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 Post subject: Make Chat Betterer
PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:06 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:49 pm 
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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.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:12 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:08 pm 
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Distinctly coloured channel tags.

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


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:34 pm 
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Starker wrote:
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.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:43 pm 
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A marker (e.g. a horizontal line) that gets inserted (moved) after the last line in chat upon clicking a link (say the channel name in the upper left corner).


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:34 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:16 pm 
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Olaf wrote:
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!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:57 am 
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Wouldn't it be possible to prevent auto-scrolling by having a boolean set if you're between mousedown and mouseup events and checking for it? I mean those events usually follow eachother pretty quickly unless you're holding down the mouse button to scroll through the contents of some frame. But then I don't know if auto-scrolling is actually a property of some tag or if it's the focus method being used.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:27 pm 
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-A /mark command like KoL's would be fantastic.
-When sending PMs, the other person's name should be a link, and should be in bold - just like when you receive PMs.
-You should be able to /who in other channels - right now you can't do it when you aren't listening to said channels, which is sort of annoying - I might only want to go to #trade if Leo is there (for example), and not being able to find out with a simple /who trade or #trade /who is annoying.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:37 pm 
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Just a note for myself; issues with slow connections/computers.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:45 pm 
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The [link] replacement thingie doesn't work in private messages.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:50 pm 
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Cristiona wrote:
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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:51 pm 
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Oh, okay. Cool.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:21 am 
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Auto-links don't always link to what you wanted, seemingly when there's a '(' or '#':
Example 1: The [link] for 'http://heroeswiki.com/Ando_Masahashi_(exposed_future)' actually links to 'http://heroeswiki.com/Ando_Masahashi_'.
Example 2: The [link] for 'http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=view-top_rated' actually links to 'http://www.spore.com/sporepedia'.
I'm assuming that this problem occurs with other special chars, too.

Then, there's still the problem of the spaces that get added to the URL that shows up in chat, making it much harder to manually copy-and-paste.
Example: 'http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=f8DkO7h8Z fs'

Edit: I suppose that if the links were fixed, then the URL spaces issue would be practical moot. I see the logic, now that you mention this.

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Last edited by JazzTap on Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:32 am 
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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?

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 Post subject: Re: Make Chat Betterer
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:00 pm 
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Olaf wrote:
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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:04 pm 
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Minor bug here possibly. Sometimes when I use the /cls command "undefined" will be posted in chat as if I had typed in the word and clicked send. It has happened to me maybe five or six times now, but I do not have any idea as to probable cause.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:24 pm 
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Olaf wrote:
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?


For me, that would be an improvement.

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


Better than no colours. Customizing is a nice-to-have feature. Icing on the cake.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:58 pm 
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Olaf wrote:
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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:26 pm 
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Xarth wrote:
/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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:39 pm 
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Corrupt Shadow wrote:
[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

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:16 pm 
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Olaf wrote:
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.


Righto, good stuff.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:13 pm 
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the undefined patch has been applied.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:50 pm 
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Corrupt Shadow wrote:
Olaf wrote:
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?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:47 am 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:49 pm 
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I thought incoming pm's were purple ;_; Damn you Ryme, you lied to me.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:23 pm 
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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)?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:29 pm 
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I'd prefer non-tabbed. Provided we could get our primary channel non-tagged while listening, that is >.>


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:34 pm 
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Satan wrote:
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

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:07 pm 
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In the future, I think tabbed will be much better than blob. At least an option to switch between the 2 is warranted.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:11 pm 
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I would much prefer tabbed - doubly so if PMs are also tabbed.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:22 pm 
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Non-tabbed for me. I'd forget to check the other tabs.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:30 pm 
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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.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:23 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:37 pm 
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I prefer tabbed. Much easier to keep tabs on everything.

Why not have both?


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:15 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:16 pm 
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Also, tabbed chat makes it harder to mischannel.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:44 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:55 pm 
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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:

Quote:
[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.

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