Typing indicators?

[Guest]

Mostly self-explanatory. When using the *say or *emote verb, a little text box indicator pops up upper right of your mob sprite, with a little 'dot dot dot' animation. A couple servers have these already.

[keinto]

YES. WHY DO WE STILL NOT HAVE THESEOMHMYGODPLEASENOW+1.

[Skull132]

It was discussed. It was dropped because it couldn't be done with accuracy.

Here is what I mean: a considerable amount of people type, not by using the pop-up, but instead by using the command bar. There is no way to detect input into the command bar, as far as I know. The other servers most likely run a loop for the sprite that stops the moment the input window is closed (whether by the message being put through, or being cancelled). This would make the mechanic in question only useful to those who deal with the pop-up.

The main question at that point: is this a mechanic worth implementing with the idea that it works only for 60% of the cases? Think of it this way: an antagonist becomes reliant on the "dotdotdots". They run into a player who, as per their own free choice, uses the command bar. In a situation, the antagonist in question does not spot the three dots, and as such, opens fire, while in reality, the other person was typing.

In my mind, this is only worth implementing if it's accurate 100% of the time. But popular opinion may differ.

[Guest]

I remember you saying that before and me agreeing with the concern raised there. Still, I would argue that there's no real detriment to adding this feature. If anything, it would cut down on... maybe a quarter or so of the ganks from even happening? Assuming best-case scenario, in that event.

I understand the concern behind adding a feature that only works, 60% of the time, as you said, but perhaps it would also encourage people to type it out using the pop-up say verb? They aren't forced to, but there's still benefit to using it.

[Guest]

I'll walk around with the popup open only using the command bar to avoid getting ganked.

but perhaps it would also encourage people to type it out using the pop-up say verb? They aren't forced to, but there's still benefit to using it.

You want to make people change how they play the game?

[Chaznoodles]

Make it a toggleable button in the IC tab, so people can use it when they're typing and don't want to get wrecked.

[Guest]

I'll walk around with the popup open only using the command bar to avoid getting ganked.

but perhaps it would also encourage people to type it out using the pop-up say verb? They aren't forced to, but there's still benefit to using it.

You want to make people change how they play the game?

That wasn't the intent, no.

[Skull132]

That'll make people not trust it, though.

The entire system would exist to create trust. "This guy is typing, I am trusting him to be typing, so I'll wait a bit."

If we make it toggleable, then even if it's not abused, people will lack trust in it. That's, unfortunately, how things go. So it should be automagical.

[Carver]

I have this habit of pre-typing my IC statements up to 2-3 minutes beforehand. Having the massive symbol over one's head is A, obnoxious for pre-typers, B, potentially visually obnoxious, and C, presents a mechanical disadvantage in combat because suddenly your sprite's larger and easier to click, which thus encourages people to get others to type before starting a fight. I'm not saying it would become the norm, what I am saying is, it's an abusable mechanic that isn't necessary.

But if you can toggle it for yourself so it doesn't appear when typing, if you don't wish for the feature, that does negate it heavily.

 

It was discussed. It was dropped because it couldn't be done with accuracy.

Here is what I mean: a considerable amount of people type, not by using the pop-up, but instead by using the command bar. There is no way to detect input into the command bar, as far as I know. The other servers most likely run a loop for the sprite that stops the moment the input window is closed (whether by the message being put through, or being cancelled). This would make the mechanic in question only useful to those who deal with the pop-up.

I swear seen it functionally implemented on other code bases before, as someone who uses the command bar for nigh-everything. But I believe it was on a /tg/ code offshoot back around 2011 I think, too, so I'm unsure if it'd be possible here. All I know is that as soon as you started typing past say ", it had an animated (...) appear over the character.

[Jakers457]

I can see it's benefits for Roleplay, conversation wise. I mean it might be an issue with ganky paranoid players but eh.

[Skull132]

I can go and poke around, see if the command bar is at all accessible. If anyone can point me to a codebase which has the commandbar sensitive version, then that'd be great.

Otherwise, I'll review this once I get a break from my (wet) Skrell oriented work.