]

I vote for yes and no. The problem with not having a chat system on a large scale can lead to the empty world feeling. If not a server wide channel (which I think would be a bad thing) than there most certainly should be some form of regional chat system. Or at the least a class chat system, guild system (player or NPC based), or city based (if you've decided to base yourself out of a particular city). There needs to be something other then normal guild and tell/whipser chat.

The chat system is something that is easily overlooked in these games. Take Warhammer Online. It launched with a horrible chat system and they in the end had to put in a normal system to allow players to communicate with each other since people weren't hanging around towns or war camps. However WAR didn't even give a reason for one to visit towns or the major cities and MO could be different in that aspect.

Area chat might be the best way of going about this I think (there can be a lore reason for this I'm sure). There needs to be something to do away with the empty world feeling that will appear when you are out in the wild. It might break that atmposhere of the game a little but the feeling of communication and that you are playing with other players can do wonders I feel. I've stopped playing several games because it felt dead and as if I were paying to play a single player game. I might not group a lot but I want to know I'm playing along side other players in some fashion.

[Psymon]

Global Chat DOES make somethings EASIER. Not always BETTER.
IF people need to find quality groups, rather then worthless Pick Up Groups, where people BAIL out, all the time or leech, they'll look more twards Guilds, and the QUALITY of their members. This is a good thing. Part of what made UO good, is that people NEEDED to belong to guilds if they wanted group content. These is a place for solo'ers but do you make a game hurt group play for the small % of people whom don't enjoy a rich community?

[Jedi]

againts no flod...

[Legenis]

I miss that chat system like UO where to sell something you had to get your ass out and sell your owm items, not just stand in global trade and spam your sell items!