game messaging UI
There is several small suggestions to improve game messaging between players.
I think that everyone have problems to post a message to several players with "long names" or "strange names" that is located at one region. You need to copy their names to a notebook, open new message window and paste their names to the recipients row. Can EA change this ?
For example, solution can be simple:
Someone click on the badge of a base on the map and press <Message> button (like now). But if the new message window is already open then simply ADD a new recipient name to the list of recipients. But now it is impossible: a new window is opened that is replacing old window :((.
Second.
When someone press on the button <Paste coords> the corresponding coords is copying to the Chat window. Is it possible conditionally copy it to a New-Message window (if it was opened) to the message body or to a Chat window otherwise (default behaviour) ? It will be very useful when you insert an object coords to the message body.
Third.
The Message window should be a floating window. So any player could move it to observe the map.
I hope anyone agree with me :))
I think that everyone have problems to post a message to several players with "long names" or "strange names" that is located at one region. You need to copy their names to a notebook, open new message window and paste their names to the recipients row. Can EA change this ?
For example, solution can be simple:
Someone click on the badge of a base on the map and press <Message> button (like now). But if the new message window is already open then simply ADD a new recipient name to the list of recipients. But now it is impossible: a new window is opened that is replacing old window :((.
Second.
When someone press on the button <Paste coords> the corresponding coords is copying to the Chat window. Is it possible conditionally copy it to a New-Message window (if it was opened) to the message body or to a Chat window otherwise (default behaviour) ? It will be very useful when you insert an object coords to the message body.
Third.
The Message window should be a floating window. So any player could move it to observe the map.
I hope anyone agree with me :))
2
Replies
It's not too much to copy/paste the co-ords of a point (poi, player, tunnel or camp/outpost/base) but getting a players name right is definitely a problem as some have difficult combinations of letters and numbers and long names too.
If multiple players are all part of my alliance then it is simpler to send to all alliance and delete those you don't need to send to (although this doesn't happen much).
Creating a special group similar to veterans etc where you could mail them as a group could be useful where you have dig teams and wish to address only dig team B.
The message system is currently accepting a non-existent or misspelled name. This has been a problem for me a few times already - when I wanted to work with players from another team.
Messaging within the team is not so complicated even now - since I can use groups of officers etc. - but in special cases I would prefer a list with checkboxes...
The idea of showing the names with a check box is a good idea but think that if you have to show the available alliances (indeterminate number) and then the 50 names of players that an alliance can have, that list could occupy a large part of the screen and cause that only those who have a large screen can play comfortably.
Could you show a small design or scheme with your idea?
Thanks !!!
The list with checkboxes and a button to insert your choices should be a temporary element - if you want to use it...
Without using the dropdown list, it would look like now.
Messaging to more than two players, chosing them by suggested (correct) name is another case.
For simple members, I would not allow sending messages for a whole team (out of their own).
After that you click on the POI the "Paste coords" - and POI coords will be copied to message body. And you add a message like "Join to alliance or get away from the POI. You have 24 hours only !" :))) or "Go together to get another useful POI" ...
Now if mentioned group of players are in another alliance you don't have easy methods to messaging.
Another problem. My alliance members often send message to ALL players in alliance without filtering the recipients, even if the problem is local and have relation to 2-3 players. In my alliance the number of players is ~48 so players often don't like to delete extra recipients.
Limiting the number of recipients would help - then the mailings would need to be repeated of course. But if 75 were set as the limit it would help, instead of 500 (10 alliances) clogging up the system.
Predictive suggestions are nice, but also very performance hungry to implement. at least with the present technology the game was build on. I have added the initial suggestions to the requested features for 19.3 now.
Name validation, - before inserting them into recipient list - is related with the selected names only. This way, the usage has much less impact on performance of the server(s).
Predictive selection also can be restricted to officers and up if necessary...
Big thanks to the developers! It is a good.
This change was made alone without a patch
Big respect to the Developers!
However, one feature has gone - floating message box. Previously, you could have floating message boxes and was very useful so that you could move the msg box to the side a bit to get more details from bases and/or map.
Can we have the floating messages boxes functionality back? Also, implemented for new messages as well?
Are you sure this was not provided via a script? I'm not aware that we offered this functionality for our UI in the past.