In game message boards for players

[stocko1111]

I love the forums here, the player community is outstanding, often helping with replies to comments and questions within minutes. Wouldn't it be great and a lot more immersive to be able to do this in game? It seems quite immersion breaking to alt-tab out to ask a question or read something on the forums.

Could a player message board in stations be feasible? For instance, like the bulletin board, you could leave a question or message at a station which in turn could be answered by another commander (even for a small, limited reward if possible). You could then return to that station to see if anyone has answered your question. It would rely on heavy filtering to make sure they don't get clogged up or your message could only be there for a limited amount of time. This way, you could find out where the nearest station selling x is or where the nearest hi-res zone is without waiting to find a player in game or alt-tabbing out to ask someone in the forums.

It'd be a little like those message cards you see in shop windows, brief and to the point. Or is everyone happy with just using the forums for information?

 

[Clicker]

I'd imagine these would work during CGs especially at the stations involved...otherwise, you might be waiting a long time for a reply.

I do like the idea though.

Perhaps a live, global message board that all players could see.
Make it part of the Comms panel or have a global bulletin board at stations perhaps?

Clicker

 

[stocko1111]

I think what made me think of this is that there's a lot going on in the forums making the game better that just isn't communicated in game, such as the Formadine rift mystery, for example. I'm going to try to ignore the forums when Engineers is released because no doubt their locations will be revealed within days on the forums, taking away the nice surprise of stumbling across them. (I know some will say, well don't click on the link, but that's easier said than done!)

Do you think it's possible to get the very most out of the game without reading the forums?

 

[metatheurgist]

I think it'd be a great idea. Just so you could do stuff like - "I'm planning on running a trade route on Sunday, who wants to escort?". But the issue is going to be that it gets filled up with rude messages and FD is not going to employ people to police 200M BBs and waste time cleaning them up.

 

[stocko1111]

It would be true that the system may be abused but at the same time you would be revealing your commander name and leaving it there for others to see so if it gets reported by a player you could be banned from using the message boards.

 

[GraXXoR]

It would be true that the system may be abused but at the same time you would be revealing your commander name and leaving it there for others to see so if it gets reported by a player you could be banned from using the message boards.

Heaven forbid symbolic representations of todgers.

 

[STINKFISH]

Great idea

 

[CMDR Argent Steel]

We definitely need more ways in the game to communicate. The fact that this is a multiplayer game makes the lack of communication methods very noticeable.

 

[Boomer Kay]

Because reporting a player is not "immersion breaking".

We already have that feature btw. Freelance reports on galnet. It's so immersive, you don't even notice it's player generated.
Ah, you no read in game message boards?

 

[stocko1111]

Because reporting a player is not "immersion breaking".

We already have that feature btw. Freelance reports on galnet. It's so immersive, you don't even notice it's player generated.
Ah, you no read in game message boards?

How are those freelance reports put there in the first place? (And reporting a player would have to be the last resort, and hopefully, unnecessary).

 

[Boomer Kay]

A 0.3 second google search reveals that mystery.

 

[stocko1111]

A 0.3 second google search reveals that mystery.

Exactly. I think you're missing the point of my suggestion. And it is just an idea, remember. It's so players can communicate and leave messages without having to exit the game. That's all.

 

[Boomer Kay]

You gave the caveats yourself, yet only said they're not an issue. Actually I do find any in game reference to there being other "players" the biggest immersion breaker.

I think the idea has its merits, but more in the form of a plug-in container / overlay like galnet that allows you to get the info provider of your choice into your cockpit for easy access.
Might even be more important when VR becomes more widespread, since I won't be able to use my tablet that saves me alt-tabbing right now without taking the glasses off.

Plus each player could filter individually what info he wants and what he doesn't. (I could stream Netflix while mining... yay )

 

[stocko1111]

That's not a bad idea and would be a way of incorporating it into the game.