Make Chat Betterer

[Olaf]

Since the new chat has gone in, there have been some minor complaints and suggestions popping up in chat, but not put down anywhere for anyone to remember.
So, if you have suggestions/problems, please post them here. If possible, be detailed if you think it needs it. For example, several times "tabbed chat" has been requested, but not any specifics on how it should be set up.
Chat bugs can probably go here, too.
Also, please comment on things brought up here so the best solutions can be found for all.

Things I know right now:

tabs - an old request, I'd like to work on
right-click options (à la KoL) - I'll look into it

I'll try to keep this list updated as things come up.

[Satan]

Option to have the tags not show up on messages from your primary channel (the one you're 'in') while you're listening to other channels would be convenient.

[Cristiona]

At the bottom of chat, could we have a dozen or so extra pixels of blank space between the bottom of the box and the bottom of the frame? I keep my taskbar hidden, and frequently pull it up by mistake when trying to click the chatbox.

[Satan]

Distinctly coloured channel tags.

Also, would be nice if the chat didn't keep jumping to the new messages while scrolling up.

It's alot more difficult to make that happen than you would think, for two reasons.

1: If you don't do any auto-scrolldown at all, it's obviously inconvenient for the user to have to keep scrolling down.
2: The methods that you can use to try and come up with a way to figure out if a player isn't at the bottom of the scroll thing are affected by what browser they're using, which version, whether or not there's a horizontal scrollbar on the screen (I think Olaf may've gotten rid of that problem, actually), and how to recalculate everything if the player resizes their screen.

Overall, I don't think JS is powerful enough to fix this easily without taking hours and hours of research and work (and a possible new method has to be used for each type of browser, at that). I tried to implement it once and the horizontal scroll bar issue popped up, so I just said screw it.

[Olaf]

One solution would be to only have it scroll down by the amount the new message takes up. Doing this, it would still scroll normally if you're at the bottom, but if you're reading higher up, it only moves down by a few lines at most. Would that be good?
A problem, though, is if you've forgotten you've scrolled up.

Also, concerning colored tags, it would be easy enough to have everybody assigned the same colors. I mean everybody has trade show up as green, normal as red, etc. For it to be customizable, something'd need to be saved in the db, and I don't kow how much Ryme wants shoved in there.
Same thing with he tags showing up or not showing up. People will want it both ways.

[malk-a-mite]

Also, concerning colored tags, it would be easy enough to have everybody assigned the same colors. I mean everybody has trade show up as green, normal as red, etc.

Seafoam and teal or nothing at all!

[Olaf]

Just a note for myself; issues with slow connections/computers.

[Cristiona]

The [link] replacement thingie doesn't work in private messages.

[Olaf]

The [link] replacement thingie doesn't work in private messages.

It does on the recieving end. But yes, should be added to the green note, too.

[Cristiona]

Oh, okay. Cool.

[Olaf]

The spaces show up in anything long so that it can break and you don't have to scroll sideways. That's what the [link] is there for. Can you suggest an alternative solution?

[Corrupt Shadow]

right-click options (à la KoL) - I'll look into it

That's the only thing I'd want, but as you said, you're looking into it.

[Corrupt Shadow]

Also, concerning colored tags, it would be easy enough to have everybody assigned the same colors.

My suggestions:
[N] Normal
[H] Help
[$] Trade
[G] Games
[RP] Roleplay

That way we don't use red, which is the mod/admin color.

[Olaf]

/cls ... undefined

Yes, I figured out why this is happening and a fix for it, it's just not fixed in the game yet. For now, just do't use /cls or /exit while there's dots in the upper right hand coner.

[Cristiona]

[RP] Roleplay[/b]

That way we don't use red, which is the mod/admin color.

The difference between "darkred" and "red" is pretty minimal, heh

[Ryme]

the undefined patch has been applied.

[MagiNinjA]

Also, concerning colored tags, it would be easy enough to have everybody assigned the same colors.

My suggestions:
[N] Normal
[H] Help
[$] Trade
[G] Games
[RP] Roleplay

That way we don't use red, which is the mod/admin color.

Brown and dark red look very similar. O.o

Dark red is actually the admin/mod color now. Or something really close. Maybe some kind of blue?

[Corrupt Shadow]

They do, but I was running out of colors that would show up on white.

Blue is already used for incoming PM's.
Green is used for outgoing PM's too. Damn.

[Satan]

I thought incoming pm's were purple ;_; Damn you Ryme, you lied to me.

[Olaf]

Here's a question; How many would prefer the current method (all one window, channels marked with tags) over a tabbed chat (one channel per tab)?

[Satan]

I'd prefer non-tabbed. Provided we could get our primary channel non-tagged while listening, that is >.>

[malk-a-mite]

I'd prefer non-tabbed. Provided we could get our primary channel non-tagged while listening, that is >.>

That would go a long way in allowing the non-primary chats to stand out

[MagiNinjA]

In the future, I think tabbed will be much better than blob. At least an option to switch between the 2 is warranted.

[Corrupt Shadow]

Non-tabbed for me. I'd forget to check the other tabs.

[Ryme]

I've never used a tabbed chat in my life, but if it involves clicking for switching back and forth to keep an eye on everything, then I would consider that much worse than being able to see it all in one place. I mostly lurk, and I just like to see what's going on while I'm doing other things. If I have to maintain chat by clicking, that cuts into my ability to be doing other stuff.

[MagiNinjA]

That depends. I think I tend to spend more time trying to identify where the source of conversation is coming from. Especially if there are notifications.

[Cristiona]

A toggled option between tabbed and non-tabbed would be nice. When just watching chat scroll, tabs are unnecessary. When carrying on a conversation in /pm, tabs are fantastically handy.

[Olaf]

The reason why not both is because i's easier for me, but the main thing putting me off from having both I thinkI've figured out.
I do have another question, though.
In tabbed, how should the "PM" channels be labelled? I ask because the chatpane has limited width, and some people have long names. If you're talking to several long-named people, a significant chunk up top will just be tabs. But I undersanfd that would ,make the most sense. Another option I can think of just off my head is have it just be "PM" and either colored, or just a number (not player number, but like PM1, PM2, PM3). Or, maybe just the first few letters of the name?
Any ideas here would be quite good.

Also, does it matter if messages are kept when switching between tabbed and non-tabbed? Or would a forced /cls be fine there? I think I could keep the messages when switching to tabbed, it's the other way around that I'm not so sure about. Well, keeping them in the right order, that is.

[Cristiona]

I don't know if it helps, but here's how CDMoyer did it in Greasemonkey for KoL.

I believe it just takes up more and more vertical real estate when you have more tabs than there's room for, so as long as someone's name wasn't so long it wrapped around on its own, there wouldn't be an issue.

ie:

[normal] [role-play] [trade]
[games] [>ryme] [>olaf]
[>malk-a-mite] [>cristiona]
[>satan]


[normal] soandso: how u mine 4 fish?
[normal] everyone: STFU noob

And so on.