One more thing, as Columbo would say: show chat communication to all in bubbles

[temnix]

Most of my suggestions have been aimed at adding imagination or encouraging players to socialize other than in these small, fizzy, fission teams of anonymuses that pool together for a task and then dissolve again. The latter would really take adding new mechanics to the game, mechanics that would make characters feel more than masks floating along in the wind. Something for real role-playing that would matter, big-time features. But small details can help create a living world too. And here is one idea: show the messages that players send to each other in channels as chat bubbles that everyone nearby can see, in other words, include Local in them. That would encourage nearby players to respond, if they think they can help or have something to contribute, not everyone is watching all of the channels all of the time. And having more bubbles around would make the world less silent. It is a strange telepathic pantomime that attends popular places, around Lady Liberty, for example. A whole crowd is standing around, several of them probably typing away, and not a "sound" anywhere except for that plump lady asking for donations for children of Galaxy City off-screen.

 

The supergroup channel would be excluded, with only "..." appearing in the buble, and the same for private messages. But if it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done right, and it would be better for messages in different channels to appear in differently shaped bubbles. Keep the rounded square for Local, Supergroup and PMs, but make Global, for example, round, Broadcast jagged, let LFG be rhomboid (more like an ad this way), Help with zigzag top and town and so on. Communication other than in Local should involve emotes too. Here it would be good if Homecoming contributed a few new ones, though I don't know how good they are at making characters execute complex motions and drawing new virtual objects. The original emotes are exceptionally expressive (everyone should have all his characters dance the Pop Dance for a few minutes). To be optimistic, chatting in Help could involve the emote of tapping a message in Morse on a portative radio transmitter. Global - use the typing-at-laptop emote. Broadcast - shout through a louspeaker, and let's convert all text there to CAPS and make these bubbles visible everywhere in the area. Supergroup - speak into a walkie-talkie. Private messages - fold a paper plane and throw it, and let the recipient catch it, if he is nearby. That would draw more attention to receiving PMs. I have been sent local messages many times that I ignored because I paid no mind to the little background beep, and who knows what they contained? Compliments on my superb costumes, at least. LFG could wave two big checkered flags, like in Formula 1.

 

I don't think there are so many messages in the same place at the same time yet that becoming lost in bubbles would be a concern. That would be a healthy problem to have. As it is, chilly and indifferent silence is more of a challenge among the mute supers who clomp past each each other on the way to the next grind.

[lemming]

You do realize they allowed limits on range for local, etc...  to keep message spam down fairly recently?

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Issue_27_Page_4

 

Local Chat Range

• Commands have been added that allow you to dynamically set the range that you hear Local messages and how far your own messages carry. Units are in feet. Typically a zone's maximum local chat distance is 100', Pocket D's maximum local chat is 50'.
  • '/speak_range' - Set the maximum range that your local chat and emotes may carry.
  • '/listen_range' - Set the maximum range of local chat and emotes that you want to listen to.
• You cannot set these to values above the maximums of the zone you are in.
• Setting the value to 0 using the command will restore the default range.
• Entering no number in the command will show you what your current ranges are set to.

Edited April 29 by lemming
added patch link and quote

[Rudra]

57 minutes ago, temnix said:

That would draw more attention to receiving PMs.

If players wanted others to realize they were sending PMs to each other, they would do something to let others know. Let players PM in peace.

 

57 minutes ago, temnix said:

I don't think there are so many messages in the same place at the same time yet that becoming lost in bubbles would be a concern. That would be a healthy problem to have.

I've already seen that happen in the chat log in Pocket D, where comments being shared by a team are drowned out by other chat in the area. So instead, you want to drown the screen in chat bubbles? No thanks.

 

Edit: Actually, here's a thought: If chat channels lack chat bubbles, leave them without chat bubbles. No one has any business worrying about what others may be discussing on chats they were not invited to.

Edited April 29 by Rudra

[Haijinx]

I turn off all chat bubbles at level 1

[Oubliette_Red]

 

[macskull]

Global chat doesn’t have chat bubbles like other chat channels because the global chat server is completely separate from your local character and the rest of the game.

[Luminara]

Is this because you need to know what your teammates might be saying because you're convinced that you're the only thing they talk about, or is it because you want an iron grip on teammate activity at all times?

 

I really need to know whether this is a drama queen thing or a fascist thing so I don't shout at you for the wrong reason.

[PeregrineFalcon]

14 hours ago, temnix said:

I don't think there are so many messages in the same place at the same time yet that becoming lost in bubbles would be a concern. That would be a healthy problem to have. As it is, chilly and indifferent silence is more of a challenge among the mute supers who clomp past each each other on the way to the next grind.

I disagree with too many chat bubbles being a good thing, which is why I have them off by default. Also, the world isn't silent and the supers aren't mute, for me. I always play with friends and we are always on Discord. So everyone has a voice and we're always laughing and having fun.

