Universe Wide Chat... Why Is It Not A Thing?

[Serapo]

The ships in Elite can travel the whole galaxy by having this weird future amazing capability to bend space time and therefore relocate at faster than light speeds. That kind of is the premise for Elite to work.

How would you explain the physics of a galaxy wide instant communication, since the electromagnetic waves of your communication would have to bent certain physical dimensions as well. And this would be a bit of a deal breaker for me because:

If you can send instant signals to anywhere in the galaxy, the manned spaceships would be redundant. At least for the remote activities (exploration), the dangerous activities (combat, pirating) and the trading piloting. All that would be much effectively and cheaper done with drones piloted from a chair in a futuristic communication center. The only valid profession would almost be passenger transport (which isn't implemented yet).

But hey it is a game, and with the Facebook generation and all, I suppose it is something that they will bring sometime.

 

[Arindor]

For immersion purposes, if I am 40,000LY from the nearest inhabited system I shouldn't be able to talk to anyone.

 

[OamodSias]

I like it and it should be in it also , its a multiplayer game after all. So long you can close the thing. Get your coat tho , lot of old ppl around here are mad cause of no offline mode and the game is getting more multiplayer with each update. i predict it will not take long before it is ingame.

ED is a huge game, the lack of global communication in part gives it that sense of the galaxy being a big, lonely place - imagine being 30,000LY away from Sol and having a constant stream of people chatting - would that not ultimately make the game feel small? Just because it's a multi-player game, does that automatically mean it must have a global chat?

I think there are two camps, those who approach ED as your typical MMO/multiplayer, and those who approach ED as a primarily solo experience with the ability to team up with other players going about their own solo lives but not seeing it as a multi-player game in the traditional sense.

 

[Lowievisser]

ED is a huge game, the lack of global communication in part gives it that sense of the galaxy being a big, lonely place - imagine being 30,000LY away from Sol and having a constant stream of people chatting - would that not ultimately make the game feel small? Just because it's a multi-player game, does that automatically mean it must have a global chat?

I think there are two camps, those who approach ED as your typical MMO/multiplayer, and those who approach ED as a primarily solo experience with the ability to team up with other players going about their own solo lives but not seeing it as a multi-player game in the traditional sense.

then you minimized or close the chat. you have your fun and others. You are a Open player? lol

 

[OamodSias]

then you minimized or close the chat. you have your fun and others.

You didn't answer my questions.

1. Would a global chat not ruin, or at least lower, the feeling of being utterly alone in deep space when you are 30Kylies from home?
2. Just because it's a multiplayer game, does that automatically mean it must have global chat? (Basically, if yes, why?)

I'm genuinely trying to engage with you.

You are a Open player? lol

I'm in a private group, Mobius - similar to Open but there's an agreement with all players that there'll be no open PvP.

 

[Lowievisser]

I think op ment OPEN play , im sure you guys can make up rules in your private thingie for not using the chat like not using lasers against each other , maybe more for the Mobuis forums?

 

[Firestarter]

In most MMO games we play on a central server. The players are split into instances of the world, perhaps a few hundred in each instance. The players within an instance can chat in 'open' and everyone in that instance will see the chat. In some games the central server can cope with thousands of players on the same server.

In Elite we play in tiny instances of a few people over P2P networks. Whenever you drop into normal space or enter super cruise you end up in a different instance. Only when you drop into a system where there are already other players will you get put into an instance with other players. Then you can indeed chat with them.

Because the populated bubble is so big we rarely end up seeing more than one or two players in our instance but it can happen, e.g. a powerplay home world or a starter world. Everyone else might as well be in a different game.

Elite does 'touch base' occasionally with a central server, e.g. to authenticate a financial transaction or if you try to chat with a friend.

Having explained why our game doesn't easily support open chat for hundreds of players the chat system could do with some improvements. In beta there was no chat system and since it was added it has had one revamp already. Further improvements I'd like is

• for the chat screen to stay in the last channel that you set it to
• for the last couple of messages in that channel to stay on the panel
• to be able to put friends into groups and chat to the entire group

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I can see it now...

for sale! Go to xyz.com for all your needs.
LOL... killing n00bs in Evreate.
I did all your mums
dfgdfgdbbleledllfg fgdfjgfdjkgdfgfdgdfg erg reg g shrh rh r hrt y <- person fell asleep on their keyboard.
Любой говорить русский?
Perché nessuna interfaccia italiana ancora?
This sucks. Solo and Open should be separated!
Selling account for real money. Send me a chat if you want to buy account with a billion credits.
Going grinding for Merits in Nanomam. Whose up for it?

