Help me understand how the chat functions work

[RikOz]

I'm getting confused.

 

I see constant chatter in "Looking For Group" and "Help", but I can't figure out what is considered "General" chat channel. Sometimes I want to say something that is neither LFG nor asking for/offering Help, and I'm having no luck.

 

In the input box, I select something like "Broadcast" (which sounds like the closest thing to "General Chat"), and type whatever it is I want to say.

 

Then when I press Enter, my words appear in a bubble over my head, and in the chat window my message has changed from "Broadcast" to "Local", so I can't tell if anybody who wasn't standing right next to me "heard" what I said. I see other peoples' messages labeled "Broadcast", so I'm not sure why mine keep getting changed to "Local". The same thing happens when I try "Global".

 

What's going on here?

[_NOPE_]

As usual, ParagonWiki's got your back:

 

https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Communication_Channels

[RikOz]

But doesn't explain why it keeps switching me to "Local" after I select something else.

[Impish Kat]

Okay... maybe you have local selected as your default in the text line....  check the tiny tiny letter buttons above the text box.

 

By clicking on one of those buttons, you set your text box to default to a channel.  This is handy for when you are on a team and will be chatting in it for a while.  Or if you are RPing, and will want to be chatting in local.  Or if you're chilling in the base and chatting in a server global (that would be the "active" button).

 

You can always "bypass" the text/channel default on the fly by using a slash command or keybind (for server channels, etc.,.).

[RikOz]

Okay... maybe you have local selected as your default in the text line....  check the tiny tiny letter buttons above the text box.

 

By clicking on one of those buttons, you set your text box to default to a channel.  This is handy for when you are on a team and will be chatting in it for a while.  Or if you are RPing, and will want to be chatting in local.  Or if you're chilling in the base and chatting in a server global (that would be the "active" button).

 

You can always "bypass" the text/channel default on the fly by using a slash command or keybind (for server channels, etc.,.).

I've used those buttons (though I literally cannot read whatever is on them and have to click them to see what they do), and I've also used the popup menu to select a channel other than "Local". Nevertheless, as soon as I say anything, it switches to "Local". SuperGroup chat seems to be an exception.