Post by Morreion on Apr 7, 2010 8:15:16 GMT -5
Global chat - Just say NO! (Earthrise Forums)
From a forum poster named Doctor:
This post is in the context of Earthrise, but I think it could apply to all games.
I agree with the poster. Global chat encourages all sorts of annoying behavior and it gives too many shortcuts. I liked how DAoC handled chat- there was say (immediate area), regional (in cities only- usually for help or trade), group, guild, and alliance (allied guilds). This promoted social behavior and mostly placed enforcement of chat abuse within guild and alliance hands.
Global unmoderated chat bypasses true social chat and allows the most irritating or egotistical personalities a platform to give the game a bad impression to others. It also cuts out guilds and alliances as social structures- if any regional or local event can be instantly broadcast to all, it cuts out one of the advantages of having a social structure.
Sure, one can turn off most global chats, but I think that the mere presence of unmoderated global chat brings the level of player interaction down to irritating levels. It sets the tone in a bad way for non-social behavior.
From a forum poster named Doctor:
Why not have public global chat?
In an underpopulated and poorly designed game a lack of global chat can make a game world seem very small and make players feel isolated. In a healthily populated game with the right design (one that encourages player interaction and relationship building like Earthrise does) a lack of global chat can greatly increase healthy community interaction as well as game play.
Public global chat encourages bad/annoying behavior.
No public global chat also prevents the annoying, ridiculously inane and trollish topics as well as general nonsense. Things such as harassment, smack talk, public arguments, all kinds of -isms, spam, credit selling, etc.. from being on a global scale that seem to be in almost every MMO currently. It also encourages players to be much more personal and respectful of each other since what you decide to say to someone else might make you publicly accountable and come with some real world consequences. Whereas public global chat and the randomness of speaking to an entire audience relatively anonymously from anywhere encourages trolling and every other negative aspect listed above.
So just do what everyone else does and leave the channel.
Yes I know what your thinking, just leave the channel if you don't want to see it or ignore/block the people that annoy you. That would work except its not only that I don't want to see it, I also don't want it to be there period. Besides what I mentioned earlier about global chat encouraging trollish and bad behavior to begin with I have multiple reasons for not wanting to have it at all.
One of them is that I don't want to see any in-game information being passed globally easily. Things such as player and guild locations and activities. This kind of server wide information could give away tactical planning, battle formations, or other activities that impact strategic playing and planning negatively. Not having a public global system would also encourage players and guilds in several game play aspects.
* Roaming and semi-clandestine operations instead of everyone being updated on every move and new location by a single person that prevents any sort of secrecy, tactics, or elements of surprise by players, groups or guilds.
* Scouting - Giving players that are good at getting into and out of areas and moving quickly and quietly to collect as much intel as possible on enemy movements, formations, escape routes, choke points, weaknesses and strengths, intel gathering, etc... This could encourage a fun and engaging playstyle that involves real tactics.
* Increased Hub Activity - Probably one of the most important aspects of a world without public global chat are popular places for player interaction. Having players converge into these areas for needs encourages community and social interaction where people could go to communicate, plan defenses against attacks, build groups or advertise services, socialize, trade, etc... This fosters the creation of a community and a living world
What about a trade channel? How will we sell stuff?
Yes I know what else you are thinking. Hey, I'm a crafter and I want people to be able to see what I have to offer. How will I be able to do this without a global trade channel? One method that games like to use is to allow players to "speak" in a global trade channel only if they are at a specific location like a major city or most likely a factory in ER's case. I don't believe this is an ideal solution. Factories are readily available in many locations and will just be used for random spam and global chat also, just with more inconvenience. Also this is less than an ideal solution for crafters and traders who will not spend 100% of their time in factories. This method disencourages crafters and traders from operating in any method besides the market and WTB/WTS world chat. Since the crafting system is designed around such an extensive and elaborate system why water down the end portion of trading and selling with a boring and uninspired method.
If I cannot advertise in a global trade channel how will I promote my goods?
Crafters already have access to personal shops where they are able to list a limited amount of their merchandise on the market globally. For players that want to advertise personally what they have for sale or what they can create or someone looking to find a crafter to make a specific item a more in-depth solution might be needed.