No thanks unless it contains an option to disable it.

 

[simo2003]

I can see it now...



No thanks unless it contains an option to disable it.

You've summed up my exact reason for believing that this would be an excruciatingly bad idea. Well done, sir.

To the OP? God, no.

- - - Updated - - -

Having explained why our game doesn't easily support open chat for hundreds of players the chat system could do with some improvements. In beta there was no chat system and since it was added it has had one revamp already. Further improvements I'd like is

• for the chat screen to stay in the last channel that you set it to
• for the last couple of messages in that channel to stay on the panel
• to be able to put friends into groups and chat to the entire group

These, however, are good ideas.

 

[LasherX5]

An optional chat channel would be good, especially a power play chat channel for each power that you belonged to to facilitate coordination.

Right now people mainly farm merits, but theres a ton of people that would actually participate properly if we could communicate with each other.

 

[simo2003]

Another game that I played (NWN) you had the capability in the chat box to preface what you wanted to say with a text command to tell the game where to post your text. Something like /p (for the party you're in), /w (for a private message to another player, /s (for a server-wide shout), etc. I assume something like this would be easy to implement.

 

[YinYin]

Another game that I played (NWN) you had the capability in the chat box to preface what you wanted to say with a text command to tell the game where to post your text. Something like /p (for the party you're in), /w (for a private message to another player, /s (for a server-wide shout), etc. I assume something like this would be easy to implement.

This already exists - read the manual or something.

 

[woodhouse]

You know, comunications don't spread fast enought to cover all those light years involved.

Well, if Galnet manages to get up to date news at least once per day, then maybe a galaxy wide chat is not realistic, but at least we could have something similar to galaxy wide Usenet news groups.

 

[babelfisch]

Global ingame chat: No thanks, because of the reasons stated above.
However I like the idea of an IRC like chat lobby in the main menu with the ability to create your own channels. I think this could help organizing player events and contacting groups like the fuel rats.

 

[PiLhEaD]

I get what the OP expressing, but for me what they feel as barren and dead, I find to be a 'realistic' example of how vast and empty space is. I would expect finding and chatting to another Cmdr to be a rare event, as indeed it is.

To have galaxy wide chat would be completely at odds with this aspect of the game, and chatting to someone who is hundreds or thousands of Ly's away for me serves exactly no purpose, and frankly I would find a pointless distraction.

For the purposes of bring players into chat proximity we already have CG's.

Bottom line, Elite isn't a lobby to on line type of game, and certainly not a typical MMO.

If peeps want to set up their own IRC chat groups and channles, fine, but not in game thanks.

 

[YinYin]

However I like the idea of an IRC like chat lobby in the main menu with the ability to create your own channels.

very much

 

[Robert Maynard]

What do you guys think? I personally see zero reason why a universe chat cannot exist, and if it does exist, it can only help the game feel more like an MMO, rather than a co-operative space sim.

One reason would be moderation as said previously - the EULA talks about player interactions - a chat channel for all players simultaneously would require it (in my opinion):

4. Acceptable Use Restrictions
4.3 You may not transmit any material that is unlawful, defamatory or offensive in relation to your use of the Game or the Online Features.

Another reason is data throughput - allowing all players to chat to all other players in-game would increase data requirements and therefore costs.

 

[YinYin]

Another reason is data throughput - allowing all players to chat to all other players in-game would increase data requirements and therefore costs.

I wonder how many active players would enter it if it wasn't on by default (requiring enter game chat button to be pressed in the main menu or something).

 

[simo2003]

This already exists - read the manual or something.

Thanks for pointing this out. Allow me to give you some advice too - manners maketh the man. And they cost nothing.

 

[OamodSias]

Global ingame chat: No thanks, because of the reasons stated above.
However I like the idea of an IRC like chat lobby in the main menu with the ability to create your own channels. I think this could help organizing player events and contacting groups like the fuel rats.

That could definitely work, I'd have no issue with a lobby on the main menu. +1


Another thing that could work, is a chat lobby in the game but only at stations - for example, part of the station menu system. Select "Comms" and a chat panel is loaded with tabs, tab one is Station, tab two is Global, tabs three-N could be for private groups. The only problem I see is people spending lots of time in chat never to leave the station; however this could be remedied by treating it as 'idling' and there-by automatically remove you to the main menu if you spend too long hogging a pad.

On second thoughts, no - only a main menu chat lobby is acceptable.