 

Try it, just once, and you'll never want to read a chat bubble ever again.

[PeregrineFalcon]

42 minutes ago, Krimson said:

Playing this game using TeamSpeak is one of the reasons I bought a computer with no mic and no speakers. No, thank you.

I'm never in Discord with randos, just my friends. Not sure why you wouldn't want to be in voice chat with friends, but that's your choice.

[CrusaderDroid]

17 minutes ago, Krimson said:

I'd rather listen to nothing than other people's nasal passages and random screaming.

Make your own server.

Invite the crew.

Create the voice channel.

Set it to Push-To-Talk Only.

 

Solved forever!

[PeregrineFalcon]

27 minutes ago, Krimson said:

I'd rather listen to nothing than other people's nasal passages and random screaming.

I never hear anything like that when I'm on Discord. Maybe because my friends are adults who are actually my friends and so they don't want to annoy me. Plus, you can actually change the volume on individuals and even mute individuals. Literally nothing you've said is an actual issue when I'm on Discord with my friends.

 

But, like I said, whatever... it's your choice. I'm not trying to get you to change your mind, I just want anyone who's reading this to know that your "experience" is 100% preventable.

[Lunar Ronin]

1 hour ago, Krimson said:

I'd rather listen to nothing than other people's nasal passages and random screaming.

 

I hear you.  I used to not mind voice chat every now and then.  Then I joined a guild in Star Wars: The Old Republic that demanded, "If you are in game, you will be on our Teamspeak server.".  I have hated voice chat since, even with friends.  I would much rather listen to music while playing.  Thankfully, there isn't a single thing in City of Heroes that requires voice chat, not even 4*.

 

Oh, and that SWTOR guild imploded after several months.

[Rudra]

I understand what the rest of you are saying about teamspeak and Discord, but I agree with @Krimson. Been on teams with teamspeak where I just wished they would shut up. (And I avoid Discord like plague.) When mission was over, left the team. Yes, playing with friends prevents that problem, but so does not having teamspeak (which really seems to annoy teamspeak users).

 

So yes, we curate our own experiences, but that doesn't invalidate what @Krimson is saying, especially since @Krimson is explaining how (s)he/they curate their own experience.

[Luminara]

2 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

Not sure why you wouldn't want to be in voice chat with friends, but that's your choice.

 

Voice chat destroys illusions.  For instance, in text, you sound like R. Lee Ermey to me.  I don't want to know that you actually sound like Joe Pesci having an orgasm.

[Oubliette_Red]

 

8 minutes ago, Krimson said:

50 minutes ago, Luminara said:

Voice chat destroys illusions.  For instance, in text, you sound like R. Lee Ermey to me.  I don't want to know that you actually sound like Joe Pesci having an orgasm.

Immersion is a big part of not using voice. It's fine if you are playing something like GTA Online where you don't care about the character's identity. But yeah, I know no one wants to hear a 52 year old voice come out of a youngish looking toon. 

 

Funny, I play with friends and we are always in Discord and they will voice their characters in roleplay regardless of the character's sex and it never broke immersion for me. I suppose I'm more apt to focus on what was being said than by who. I mean are not audio books usually voiced by one person? And all of a sudden, the weird grey matter between my ears wonders what an audio book of Little Women voiced by R. Lee Ermey would sound like...

 

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

[PeregrineFalcon]

4 minutes ago, Krimson said:

I never understood the point of audio books, especially when actual books exist.

Lots of people listen to audio books during their commute.

 

The police generally frown on people reading books while they're driving.

[PeregrineFalcon]

23 minutes ago, Krimson said:

If it makes you feel better, I never understood Podcasts either. If I want to listen to a human voice I prefer it be singing. I can listen to endless talking at work every freaking shift. 

Most people feel differently. There's a reason why talkshows were popular for decades.

[Force Redux]

I like voice for pvp especially when I ran in DAOC and then ESO's pvp. Good times, fun times.

 

But that's where I leave it. like many others I play music like Cape radio or my own mood music in CoX. I don't want to hear others voices, I'm fine reading text. I like bubbles, but I don't want them more abundant.

 

btw, great narrators in Audible can work wonders across gender lines when reading. I'll reference John Lee who reads all of the Allistair Reynolds novels and is excellent for either male or female characters.

 

Also I swear I thought this was another Diantane thread...

[srmalloy]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:23 PM, Rudra said:

Actually, here's a thought: If chat channels lack chat bubbles, leave them without chat bubbles. No one has any business worrying about what others may be discussing on chats they were not invited to.

I could see having options for you to be able to set your own chat messages to show in bubbles for you, and be able to set zone-limited channels (local, broadcast) to appear in bubbles, again just for you, but not for chat messages that are server-wide -- that way lies madness.