Not having a public global channel would require crafters to operate based on local advertisement, word of mouth, reputation and a limited availability of market space to list goods. This would encourage the entire game play aspect of being a trader much better (especially so with limited personal shop space and no global chat) since players will have to build clientele as well as build a personal reputation in order to become the most effective traders. They would have to rely and stay on top of price fluctuations, market demand, available supplies, locale and competition to be truly effective. Ideally this is the what I would like to see. In supplement of the above, additional methods can be used to work with non-chat trading such as adding searchable listings at the marketplace terminals for Buy/Sell orders and advertisement of services. These can be listed for a fee and only remain for a certain period of time or until removed. This could be as specific as a single item or small order, or a general listing for broad services similar to craigslist.
To offer a different method to trading without a global channel we could use a method of allowing players to advertise for services or products in limited fashion but still globally. There would have to be a method to restrict the channel in order to prevent it from becoming a global chat channel. This could be a way to allow crafters at a trade/factory/market terminal to input a message into the terminal that can then become listed in the global trade channel. The channel will not be "speakable" by any other method than by inputting your message for a small fee. Whether that message is offering or requesting services - "Shocker Weapons - Fully skilled and capable ranged weapons crafter with over 70 designs including all Codiax designs in stock. Single and Bulk orders. Only available for pickup in Noir Base. Please send private chat or email."
"Looking for 3 high-quality harvester mechs, with these... designs. Offer - 24k credits. Price non-negotiable.". These adverts will run for a set period of time (say 30 min) and then will have to be re-listed to prevent AFK and old/defunct listings. They will be listed in the trade channel in a specific sequential order with all the other adverts with a reasonable delay based on current volume to promote equal "air-time" and prevent spam and super fast listings scrolling by. Players could then either subscribe to the market channel to view the listings or not. Players could also report inappropriate or ignore listers just like a chat channel.
The point is not which exact method could be used but that methods could be used to still provide adequate needs for crafters and traders without a global chat channel. Some of these methods even encourage active and rewarding playing.
So what chat system would work without public global chat?
I do not want to see a public global channel, except maybe a [help] or [advice] channel but only if it is heavily moderated 24/7 or there is no reason to have it at all.
The channels I would like to see are:
Spatial (immediate area)
Shout (100m range or so)
Group (Private Global)
Guild and alliance (Private Global)
Help (Global help with game play,tech or advice - heavily moderated)
Private channel creation with channel creator mod capabilities (good for events, RP, Faction specific and other things).
I might have to concede on Area or Region chat without a global chat system in place.
In an underpopulated and poorly designed game a lack of global chat can make a game world seem very small and make players feel isolated. In a healthily populated game with the right design (one that encourages player interaction and relationship building like Earthrise does) a lack of global chat can greatly increase healthy community interaction as well as game play.
Public global chat encourages bad/annoying behavior.
No public global chat also prevents the annoying, ridiculously inane and trollish topics as well as general nonsense. Things such as harassment, smack talk, public arguments, all kinds of -isms, spam, credit selling, etc.. from being on a global scale that seem to be in almost every MMO currently. It also encourages players to be much more personal and respectful of each other since what you decide to say to someone else might make you publicly accountable and come with some real world consequences. Whereas public global chat and the randomness of speaking to an entire audience relatively anonymously from anywhere encourages trolling and every other negative aspect listed above.
So just do what everyone else does and leave the channel.
Yes I know what your thinking, just leave the channel if you don't want to see it or ignore/block the people that annoy you. That would work except its not only that I don't want to see it, I also don't want it to be there period. Besides what I mentioned earlier about global chat encouraging trollish and bad behavior to begin with I have multiple reasons for not wanting to have it at all.
One of them is that I don't want to see any in-game information being passed globally easily. Things such as player and guild locations and activities. This kind of server wide information could give away tactical planning, battle formations, or other activities that impact strategic playing and planning negatively. Not having a public global system would also encourage players and guilds in several game play aspects.
* Roaming and semi-clandestine operations instead of everyone being updated on every move and new location by a single person that prevents any sort of secrecy, tactics, or elements of surprise by players, groups or guilds.
* Scouting - Giving players that are good at getting into and out of areas and moving quickly and quietly to collect as much intel as possible on enemy movements, formations, escape routes, choke points, weaknesses and strengths, intel gathering, etc... This could encourage a fun and engaging playstyle that involves real tactics.
* Increased Hub Activity - Probably one of the most important aspects of a world without public global chat are popular places for player interaction. Having players converge into these areas for needs encourages community and social interaction where people could go to communicate, plan defenses against attacks, build groups or advertise services, socialize, trade, etc... This fosters the creation of a community and a living world
What about a trade channel? How will we sell stuff?
Yes I know what else you are thinking. Hey, I'm a crafter and I want people to be able to see what I have to offer. How will I be able to do this without a global trade channel? One method that games like to use is to allow players to "speak" in a global trade channel only if they are at a specific location like a major city or most likely a factory in ER's case. I don't believe this is an ideal solution. Factories are readily available in many locations and will just be used for random spam and global chat also, just with more inconvenience. Also this is less than an ideal solution for crafters and traders who will not spend 100% of their time in factories. This method disencourages crafters and traders from operating in any method besides the market and WTB/WTS world chat. Since the crafting system is designed around such an extensive and elaborate system why water down the end portion of trading and selling with a boring and uninspired method.
If I cannot advertise in a global trade channel how will I promote my goods?
Crafters already have access to personal shops where they are able to list a limited amount of their merchandise on the market globally. For players that want to advertise personally what they have for sale or what they can create or someone looking to find a crafter to make a specific item a more in-depth solution might be needed.
Not having a public global channel would require crafters to operate based on local advertisement, word of mouth, reputation and a limited availability of market space to list goods. This would encourage the entire game play aspect of being a trader much better (especially so with limited personal shop space and no global chat) since players will have to build clientele as well as build a personal reputation in order to become the most effective traders. They would have to rely and stay on top of price fluctuations, market demand, available supplies, locale and competition to be truly effective. Ideally this is the what I would like to see. In supplement of the above, additional methods can be used to work with non-chat trading such as adding searchable listings at the marketplace terminals for Buy/Sell orders and advertisement of services. These can be listed for a fee and only remain for a certain period of time or until removed. This could be as specific as a single item or small order, or a general listing for broad services similar to craigslist.
To offer a different method to trading without a global channel we could use a method of allowing players to advertise for services or products in limited fashion but still globally. There would have to be a method to restrict the channel in order to prevent it from becoming a global chat channel. This could be a way to allow crafters at a trade/factory/market terminal to input a message into the terminal that can then become listed in the global trade channel. The channel will not be "speakable" by any other method than by inputting your message for a small fee. Whether that message is offering or requesting services - "Shocker Weapons - Fully skilled and capable ranged weapons crafter with over 70 designs including all Codiax designs in stock. Single and Bulk orders. Only available for pickup in Noir Base. Please send private chat or email."
"Looking for 3 high-quality harvester mechs, with these... designs. Offer - 24k credits. Price non-negotiable.". These adverts will run for a set period of time (say 30 min) and then will have to be re-listed to prevent AFK and old/defunct listings. They will be listed in the trade channel in a specific sequential order with all the other adverts with a reasonable delay based on current volume to promote equal "air-time" and prevent spam and super fast listings scrolling by. Players could then either subscribe to the market channel to view the listings or not. Players could also report inappropriate or ignore listers just like a chat channel.
The point is not which exact method could be used but that methods could be used to still provide adequate needs for crafters and traders without a global chat channel. Some of these methods even encourage active and rewarding playing.
So what chat system would work without public global chat?
I do not want to see a public global channel, except maybe a [help] or [advice] channel but only if it is heavily moderated 24/7 or there is no reason to have it at all.
The channels I would like to see are:
Spatial (immediate area)
Shout (100m range or so)
Group (Private Global)
Guild and alliance (Private Global)
Help (Global help with game play,tech or advice - heavily moderated)
Private channel creation with channel creator mod capabilities (good for events, RP, Faction specific and other things).
I might have to concede on Area or Region chat without a global chat system in place.
This post is in the context of Earthrise, but I think it could apply to all games.
I agree with the poster. Global chat encourages all sorts of annoying behavior and it gives too many shortcuts. I liked how DAoC handled chat- there was say (immediate area), regional (in cities only- usually for help or trade), group, guild, and alliance (allied guilds). This promoted social behavior and mostly placed enforcement of chat abuse within guild and alliance hands.
Global unmoderated chat bypasses true social chat and allows the most irritating or egotistical personalities a platform to give the game a bad impression to others. It also cuts out guilds and alliances as social structures- if any regional or local event can be instantly broadcast to all, it cuts out one of the advantages of having a social structure.
Sure, one can turn off most global chats, but I think that the mere presence of unmoderated global chat brings the level of player interaction down to irritating levels. It sets the tone in a bad way for non-social behavior.
